Content of heavy metals in bodies of field ground beetles [Coleoptera, Carabidae] with respect to selected ecological factors

The concentration of heavy metals in the bodies of invertebrates is dependent on their physiological equipment and prevalent environmental factors. To verify the effect of some of these factors on the content of metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Mn) we analysed and then tested (using RDA, t-test) ten species of field ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae). A significant effect of Cu and Cd was discovered in terms of the sex; the males accumulated more Cu (27.520 mg kg⁻¹) than females (18.297 mg kg⁻¹) (P <0.01), which, on the contrary, accumulated more Cd (1.495 mg kg⁻¹) than males (0.663 mg kg⁻¹) (P <0.02). The content of all the metals differed significantly (P <0.03) according to the species, unambiguously showing species-specific models of accumulation. The effect of the feeding ecology was evident only on the essential elements; carnivores (Zn – 222.596 mg kg⁻¹, Cu – 27.211 mg kg⁻¹, Mn – 71.929 mg kg⁻¹) had a significantly (P <0.03) higher contents than omnivores (Zn – 168.198 mg kg⁻¹, Cu – 21.116 mg kg⁻¹, Mn – 58.452 mg kg⁻¹). Although there were differences (P <0.01) in the concentrations of Zn and Cu between the spring (Zn –163.749 mg kg⁻¹, Cu – 19.998 mg kg⁻¹) and autumn (Zn – 202.373 mg kg⁻¹, Cu – 25.496 mg kg⁻¹) species, the effect of the type of reproduction is considered to be only partial. At the same time the time of sampling affected the Zn and Mn (P <0.02) content. An important positive correlation was determined between the contents of Cu-Zn, Mn-Zn and Mn-Cu.