Clerids As A Potential Approach For Biological Control – Faunistic Investigation In Buildings Infested With Wood Destroying Insects

The clerids Korynetes caeruleus (Coleoptera: Cleridae) and Opilo domesticus (Coleoptera: Cleridae) naturally occur in buildings where they feed on the wood pest Anobium punctatum (Coleoptera, Ptinidea). Another prey of K. caeruleus in buildings is the wood-destroying insect Xestobium rufovillosum (Coleoptera, Ptinidae). The larvae of these two species of checkered beetles live polyphagously and hunt the larvae of wood-destroying insects in their tunnels. However, for the establishment and mass reproduction of these beneficial insects for biological control of wood-destroying insects, the factors influencing their occurrence in buildings, as well as their prey range and predatory potential, need to be investigated in more detail. In 2020 and 2021, faunistic and climatic monitoring was installed in 16 buildings from Mecklenburg with active infestation of A. punctatum and X. rufovillosum. The results show that the adult K. caeruleus and O. domesticus have differences in their way of life. Korynetes caeruleus has not been observed chasing or feeding on adult wood-destroying insects on the wood surface. Adult K. caeruleus entered the boreholes of the prey. K. caeruleus, adult O. domesticus simultaneously occurred with their adult prey A. punctatum and actively hunted them outside the wood. During the reproductive phase of O. domesticus, a large number of killed adult A. punctatum were found in some buildings. Adult O. domesticus are not able to hunt in the boring tunnels of their prey A. punctatum due to their body size.The study showed, that one of the two clerid species always dominated the buildings surveyed, which could indicate mutual displacement competition.