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Functional trait variation of an emblematic saproxylic beetle along rural-to-urban gradients across Europe

Astrid Van den Bossche (UGent) , Karlien Moeys, Pallieter De Smedt (UGent) , Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Jörg Brunet, Sara A. O. Cousins, Łucasz Depa, Karen De Pauw (UGent) , Martin Diekmann, Bente J. Graae, et al.
(2025) INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY. 18(6). p.1136-1149
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Abstract
Urban areas can support diverse communities of plants and animals. Yet, urbanisation can affect functionally important species traits, potentially impacting population dynamics. The saproxylic beetle Elater ferrugineus L. is associated with large trees and is often used as an indicator of species-rich saproxylic communities. It is an important target for conservation and it is listed as a near-threatened species on the European Red List. Few studies have quantified the impact of urbanisation on the ecology and intraspecific variation in functional traits of arthropods, other than pollinators. We studied how the local abundance of E. ferrugineus and functionally important response traits (e.g., width of the pronotum, length of the elytron and wing, wing area, body mass and wingload) changed along urbanisation gradients in eight European cities using pheromone traps installed on large solitary trees. We analysed the effects of the surrounding built-up area and tree cover on our response variables while accounting for potential confounding effects due to tree size and the availability of microhabitats. Urbanisation had a strong negative effect on the local abundance of E. ferrugineus, while the amount of tree cover had a positive influence. We found no significant impact of urbanisation on the functional traits of this species, except for a significantly higher wingload in city centres. Our results provide a better understanding of the ecological processes impacting this saproxylic beetle and underpin the importance of future research on urbanisation's impact on arthropods.
Keywords
Elater ferrugineus, microhabitats, phenotypic plasticity, rusty click beetle, solitary trees, urban land expansion, urban-to-rural gradient, wing area, wing loading, ELATER-FERRUGINEUS, BODY-SIZE, INSECT CONSERVATION, OSMODERMA-EREMITA, PHENOTYPIC CHANGE, BIODIVERSITY, ECOLOGY, DISPERSAL, INDICATORS, COLEOPTERA

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Citation

Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:

MLA
Van den Bossche, Astrid, et al. “Functional Trait Variation of an Emblematic Saproxylic Beetle along Rural-to-Urban Gradients across Europe.” INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY, vol. 18, no. 6, 2025, pp. 1136–49, doi:10.1111/icad.12856.
APA
Van den Bossche, A., Moeys, K., De Smedt, P., Van Meerbeek, K., Brunet, J., Cousins, S. A. O., … De Frenne, P. (2025). Functional trait variation of an emblematic saproxylic beetle along rural-to-urban gradients across Europe. INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY, 18(6), 1136–1149. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12856
Chicago author-date
Van den Bossche, Astrid, Karlien Moeys, Pallieter De Smedt, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Jörg Brunet, Sara A. O. Cousins, Łucasz Depa, et al. 2025. “Functional Trait Variation of an Emblematic Saproxylic Beetle along Rural-to-Urban Gradients across Europe.” INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY 18 (6): 1136–49. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12856.
Chicago author-date (all authors)
Van den Bossche, Astrid, Karlien Moeys, Pallieter De Smedt, Koenraad Van Meerbeek, Jörg Brunet, Sara A. O. Cousins, Łucasz Depa, Karen De Pauw, Martin Diekmann, Bente J. Graae, Jenny Hagenblad, Paige Heavyside, Per‐Ola Hedwall, Thilo Heinken, Siyu Huang, Jonathan Lenoir, Jessica Lindgren, Tobias Naaf, Anna Orczewska, Jolina Paulssen, Jan Plue, Fabien Spicher, Thomas Vanneste, Kris Verheyen, Louis Verschuren, Kristiina Visakorpi, Monika Wulf, Arno Thomaes, and Pieter De Frenne. 2025. “Functional Trait Variation of an Emblematic Saproxylic Beetle along Rural-to-Urban Gradients across Europe.” INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY 18 (6): 1136–1149. doi:10.1111/icad.12856.
Vancouver
1.
Van den Bossche A, Moeys K, De Smedt P, Van Meerbeek K, Brunet J, Cousins SAO, et al. Functional trait variation of an emblematic saproxylic beetle along rural-to-urban gradients across Europe. INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY. 2025;18(6):1136–49.
IEEE
[1]
A. Van den Bossche et al., “Functional trait variation of an emblematic saproxylic beetle along rural-to-urban gradients across Europe,” INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. 1136–1149, 2025.
@article{01K62XWTZZ5FN2ZYX6VCSSNE3S,
  abstract     = {{Urban areas can support diverse communities of plants and animals. Yet, urbanisation can affect functionally important species traits, potentially impacting population dynamics. The saproxylic beetle Elater ferrugineus L. is associated with large trees and is often used as an indicator of species-rich saproxylic communities. It is an important target for conservation and it is listed as a near-threatened species on the European Red List. Few studies have quantified the impact of urbanisation on the ecology and intraspecific variation in functional traits of arthropods, other than pollinators. We studied how the local abundance of E. ferrugineus and functionally important response traits (e.g., width of the pronotum, length of the elytron and wing, wing area, body mass and wingload) changed along urbanisation gradients in eight European cities using pheromone traps installed on large solitary trees. We analysed the effects of the surrounding built-up area and tree cover on our response variables while accounting for potential confounding effects due to tree size and the availability of microhabitats. Urbanisation had a strong negative effect on the local abundance of E. ferrugineus, while the amount of tree cover had a positive influence. We found no significant impact of urbanisation on the functional traits of this species, except for a significantly higher wingload in city centres. Our results provide a better understanding of the ecological processes impacting this saproxylic beetle and underpin the importance of future research on urbanisation's impact on arthropods.}},
  author       = {{Van den Bossche, Astrid and Moeys, Karlien and De Smedt, Pallieter and Van Meerbeek, Koenraad and Brunet, Jörg and Cousins, Sara A. O. and Depa, Łucasz and De Pauw, Karen and Diekmann, Martin and Graae, Bente J. and Hagenblad, Jenny and Heavyside, Paige and Hedwall, Per‐Ola and Heinken, Thilo and Huang, Siyu and Lenoir, Jonathan and Lindgren, Jessica and Naaf, Tobias and Orczewska, Anna and Paulssen, Jolina and Plue, Jan and Spicher, Fabien and Vanneste, Thomas and Verheyen, Kris and Verschuren, Louis and Visakorpi, Kristiina and Wulf, Monika and Thomaes, Arno and De Frenne, Pieter}},
  issn         = {{1752-458X}},
  journal      = {{INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY}},
  keywords     = {{Elater ferrugineus,microhabitats,phenotypic plasticity,rusty click beetle,solitary trees,urban land expansion,urban-to-rural gradient,wing area,wing loading,ELATER-FERRUGINEUS,BODY-SIZE,INSECT CONSERVATION,OSMODERMA-EREMITA,PHENOTYPIC CHANGE,BIODIVERSITY,ECOLOGY,DISPERSAL,INDICATORS,COLEOPTERA}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{1136--1149}},
  title        = {{Functional trait variation of an emblematic saproxylic beetle along rural-to-urban gradients across Europe}},
  url          = {{http://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12856}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}
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