SEASONAL PATTERNS IN THE DIVERSITY OF HISTERID BEETLES (HISTERIDAE) ARE ECOSYSTEM SPECIFIC? A CASE IN PARA STATE, NORTHERN BRAZIL

The objective of this work was to characterize the seasonal variation in the community of Histerid beetles (Histeridae) of different ecosystems in the Brazilian Amazon, ranging from primary or secondary forests with different stages of regeneration to cocoa farms and pastures. Pitfall traps were distributed within the monitored ecosystems during different periods of the year. A total of 1945 Histerid beetles, belonging to five genera and 14 species were captured. Higher diversities were observed during the rainy season, although with differences among ecosystems. The genera Phelister and Hister were ubiquitous in all ecosystems, constituting 71% of all the specimens captured. Histerid beetle communities, discriminated by ordination methods, change gradually from the most conserved ecosystems to more disturbed ones. Moreover, the results showed that disturbed ecosystems, namely cocoa farms and pastures, have detrimental effects on the occurrence of Histerid beetles, which are considered forest specialists, while enhancing generalist species.