A biodiversity survey of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in terrestrial habitats
Title
A biodiversity survey of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in terrestrial habitats
Author
Matteo Nicola Menegazzo
Host Organization
Glebe Park
Supervising Faculty
Kaitlyn Fleming
Reference Number
4942
Date
April, 2023
Location of Document
Online
Area
Haliburton County, Glebe Park
Abstract
Carrion beetles use decaying flesh as a resource for food and mating therefore, they play
an important role in the physical decomposition of organic matter and thus can play an important
role in forensic investigations. We conducted a survey of Silphidae in Glebe Park, Haliburton,
from June 2022 to September 2022. The area of Glebe Park is located Ontario Shield ecozone
and Georgian Bay ecoregion and is located in a mixed forest habitat. We set four bottle traps in
Glebe Park in an effort to update the known distributions of Silphids, determine environmental
factors and their effects on abundance, and if any present species have implications for species at
risk in the Haliburton region of Ontario. A total of 1,308 Silphidae beetles were collected and
consisted of five species: Nicrophorus tomentosus, Nicrophorus pustulatus, Nicrophorus sayi,
Nicrophorus defodiens, and Oiceoptoma noveboracense. Nicrophorus tomentosus was the most
abundant species found consisting of 991 specimens in total. Nicrophorus pustulatus, N. sayi, N.
defodiens, and O. noveboracense were found in totals of 131, 116, 64 and 6 respectively. Out of
the environmental factors that were analyzed, it appears that mean wind speed and mean dew
point are the greatest factors in Silphidae abundance. When wind speed is higher, there is a
decrease in the abundance of Silphidae, but when there is an increase in dew point, there is also
an increase of Silphidae.
an important role in the physical decomposition of organic matter and thus can play an important
role in forensic investigations. We conducted a survey of Silphidae in Glebe Park, Haliburton,
from June 2022 to September 2022. The area of Glebe Park is located Ontario Shield ecozone
and Georgian Bay ecoregion and is located in a mixed forest habitat. We set four bottle traps in
Glebe Park in an effort to update the known distributions of Silphids, determine environmental
factors and their effects on abundance, and if any present species have implications for species at
risk in the Haliburton region of Ontario. A total of 1,308 Silphidae beetles were collected and
consisted of five species: Nicrophorus tomentosus, Nicrophorus pustulatus, Nicrophorus sayi,
Nicrophorus defodiens, and Oiceoptoma noveboracense. Nicrophorus tomentosus was the most
abundant species found consisting of 991 specimens in total. Nicrophorus pustulatus, N. sayi, N.
defodiens, and O. noveboracense were found in totals of 131, 116, 64 and 6 respectively. Out of
the environmental factors that were analyzed, it appears that mean wind speed and mean dew
point are the greatest factors in Silphidae abundance. When wind speed is higher, there is a
decrease in the abundance of Silphidae, but when there is an increase in dew point, there is also
an increase of Silphidae.
Publisher
Trent University
Files
Collection
Reference
Matteo Nicola Menegazzo April, 2023, A biodiversity survey of carrion beetles (Coleoptera: Silphidae) in terrestrial habitats, Trent University