Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Insect Science, Animal Science and Zoology
7
Scopus Publications
36
Scholar Citations
3
Scholar h-index
1
Scholar i10-index
Scopus Publications
The potential role of volatile organic compounds on the colonisation of deadwood by saproxylic beetles Claudio Sbaraglia, Simon Thorn, Lucie Ambrožová, Lukáš Čížek, Petr Kozel, et al. Oecologia, 2026 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by deadwood are increasingly recognised as key olfactory cues used by saproxylic beetles to locate suitable substrates, yet their role during colonisation remains poorly understood. To address this, we quantified VOC emissions and beetle assemblages while experimentally disentangling the main ecological drivers of the deadwood volatilome (tree species, sun exposure). We exposed 1200 freshly cut branches of oak, beech, spruce, and pine across Central Europe. To mimic natural variation in deadwood and disturbance, bundles were either sterilised (reducing endogenous fungi), inoculated with a brown rot fungus ( Fomitopsis pinicola ) or a white rot fungus ( Fomes fomentarius ), or burned. From each bundle, we sampled 448 substances, 89 of which were identified as VOCs, and reared 134 saproxylic beetle species. Broadleaf and conifer species emitted distinct VOC profiles that matched beetle tree-type preferences. In conifers, bark beetles, longhorn beetles, and jewel beetles were associated with different chemical cues, whereas taxonomic separation was not observed in broadleafs. Although treatments altered VOC composition, they did not explain beetle colonisation. Our study shows that VOCs emitted during early decay are associated with distinct beetle assemblages. The VOC composition varied with tree species and treatments, indicating that chemical variation reflects the influence of multiple ecological factors. These findings suggest that tree-species diversity enhances chemical heterogeneity in deadwood, which is linked to broader beetle assemblages. Forest conservation efforts may therefore need to consider the role of chemical variation in deadwood, as it could influence saproxylic colonisation and biodiversity management.
The Shape and Material of the Flight Interception Trap Matter for Beetle Sampling Claudio Sbaraglia, Ingvald Melby Holm, Anne Sverdrup‐Thygeson, Jens Åström, Tone Birkemoe Journal of Applied Entomology, 2025 Beetles (Coleoptera) are one of the most diverse insect groups, playing vital roles in ecosystem functions such as decomposition and pollination. Despite their ecological importance, their immense diversity is often under‐sampled due to inconsistent and non‐standardised sampling methodologies. We assessed the sampling efficiency of flight interception traps using six trap designs that differed in shape and panel material in a hemiboreal, mixed deciduous forest. We compared the designs in terms of overall coleopteran species richness, abundance, and diversity, as well as saproxylic coleopteran species richness. Trap efficiency was evaluated using species accumulation curves. We collected a total of 457 beetle species (8552 individuals) from 51 families, including 272 saproxylic species. Although species accumulation curves showed signs of flattening, significant differences were observed among trap designs. Panels made of soft plastic (polyethylene) outperformed those made of hard plastic (polycarbonate) in terms of species diversity and the proportion of red‐listed species captured. No differences in body size were detected among the trap catches. Our results highlight an overlooked yet significant effect of panel material in sampling beetle communities. The combination of soft plastic panels with a triangular trap design significantly improved trap efficiency. This improvement not only enhanced the capture of common beetle species but also resulted in a higher sampling rate of those of conservation concern. These findings underscore the importance of selecting appropriate trap designs to increase the accuracy of biodiversity assessments to make better‐informed conservation decisions. A standardised trap design would enhance comparability across studies, improving ecological inferences.
Sun exposure as a main driver influencing the arriving communities of saproxylic beetles on deadwood Claudio Sbaraglia, Simon Thorn, Lucie Ambrožová, Claus Bässler, Lukáš Čížek, et al. Ecological Entomology, 2025 The ability to locate and colonise ephemeral deadwood resources is crucial to saproxylic beetle assemblages. Saproxylic beetles locate suitable substrates mainly through visual cues and via olfactory cues emitted by deadwood, other insects and fungi. For the conservation of saproxylic beetles, it is essential to understand which abiotic and biotic factors most significantly influence their habitat requirements when locating suitable substrates. In a field experiment, in sunny and shaded plots, we exposed 400 bundles of freshly cut deadwood, each consisting of three logs with a combination of different tree species and treatments (i.e., fungi inoculation), mimicking biotic interactions. We sampled arriving saproxylic beetles via sticky traps directly applied on deadwood to evaluate the effect of sun exposure and the biotic interactions on arriving saproxylic beetles. We found higher species numbers and abundance of saproxylic beetles under shaded than sunny conditions, but we detected no effect on the standardised number of species (diversity). However, we observed a shift in species diversity from sunny to shaded conditions from early to late season. Beetle assemblages differ between shaded and sun‐exposed deadwood. Treatments (fungi inoculation, sterilisation and burning) did not affect the arriving saproxylic beetles. Our results suggest that saproxylic beetles' attraction to freshly cut deadwood is mainly driven by sun exposure rather than biotic interactions, despite assumed close associations between beetles and fungi. To protect the full spectrum of saproxylic beetle species, we recommend maintaining sunny and shaded areas, as each provides unique habitats supporting different assemblages.
Czech Republic butterfly barcoding reveals that distribution of genetic lineages depends on species traits Alena Sucháčková Bartoňová, Patrik Škopek, Martin Konvička, Jiří Beneš, Lukáš Spitzer, et al. Journal of Biogeography, 2024 Aim The distribution of within‐species lineages has been affected by Quaternary climate changes, and population differentiation has been influenced by species life history traits. We investigated whether the distribution of individual mitochondrial genetic lineages reflects the constituent species' traits. Using the functionally diverse group of butterflies, we examined which lineages are present in Central Europe, an important suture zone. Location Czech Republic and Western Palearctic. Taxon A total of 140 butterfly species. Methods We sequenced DNA barcodes (cytochrome c oxidase 1) (959 sequences) of the entire Czech Republic butterfly fauna and used Barcoding of Life Data System to visualise the species' biogeographic patterns across Europe. We categorised the distribution patterns of lineages inhabiting the Czech Republic, and used multivariate statistics to interpret these categories by the butterflies' habitats, life history traits and threat levels. Results Open habitat dwellers with specialist traits belonged to Eastern, Southern and temperate lineages. Habitat generalists and woodland dwellers belonged to the Western lineage, formed several lineages or displayed low genetic diversity; they often developed on woody plants, were large‐winged and had long flight periods. The most threatened species were the specialists of Southern, Eastern and temperate lineages. Main Conclusions The distribution of lineages in Central Europe reflects the history of Quaternary ecosystems: during cold periods of the Pleistocene, the diverse open habitats prevailed and species could expand westwards. Such species also suffer the most under the current anthropogenic habitat alteration. On the other hand, the mobile generalists and woodland dwellers expanded to Central Europe during the Holocene. Our approach of linking the distribution of lineages with species traits can be transferred to other study systems, and we show that DNA barcoding of under‐sampled areas represents a powerful tool for discovering the driving forces of biogeography.
Back to the future: Climate change effects on habitat suitability of Parnassius apollo throughout the Quaternary glacial cycles Claudio Sbaraglia, Kenz Raouf Samraoui, Alessandro Massolo, Alena Sucháčková Bartoňová, Martin Konvička, et al. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 2023 Alpine grasslands above the treeline are severely threatened by climate change, mainly due to forest expansion driven by warmer conditions. Analogous lowland grasslands experience severe reductions due to land‐use abandonment and forest encroachment. To address how climate change impacted open‐areas insects, we used Parnassius apollo as a model, a butterfly with wide Palearctic distribution inhabiting both alpine and low‐altitude steppe grasslands. We modelled upper Pleistocene range changes from the Last Interglacial (130 Kya) to the present and future (2050/2070), using medium and high greenhouse gas emission rates for the latter. We combined bioclimatic variables (Worldclim, Paleoclim, Chelsa) with distribution records of P. apollo and two of its most often used larval host plants ( Sedum album ; Hylotelephium telephium ) to formulate species distribution models (SDMs) via the Maximum entropy method. We estimated a substantial range expansion during cold periods (last glacial maximum, 22 Kya) and contractions in warmer periods. Including the host plants in the models brought reduced suitable areas estimate, possibly due to differences in climatic requirements of hosts and the butterfly. Future projections of the extent of suitable climates are surprisingly better than would be expected from a warming climate, likely because the current distribution, especially at lower elevations, is probably restricted by habitat loss due to land abandonment and afforestation. We recommend preventing afforestation in critical habitats across Europe and Asia, and increasing survey activities to perform more accurate SDMs.
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
The potential role of volatile organic compounds on the colonisation of deadwood by saproxylic beetles C Sbaraglia, S Thorn, L Ambrožová, L Čížek, P Kozel, ... Oecologia 208 (3), 38 , 2026 2026.0 Citations: 1
The shape and material of the flight interception trap matter for beetle sampling C Sbaraglia, IM Holm, A Sverdrup‐Thygeson, J Åström, T Birkemoe Journal of Applied Entomology 149 (10), 1467-1477 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 3
Sun exposure as a main driver influencing the arriving communities of saproxylic beetles on deadwood C Sbaraglia, S Thorn, L Ambrožová, C Bässler, L Čížek, P Kozel, ... Ecological Entomology 50 (3), 565-576 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 2
Wetland butterfly thriving in abandoned jungle: Neptis rivularis in the Czech Republic M Maletzki, GN Das, K Hajkova, P Kovarova, M Perlik, C Sbaraglia, ... The Science of Nature 111 (4), 34 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 2
Czech Republic butterfly barcoding reveals that distribution of genetic lineages depends on species traits A Sucháčková Bartoňová, P Škopek, M Konvička, J Beneš, L Spitzer, ... Journal of Biogeography 51 (8), 1575-1586 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 7
N equals two (times five). Exploring the effects of horse rewilding on five congeneric adult butterflies K Hajkova, S Grill, AS Bartonova, ZF Fric, D Hauck, C Sbaraglia, ... Journal for Nature Conservation 74, 126445 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 3
Back to the future: Climate change effects on habitat suitability of Parnassius apollo throughout the Quaternary glacial cycles C Sbaraglia, KR Samraoui, A Massolo, AS Bartoňová, M Konvička, ZF Fric Insect Conservation and Diversity 16 (2), 231-242 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 10
Climate change effects on habitat suitability of a butterfly in the past, present, and future: biotic interaction between Parnassius apollo and its host plants A Massolo, ZF Fric, C Sbaraglia Università di Pisa , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 8
The false click beetle Otho spondyloides (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) in Pálava Hills (South Moravia, Czech Republic) Nález dřevomila Otho spondyloides (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) na … P KOZEL, C SBARAGLIA, L ČÍŽEK, S THORN, L DRAG
Detailní inventarizace populací tesaříka alpského (Rosalia alpina) v Ralské pahorkatině D Hauck, L Čížek, L Drag, D Štrob, L Ambrožová, M Helclová, P Kozel, ...
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Back to the future: Climate change effects on habitat suitability of Parnassius apollo throughout the Quaternary glacial cycles C Sbaraglia, KR Samraoui, A Massolo, AS Bartoňová, M Konvička, ZF Fric Insect Conservation and Diversity 16 (2), 231-242 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 10
Climate change effects on habitat suitability of a butterfly in the past, present, and future: biotic interaction between Parnassius apollo and its host plants A Massolo, ZF Fric, C Sbaraglia Università di Pisa , 2022 2022.0 Citations: 8
Czech Republic butterfly barcoding reveals that distribution of genetic lineages depends on species traits A Sucháčková Bartoňová, P Škopek, M Konvička, J Beneš, L Spitzer, ... Journal of Biogeography 51 (8), 1575-1586 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 7
The shape and material of the flight interception trap matter for beetle sampling C Sbaraglia, IM Holm, A Sverdrup‐Thygeson, J Åström, T Birkemoe Journal of Applied Entomology 149 (10), 1467-1477 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 3
N equals two (times five). Exploring the effects of horse rewilding on five congeneric adult butterflies K Hajkova, S Grill, AS Bartonova, ZF Fric, D Hauck, C Sbaraglia, ... Journal for Nature Conservation 74, 126445 , 2023 2023.0 Citations: 3
Sun exposure as a main driver influencing the arriving communities of saproxylic beetles on deadwood C Sbaraglia, S Thorn, L Ambrožová, C Bässler, L Čížek, P Kozel, ... Ecological Entomology 50 (3), 565-576 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 2
Wetland butterfly thriving in abandoned jungle: Neptis rivularis in the Czech Republic M Maletzki, GN Das, K Hajkova, P Kovarova, M Perlik, C Sbaraglia, ... The Science of Nature 111 (4), 34 , 2024 2024.0 Citations: 2
The potential role of volatile organic compounds on the colonisation of deadwood by saproxylic beetles C Sbaraglia, S Thorn, L Ambrožová, L Čížek, P Kozel, ... Oecologia 208 (3), 38 , 2026 2026.0 Citations: 1
The false click beetle Otho spondyloides (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) in Pálava Hills (South Moravia, Czech Republic) Nález dřevomila Otho spondyloides (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) na … P KOZEL, C SBARAGLIA, L ČÍŽEK, S THORN, L DRAG
Detailní inventarizace populací tesaříka alpského (Rosalia alpina) v Ralské pahorkatině D Hauck, L Čížek, L Drag, D Štrob, L Ambrožová, M Helclová, P Kozel, ...
