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We examined polymorphism in an urban population of the ground beetle Pterostichus melanarius (Illiger, 1798) in forest plantations on the outskirts of Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine). We took measurements for 130 males and 95 females according to 14 metric, 10 non-metric parameters and 10 indices. According to 13 out of the 14 metric parameters (except for the length of the flight wings) P. melanarius showed a significant sexual dimorphism. The female specimens showed a normal distribution in body length and the males showed a significant positive excess. The 10 most significant body proportions of the ground beetles showed much lower sexual differences (0.26±0.86%) compared to linear measurements (6.56±0.96%). Females and males are practically isomorphic: when one metric parameter decreases, another decreases proportionally. Statistically significant differences between males and females were registered only for the ratio of elytra to length of prothorax, width of elytra to maximum width of prothorax and length of elytra to their width. A highly significant excess was registered in 6 out of 10 assessments of body proportions for females and 5 out of 10 for males. The coefficient of variation is minimal for body proportions and is maximal for metric parameters, which proves the existence of isomorphic differences between P. melanarius males and females. Out of 10 non-metric parameters a statistically significant sexual dimorphism (P=0.01) was registered only for the shape of the front edge of the labrum (males mostly have a slightly concave, and females a strongly concave front edge of the labrum). Using PCA analysis it was established that 45.2% of the morphological variability of the studied population depends upon the individuals’ sex: the whole complex of metric parameters (length and width of head, prothorax, elytra and parts of head, body height) taken together synchronically varies among individuals of different sex. More or less defined groups (morphotypes) were not found among the studied population of P. melanarius. The normal distribution of individuals in the studied population for a range of characteristics was altered by the impact of significant asymmetry or excess in certain features or ratios of metric characteristics. The data obtained can form the basis for monitoring the condition of P. melanarius populations, the individuals of which accumulate a large amount of toxins in conditions of anthropogenic impact.

Morphological polymorphism in an urban population of <em>Pterostichus melanarius</em> (Illiger, 1798) (Coleoptera, Carabidae)