Composition of dendro- and tamnobiont hemipterans (Heteroptera) in the former burnt areas of the Usmansky forest (Voronezh Region)

   The article analyses the current composition of the complex of dendrobiont and thamnobiont hemipteran insects (Heteroptera) after the fire in 2010 in the Usman pine forest (Voronezh Region, East European forest-steppe) based on materials collected in 2014–2024. The compositions of hemipteran complexes of the monitoring polygon of post-pyrogenic succession with natural restoration of forest, the adjacent margin of the forest not affected by fire, and the area with mixed young plantings of pine and birch were compared. The total composition of hemipteran species includes 43 species from
11 families. On the elevated part of the polygon relief, 18 species from 9 families were identified. In terms of humidity requirements, mesophiles predominate here (72.2 % of species). The number of mesoxerophiles is 27.8 %, of which the phytophage Piezodorus lituratus and the predators Nabis pseudoferus and N. punctatus dominate in numbers. In terms of the number of species, horto-tamno-dendrobionts predominate – 33.3 %. In the depressions of the polygon, 15 mesophiles were recorded with the dominance of Kleidocerys resedae, Nabis ferus and Palomena prasina. The dendrobionts predominates (40 %). The most diverse hemipterocomplex is found in the forest margin area undamaged by fire (39 species), with the dominance of the predators Orius majusculus, O. minutus, O. niger, N. ferus, the zoophytophagous Heterocordylus genistae and the phytophagous Physatocheila smreczynskii. Dendrobionts predominate (35.9 %). The most depleted forest area is the one with artificial forest plantations, including 5 species from three families – predatory Nabidae (2), phytophagous Pentatomidae (2) and Lygaeidae (1). More than 70 % of all bugs collected in this area were K. resedae. The basis for the highest similarity rates of the Hemiptera complexes of the control forest area and the monitoring polygon (24 common species; Kj = 0.56; Ks = 0.72) is the diversity of habitats and tree and shrub species. In general, 14 years after the forest fire the natural reforestation regime provided an almost sixfold predominance of species diversity of dendro-tamnobiont hemipteran insects (Heteroptera) (28 species) compared to the same indicator in areas with artificial forest plantations (5 types).

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