Augmentation of beneficial arthropods by strip-management: 4. Surface activity, movements and activity density of abundant carabid beetles in a cereal field

The effect of strip-management on surface activity, movements and activity density of abundant carabid beetles during two vegetation periods in a cereal field was investigated using mark-recapture techniques. Significantly higher recapture rates, indicating higher activity, were found in the strip-managed area than in the control area, especially in Poecilus cupreus and also in Carabus granulatus and Pterostichus melanarius. Several observations led to the conclusion that this higher activity is generally due to a prolongation of the reproductive period in the strip-managed area