Habitat Associations and Phenology of Sand Dune Hister Beetles in the Grasslands of Western Canada (Coleoptera: Histeridae)

Histerid beetle (Histeridae) phenology and habitat associations were inferred from specimens collected in pitfall traps on a grassland dune field near Empress, Alberta, Canada, during 3 May to 27 August 1984. Four vegetation associations were identified by cluster analysis (Scurf Pea, Open Sand, Stabilized Dune, and Sand Flat) and 516 histerid beetles, representing 11 species, were collected in these zones, with an additional three species collected without microhabitat data. Beetles were most strongly associated with the Scurf Pea vegetation type, and less than 50% ground cover. The two most abundant species, Hypocaccus iris (Fall) and Hypocaccus seminitens (J. L. LeConte), were most active during June and early July, consistent with the proposition that all species in this assemblage overwinter as long-lived adults.