This week, we're featuring Christoffer, a master's student with a keen interest in beetles. His research focuses on both longhorn beetles, which play important roles in forest health, and the oak pinhole borer (Platypus cylindrus), a pest species recently found in southern Sweden.
Christoffer has set up pheromone-baited traps spanning northern Skåne to Mälardalen, aiming to uncover any regional differences in beetle populations. By studying the number of species and the abundance of individuals in each area, he hopes to understand how beetle diversity varies across Sweden's oak forests. After collecting the samples, he brings them to the lab to sort and identify each beetle.
His findings could reveal important patterns in beetle populations and oak ecosystems, offering insights that support conservation efforts for these unique habitats.
