Arachnids (Arachnidae) in a Spring Wheat Agrocenosis in Southern Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Effect of Treatment with Decis,a Pyrethroid Insecticide,on Their Populations

Russian Journal of Ecology -     

Carabids in a Spring Wheat Agrocenosis to the South of Sverdlovsk Oblast and the Effect of Insecticide Treatment on Their Populations

Species composition, community structure, and seasonal population dynamics of carabids in spring wheat fields were studied in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg. In addition, the effects of crop treatment with the pyrethroid insecticide Decis on carabid populations was analyzed. The results showed that the numbers, species diversity, and the prevalence of certain trophic groups of carabids changed during the season. After the treatment of small areas with Decis, the number of carabids in catches decreased for a short period of time. During the second and third weeks after the treatment, the numbers of carabids increased above the control level. The structural rearrangement of the carabid community was observed in the areas treated with the insecticide.