Carabid Beetles: Ecology and Evolution

The Carabidae (including ground and tiger presented at the 8th European Carabidologists' beetles) form one of the largest families of in­ Meeting - 2nd International Symposium of Cara­ sects, with no less than an estimated 40,000 de­ bidology, which took place at the Catholic Uni­ scribed species, occurring in nearly any terrestrial versity of Louvain (U. c. L. ) in Louvain-Ia-Neuve and at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sci­ habitat on all continents (except Antarctica) as well as on most islands. This extreme diversity ences (R. B. I. N. S. ) in Brussels, Belgium, Septem­ and distribution, along with the high abundance ber 1-4, 1992. The manuscripts were peer-re­ of these beetles in a large variety of habitats has viewed prior to acceptance. resulted a considerable interest in many aspects of European Carabidologists' Meetings were their study, including systematics, biogeography, started in the late 1960s by ecologists, mostly ecology and evolution. A large number of ground from the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Germany, beetles are known as polyphagous predatory who were investigating various aspects of the bi­ arthropods and therefore have been recognized ology of carabid beetles. Since that time the as beneficial insects in integrated pest manage­ number of participants to that meeting as well as ment of cultures. This has stimulated ecological its content have expanded considerably.