Fróðskaparrit - 01.07.2004, Page 44

42
Wetland Coleoptera of the Faroe Islands
Klukkur í vátlendi í Føroyum
Garth N. Foster1 and Janus Hansen2
1 The Aquatic Coleoptera Conservation Trust, 3 Eglinton Terrace, Ayr KA7 1JJ, Scotland, UK. Email:
latissimus@btintemet.com
2 Faroese Museum of Natural History, FO-IOO Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. Email: janush@ngs.fo
Úrtak
Gamlar skrásetingar av vatnklukkum og nærskyldum
klukkusløgum verða gjøgnumgingnar. Greitt verður frá
nýggjum kanningum, sum økja um vitan okkara um
útbreiðsluna hjá hesum klukkum. Einki nýtt slag varð
funnið í hesum kanningum. Klukkufaunan í Føroyum er
sera avbyrgd, og hon verður viðgjørd við støði í tí.
Abstract
Records of aquatic beetles and related species (Coleop-
tera: Haliplidae, Dytiscidae, Hydrophiloidea, Scirtidae)
of the Faroe Islands are critically re-examined. New
data are supplied that extend knowledge of the habitats
of these species without adding further species. The fau-
na is discussed with respect to its isolated status.
Introduction
The beetles of the Faroe Islands have been
studied on many occasions, the most recent
published survey being by Bengtson
(1981). A reappraisal of the beetles associ-
ated with wetlands is justified by recent
survey work. Faroese wetland Coleoptera
fall into two main groups, the Hydradepha-
ga and the Hydrophiloidea, but the oppor-
Fróðskaparrit 52. bók 2004: 42-53
tunity is taken to consider other species as-
sociated with wetlands and more likely to
be encountered working with a pond net
than by the means usually deployed in the
study of terrestrial Coleoptera. Within the
Hydrophiloidea the genus Cercyon in-
cludes truly aquatic species one of which
may have been found in the Faroes, but oth-
ers live in rotting seaweed, compost and
dung; these are considered here for the sake
of taxonomic completeness.
Material and Methods
We undertook an intensive survey for four
days in June 2004, taking 30 samples at
about 18 locations, whilst JH had been col-
lecting data for two months in 2002. GNF
identified localities with good possibilities
of fmding aquatic Coleoptera. Sampling
was mainly by means of a D-framed sweep
net with a 1 mm mesh bag deployed at each
site until no no further species could be de-
tected.
Although we were unable to add more
species to previous lists we could confirm
j