Article

Gennadi G. Sushko, Dr.Sc., Professor. Head of the Department of Ecology and Geography of the Vitebsk State University named after P.M. Masherov (210015, Republic of Belarus, Vitebsk, Moskovsky avenue, 33); iD ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1354-4413; e-mail: gennadis@rambler.ru

Sushko G.G. 2026. Diversity assessment of beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera) of herb-shrub layer in the peat bog of the State Hydrological Sanctuary«Boloto Mokh» (Belarus). Nature Conservation Research 11(4): 98–108. https://dx.doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2026.032

Electronic Supplement 1. Additional information for the paper by Sushko (2026) (Link)

Peat bogs of Eastern Europe are tundra patches in the temperate zone. Their highly specific environmental conditions foster the formation of unique biodiversity, with a high proportion of cold-adapted species and postglacial relicts. Due to the peat extraction in the XX century, their area has sharply decreased. Currently, peatlands are considered among the most vulnerable ecosystems in the world. Hence peat bogs preserved in an intact state play an important role in the maintaining of biodiversity in the light of current climate changes and anthropogenic disturbance. They provide appropriate environmental conditions, such as a high water table and acidity, low mineral nutrient content, and specific microclimate characteristics, for cold-adapted plants. Such highly specific plant communities may contribute to the formation of specialised insect assemblages. Coleoptera (hereinafter – beetles) are among the most numerous inhabitants of terrestrial ecosystems. They are among the suitable object for assessing of the diversity patterns. Many beetle species are phytophagous, capable of forming stable trophic relationships with plants in the herb-shrub layer of peat bogs. It has been suggested that the largest peatland in Belarus, within the state hydrological sanctuary «Boloto Mokh», reflects the main patterns of insect species richness and diversity in herb-shrub layer due to a low disturbance. Using sweep-netting in six of the most typical peat bog habitats 84 beetle species belonging to 11 families were recorded. The Shannon (H' = 1.97–2.54) and Pielou (J' = 0.42–0.79) index values showed relatively low diversity and evenness in beetle assemblages. The significantly (p < 0.05) highest diversity was in open bog and lagg, whereas the lowest diversity was in hummocks and dome. The NMDS ordination showed the separation between assemblages of habitats covered mainly by herbs (lagg and hummocks) and assemblages of habitats with shrub predominance in the plant communities. Twelve recorded beetle species were peat bog specialists. This is only 14.28% of the species richness. However, the abundance of specialised species is more than twice higher that of all other species in all habitats except the hollows. Overall, Lochmaea suturalis was the most abundant species in all habitats with a well-developed shrub layer. Contacyphon kongsbergensis, Actenicerus sjaelandicus, Cantharis figurata, and Plateumaris discolor predominated in sites with a high proportion of herbs in the cover. Other peat bog specialists, such as Altica longicollis, Aphthona erichsoni, and Cryptocephalus labiatus were regularly presented in most habitats, but their abundance was low. These studies demonstrated that one of the largest peat bogs in Belarus, located within the state hydrological sanctuary «Boloto Mokh», harbours a specific complex of highly specialised beetle species associated with the herb-shrub layer. Consequently, this intact peatland may be a valuable object for comparative assessment of the insect biodiversity of such ecosystems in Europe.

abundance, beetle assemblages, peatland, Protected Area, species composition, species richness

Received: 31.05.2026. Revised: 28.08.2026. Accepted: 03.09.2026.

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