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Using radio telemetry to study dispersal of the beetle Osmoderma eremita, an inhabitant of tree hollows

Hedin, Jonas LU and Ranius, T (2002) Technologies for Insect Movement and Migration Research at the 21st International Congress of Entomology 35(2-3). p.171-180
Abstract
This paper describes a radio-tracking study of Osmoderma eremita, a large Scarabaeid beetle, living in hollow trees. The study seems to be the first in which radio telemetry has been used with a flying insect in the field. Some 74 adult beetles were tagged with radio transmitters weighing 0.48-0.52 1, and having a nominal battery life of 12-20 days. Transmissions were detected at ranges of up to 330 m, with 50-100 in obtained routinely. Contact was lost with 71% of the females and 20% of the males before the end of the nominal lifetime of the transmitter's battery, probably because the transmitter ceased to function. Radio telemetry proved effective in this study and gave dispersal ranges and rates that were consistent with those from a... (More)
This paper describes a radio-tracking study of Osmoderma eremita, a large Scarabaeid beetle, living in hollow trees. The study seems to be the first in which radio telemetry has been used with a flying insect in the field. Some 74 adult beetles were tagged with radio transmitters weighing 0.48-0.52 1, and having a nominal battery life of 12-20 days. Transmissions were detected at ranges of up to 330 m, with 50-100 in obtained routinely. Contact was lost with 71% of the females and 20% of the males before the end of the nominal lifetime of the transmitter's battery, probably because the transmitter ceased to function. Radio telemetry proved effective in this study and gave dispersal ranges and rates that were consistent with those from a concurrent mark-recapture study in the same area. However, further development of the technique is desirable. The antennas need to be more flexible and the transmitters smaller and lighter. Nevertheless, even the current form of the technique may be suitable for studying short-range dispersal in other large-bodied flight-capable insects. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Coleoptera, radio telemetry, hollow tree, dispersal
host publication
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
volume
35
issue
2-3
pages
171 - 180
publisher
Elsevier
conference name
Technologies for Insect Movement and Migration Research at the 21st International Congress of Entomology
conference location
Iguassu Falls, Brazil
conference dates
0001-01-02
external identifiers
  • wos:000177306000008
  • scopus:0036338689
ISSN
0168-1699
DOI
10.1016/S0168-1699(02)00017-0
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
804d075d-b6ff-462f-b185-4488906ccbb5 (old id 331755)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:03:43
date last changed
2022-01-29 00:06:27
@inproceedings{804d075d-b6ff-462f-b185-4488906ccbb5,
  abstract     = {{This paper describes a radio-tracking study of Osmoderma eremita, a large Scarabaeid beetle, living in hollow trees. The study seems to be the first in which radio telemetry has been used with a flying insect in the field. Some 74 adult beetles were tagged with radio transmitters weighing 0.48-0.52 1, and having a nominal battery life of 12-20 days. Transmissions were detected at ranges of up to 330 m, with 50-100 in obtained routinely. Contact was lost with 71% of the females and 20% of the males before the end of the nominal lifetime of the transmitter's battery, probably because the transmitter ceased to function. Radio telemetry proved effective in this study and gave dispersal ranges and rates that were consistent with those from a concurrent mark-recapture study in the same area. However, further development of the technique is desirable. The antennas need to be more flexible and the transmitters smaller and lighter. Nevertheless, even the current form of the technique may be suitable for studying short-range dispersal in other large-bodied flight-capable insects.}},
  author       = {{Hedin, Jonas and Ranius, T}},
  booktitle    = {{Computers and Electronics in Agriculture}},
  issn         = {{0168-1699}},
  keywords     = {{Coleoptera; radio telemetry; hollow tree; dispersal}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2-3}},
  pages        = {{171--180}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  title        = {{Using radio telemetry to study dispersal of the beetle Osmoderma eremita, an inhabitant of tree hollows}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1699(02)00017-0}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S0168-1699(02)00017-0}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}