Pitfall trap collection of click beetles (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in Pistachio Orchards of Siirt, Turkey: New faunistic ınsights

The Elateridae fauna of Siirt Province, southeastern Turkey, was investigated using pitfall traps placed in pistachio (Pistacia vera) orchards between May and September 2008. This study aimed to document the diversity of click beetles in pistachio-growing ecosystems, a habitat where Elateridae species have been scarcely studied. A total of five species belonging to three genera were identified: Aeoloderma crucifer (Rossi, 1790), Cardiophorus discicollis (Herbst, 1806), Cardiophorus nigerrimus Erichson, 1840, Cardiophorus vestigialis Erichson, 1840, and Drasterius bimaculatus (Rossi, 1790). Among these, A. crucifer, C. discicollis, C. nigerrimus, and C. vestigialis were recorded for the first time in Siirt Province, contributing new locality records for the region. D. bimaculatus was found to be the most abundant species, suggesting its adaptability to pistachio orchard habitats. The use of pitfall traps proved to be an effective sampling method for capturing ground-dwelling Elateridae species, complementing previous studies in the region that utilized light traps. The findings of this research contribute to the growing knowledge of Elateridae biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and emphasize the need for further studies on their ecological roles, potential impact as agricultural pests, and interactions with pistachio cultivation. The results highlight the importance of continuous monitoring and integrated pest management strategies to sustain pistachio production while preserving insect diversity.