ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to conduct a survey of beetles (Coleoptera) in a silvopastoral system, estimating constancy, abundance, richness, diversity of families and seasonality, from July 2006 to June 2008. The study was carried out at the Embrapa Dairy Cattle station, in Coronel Pacheco, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The beetles were collected in Malaise traps, fortnightly, and taken to the laboratory for analysis. A total of 26 families, 294 morphospecies and 1,606 specimens were found. The Elateridae, Mordellidae, Chrysomelidae, Coccinellidae and Curculionidae families were the most abundant, rich and diverse. The Scarabaeidae and Scolytidae families were also among the most abundant, and the Cerambycidae family was among the richest, while the Bruchidae and Carabidae families presented high diversity. The largest number of individuals and morphospecies sampled occurred during the period of rain. November 2007 presented the most (n = 535 specimens) captures of any month, followed by October 2006, September 2007, March and April of 2008.
Keywords:
Population survey; diversity; insect fauna