The beetle fauna on Galterö in Gothenburg’s southern archipelago (Coleoptera)

Abstract

Galterö island in the Gothenburg archipelago in southwestern Sweden is a unique site for many interesting species, not least beetles. Continual grazing on thin sandy soils means that the island contains habitat for a number of species that are rare or threatened elsewhere in Sweden and Northern Europe. Here we present the results of a comprehensive beetle survey on the island, using a large number of pitfall traps in different habitats including heathland, marshland, sandy coastal meadows and seashore. In total, we found 366 beetle species in the survey, of which eight are on the Swedish red list, and many more are rare or found far from their nearest known locality. Several other rare beetle species have been found on Galterö previously, and among the most noteworthy inhabitants of the island are Xyletinus laticollis EN, Phytosus balticus VU, P. spinifer VU, Grypus brunnirostris NT, Euaesthetus superlatus DD, Bembidion pallidipenne and Trypocopris vernalis. Continually maintained grazing and proper management of Galterö is of outmost importance to secure the habitat for these and many other rare and threatened species.