• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.427-433
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• 2010

Aquatic invertebrates are the major important fauna to sustain the paddy ecosystem as predators of the lower trophic level and prey for birds in food-web dynamics as well. The nationwide distribution of scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae) that is the top predator in an aquatic insect in the paddy field was investigated. A total of 15 scavenger beetles were recognized. Enochrus simulans (98.6%) and Laccobius bedeli (87.7%) showed a high frequency of occurrence on a nationwide scale. The majority of scavenger beetles were higher frequency of occurrence in mountainous regions(33.7%) than in open field regions(5.0%). On the other hand, E. uniformis, Coelostoma stultum and Berosus japonicus showed a low occurrence frequency. Hydrochara affinis, Sternolophus rufipes, Amphiops mater, B. elongatulus, B. signaticollis punctipennis, B. lewisius and H. libera showed regional specific distribution aspect. Therefore, these species can be used as biological index to research the biotic changes in paddy ecology according to an agro-environmental changes including climatic change in the future.