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Abstract <p>Veteran oaks are vitally important for saproxylic beetles due to the diversity of tree-related microhabitats they contain which have developed over centuries. Veteran oaks are however in decline across Europe. Veteranisation is a conservation tool that aims to create or speed up the formation of these rare microhabitats, potentially helping to mitigate losses, although empirical studies on the effectiveness of veteranisation are still very rare. We compared flight interception trapped beetle assemblages from 2-year old veteranised cavities in young oaks (2 methods: ‘nestbox with topping’ – NBT (<i>n</i> = 28) and ‘woodpecker hole’ – WPH (<i>n</i> = 26), with untreated control trees (<i>n</i> = 29) across 14 sites in southern Sweden. In total, 13010 individuals representing 493 beetle species were identified, of which 315 were saproxylic. The trapped beetles were assigned into one of four guilds with respect to their ecological association with wood (‘wood-living’, ‘partly wood-living’, ‘associated with wood living fungi’ and ‘other, non-saproxylic’). Both NBT and WPH supported significantly higher numbers of species and individuals than controls, particularly within the wood-living guild. Species such as <i>Cryptarcha undata</i>, <i>Haploglossa villosula</i>, and <i>Quedius mesomelinus</i> were abundant, reflecting an early-successional community. The presence of <i>Lymexylon navale</i> (NT) and <i>Carphacis striatus</i> (VU) indicates that the cavities provide ecologically relevant cues, even though reproduction could not yet be confirmed. No significant differences were detected between the two cavity types, suggesting that exposure of fresh wood and cavity creation alone are key drivers of early attraction. Our findings demonstrate that artificial cavities can rapidly increase habitat value for saproxylic beetles in young oaks, contributing to the restoration of oak sites.</p> Implications for insect conservation <p>Artificially created cavities in young oaks can rapidly attract saproxylic beetles. Such interventions can help alleviate the current scarcity of natural tree hollows, thereby reducing future extinction risks for saproxylic beetles associated.</p>

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Veteranised oak cavities attract saproxylic beetles within two years

  • 期刊论文

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月15日

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  • V. Bengtsson,
  • C. P. Wheater,
  • J. Hedin,
  • T. Appelqvist,
  • M. Niklasson

摘要

Abstract

Veteran oaks are vitally important for saproxylic beetles due to the diversity of tree-related microhabitats they contain which have developed over centuries. Veteran oaks are however in decline across Europe. Veteranisation is a conservation tool that aims to create or speed up the formation of these rare microhabitats, potentially helping to mitigate losses, although empirical studies on the effectiveness of veteranisation are still very rare. We compared flight interception trapped beetle assemblages from 2-year old veteranised cavities in young oaks (2 methods: ‘nestbox with topping’ – NBT (n = 28) and ‘woodpecker hole’ – WPH (n = 26), with untreated control trees (n = 29) across 14 sites in southern Sweden. In total, 13010 individuals representing 493 beetle species were identified, of which 315 were saproxylic. The trapped beetles were assigned into one of four guilds with respect to their ecological association with wood (‘wood-living’, ‘partly wood-living’, ‘associated with wood living fungi’ and ‘other, non-saproxylic’). Both NBT and WPH supported significantly higher numbers of species and individuals than controls, particularly within the wood-living guild. Species such as Cryptarcha undata, Haploglossa villosula, and Quedius mesomelinus were abundant, reflecting an early-successional community. The presence of Lymexylon navale (NT) and Carphacis striatus (VU) indicates that the cavities provide ecologically relevant cues, even though reproduction could not yet be confirmed. No significant differences were detected between the two cavity types, suggesting that exposure of fresh wood and cavity creation alone are key drivers of early attraction. Our findings demonstrate that artificial cavities can rapidly increase habitat value for saproxylic beetles in young oaks, contributing to the restoration of oak sites.

Implications for insect conservation

Artificially created cavities in young oaks can rapidly attract saproxylic beetles. Such interventions can help alleviate the current scarcity of natural tree hollows, thereby reducing future extinction risks for saproxylic beetles associated.