DIETS AND REPRODUCTIVE PHENOLOGIES OF THE INTRODUCED GROUND BEETLES HARPALUS-AFFINIS AND CLIVINA-AUSTRALASIAE (COLEOPTERA, CARABIDAE) IN NEW-ZEALAND

The diet and reproductive periods of Harpalus affinis (= Harpalus aene us) and Clivina australasiae, collected by pitfall trapping from grami naceous and legume crops at four sites on the North Island of New Zeal and, were determined by dissection. H. affinis was predominantly phyto phagous, with a liking for weed seeds; its main animal foods were Aphi didae and Diptera. Females were gravid in spring (September-November) and summer (December-February) whilst tenerals were found mainly in au tumn (March-May). Diet and phenology were similar in New Zealand, Euro pe and North America. C. australasiae was a polyphagous carnivore, con suming 11 categories of animal food (the most frequent being Enchytrae idae and Lumbricidae) and six categories of plant food. Females contai ned eggs from August to March. The food and reproductive period of C. australasiae in New Zealand were similar to those previously reported for Clivina fossor in Europe and North America. Overall, both species are considered likely to play a beneficial role in New Zealand agricul ture. Opportunities are identified to study further the biocontrol pot ential and role in ecosystem function (e.g. community assembly rules) of these species, by means of translocation experiments.