Recent range expansions in non-native predatory beetles on sub-Antarctic South Georgia

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Convey, P., Key, R. S., Key, R. J. D., Belchier, M., Waller, C. L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer Verlag 2010
• Subjects: Carabidae; Invasive species; Endemic species; Human impacts; Antarc*; Antarctic; antarcticus; Polar Biology
• Online Access: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/409543; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-010-0909-6

The human-assisted establishment of two non-native predatory carabid beetles (Merizodus soledadinus (Guerin-M,n,ville), Trechisibus antarcticus (Dejean)) on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia occurred 30-50 years ago, but the distribution of these species has never been the subject of regular monitoring, and was last assessed in the mid-1990s. Based on opportunistic collection records and directed field survey activities on South Georgia over four summer seasons between 2002/3 and 2008/9, we describe recent and important range expansions in both species on the island. The new distributional ranges of both species are highly suggestive of a continuing inadvertent human role in transferring them across the obstructions presented by tidewater glaciers or higher-altitude mountain passes. Both species now have the potential to spread unchecked by any other geographical obstructions across a large section of the north-east coast of the island and are likely to have considerable negative impacts on the elements of the native (including endemic) terrestrial invertebrate fauna.