Laurent LeSage

Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionoidea) Diversity and Abundance in Two Quebec Vineyards

Abstract The wine-making region of southern Quebec in Canada experiences growing conditions that are unique in northeastern North America. After an outbreak of insect pests in 1996, a study of insect groups that may include potential pests or beneficial species was initiated. This article reports on the weevil diversity and abundance during three consecutive years of sampling (1997–1999) in two vineyards. All weevils were collected using pitfall and flight intercept traps. In total, 3,176 specimens were collected, representing 73 species in three families of Curculionoidea. The family Curculionidae was the most species rich, especially the subfamilies Ceutorhynchinae, Curculioninae, and Entiminae. Four of the species recorded are known to feed on the genus Vitis (Vitaceae) in North America: Madarellus undulatus (Say), Barypeithes pellucidus (Boheman), Otiorhynchus ovatus (L.), and Otiorhynchus sulcatus (F.). Of these, O. sulcatus is thought to represent the greatest potential threat based on adult abundance at one of the sites and the negative impact of this species in other wine-making regions in North America. Four species [Ceutorhynchus oregonensis Dietz, Pelenomus waltoni (Boheman), Rhinoncus perpendicularis (Reiche), and Sphenophorus minimus Hart] are recorded in Quebec for the first time. A significant number of weevils collected during this study are adventive species associated with agroecosystems of northeastern North America.

Diversity and Seasonal Activity of Ground Beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Two Vineyards of Southern Quebec, Canada

Abstract From 1997 to 1999, 11,435 specimens of ground beetles representing 124 species were captured in pitfall traps at two commercial vineyards in southern Quebec, Canada. Taking into account only the species breeding or likely breeding in the two vineyards, the carabid diversity was similar over the 3-yr period in both sites. The number of species was similar (51 and 54) in both vineyards, but the most common species were ranked differently in a position that was consistent over the 3-yr period. Chlaenius sericeus (Forster) and Clivina fossor (L.) occurred mainly on the clay loam vineyard, and Amara latior (Kirby) and Harpalus herbivagus Say on the gravel and sand loam vineyard. The Shannon diversity and evenness indexes were greater at the gravel and sand loam vineyard. Two recently introduced European species, Harpalus rufipes (Duftschmid) and Pterostichus vernalis (Panzer), became more prevalent between 1997 and 1999 and are likely to affect the rank position at each site. Diversity at the clay loam vineyard was equal to another unsprayed and annually cultivated site on clay in the ecozone. It shared with the unsprayed site a similar number of species for an equal sample size, Shannon and evenness indexes, and for most species, ranking of the most commonly trapped species.