Diversity Assessment of Coleoptera (Insecta) Collected from Pitfall Traps Using Five Different Attractant Solutions

Coleoptera is the insect order with the highest number of species, representing approximately 40% of class Insecta. Due to its high species diversity and the ease with which it can be detected using traps, this study aims to compare the diversity of Coleoptera collected using different solutions in pitfall traps. The study was conducted to compare the Coleoptera diversity in the Marmara University Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Campus (Istanbul) using five different solutions in pitfall traps. The five solutions used for the study are: ethylene glycol, vanillin, acetic acid, molasses, and a mixture of these four liquids. Pitfall traps using these solutions were set up and placed in suitable areas on the campus. The Coleoptera specimens captured in these traps were collected over a period of six months, and the obtained data were compared with the Coleoptera diversity attracted by the different solutions. Previous studies using pitfall traps have focused more on the structural aspects of the traps, such as their size, material, depth, and diameter, rather than the solutions used. This study is significant as it is the first research in Turkey comparing biodiversity based on the solutions used in traps. At the end of the study, the diversity of Coleoptera specimens in the traps was assessed using both the Simpson 1-D and Shannon H indices. Variable solutions yielded similar values with some slight differences. However, differences in diversity across solution types were not found to be statistically significant.