Daily Activity of Namib Desert Arthropods in Relation to Climate

Holm, E.; Edney, E. B.

doi:10.2307/1934373

Cited by 121 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…The distribution map ( Figure 1) suggests that a contemporary dispersal barrier (between 25 and 27 degrees south latitude) exists between the species in the winter rainfall area of Southern Africa and species living in the summer rainfall region of Namibia. A similar distributional discontinuity between Namibia and Namaqualand has been reported for several faunal elements, including other insects, birds, frogs, and mammals [49] (and references therein), and for plant species [50]. Our phylogenetic analyses and their recent distribution suggest that Striatophasma-like species have crossed this region in the past and established a founder population that yielded the present Austrophasmatidae sensu [4] (see [31]).…”

Section: Distribution Patterns and Habitatssupporting

confidence: 79%

Biodiversity, ecology, and behavior of the recently discovered insect order Mantophasmatodea

2014

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The spectacular discovery of the new insect order Mantophasmatodea in 2002 was immediately followed by detailed studies on morphology and scattered information on different aspects of its behavior and general biology. A distinct feature of these predatory insects is the development of large arolia, which are typically held upright; hence, their common name is heelwalkers. The first mantophasmatodean species were described based on two museum specimens originally collected in Tanzania and Namibia. To date, these insects have been observed at surprising levels of diversity and abundance in Namibia and South Africa. For our studies on the phylogenetic relationships within Mantophasmatodea, we collected and analyzed numerous populations that belong to all known mantophasmatodean lineages, including East African populations. These collections not only provided a comprehensive biogeographical overview but also facilitated a comparative analysis of behavior, which was mainly analyzed under laboratory conditions. Here, we review and discuss the published data, as well as provide additional information on Mantophasmatodea distribution, evolutionary lineages, morphology, and biology, with a specific focus on reproductive biology.

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Section: Distribution Patterns and Habitatssupporting

confidence: 79%

Biodiversity, ecology, and behavior of the recently discovered insect order Mantophasmatodea

2014

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“…Darkling beetle communities may be strongly influenced by species tolerance limits in hot-dry climates (Cloudsley- Thompson & Crawford, 1970;Seely & Mitchell, 1987;Seely et al, 1988;Parmenter et al, 1989;Ward, 1991). Species must be specialized to support the drought, to avoid desiccation (Cloudsley-Thompson, 1964;Smith & Whitford, 1976;Marino, 1986;Gehrken & Smme, 1994), and to resist climatic unpredictability (Louw & Hamilton, 1972;Holm & Edney, 1973;CloudsleyThompson, 1975;Henwood, 1975a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other studies have explored their interspecies relationships within communities (Ahearn, 1970;Rickard, 1970;Keleinikova, 1971;Kuznetzov, 1971;Holm & Edney, 1973;Doyen & Tschinkel, 1974;Rogers & Rickard, 1975;Slobodchikoff, 1978;Thomas, 1979Thomas, , 1983Wise, 1981a). Several workers (Seely, 1985;Polis et al, 1998;Groner & Ayal, 2001) suggest that predation can influence beetle population sizes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental correlates of darkling beetle population size (Col. Tenebrionidae) on the Cañadas of Teide in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

Santos

Alonso

Hernández

et al. 2002

Journal of Arid Environments

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“…Counts of herbivores where conducted during daylight hours, and in the tetechera many herbivores may have been inactive and hiding to avoid exposition to the intense solar radiation (see Holm & Edney 1973) while in the mezquital, a canopy protected plant association, activities of insect herbivores may be extended during daylight hours.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of leaf traits and bird-mediated insect predation on patterns of herbivory in a semiarid environment in central Mexico

2017

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Background: In arid environments plants face aridity and herbivory, therefore it has been proposed that both are convergent selective forces. However the drivers of insect herbivory in these ecosystems remain poorly understood. Question: Does insect herbivory vary in two plant associations subject to different levels of aridity? To what extent differences in herbivory are determined either by foliar traits, or predation by birds? Study species: Citharexylum tetramerum, Viguiera pinnatilobata, and Solanum tridynamum. Study site: We compared two-plant associations: the mezquital with a closed canopy and wettest conditions and the tetechera a dry place with an open canopy at the Zapotitlán Valley, México. Methods: We evaluated leaf traits (N, C, water content, leaf strength and trichomes), herbivore insects abundance and the effects on herbivory when some predators are excluded. Results: Herbivory was higher in the drier site (tetechera) than in the more humid one (mezquital) in one year but not in the second one. In both plant associations herbivory increased when predators of herbivores were excluded. Plants in mezquital had more water and nitrogen content than plants in tetechera. The later had higher carbon concentration and carbon:nitrogen ratio, leaf strength and density of trichomes. Abundance of herbivore insects and insect predation were higher in the most arid site. Conclusions: Our results show that insect herbivory increases in the most arid site and that predation by birds plays a role as a driver of herbivory, while resistance to aridity seems to be the main driver of leaf structural characteristics. Key words: herbivory, leaf traits, bird predation, Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, plant defence. El papel de las características foliares y la depredación por aves en los patrones de herbivoría en un ambiente semiárido del centro de México ResumenAntecedentes: En ecosistemas áridos las plantas se enfrentan a la sequía y a la herbivoría, por lo cual se ha postulado que éstas pueden actuar como presiones de selección convergentes sobre los atributos foliares. Sin embargo, los determinantes de la herbivoría han sido poco explorados. Pregunta: ¿Los niveles de herbivoría varían en sitios con condiciones de humedad contrastantes? ¿La herbivoría está determinada por las características nutritivas/defensivas de las plantas o por la depredación por aves? Especies de estudio: Citharexylum tetramerum, Viguiera pinnatilobata, and Solanum tridynamum. Sitio de estudio: Comparamos dos asociaciones vegetales: el mezquital con un dosel cerrado y húmedo y la tetechera un sitio seco con un dosel muy abierto, en el Valle de Zapotitlán, México. Métodos: Evaluamos características foliares (N, C, contenido de agua, dureza y tricomas), la abundancia de insectos herbívoros y las consecuencias de la exclusión de algunos depredadores sobre los niveles de herbivoría. Resultados: Los niveles de herbivoría fueron mayores en el sitio más árido (tetechera) comparado con el mezquital pero solo en un año. La herbivoría aumentó cuando los dep...

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Daily Activity of Namib Desert Arthropods in Relation to Climate

Cited by 121 publications

References 2 publications

Biodiversity, ecology, and behavior of the recently discovered insect order Mantophasmatodea

Biodiversity, ecology, and behavior of the recently discovered insect order Mantophasmatodea

Environmental correlates of darkling beetle population size (Col. Tenebrionidae) on the Cañadas of Teide in Tenerife (Canary Islands)

The role of leaf traits and bird-mediated insect predation on patterns of herbivory in a semiarid environment in central Mexico

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