Aline O. Lira, Bruno A. S. de Medeiros, Daniel P. P. Aguiar, Paschoal C. Grossi
Udeus Champion, 1902 is a weevil genus in the tribe Eugnomini associated with the inflorescences of Cecropia Loefl. (Urticaceae), with 11 valid species distributed in the Neotropics. Species of Udeus are generally rare in collections and their biology is poorly known, despite a high abundance in nature. Here, we describe Udeus cerradensis Lira, de Medeiros & Grossi, sp. nov. from the Brazilian Cerrado, including the first descriptions of larvae and pupae for a Neotropical eugnomine. We assess their role as potential pollinators of their host plant Cecropia saxatilis Snethl. and find that adults do not visit pistillate flowers and therefore are unlikely to be pollinators. This contrasts with previous reports in a different pair of species in Cecropia-Udeus, suggesting that pollinator agents vary between species in this plant genus. Finally, we provide notes about the predation of larvae of U. cerradensis by social wasps Synoeca surinama (L.) and Protopolybia aff. sedula (Saussure), revealing that, in this instance, an endophytic larva does not prevent predation by a behaviourally flexible predator. This study is the first of a series on the natural history of Udeus and their specialised interactions with host plants.
{"title":"Adults and immatures of Udeus cerradensis Lira, de Medeiros & Grossi, sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): a flower visitor of Cecropia Loefl. (Urticaceae) preyed upon by paper wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)","authors":"Aline O. Lira, Bruno A. S. de Medeiros, Daniel P. P. Aguiar, Paschoal C. Grossi","doi":"10.1111/aen.12691","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12691","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Udeus</i> Champion, 1902 is a weevil genus in the tribe Eugnomini associated with the inflorescences of <i>Cecropia</i> Loefl. (Urticaceae), with 11 valid species distributed in the Neotropics. Species of <i>Udeus</i> are generally rare in collections and their biology is poorly known, despite a high abundance in nature. Here, we describe <i>Udeus cerradensis</i> Lira, de Medeiros & Grossi, <b>sp. nov.</b> from the Brazilian Cerrado, including the first descriptions of larvae and pupae for a Neotropical eugnomine. We assess their role as potential pollinators of their host plant <i>Cecropia saxatilis</i> Snethl. and find that adults do not visit pistillate flowers and therefore are unlikely to be pollinators. This contrasts with previous reports in a different pair of species in <i>Cecropia</i>-<i>Udeus</i>, suggesting that pollinator agents vary between species in this plant genus. Finally, we provide notes about the predation of larvae of <i>U. cerradensis</i> by social wasps <i>Synoeca surinama</i> (L.) and <i>Protopolybia</i> aff. <i>sedula</i> (Saussure), revealing that, in this instance, an endophytic larva does not prevent predation by a behaviourally flexible predator. This study is the first of a series on the natural history of <i>Udeus</i> and their specialised interactions with host plants.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this study, the understanding of the harvestman genus Carlotta Roewer, 1943, is expanded. Carlotta currently comprises two species found in central Espírito Santo state. The descriptions of the existing Carlotta species have been supplemented, including genital morphology. Four new species are herein described—Carlotta beckerisp. nov., Carlotta bicornissp. nov., Carlotta iohannissp. nov. and Carlotta obtortrixsp. nov.—extending the range of the genus both southwards and northwards from southern Espírito Santo to southern Bahia. Among the new findings, a unique trait is exhibited by two species: a pair of spines on the ocularium (dicerate), in contrast to a single spine (monocerate). This variation is significant, as the number of spines on the ocularium plays a crucial role in the Roewerian diagnosis for the genus. The characterisation of the genital morphology of Carlotta species is refined, with the identification and naming of two distinctive structures: the dilophium—two parallel lamellate ridges along the disto-ventral surface of the stylus, terminating in a broader loop—and the skeletal flabellum—a framework of arched cylindrical tapering branches with multiple ramifications. By shedding light on these newly identified structures, a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity and evolutionary traits within the Gonyleptidae is contributed through this study.
{"title":"Deviant unicorns: monocerate and dicerate versions of Carlotta Roewer, 1943 (Opiliones: Gonyleptidae), with description of four new species from Eastern Brazil","authors":"Adriano Brilhante Kury, Amanda Cruz Mendes","doi":"10.1111/aen.12683","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12683","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In this study, the understanding of the harvestman genus <i>Carlotta</i> Roewer, 1943, is expanded. <i>Carlotta</i> currently comprises two species found in central Espírito Santo state. The descriptions of the existing <i>Carlotta</i> species have been supplemented, including genital morphology. Four new species are herein described—<i>Carlotta beckeri</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>Carlotta bicornis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>Carlotta iohannis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> and <i>Carlotta obtortrix</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>—extending the range of the genus both southwards and northwards from southern Espírito Santo to southern Bahia. Among the new findings, a unique trait is exhibited by two species: a pair of spines on the ocularium (dicerate), in contrast to a single spine (monocerate). This variation is significant, as the number of spines on the ocularium plays a crucial role in the Roewerian diagnosis for the genus. The characterisation of the genital morphology of <i>Carlotta</i> species is refined, with the identification and naming of two distinctive structures: the dilophium—two parallel lamellate ridges along the disto-ventral surface of the stylus, terminating in a broader loop—and the skeletal flabellum—a framework of arched cylindrical tapering branches with multiple ramifications. By shedding light on these newly identified structures, a more comprehensive understanding of the diversity and evolutionary traits within the Gonyleptidae is contributed through this study.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The flat wasp genus Sierola Cameron, 1881 is reviewed from Norfolk and Phillip Islands for the first time. Six new species are described: S. bounitessp. nov., S. dysmicasp. nov., S. idaesp. nov., S. incomitatasp. nov., S. longisetaesp. nov., and S. phillipensissp. nov. The fauna is surprisingly large for such small islands, but consistent with high diversity of the genus found elsewhere in the Pacific. The low collecting effort and small number of specimens for most of the species suggests that more remain to be found.
{"title":"New Sierola Cameron, 1881 (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) from Norfolk and Phillip Islands","authors":"Karl N. Magnacca","doi":"10.1111/aen.12684","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12684","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The flat wasp genus <i>Sierola</i> Cameron, 1881 is reviewed from Norfolk and Phillip Islands for the first time. Six new species are described: <i>S. bounites</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>S. dysmica</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>S. idae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>S. incomitata</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, <i>S. longisetae</i> <b>sp. nov.</b>, and <i>S. phillipensis</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> The fauna is surprisingly large for such small islands, but consistent with high diversity of the genus found elsewhere in the Pacific. The low collecting effort and small number of specimens for most of the species suggests that more remain to be found.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Myrmecia: Volume 60, Part 2","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/aen.12702","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12702","url":null,"abstract":"<p>No abstract is available for this article.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12702","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A new species of lycaenid butterfly, Paralucia crosbyisp. nov. (Theclinae: Luciini), is described, diagnosed and illustrated from Namadgi National Park, ACT, and adjacent areas in New South Wales in the highlands of south-eastern Australia. It is most similar to Paralucia spinifera E.D. Edwards & Common, 1978, but comparative morphology of the adult and immature stages indicates fundamental differences between the two species. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) of all Paralucia species recovered P. crosbyisp. nov. and P. spinifera as reciprocally monophyletic, with a mean uncorrected ‘p’ pairwise divergence of 0.93%. Paralucia crosbyisp. nov. appears to be a narrow-range endemic, restricted to dry montane eucalypt open woodland or woodland between 920 and 1130 m asl, in which the mean annual rainfall varies from 700 to 800 mm and where an abundance of the larval food plant Bursaria spinosa Cav. subsp. lasiophylla (E.M.Benn.) L. Cayzer, Crisp & I. Telford (Pittosporaceae) and colonies of the attendant ant Anonychomyrma sp. (itinerans species group) (Dolichoderinae) are established. The immature stages are described, illustrated and compared with those of P. spinifera and P. aurifera (Blanchard, [1848]). Despite being limited to high altitudes, adults fly in late winter–early spring (late July to early October). The species is univoltine, with much of the year (~9 months) passed in the pupal stage. The ecology, biology and life cycle are discussed, and a likely mode of speciation is hypothesised.
{"title":"A new species of Paralucia Waterhouse & Turner, 1905 (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) from the highlands of south-eastern Australia","authors":"Michael F. Braby","doi":"10.1111/aen.12688","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12688","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A new species of lycaenid butterfly, <i>Paralucia crosbyi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> (Theclinae: Luciini), is described, diagnosed and illustrated from Namadgi National Park, ACT, and adjacent areas in New South Wales in the highlands of south-eastern Australia. It is most similar to <i>Paralucia spinifera</i> E.D. Edwards & Common, 1978, but comparative morphology of the adult and immature stages indicates fundamental differences between the two species. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (<i>COI</i>) of all <i>Paralucia</i> species recovered <i>P. crosbyi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> and <i>P. spinifera</i> as reciprocally monophyletic, with a mean uncorrected ‘<i>p</i>’ pairwise divergence of 0.93%. <i>Paralucia crosbyi</i> <b>sp. nov.</b> appears to be a narrow-range endemic, restricted to dry montane eucalypt open woodland or woodland between 920 and 1130 m asl, in which the mean annual rainfall varies from 700 to 800 mm and where an abundance of the larval food plant <i>Bursaria spinosa</i> Cav. subsp. <i>lasiophylla</i> (E.M.Benn.) L. Cayzer, Crisp & I. Telford (Pittosporaceae) and colonies of the attendant ant <i>Anonychomyrma</i> sp. (<i>itinerans</i> species group) (Dolichoderinae) are established. The immature stages are described, illustrated and compared with those of <i>P. spinifera</i> and <i>P. aurifera</i> (Blanchard, [1848]). Despite being limited to high altitudes, adults fly in late winter–early spring (late July to early October). The species is univoltine, with much of the year (~9 months) passed in the pupal stage. The ecology, biology and life cycle are discussed, and a likely mode of speciation is hypothesised.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12688","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246113","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Erinn P. Fagan-Jeffries, Melina M. Miles, Tareva-Chine C. Atkin-Zaldivar, Andy G. Howe, Siva Subramaniam, Donna M. Chambers, Frezzel Praise J. Tadle, Saleh M. Adnan, Verni Sivasubramaniam, Alice Woodward
Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) is an invasive pest of agricultural crops including sweet corn and maize. The moth was first recorded in Australia in January 2020 and is now considered established in most states and territories, and research is underway to develop management strategies. Extensive rearing of S. frugiperda larvae and eggs occurred from March 2020 to April 2023 to understand the parasitoid complex present in Australia and identify potential biological control agents. We report here on the hymenopteran parasitoids reared during this period, which were identified using a combination of morphology and COI DNA barcoding, and provide images, a key to species, and contextual information to facilitate future research. Twelve species of parasitoids from five families of Hymenoptera are formally reported as parasitising S. frugiperda in Australia. Five species are here described as new: Chelonus patbat Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Braconidae), Chelonus trojanus Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Braconidae), Coccygidium mellosiheroine Atkin-Zaldivar & Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Braconidae), Coccygidium necatrix Atkin-Zaldivar & Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Braconidae), and Euplectrus frugiperdata Fagan-Jeffries, sp. nov. (Eulophidae).
{"title":"Hymenopteran parasitoids of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)) in Australia, with the description of five new species in the families Braconidae and Eulophidae","authors":"Erinn P. Fagan-Jeffries, Melina M. Miles, Tareva-Chine C. Atkin-Zaldivar, Andy G. Howe, Siva Subramaniam, Donna M. Chambers, Frezzel Praise J. Tadle, Saleh M. Adnan, Verni Sivasubramaniam, Alice Woodward","doi":"10.1111/aen.12682","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12682","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fall armyworm, <i>Spodoptera frugiperda</i> (J.E. Smith) is an invasive pest of agricultural crops including sweet corn and maize. The moth was first recorded in Australia in January 2020 and is now considered established in most states and territories, and research is underway to develop management strategies. Extensive rearing of <i>S. frugiperda</i> larvae and eggs occurred from March 2020 to April 2023 to understand the parasitoid complex present in Australia and identify potential biological control agents. We report here on the hymenopteran parasitoids reared during this period, which were identified using a combination of morphology and COI DNA barcoding, and provide images, a key to species, and contextual information to facilitate future research. Twelve species of parasitoids from five families of Hymenoptera are formally reported as parasitising <i>S. frugiperda</i> in Australia. Five species are here described as new: <i>Chelonus patbat</i> Fagan-Jeffries, <b>sp. nov.</b> (Braconidae), <i>Chelonus trojanus</i> Fagan-Jeffries, <b>sp. nov.</b> (Braconidae), <i>Coccygidium mellosiheroine</i> Atkin-Zaldivar & Fagan-Jeffries, <b>sp. nov.</b> (Braconidae), <i>Coccygidium necatrix</i> Atkin-Zaldivar & Fagan-Jeffries, <b>sp. nov.</b> (Braconidae), and <i>Euplectrus frugiperdata</i> Fagan-Jeffries, <b>sp. nov.</b> (Eulophidae).</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12682","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246117","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mônica Piovesan, Elton Orlandin, Eduardo Carneiro, Lidia Venâncio, Vânia Ferreira Roque-Specht, Mirna Martins Casagrande, Olaf Hermann Hendrik Mielke, Felipe Alverne Dourado Bonfin, Paulo Victor Machado Vieira, Alexandre Specht
The subgenus Anicla, commonly known as green cutworms, harbours some of the owlet moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuinae), whose larvae are notable for their economic importance. Knowledge of the immature stages for this group is available for three of the nine described species. Anicla infecta Ochsenheimer, 1816 is widely distributed in the Americas and is especially abundant in agricultural ecosystems. However, in the Neotropics, its economic damage can be confused with sympatric species, including Anicla ignicans (Guenée, 1852), whose distributions overlap in most parts of the American continent. In this sense, here, the identity of A. ignicans is investigated through its geographical distribution, based on molecular and morphological data. Additionally, the morphological and behavioural traits of immature stages were described in detail, information about its geographical distribution and larval host plants was gathered, and the species' biological parameters from larvae reared on an artificial diet were determined. Anicla ignicans is distributed throughout the Neotropical region, preferably in areas with xeric and/or grass-dominated ecosystems. The eggs present valuable characters to distinguish A. ignicans from other owlet moth species, such as the reduced number of ribs, the way the micropyle openings are arranged and the shape of the aeropyles. However, the larvae show very similar chromatic polymorphisms to other Anicla species. Although A. ignicans prefer to feed on grasses, it was observed that more than 85% of the larvae that were fed with a modified bean-based Greene diet survived. Additionally, the percentage of time for each phase of development obtained here is very similar for the different species of Anicla, regardless of the temperature or feeding of the larvae.
{"title":"Green cutworm Anicla ignicans (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Identity, geographical distribution, immature morphology, host plants and biology in controlled conditions","authors":"Mônica Piovesan, Elton Orlandin, Eduardo Carneiro, Lidia Venâncio, Vânia Ferreira Roque-Specht, Mirna Martins Casagrande, Olaf Hermann Hendrik Mielke, Felipe Alverne Dourado Bonfin, Paulo Victor Machado Vieira, Alexandre Specht","doi":"10.1111/aen.12689","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aen.12689","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The subgenus <i>Anicla</i>, commonly known as green cutworms, harbours some of the owlet moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuinae), whose larvae are notable for their economic importance. Knowledge of the immature stages for this group is available for three of the nine described species. <i>Anicla infecta</i> Ochsenheimer, 1816 is widely distributed in the Americas and is especially abundant in agricultural ecosystems. However, in the Neotropics, its economic damage can be confused with sympatric species, including <i>Anicla ignicans</i> (Guenée, 1852), whose distributions overlap in most parts of the American continent. In this sense, here, the identity of <i>A. ignicans</i> is investigated through its geographical distribution, based on molecular and morphological data. Additionally, the morphological and behavioural traits of immature stages were described in detail, information about its geographical distribution and larval host plants was gathered, and the species' biological parameters from larvae reared on an artificial diet were determined. <i>Anicla ignicans</i> is distributed throughout the Neotropical region, preferably in areas with xeric and/or grass-dominated ecosystems. The eggs present valuable characters to distinguish <i>A. ignicans</i> from other owlet moth species, such as the reduced number of ribs, the way the micropyle openings are arranged and the shape of the aeropyles. However, the larvae show very similar chromatic polymorphisms to other <i>Anicla</i> species. Although <i>A. ignicans</i> prefer to feed on grasses, it was observed that more than 85% of the larvae that were fed with a modified bean-based Greene diet survived. Additionally, the percentage of time for each phase of development obtained here is very similar for the different species of <i>Anicla</i>, regardless of the temperature or feeding of the larvae.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141013009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Aiden Reason, Antoine Felden, Mariana Bulgarella, Philip J. Lester
The Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis) is an invasive species in New Zealand and a voracious arthropod predator, incorporating a wide range of prey into its diet. We examined the colony survival and prey community composition of these wasps in a protected coastal habitat in New Zealand. Paper wasp colonies at this site were surveyed and monitored weekly over two summers. Our data showed that only ~20% of the monitored colonies each year survived until late summer, with high rates of colony mortality in late spring and early summer. We collected samples of wasp larval guts over a temporal gradient in one nesting season, and via DNA metabarcoding analysis, we identified the prey species consumed. The prey species most frequently identified in larval samples were endemic cicadas and several lepidopteran species. No native arthropod species of known conservation concern were identified in the analysis. However, 63% of the unique taxon sequences retrieved could not be identified by genus or species level, likely due to the absence of reference barcodes. These taxa may represent a group of understudied species, potentially highly endemic or localised. Our analysis indicates that these invasive wasps are opportunistic-generalist predators with the potential to exert high predation pressure on native arthropods. P. chinensis may be preying on a range of understudied species, especially in remote, natural habitats across New Zealand. We recommend future studies continue to barcode native New Zealand arthropods in order to improve the taxonomic assignments of dietary studies.
{"title":"Population dynamics and prey community of the invasive paper wasp Polistes chinensis (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in a protected coastal habitat in New Zealand","authors":"Aiden Reason, Antoine Felden, Mariana Bulgarella, Philip J. Lester","doi":"10.1111/aen.12690","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12690","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Asian paper wasp (<i>Polistes chinensis</i>) is an invasive species in New Zealand and a voracious arthropod predator, incorporating a wide range of prey into its diet. We examined the colony survival and prey community composition of these wasps in a protected coastal habitat in New Zealand. Paper wasp colonies at this site were surveyed and monitored weekly over two summers. Our data showed that only ~20% of the monitored colonies each year survived until late summer, with high rates of colony mortality in late spring and early summer. We collected samples of wasp larval guts over a temporal gradient in one nesting season, and via DNA metabarcoding analysis, we identified the prey species consumed. The prey species most frequently identified in larval samples were endemic cicadas and several lepidopteran species. No native arthropod species of known conservation concern were identified in the analysis. However, 63% of the unique taxon sequences retrieved could not be identified by genus or species level, likely due to the absence of reference barcodes. These taxa may represent a group of understudied species, potentially highly endemic or localised. Our analysis indicates that these invasive wasps are opportunistic-generalist predators with the potential to exert high predation pressure on native arthropods. <i>P. chinensis</i> may be preying on a range of understudied species, especially in remote, natural habitats across New Zealand. We recommend future studies continue to barcode native New Zealand arthropods in order to improve the taxonomic assignments of dietary studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12690","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141246090","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Within a fruit, fruit fly larvae can be subject to scramble competition, in which density-dependent effects can influence the fitness of subsequent adults. While there is significant research on tephritid interspecific larval competition, it has been conducted in invasive situations where the species are evolutionarily novel to each other. There has been no published research investigating larval competitive interactions between naturally coexisting, endemic species. We ran laboratory-based, intraspecific and interspecific larval competition trials involving three co-occurring Bactrocera species of differing genetic relatedness and also measured aspects of juvenile development rate to test possible mechanisms of competitive difference. Larval density had an influence on intraspecific competition in Bactrocera tryoni, Bactrocera neohumeralis and Bactrocera jarvisi, with a decreasing percentage of pupation with increasing larval density. Interspecific competition between B. tryoni and B. neohumeralis, and between B. tryoni and B. jarvisi was influenced by the interaction between species and density. The intensity of competition between B. tryoni and B. neohumeralis was minimal but high between B. tryoni and B. jarvisi. B. jarvisi produced larger eggs and had faster initial larval growth rates than the other two species, but it took the longest time for pupation to occur. Our results conflict with theory, as the greatest competition was observed between the two more distantly related species (B. tryoni and B. jarvisi) rather than between the two most closely related species (B. tryoni and B. neohumeralis). Further, and contrary to other studies, egg size, hatch rate and larval growth rate did not provide B. jarvisi with a competitive advantage; thus, larval size does not appear to be a mechanism of larval competition between B. tryoni and B. jarvisi.
在果实内,果蝇幼虫可能会受到争夺竞争的影响,在这种竞争中,密度效应会影响后续成虫的适应性。虽然对种间幼虫竞争有大量研究,但这些研究都是在入侵情况下进行的,在这种情况下,物种之间在进化上是陌生的。目前还没有关于自然共存的地方物种之间幼虫竞争相互作用的公开研究。我们在实验室进行了种内和种间幼虫竞争试验,涉及三个共存的具有不同遗传亲缘关系的双壳类物种,并测量了幼虫发育速度的各个方面,以检验竞争差异的可能机制。幼虫密度对 Bactrocera tryoni、Bactrocera neohumeralis 和 Bactrocera jarvisi 的种内竞争有影响,幼虫密度越大,化蛹率越低。B.tryoni和B.neohumeralis之间以及B.tryoni和B.jarvisi之间的种间竞争受物种和密度之间相互作用的影响。B. tryoni 和 B. neohumeralis 之间的竞争强度很小,但 B. tryoni 和 B. jarvisi 之间的竞争强度很大。与其他两个物种相比,B. jarvisi产卵量更大,幼虫初期生长速度更快,但化蛹时间最长。我们的结果与理论相冲突,因为在两个亲缘关系较远的物种(B. tryoni和B. jarvisi)之间,而不是在两个亲缘关系最近的物种(B. tryoni和B. neohumeralis)之间,观察到了最大的竞争。此外,与其他研究相反,卵的大小、孵化率和幼虫生长速度并没有为 B. jarvisi 带来竞争优势;因此,幼虫大小似乎并不是 B. tryoni 和 B. jarvisi 之间幼虫竞争的机制。
{"title":"Larval competition between three endemic fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) of differing phylogenetic relatedness","authors":"Bianca J. Kay, Colin Harris, Anthony R. Clarke","doi":"10.1111/aen.12686","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aen.12686","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Within a fruit, fruit fly larvae can be subject to scramble competition, in which density-dependent effects can influence the fitness of subsequent adults. While there is significant research on tephritid interspecific larval competition, it has been conducted in invasive situations where the species are evolutionarily novel to each other. There has been no published research investigating larval competitive interactions between naturally coexisting, endemic species. We ran laboratory-based, intraspecific and interspecific larval competition trials involving three co-occurring <i>Bactrocera</i> species of differing genetic relatedness and also measured aspects of juvenile development rate to test possible mechanisms of competitive difference. Larval density had an influence on intraspecific competition in <i>Bactrocera tryoni</i>, <i>Bactrocera neohumeralis</i> and <i>Bactrocera jarvisi</i>, with a decreasing percentage of pupation with increasing larval density. Interspecific competition between <i>B. tryoni</i> and <i>B. neohumeralis</i>, and between <i>B. tryoni</i> and <i>B. jarvisi</i> was influenced by the interaction between species and density. The intensity of competition between <i>B. tryoni</i> and <i>B. neohumeralis</i> was minimal but high between <i>B. tryoni</i> and <i>B. jarvisi</i>. <i>B. jarvisi</i> produced larger eggs and had faster initial larval growth rates than the other two species, but it took the longest time for pupation to occur. Our results conflict with theory, as the greatest competition was observed between the two more distantly related species (<i>B. tryoni</i> and <i>B. jarvisi</i>) rather than between the two most closely related species (<i>B. tryoni</i> and <i>B. neohumeralis</i>). Further, and contrary to other studies, egg size, hatch rate and larval growth rate did not provide <i>B. jarvisi</i> with a competitive advantage; thus, larval size does not appear to be a mechanism of larval competition between <i>B. tryoni</i> and <i>B. jarvisi</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12686","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140754105","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Termites are resistant to fire, a common disturbance in the world's savannas, but most explanations for how termites resist fire are speculative. Some researchers have suggested that the mounds of some termite species can serve as a structural defence against direct fire mortality. Because mound structure is related to thermoregulation, and larger mounds have more stable internal temperatures, larger mounds may confer greater fire resistance. Fire also causes indirect mortality to termites by removing food sources, which may give an advantage to larger mounds as they have superior food provisioning and storage ability. Using natural fires, we measured mound size and colony survival of two southern African termite species (Trinervitermes trinervoides and Amitermes sp.) in plots recently burnt (<4 months after fire), recovering from fire (1–2 years after fire), or unburnt (>3 years after fire). Burn status and mound size were each significant factors in colony survival. Recent fire was associated with the lowest survival, and larger mounds with greater survival. There is some evidence that larger mounds are generally more resistant to fire, especially the long term, indirect effects, but sample sizes were not adequate to confirm this.
{"title":"Are larger termite mounds more resistant to fire? A study of two southern African termites (Isoptera: Termitidae)","authors":"Benjamin de la Fontaine, Shelley Edwards","doi":"10.1111/aen.12685","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aen.12685","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Termites are resistant to fire, a common disturbance in the world's savannas, but most explanations for how termites resist fire are speculative. Some researchers have suggested that the mounds of some termite species can serve as a structural defence against direct fire mortality. Because mound structure is related to thermoregulation, and larger mounds have more stable internal temperatures, larger mounds may confer greater fire resistance. Fire also causes indirect mortality to termites by removing food sources, which may give an advantage to larger mounds as they have superior food provisioning and storage ability. Using natural fires, we measured mound size and colony survival of two southern African termite species (<i>Trinervitermes trinervoides</i> and <i>Amitermes</i> sp.) in plots recently burnt (<4 months after fire), recovering from fire (1–2 years after fire), or unburnt (>3 years after fire). Burn status and mound size were each significant factors in colony survival. Recent fire was associated with the lowest survival, and larger mounds with greater survival. There is some evidence that larger mounds are generally more resistant to fire, especially the long term, indirect effects, but sample sizes were not adequate to confirm this.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140234994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}