RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DECAY TYPES OF DEAD WOOD AND OCCURRENCE OF LUCANID BEETLES (COLEOPTERA, LUCANIDAE)

Relationship between the decay types (white, brown and soft rot) in dead wood and occurrence of lucanid beetles (Coleoptera: Lucanidae) was studied in the field. Of the 292 wood pieces examined, 223 (76.4%) were classified with white rot, 29 (9.9%) with brown rot and 24 (8.2%) with soft rot. The rest were unclassifiable. A total of 595 lucanid beetles (larvae and newly emerged adults) belonging to 8 species (6 genera) were collected from the examined wood. No significant relationship with the decay types was observed in most lucanid species (Prismognathus angularis, Macrodorcas striatipennis, Nipponodorcus montivagus, N. rubrofemoratus and Platycerus delicatulus). However, the occurrence of Ceruchus lignarius and Aesalus asiaticus was significantly concentrated in brown rot, and that of Platycerus acuticollis in soft rot. Moreover, significant positive associations were observed between P. angularis and M. striatipennis and between P. angularis and N. rubrofemoratus, whereas no significant interspecific association was observed for the rest of the species pairs.