[Peculiarities of the biotope distribution of click beetle larvae (Coleoptera, Elateridae) in the Irtysh river valley].

The spatial distribution of Elateridae larvae in the Lower Irtysh valley has been analyzed. The larvae analyzed belonged to 19 Elateridae species inhabiting soils of the floodplain and the river terrace. It has been pointed out that the larvae of Paraphotistus nigricornis, A. lineatus, L. parallelus, and A. incanus are most tolerant to the regular spring flooding. It has been found that the species compositions of floodplains and terrace meadows are significantly different. As a rule, species with a wide tropical spectrum inhabit floodplain soils, including bush and forest habitats. At the same time, the terrace was dominated by species characteristic of open habitats, including the steppe zone. It has been revealed that the values of species diversity vary significantly in the floodplain and terrace plots, but the higher species richness (Menhinick index) was registered in the floodplain.