Alain Drumont and Patrick Grootaert (RBINS, Entomology Department), with the technical help of the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, just created a new website on the saproxylic beetles of Belgium.
This website provides online distribution maps for saproxylic beetles species occurring in Belgium. These maps are based on data preserved in the collections of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS – IRSNB) or housed in a large number of private collections. The project aims to bring together the dormant distribution data residing in collections.
The maps are build for more than 300 species belonging to 12 families and based on 25,000 distribution data records. The records concern specimens deposited in collections and verified observations, no bibliographic data has been taken in account. The current distribution maps will be continuously updated on a regular basis after treatment of new records and information.
The list of species involved in each family is also furnished.