Road-killed ground beetles prove the presence of Carabus hungaricus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in North-Western Romania

• Main Author: Alfred Ștefan Cicort-Lucaciu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Fund for Support and Development of Protected Areas 2020-08-01
• Series: Nature Conservation Research: Zapovednaâ Nauka
• Subjects: carei plain; distribution; grassland; habitat; protected area; road mortality
• Online Access: http://ncr-journal.bear-land.org/article/278

Carei Plain is a Protected Area in Northwestern Romania with a rich biodiversity, which among other human impacts, is threatened by road traffic. The road mortality intensity and its consequences were indicated in the region by some studies. During such a road mortality survey, realised in 2016, we identified five road-killed individuals of Carabus hungaricus, a rare species in Romania. Carei Plain is situated a few kilometres away from the area where the species presence was known in Hungary. The road is surrounded with sand dunes and wet areas with rich herbaceous vegetation, but also with Robinia pseudoacacia plantations. Carabus hungaricus is a rare species, with zoogeographic and conservation importance, affected by the road mortality in the region. The real distribution of C. hungaricus in the region should be established by investigating its potential habitats in the Protected Area.