The ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) of the Karatepa and Chakilkalyan mountains (west part of Zarafshan Mountains Range, Uzbekistan)

Abstract

Ground beetles (Carabidae) are one the most numerous and well-studied families of Coleoptera. However, the study of the biodiversity of these beetles in Uzbekistan lags far behind other Central Asian countries. This research was carried out during 2018–2019 in two areas in the west part of the Zarafshan Mountain Range – in the Chakilkalyan and Karatepa mountains. In total, 49 species of ground beetles belonging to 31 genera, 16 tribes and 8 subfamilies were recorded. The most representative was the subfamily Harpalinae (32 species from 20 genera, 65.3%). By the number of individuals, representatives of Harpalinae made up 85.6% of all collected ground beetles. The Trechinae subfamily included five species from three genera (10.2%), the Scaritinae subfamily – four species from two genera (8.2%), the Carabinae subfamily – three species from two genera (6.1%), the Broscinae subfamily – two species from the same genus (4.1%). The subfamilies Brachininae, Cicindelinae and Nebriinae are represented by one species (2.0% each). In the Karatepa Mountains, 34 species from 23 genera were identified, and in the Chakilkalyan Mountains, 34 species from 21 genera. 19 species of ground beetles were common to the two mountains. The fauna of ground beetles in these mountains differed significantly in the composition of the dominant species. In the Karatepa Mountains, the dominant species were Zabrus morio, Eocarterus chodshenticus, Amara aenea, and Acinopus laevigatus, and the subdominant ones were Brachinus explodens, Calathus ambiguus, and Poecilus longiventris. In the Chakilkalyan Mountains, Anchomenus dorsalis, Harpalus rufipes, and Chlaenius extensus are dominant, while Amara aenea, Harpalus distinguendus, Dolichus halensis turned out to be subdominant. However, the composition of dominant species varied at different sites. The rarest species were Anisodactylus binotatus, Cymindis andreae, Taphoxenus goliath, Calosoma sycophanta, Scarites subcylindricus, Chilotomusus gentensis, Calathus peltatus and Broscus punctatus. Different areas of both mountains differed significantly in the diversity of ground beetle fauna. In both mountains, the lowest diversity was noted at the highest altitude areas. In four areas of the Karatepa Mountains, the average value of the Zhakar and Chekanovsky-Sørensen indices was 0.27 and 0.11, and in five areas of the Chakilkalyan Mountains – 0.24 and 0.25. And the similarities between the communities of the two mountains were also insignificant (0.39 and 0.11).