To mark World Environment Day, we highlight the conservation target species of the LIFE BEETLES project, as well as their intervention areas, distributed across three islands of the Azores archipelago: Flores, Pico, and Terceira.
The Ironclad Beetle (Tarphius floresensis) inhabits altitudes between 300 and 1000 metres, lives in the soil of native forests, and occurs on the trunks of endemic and exotic trees. Its distribution occurs only on the island of Flores, namely in Ribeira das Lajes, Lagoa Rasa, and Ferros Velhos.
The Ground Beetle (Pseudanchomenus aptinoides), endemic to Pico, lives in the soil and on the trunks of native trees in the hyperhumid forest between 800 and 1200 metres. It can only be found on the banks of Lagoa do Caiado, in areas adjacent to Lagoa do Caiado, and in Mistério da Prainha.
The Ground Beetle (Trechus terrabravensis), endemic to Terceira, occurs in the heart of the hyperhumid Laurel Forest, in deep cracks and crevices where the soil is covered by dense carpets of moss and ferns that do not allow light to reach the ground. It occurs at altitudes ranging from 500 to 1000 metres. Its intervention areas cover only Terceira island: Terra Brava e Criação das Lagoas Nature Reserve, Algar do Carvão Eucalyptus Plantation, Furnas do Enxofre Eucalyptus Plantation, Caldera da Serra de Santa Bárbara and Lagoa do Pinheiro.
