Ecological Distribution and Seasonality of Darkling Beetles ( Coleoptera : Tenebrionidae ) in the Central Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Pitfall traps were used to study the distribution and seasonality of darkling beetles ( Tenebrionidae ) at four sites in the Huraymala wadi of the central region of Saudi Arabia , from February 1988 to February 1989 . Two of the four were cultivated and the others were uncultivated . In all 2386 tenebrionid specimens were trapped , representing 26 species. The most abundant were Mesostena puncticollis Solier, Zophosis sp, Adesmia cancellata ( Klug ) , Scleron orientale Fab., Akis elevata Solier and Trachyderma philistina Reiche . The abundance and diversity of the beetles were significantly greater in uncultivated sites than that in the cultivated sites . M . puncticollis , A . cancellata and T. philistina were found in all sites . Zophosis sp. and A..elevata were found only in uncultivated sites . S. orientale, Gonocephalum rusticum ( Olivier ) and G. soricinum were found almost entirely in the cultivated sites . Numbers of tenebrionids trapped in winter and mid summer were low , they reached a peak in June . The rainfall over the two months preceding collection had an effect of 69 - 79 % on beetle abundance .