Citation: Quinto, J.; Díaz-Castelazo, C.; Ramírez-Hernández, A.; Padilla, A.; Sánchez-Almodóvar, E.; Galante, E.; Micó, E. Interaction Networks Help to Infer the Vulnerability of the Saproxylic Beetle Communities That Inhabit Tree Hollows in Mediterranean Forests. Insects 2023, 14, 446. https://doi.org/10.3390 /insects14050446 Academic Editor: Paulo A. V. Borges Received: 29 March 2023 Revised: 18 April 2023 Accepted: 5 May 2023 Published: 9 May 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). insects Article Interaction Networks Help to Infer the Vulnerability of the Saproxylic Beetle Communities That Inhabit Tree Hollows in Mediterranean Forests Javier Quinto 1, * , Cecilia Díaz-Castelazo 2 , Alfredo Ramírez-Hernández 3 , Ascensión Padilla 1,4 , Esther Sánchez-Almodóvar 4 , Eduardo Galante 1 and Estefanía Micó 1 1 Instituto de Investigación CIBIO (Centro Iberoamericano de la Biodiversidad), Universidad de Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain; ma.padilla@ua.es (A.P.); galante@ua.es (E.G.); e.mico@ua.es (E.M.) 2 Instituto de Ecología A.C. (INECOL), Veracruz 91073, Mexico; diazcastelazogm@gmail.com 3 CONACYT/IPICYT—División de Ciencias Ambientales, San Luis Potosí 78216, Mexico; alfredo.ramirez@ipicyt.edu.mx 4 Instituto Interuniversitario de Geografía, Universidad de Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain; esther.sanchez@ua.es * Correspondence: javier.qnt@gmail.com Simple Summary: Insect populations are facing unprecedented changes in many ecosystems world- wide. However, do these changes make insect communities more vulnerable? The study of interaction networks can help to answer this question. We assessed the adequacy of network tools to address the long-term variation (after 11 years) of diversity patterns of the saproxylic (wood-dependent) beetle communities that inhabit tree hollows in three representative Mediterranean woodland types. To explore saproxylic communities’ vulnerability to microhabitat loss, we simulated hollow extinctions and recreated feasible future threat scenarios based on decreasing microhabitat suitability. Contrast- ing responses in diversity patterns among woodland types were found, whereas interaction patterns generally showed substantial temporal variations in the way that saproxylic beetles interact with tree hollows (less interconnected and specialized networks). Network procedures evidenced increased saproxylic communities’ vulnerability, and this situation could worsen in potential future scenarios with decreased microhabitat suitability. The valuable information that ecological networks provide should be considered for improving management and conservation programs. Abstract: Insect communities are facing contrasting responses due to global change. However, knowledge on impacts of communities’ reorganizations is scarce. Network approaches could help to envision community changes in different environmental scenarios. Saproxylic beetles were selected to examine long-term variations in insect interaction/diversity patterns and their vulnerability to global change. We evaluated interannual differences in network patterns in the tree hollow–saproxylic beetle interaction using absolute samplings over an 11-year interval in three Mediterranean woodland types. We explored saproxylic communities’ vulnerability to microhabitat loss via simulated extinctions and by recreating threat scenarios based on decreasing microhabitat suitability. Although temporal diversity patterns varied between woodland types, network descriptors showed an interaction decline. The temporal beta-diversity of interactions depended more on interaction than on species turnover. Interaction and diversity temporal shifts promoted less specialized and more vulnerable networks, which is particularly worrisome in the riparian woodland. Network procedures evidenced that saproxylic communities are more vulnerable today than 11 years ago irrespective of whether species richness increased or decreased, and the situation could worsen in the future depending on tree hollow suitability. Network approaches were useful for predicting saproxylic communities’ vulnerability across temporal scenarios and, thus, for providing valuable information for management and conservation programs. Insects 2023, 14, 446. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14050446 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/insects