Abstract:
Semiochemical-baited intercept traps are important tools used to collect information about
the presence/absence and population dynamics of forest insects. The performance of these tools
is influenced by trap location along both horizontal edge–interior and vertical understory–canopy
gradients. Consequently, the development of survey and detection programs requires both the
development of effective traps and semiochemical lures but also deployment protocols to guide their
use. We used field trapping experiments to examine the impact of both horizontal edge–interior and
vertical understory–canopy gradients and their interactions with the species richness and abundance
of Buprestidae, Cerambycidae and Curculionidae. Both gradients had significant effects on the
diversity and abundance of all three families collected in traps and the pattern of gradient effects
differed between the two experiments. In the first experiment, traps were deployed along transects
involving large (>100 m) forest gaps and in the second experiment traps transected small (ca. 15 m)
forest gaps. These results were consistent with the idea that gradient effects on the abundance and
diversity of these three families of forest Coleoptera are context dependent. The results of this study
suggest that monitoring programs for bark and woodboring beetles should deploy traps at multiple
locations along both vertical understory–canopy and horizontal edge–interior gradients.
