Longhorn beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) of the Biebrza National Park and its buffer zone

Abstract

of field research conducted between 1982 and 2025 (with periodic breaks) in the Biebrza Valley (NE Poland). A total of 95 Cerambycidae species were recorded in the study area, representing 48% of the Polish longhorn beetle fauna. Ninety-two species were found within the BbNP boundaries, while three species were recorded from its buffer zone exclusively. The highest species richness was observed in the Middle Basin (83 species) and the Lower Basin (78 species), whereas the Upper Basin yielded 54 species. The most widely distributed species was Strangalia attenuata, recorded in sixteen UTM squares (10x10 km) and common in all three Biebrza basins. Stenurella nigra occurred in fourteen squares, while Grammoptera ruficornis, Rhagium mordax, and S. melanura were found in thirteen squares. Among the longhorn beetle species identified in the Biebrza Valley, eleven were classified as very rare and should be considered as "species of special concern". These included Cerambyx scopolii, Cyrtoclytus capra, Molorchus marmottani, Euracmaeops septentrionis, Leptura thoracica, Lepturalia nigripes, Aegomorphus obscurior, Exocentrus stierlini, Oberea euphorbiae, O. pupillata, and Saperda similis. Among all recorded cerambycid species, 76 were documented based on rearing from plant material (dead wood, twigs etc.) of various host plants. These comprised 24 plant species: 21 woody plants – trees and shrubs – and three herbaceous species. Broad-leaved trees and shrubs were dominant, as only two coniferous species (Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies) were confirmed as hosts. The highest number of species developed on Quercus robur (23), followed by P. sylvestris and P. abies (17), Salix spp. (12), Betula pendula and Alnus glutinosa (11 each). Other