Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from Rice Fields and Surrounding Grasslands of Northern Iran

Abstract

Ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) have an effective role in pest control in rice fields. The fauna of these beneficial insects in the rice fields of Northern Iran (Mazandaran Province) was studied based on sampling (pitfall trap and sweeping net) through 2003-2006. Based on the conducted surveys, 27 species of 19 genera and 12 subfamilies were collected and determined. Among these species, 20 species are newly recorded from Iran. Harpalus ( Pseudoophonus) rufipes (DeGeer), Harpalus (Harpalus) smyrnensis Heyden, Calathus (Calathus) fuscipes Goeze and Scarites (Parallelomorphus) subcylindricus Chaudoir are the dominant species in the rice fields and surrounding grasslands.