Using radio telemetry to study dispersal of the beetle Osmoderma eremita, an inhabitant of tree hollows

This paper describes a radio-tracking study of Osmoderma eremita, a large Scarabaeid beetle, living in hollow trees. The study seems to be the first in which radio telemetry has been used with a flying insect in the field. Some 74 adult beetles were tagged with radio transmitters weighing 0.48-0.52 1, and having a nominal battery life of 12-20 days. Transmissions were detected at ranges of up to 330 m, with 50-100 in obtained routinely. Contact was lost with 71% of the females and 20% of the males before the end of the nominal lifetime of the transmitter's battery, probably because the transmitter ceased to function. Radio telemetry proved effective in this study and gave dispersal ranges and rates that were consistent with those from a concurrent mark-recapture study in the same area. However, further development of the technique is desirable. The antennas need to be more flexible and the transmitters smaller and lighter. Nevertheless, even the current form of the technique may be suitable for studying short-range dispersal in other large-bodied flight-capable insects. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.