Stenobiont insects as environmental indicators (leaf beetles – Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae as the example)

Pavlov S. I., Yaitsky A. S., Miniyarov F. T.

In this paper, we consider 5 natural situations (observed by the authors in years 1987 to 2016 on the territory of Samara region), when favorable or unfavorable changes of external environment affects rather mobile populations of 5 species (Gastrophysa polygoni Linnaeus, Cryptocephalus moraei Linnaeus, Timarcha tenebricosa Fabricius, Pyrrhalta luteola Müller, Oulema melanopus Linnaeus) of leaf beetles, influencing their behavior and number. In two cases the population of indicator species decreases, in one case it remains stable (but the daily activity of adults changes), and in two cases population increases. Paper also analyses causes and trends of environmental processes.

Keywords:leaf beetles; Chrysomelidae; habitat; stenobiont; amount of insect; Samara Oblast.