The carabid beetle fauna (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of a traditional garden in the Hrvatsko Zagorje region

Background and Purpose: The carabid beetle fauna was studied in a traditional family garden in Konjščina (northwest Croatia). The garden was surrounded by different crop types, various habitat types, including a small marshland area, and a nearby railroad. The aim of our study was to determine the carabid beetle assemblage in a traditionally managed garden, to establish the seasonal dynamics of the dominant carabid species and to analyze carabid beetle fauna according to their ecological and habitat preferences, and geographical distribution. Material and Methods: Carabid beetles were collected by pitfall traps. Zoogeographical distributions and species ecological characteristics were taken from the literature. Results: A total of 547 specimens of carabid beetles belonging to 37 species were recorded. The dominant species were: Pterostichus niger, Poecilus cupreus, Harpalus rufipes, Bembidion quadrimaculatum and B. properans. Hygrophilous species prevailed over xerophilous and mesophilous. The majority of the species were spring breeders. Three rare carabid species were captured: Clivina collaris, Drypta dentata and Oodes helopioides. The majority of species had fully developed wings and are active fliers. Conclusions: Carabid species diversity and abundance in the traditional garden were markedly determined by the diversity of habitats found on a relatively small surface area. The vicinity of a small marshland area had the main influence on the carabid beetle fauna, which mainly consisted of widely distributed hygrophilous species with good flight ability. The current study shows that traditional gardens may enhance biodiversity on a small scale level