Influence of local and landscape factors on bumblebees in semi-natural meadows: a multiple-scale study in a forested landscape

Understanding the effects of local and landscape factors on bumblebees is relevant for the conservation of this group of pollinators. Bumblebees have been well-studied in agricultural landscapes of Western Europe, Asia and North America, but few studies have been developed on bumblebees in forest-dominated landscapes of Eastern Europe. We developed this study in 22 semi-natural meadows located in a patchy forested landscape of Estonia. We investigated the influence of habitat characteristics and landscape factors (calculated at four spatial scales: 250, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 m radius) on the total species richness and abundance of bumblebees. Correlation analysis, partial least squares (PLS) and stepwise forward-selection multiple regression analysis were applied in this study. The presence of a high diversity of flowering plants in semi-natural meadows may benefit the abundance of bumblebees. At the local level, patch area and shape seem to have positive and negative influences, respectively, on bumblebee species richness. At the landscape level, human settlements with the presence of gardens may favour bumblebee richness and abundance. Also, bumblebee species may increase with a high presence of meadows in the landscape, and may decrease with high percentages of forest and young forest. Overall, forested landscapes with a strong presence of edges and a diverse matrix may support a higher species richness and abundance of bumblebees. Both local and landscape factors should be considered when designing conservation strategies and agri-environmental measures.     

Mass-flowering red clover crops have positive effects on bumblebee richness and diversity after bloom

Floral resource quantity in agricultural landscapes plays a key role in the persistence of wild pollinators. An equally important, but less investigated factor is how variation in floral resource availability over time, e.g. floral resource pulses, affects pollinator abundances and diversity. Despite the potential importance of late-season resource pulses for bumblebee reproduction, few studies have evaluated the effects of late-season mass-flowering crops on bumblebee abundances and diversity during and after crop bloom. We assessed how bumblebee abundances, diversity and traits associated with species rarity were affected by cultivation of late-season mass-flowering red clover grown for seed production. Bumblebees were surveyed in red clover fields and flower-rich field borders across 20 landscapes with or without a red clover field during and after crop bloom in southern Sweden. Bumblebee worker abundances were higher in clover fields compared to flower-rich borders in the surrounding landscape. There was no relationship between presence of clover fields and the abundance of males of social bumblebees, but more male cuckoo bumblebees were found in flower-rich borders in landscapes with clover following crop bloom. Mass-flowering red clover also had a positive effect on bumblebee species richness and diversity after crop bloom. Overall, clover had positive and lasting effects on less common bumblebees thereby sustaining higher bumblebee species richness after bloom. Cultivation of red clover has the potential, in combination with the management of flower-rich habitats, to benefit less common bumblebee species in temperate agroecosystems.     

Analyse d’ouvrage

Despite its small area (20.18 km²), the Eyne Valley, (France, E. Pyrenees) is known to be a place of great faunistic and floristic diversity. The authors have studied the bumblebee fauna of the valley for six years, gathering more than 5000 detailed observations. They observed 33 species, of the 46 living in continental France. For each species, the distribution and ecological preferences (altitude, vegetation type, CORINE biotopes, floral choices) were recorded. Floral resources may be the most important ecological factor. The altitude, the abundance, the diversity of food plants, and the heterogeneity of habitats seem to explain the survival and the coexistence of this great number of species of bumblebees with various ecological affinities.     

The relationship between the abundances of bumblebees and honeybees in a native habitat

Abstract. 1. The western honeybee, Apis mellifera, has been introduced to many parts of the world and is sometimes purported to be detrimental to native bees because it reduces their food base. It is seldom viewed in this light in Europe; however, when beekeepers maintain very high bee densities, the species could also be displacing insects in its native European range by reducing the resource base. 2. In England, populations of bumblebees (Bombus Latr. Hym.) have been decreasing both in terms of diversity and abundance, mainly because of a loss of habitat resulting from agricultural intensification. The impact of competition from other flower feeders is largely unknown. 3. Nineteen dry lowland heaths in southern England were sampled once for honeybees and bumblebees. Honeybee abundance varied from 4 to 81 bees per 100 m² (mean = 30.89, median = 23), whereas bumblebees varied from 2 to 17 individuals per 100 m² (mean = 8.26, median = 7), belonging to between one and five species. There was a negative association between honeybee and bumblebee abundance but there was no apparent relationship between honeybee abundance and bumblebee diversity. 4. The Bray–Curtis coefficient was used to compare the similarity in honeybee and bumblebee floral host breadth at these 19 sites. The coefficient was negatively associated with honeybee abundance: thus where honeybees were most abundant, bumblebees were fewer and/or foraged on different flower species. 5. Foraging host breadth was also examined at four heathlands over a field season (April to September). No association between honeybee abundance and foraging host breadth was found for short‐tongued bees, although there was some evidence for a change in floral host breadth for long‐tongued bees. 6. It is concluded that the impact of honeybees on bumblebees is complex. Although competition between the two species cannot be ruled out, it is perhaps equally likely that bumblebees decline in response to other factors, and that honeybees move independently of this decline.     

中国熊蜂多样性、人工利用与保护策略

熊蜂是众多野生植物和农作物的重要传粉者, 在维持自然和农业生态系统平衡中发挥着十分重要的作用。中国地形多样、植被丰富, 是全球熊蜂多样性的热点地区, 但过去缺乏系统调查研究, 中国熊蜂多样性现状及其利用特性不详。本文介绍了近20年在中国熊蜂资源系统调查及其人工利用方面取得的主要研究结果: (1) 2002-2017年采集熊蜂标本5万余号, 先后揭示了一系列疑难类群的分类地位, 确认中国已知熊蜂125种, 占全球熊蜂已知物种总数的50%, 表明中国是全球熊蜂物种资源最丰富的国家; (2)首次报道了中国熊蜂物种名录, 其中22种为中国特有种。我国青藏高原东部向黄土高原、秦岭山地和四川盆地过渡的地带, 是全球熊蜂多样性分布中心; (3) 1998-2017年, 明亮熊蜂(Bombus lucorum)、密林熊蜂(B. patagiatus)、红光熊蜂(B. ignitus)、火红熊蜂(B. pyrosoma)、重黄熊蜂(B. picipes)和兰州熊蜂(B. lantschouensis) 6种本土熊蜂先后被驯养成功, 其中密林熊蜂和兰州熊蜂的繁殖性状优良, 已应用于我国设施作物传粉服务。同时, 我们从栖息地、食物资源、外来物种、农药使用等方面提出了保护中国熊蜂资源的策略, 以期为野生传粉昆虫特别是熊蜂资源的保护与可持续利用提供参考资料。     

Spatial and temporal variations in floral resource availability affect bumblebee communities in heathlands

Modifications of landscape structure and composition can decrease the availability of floral resources, resulting in the decline of many pollinator species, including bumblebees. These declines may have significant ecological consequences, because bumblebees pollinate a large range of plant species. Our study was carried out in heathlands, open semi-natural habitats that have decreased considerably due to human activities. We analysed how floral resources affect bumblebee communities throughout the colony lifetime at three scales: plot scale, heathland patch scale, and landscape scale. Floral density at the plot scale and spruce plantations at the landscape scale influenced bumblebee communities. The abundance of bumblebees on ericaceous species was higher when the landscape included a substantial proportion of unsuitable foraging habitat (i.e., spruce plantations). Both life history traits and colony life cycle stage influenced bumblebee responses to the availability of floral resources. Bumblebees were more affected by floral resources during the colony development phase than during the nest-foundation or mating phases. Moreover, bumblebees of species that form large colonies needed larger quantities of favourable foraging habitat, compared with small-colony bees, and their proportion decreased in habitats dominated by spruce plantations. In conclusion, the conservation of plant–bumblebee interactions will require management at a larger spatial scale than the restricted protected habitats. Moreover, at the landscape scale, both quantity of favourable foraging patches and their ecological continuity are important to conserve both small- and large- colony species.     

The Value of Uncropped Field Margins For Foraging Bumblebees

The intensification of agriculture has led to declines in species diversity and abundance within groups of certain flora and fauna. Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) are one group where a decline has been documented, and it is thought to be attributable to a decrease in forage resources and potential nest sites. As bumblebees play an important role in the pollination of many entomophilous crops, this decline could impact on agricultural productivity. We examined the role of naturally regenerated field margins in providing forage plants on land where nectar resources are otherwise impoverished. The following question was addressed – Are naturally regenerated unsprayed field margins more attractive to foraging bumblebees and honeybees than cropped field margins managed as conservation headlands? Significantly more bees visited naturally regenerated field margins than cropped field margins. Honeybees (Apis mellifera), Bombus terrestris, and Bombus lapidarius were the most commonly observed bee species. Different wildflower species within the naturally regenerated margins varied greatly in relative number of visits received, and bumblebee species were found to prefer different flower species to honeybees. The potential role that naturally regenerated field margins could play in the conservation of bumblebee species, and the implications for other species of flora and fauna, are discussed.     

Fauna of bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus Latreille) in the mainland part of Arkhangelsk Region,NW Russia

The focus of this study is to present bumblebee fauna of Arkhangelsk Region (north-western Russia). This research is based on the museum collections and materials collected by the authors. Collecting localities and data of faunistic records are given in the species list. We include 34 species in the fauna of bumblebees of Arkhangelsk Region. The regional fauna is dominated by Transpalaearctic species. Bumblebee fauna in the study region has low specificity. The recent distribution of bumblebee species in the study region is a result of post-glacial immigration.     

Quantitative historical change in bumblebee (Bombus spp.) assemblages of red clover fields

Background

Flower visiting insects provide a vitally important pollination service for many crops and wild plants. Recent decline of pollinating insects due to anthropogenic modification of habitats and climate, in particular from 1950''s onwards, is a major and widespread concern. However, few studies document the extent of declines in species diversity, and no studies have previously quantified local abundance declines. We here make a quantitative assessment of recent historical changes in bumblebee assemblages by comparing contemporary and historical survey data.

Methodology/Principal Findings

We take advantage of detailed, quantitative historical survey data from the 1930''s on bumblebee (Bombus spp.) abundances and species composition in red clover (Trifolium pratense) fields, an important floral resource and an attractant of all bumblebee species. We used the historical survey data as a pre-industrialization baseline, and repeated the same sampling protocol at nearly the same localities at present, hence setting up a historical experiment. We detected historical changes in abundances (bees/m²) of both workers (the “pollinatory units”) and queens (effective population size), in addition to species composition. In particular, long-tongued bumblebee species showed consistent and dramatic declines in species richness and abundances throughout the flowering season of red clover, while short-tongued species were largely unaffected. Of 12 Bombus species observed in the 1930''s, five species were not observed at present. The latter were all long-tongued, late-emerging species.

Conclusions/Significance

Because bumblebees are important pollinators, historical changes in local bumblebee assemblages are expected to severely affect plant reproduction, in particular long-tubed species, which are pollinated by long-tongued bumblebees.     

Do exotic bumblebees and honeybees compete with native flower-visiting insects in Tasmania?

Honeybees, Apis mellifera, have been introduced by man throughout the globe. More recently, other bee species including various bumblebees (Bombus spp.) have been introduced to several new regions. Here we examine the impacts of honeybees and the bumblebee, Bombus terrestris, on native flower-visiting insects in Tasmania. To assess whether native insects have lower abundance or are excluded in areas that have been colonised by exotic bees, we quantified the abundance, diversity and floral preferences of flower-visiting insects at sites where bumblebees and honeybees were present, and compared them to sites where they were absent. This was achieved by hand searches at 67 sites, and by deploying sticky traps at 122 sites. Honeybees were by far the most abundant bee species overall, and dominated the bee fauna at most sites. There was considerable niche overlap between honeybees, bumblebees and native bees in terms of the flowers that they visited. Sites where bumblebees were established had similar species richness, diversity and abundance of native flower-visiting insects compared to sites where bumblebees were absent. In contrast, native bees were more than three times more abundant at the few sites where honeybees were absent, compared to those where they were present. Our results are suggestive of competition between honeybees and native bees, but exclusion experiments are needed to provide a definitive test.     

Mite species inhabiting commercial bumblebee (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus terrestris</Emphasis>) nests in Polish greenhouses

Nests of social insects are usually inhabited by various mite species that feed on pollen, other micro-arthropods or are parasitic. Well-known negative effects of worldwide economic importance are caused by mites parasitizing honeybee colonies. Lately, attention has focused on the endoparasitic mite Locustacarus buchneri that has been found in commercial bumblebees. However, little is known of other mites associated with commercial bumblebee nests. Transportation of commercial bumblebee colonies with unwanted residents may introduce foreign mite species to new localities. In this study, we assessed the prevalence and species composition of mites associated with commercial bumblebee nests and determined if the mites are foreign species for Poland and for Europe. The study was conducted on 37 commercial bumblebee nests from two companies (Dutch and Israeli), originating from two greenhouses in southern Poland, and on 20 commercial bumblebee colonies obtained directly from suppliers. The species composition and abundance of mites inhabiting commercial bumblebee nests were determined. Seven mite species from three families were found in nests after greenhouse exploitation. The predominant mite species was Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Acaridae) that was a 100-fold more numerous than representatives of the family Laelapidae (Hypoaspis marginepilosa, H. hyatti, H. bombicolens). Representatives of Parasitidae (Parasitellus fucorum, P. crinitus, P. ignotus) were least numerous. All identified mite species are common throughout Europe, foreign species were not found. Mites were not detected in nests obtained directly from suppliers. We conclude that probably bumblebee nests are invaded by local mite species during greenhouse exploitation.     

Patterns of Genetic and Reproductive Traits Differentiation in Mainland vs. Corsican Populations of Bumblebees

Populations on islands often exhibit lower levels of genetic variation and ecomorphological divergence compared to their mainland relatives. While phenotypic differentiation in characters, such as size or shape among insular organisms, has been well studied, insular differentiation in quantitative reproductive traits involved in chemical communication has received very little attention to date. Here, we investigated the impact of insularity on two syntopic bumblebee species pairs: one including species that are phylogenetically related (Bombus terrestris and B. lucorum), and the other including species that interact ecologically (B. terrestris and its specific nest inquiline B. vestalis). For each bumblebee species, we characterized the patterns of variation and differentiation of insular (Corsican) vs. mainland (European) populations (i) with four genes (nuclear and mitochondrial, 3781 bp) and (ii) in the chemical composition of male marking secretions (MMS), a key trait for mate attraction in bumblebees, by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results provide evidence for genetic differentiation in Corsican bumblebees and show that, contrary to theoretical expectations, island populations of bumblebees exhibit levels of genetic variation similar to the mainland populations. Likewise, our comparative chemical analyses of MMS indicate that Corsican populations of bumblebees are significantly differentiated from the mainland yet they hold comparative levels of within-population MMS variability compared to the mainland. Therefore, insularity has led Corsican populations to diverge both genetically and chemically from their mainland relatives, presumably through genetic drift, but without a decrease of genetic diversity in island populations. We hypothesize that MMS divergence in Corsican bumblebees was driven by a persistent lack of gene flow with mainland populations and reinforced by the preference of Corsican females for sympatric (Corsican) MMS. The impoverished Corsican bumblebee fauna has not led to relaxation of stabilizing selection on MMS but to consistent differentiation chemical reproductive traits on the island.     

Abundance,body size,and morphology of bumblebees in an area where an exotic species, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus terrestris</Emphasis>, has colonized in Japan

An exotic bumblebee species, Bombus terrestris, has colonized in Japan and becomes dominant in some local communities. We examined the effects of land use and bumblebee abundance on the number and body size of bumblebees collected using window traps in a lowland area in the southern Ishikari district, Hokkaido. In 2004, we collected 922 bumblebees of six species using 70 traps at 17 sites. A statistical model fitted to the data demonstrated that dispersion from commercial B. terrestris colonies used in greenhouses positively affected the number of B. terrestris caught by each trap. This exotic species was abundant in sites where paddy fields were prevalent, but three native species, B. hypocrita, B. ardens, and B. diversus, were abundant in sites where farms and woodlands were widespread. The local abundance of B. terrestris was not associated negatively with the number and body size of native bumblebees. Thus, we did not find any competitive interactions between exotic and native bumblebees although habitat conditions seem to be common determinants of the bumblebee populations. A morphological analysis showed that B. terrestris had intermediate tongue length between B. hypocrita and B. ardens.     

Hummingbird diversity, food niche characters, and assemblage composition along a latitudinal precipitation gradient in the Bolivian lowlands

As for many other taxa, hummingbird diversity declines away from the equator, but the causes for this decline are still disputed and might involve, among others, climatic factors or the availability of food resources. Because hummingbirds are one of the classical examples for plant–animal coevolution, it has been proposed that the diversity of hummingbird assemblages might depend on the diversity of food plants available. We tested this hypothesis by studying the hummingbird assemblages and their food plants for 1 year at six sites along a 660-km-long transect in Bolivian lowland forests extending from the southernmost Amazonian rain forests to dry Chaco forests. Hummingbird diversity was higher in the northern three sites as compared to the southern ones, with an abrupt decline in species numbers and a corresponding change in taxonomic composition at the boundary from evergreen to drought deciduous forests. Hummingbird diversity and abundance were only weakly correlated to climatic factors or to the diversity of humming-visited flowers, but strongly to the seasonal abundance of flowers. The overlap in nectar diet between hummingbird species depended on the number of plant species: when numerous species were available, the hummingbirds segregated by feeding preferences, but when few flowers were available, all hummingbirds fed on the same plants. We conclude that the local diversity of hummingbird species is not primarily determined by the diversity of food plants, but rather by the abundance of flowers available at any given point in time.     

Diversity and seasonal variation of ground and understory spiders from a tropical mountain cloud forest

We made intensive samplings to study the seasonal response of spiders across different forest strata (ground and understory) in a tropical mountain cloud forest from Mexico. We sampled spiders from ten plots in six sampling events during the dry and rainy season, to analyze their abundance, structure (distribution of abundance among species), diversity and the response of the five dominant species at each stratum. Results demonstrated that seasonal patterns of spider communities differed among strata, revealing a complex spatiotemporal dynamic. Abundance, structure, diversity of ground spiders, as well as the responses of four dominant species at this stratum, showed low seasonal variations. In contrast, a strong seasonal variation was observed for the understory assemblage, with lowest abundance and highest diversity in the rainy season, and different assemblage structures for each season. Seasonal patterns of each assemblage seem linked to the responses of their dominant species. We found high co‐occurrence among most of the ground dominant species with similar habitat use and with multivoltine patterns, contrasting with low co‐occurrence among most of the understory dominant species with similar habitat use and univoltine patterns. Our results showed that the spiders’ assemblages of tropical mountain cloud forest (opposed to what is found in temperate and boreal forests) increase their species richness with the height, and that their responses to seasonal change differ between strata. Management programs of these habitats should consider the spatial and temporal variations found here, as a better understanding of their ecological dynamics is required to support their sustainable management.     

Foraging habitats and foraging distances of bumblebees, Bombus spp. (Hym., Apidae), in an agricultural landscape

Abstract: In selected foraging habitats of an agricultural landscape flower visits of bumblebees and community structure of foraging bumblebees were studied, with special regard to the role of crops as super-abundant resources. Most crops represent temporal foraging habitats with high abundance of bumblebees but mainly with low diversity in the bumblebee forage community, in contrast to permanent foraging habitats such as, for example, a hedgerow. The high numbers of bumblebees in the monoculture of crop plantations consisted mainly of short-tongued bumblebee species. The role of foraging distances for the visitation rate of foraging habitats was studied by performing capture–recapture experiments with natural nests of Bombus terrestris , Bombus lapidarius and Bombus muscorum . Differences were found on the species as well as the individual level. The foraging distances of B. muscorum were more restricted to the neighbourhood of the nesting habitat than the foraging activity of B. terrestris and B. lapidarius . High percentages of B. terrestris workers were recaptured while foraging on super-abundant resources in distances up to 1750 m from the nest. Isolated patches of highly rewarding forage crops, in agricultural landscapes, are probably only accessed by bumblebee species with large mean foraging distances, such as the short-tongued B. terrestris . Species like the rare, long-tongued B. muscorum depend on a close connection between nesting and foraging habitat. A restricted foraging radius might be one important factor of bumblebee species loss and potential pollinator limitation in modern agricultural landscapes. Furthermore, long-distance flights of bumblebee pollinators have to be considered in the present discussion on gene flow from transgenic plant species on a landscape scale.     

Evidence for decline in eastern North American bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae), with special focus on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bombus affinis</Emphasis> Cresson

Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) have been declining rapidly in many temperate regions of the Old World. Despite their ecological and economic importance as pollinators, North American bumblebees have not been extensively surveyed and their conservation status is largely unknown. In this study, two approaches were used to determine whether bumblebees in that region were in decline spatially and temporally. First, surveys performed in 2004–2006 in southern Ontario were compared to surveys from 1971 to 1973 in the same sites to look at changes in community composition, in one of the most bumblebee diverse areas of eastern North America. Second, the extent of range decline for a focal species (Bombus affinis Cresson) was estimated by surveying 43 sites throughout its known native range in eastern Canada and the United States. Our study documents an impoverishment of the bumblebee community in southern Ontario over the past 35 years. Bombus affinis in particular was found to have declined drastically in abundance not only in southern Ontario but throughout its native range. The loss of any bumblebee species may result in cascading impacts on native fauna and flora and reduce agricultural production. Implications for the conservation of this important group of pollinators are discussed.     

Diversity and evolutionary patterns of bacterial gut associates of corbiculate bees

The animal gut is a habitat for diverse communities of microorganisms (microbiota). Honeybees and bumblebees have recently been shown to harbour a distinct and species poor microbiota, which may confer protection against parasites. Here, we investigate diversity, host specificity and transmission mode of two of the most common, yet poorly known, gut bacteria of honeybees and bumblebees: Snodgrassella alvi (Betaproteobacteria) and Gilliamella apicola (Gammaproteobacteria). We analysed 16S rRNA gene sequences of these bacteria from diverse bee host species across most of the honeybee and bumblebee phylogenetic diversity from North America, Europe and Asia. These focal bacteria were present in 92% of bumblebee species and all honeybee species but were found to be absent in the two related corbiculate bee tribes, the stingless bees (Meliponini) and orchid bees (Euglossini). Both Snodgrassella alvi and Gilliamella apicola phylogenies show significant topological congruence with the phylogeny of their bee hosts, albeit with a considerable degree of putative host switches. Furthermore, we found that phylogenetic distances between Gilliamella apicola samples correlated with the geographical distance between sampling locations. This tentatively suggests that the environmental transmission rate, as set by geographical distance, affects the distribution of G. apicola infections. We show experimentally that both bacterial taxa can be vertically transmitted from the mother colony to daughter queens, and social contact with nest mates after emergence from the pupa greatly facilitates this transmission. Therefore, sociality may play an important role in vertical transmission and opens up the potential for co‐evolution or at least a close association of gut bacteria with their hosts.     

Diet breadth,coexistence and rarity in bumblebees

Factors that determine the relative abundance of bumblebee species remain poorly understood, rendering management of rare and declining species difficult. Studies of bumblebee communities in the Americas suggest that there are strong competitive interactions between species with similar length tongues, and that this competition determines the relative abundance of species. In contrast, in Europe it is common to observe several short-tongued species coexisting with little or no evidence for competition shaping community structure. In this study we examine patterns of abundance and distribution in one of the most diverse bumblebee communities in Europe, found in the mountains of southern Poland. We quantify forage use when collecting nectar and pollen for 23 bumblebee species, and examine patterns of co-occurrence and niche overlap to determine whether there is evidence for inter-specific competition. We also test whether rarity can be explained by diet breadth. Up to 16 species were found coexisting within single sites, with species richness peaking in mountain pasture at ~1,000 m altitude. Results concur with previous studies indicating that the majority of pollen collected by bumblebees is from Fabaceae, but that some bee species (e.g. B. ruderatus) are much more heavily dependent on Fabaceae than others (e.g. B. lucorum). Those species that forage primarily on Fabaceae tended to have long tongues. In common with studies in the UK, diet breadth was correlated with abundance: rarer species tended to visit fewer flower species, after correcting for differences in sample size. No evidence was found for similarity in tongue length or dietary overlap influencing the likelihood of co-occurrence of species. However, the most abundant species (which co-occurred at most sites) occupied distinct dietary niche space. While species with tongues of similar length tended, overall, to have higher dietary niche overlap, among the group of abundant short-tongued species that commonly co-occurred there was marked dietary differentiation which may explain their coexistence.     

The diversity of beetle assemblages in different habitat types in Sabah, Malaysia

The diversity of beetle assemblages in different habitat types (primary forest, logged forest, acacia plantation and oil palm plantation) in Sabah, Malaysia was investigated using three different methods based on habitat levels (Winkler sampling, flight-interception-trapping and mist-blowing). The overall diversity was extremely high, with 1711 species recorded from only 8028 individuals and 81 families (115 family and subfamily groups). Different degrees of environmental changes had varying effects on the beetle species richness and abundance, with oil palm plantation assemblage being most severely affected, followed by acacia plantation and then logged forest. A few species became numerically dominant in the oil palm plantation. In terms of beetle species composition, the acacia fauna showed much similarity with the logged forest fauna, and the oil palm fauna was very different from the rest. The effects of environmental variables (number of plant species, sapling and tree densities, amount of leaf litter, ground cover, canopy cover, soil pH and compaction) on the beetle assemblage were also investigated. Leaf litter correlated with species richness, abundance and composition of subterranean beetles. Plant species richness, tree and sapling densities correlated with species richness, abundance and composition of understorey beetles while ground cover correlated only with the species richness and abundance of these beetles. Canopy cover correlated only with arboreal beetles. In trophic structure, predators represented more than 40% of the species and individuals. Environmental changes affected the trophic structure with proportionally more herbivores (abundance) but fewer predators (species richness and abundance) in the oil palm plantation. Biodiversity, conservation and practical aspects of pest management were also highlighted in this study.