Phenology and Relative Abundance of Coleoptera on Some Australian Acacias.

Abstract

Adult Coleoptera were sampled weekly by beating from four Acacia species (Acacia baileyana, Acacia dealbata, Acacia decurrens and Acacia pravissima) near Melbourne for up to 2 l/2 years. Some 34,000 individuals, representing nearly 200 'species', are used to analyse seasonal trends in occurrence and abundance on different tree species. Few species were abundant, and these (predominantly univoltine 'summer' species) occurred on all host species. Aspects of seasonal incidence and changes in similarity between beetle assemblages on different tree species are briefly discussed.