CARABIDS AS INDICATORS OF SUSTAINABILITY IN ARABLE CROPS

Intensive agriculture and crop production lead to a significant decline in biological control agents, their abundance and diversity. Ground beetles are important in reducing populations of pests and weeds. They are often used in environmental research as biological indicators of different habitats. The aim of this research was to analyse biocenotic and synecological indices of ground beetle populations collected from two remote sites differing in weather conditions, tillage, and types of arable crops. After detailed identification, 64 species were distinguished and classified according to the Catalogue of Palearctic Coleoptera. Biocenotic synecological analysis per crop in both Vukovar-Syrmia and Virovitica-Podravina counties showed that H. rufipes, P. melas, P. melanarius melanarius and P. cupreus cuperus were the most abundant species in the studied crops. Catches in Virovitica- Podravina County were significantly higher than catches in Vukovar-Syrmia County. Compared to the other crops, maize had significantly the highest. The highest catches were recorded in September, while catches were significantly lower in July. Catches were affected by location site, crop, and sampling date, as well as their combinations, proving that the abundance of ground beetles was significantly different at the two sites.