Factors influencing habitat selection and activity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Central Appalachia. Part I. The influence of soil and soil surface characteristics on habitat selection by Carabidae. Part II. Precipitation and temperature f

A study was conducted in the George Washington National Forest in Virginia and the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. Carabid samples were collected over four years and compared to soil characteristics, surface characteristics and meteorological conditions to determine what role these factors play in carabid habitat selection. Opportunity also existed to compare carabid populations before and after the application of microbial insecticides on the sampling sites. This study was conducted as part of a larger project investigating non-target impacts from gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.)(Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), insecticide applications and the interaction of Entomophaga maimaiga Humber, Shimazu, and Soper (Entomophthorales: Entomophthoraceae) with the local fauna over a period of seven years.