Zum Witterungseinfluß auf den Massenwechsel des Getreidelaufkäfers (Zabrus tenebrioides Goeze).

Abstract

The presend studies were made to examine the influence of the weather on the abundance dynamics and, concomitantly, the destructive activity of the corn ground-beetle (Zabrus tenebrioides Goeze). Analyses of temperatures of air and ground, of precipitation activity and of the humidity of the ground made around Halle (GDR) and in the attacked areas near Hannover, Münster and Kassel (FRG) shoed vor the months from August to October remarkable differences with regard to the phases of latency and gradation. The yaers of gradation are marked by higher ground temperatures compared with the average of many yaers, by far lower amounts of precipitation than the fifty yaers' average and thus by low humidity of the ground. In contrast to that, the weather in phases of latency is characterized by lower ground temperatures and too high amounts of rainfall. These ralations were particulary conspicuous in the month of September. Significant correlations to the temperature of the air have not been established. It is suggested that with wet and cool weather ni the months from August to October the pest control of larvae of the corn ground-beetle should be discontinued.