Host specialization and species richness of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in a New Guinea rain forest

Abstract

Abstract:Frugivorous dacine fruit flies were studied in a lowland tropical rain forest in Papua New Guinea to determine their host specificity, abundance, and the number of species attacking various plant species. Plant species hosted 0-3 fruit fly species at median (1-3 quartile) densities of 1 (0-17) fruit flies per 100 fruits. Fruit flies were mostly specialized to a single plant family (83% species) and within each family to a single genus (88% species), while most of the species (66%) were able to feed on >1 congeneric plant species. Only 30 from the 53 studied plant species were colonized by fruit flies. The plant-fruit fly food web, including these 30 plant species and the total of 29 fruit fly species feeding on them, was divided into 14 compartments, each including 1-8 plant species hosting mutually disjunct assemblages of fruit flies. This structure minimizes indirect interactions among plant species via shared herbivores. The local species pool was estimated at 152 ± 32 (± SE) fruit fly species. Forty per cent of all taxonomically described species known from Papua New Guinea were reared or trapped in our study area. Such a high proportion indicates low beta-diversity of fruit flies. Steiner traps were highly efficient in sampling the lure-responsive fruit fly species as they re-collected 84% of all species trapped in the same area 5 y before. Fruit fly monitoring by these traps is a cheap, simple and efficient method for the study of spatial and temporal changes in rain-forest communities.

Compartments in insect–plant associations and their consequences for community structure

“…2002) and also in the Nearctic and Palearctic regions (Sobhian & Zwölfer 1985; Zwölfer 1987, 1988; Straw 1989a; White & Elson‐Harris 1992; Goeden 1997; Headrick & Goeden 1998). Oligophagy on related plants seems to be a general trend among tephritids from flowerheads (and in tropical fruit‐feeding tephritids as well; Novotny et al . 2004), and thus insect guilds that use distinct plant taxa are easily distinguishable.…”

Proportion of exotics and relatedness of host species mediate the positive effect of plant richness on the species richness of fruit flies

“…In fact, some empirical studies have shown that most species of fruit flies have a narrow host range (e.g. Novotny et al ., ; Aluja & Mangan ). In this study, we found a positive relationship between the taxonomic distinctness (a proxy for phylogenetic diversity) of host plants and the species richness of associated fruit flies.…”

Molecular Identification of Tephritid Fruit Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) Infesting Sweet Oranges in Nsukka Agro-Ecological Zone, Nigeria, Based on PCR-RFLP of COI Gene and DNA Barcoding

“…Tephritid fruit flies infesting sweet oranges in Nsukka Agro-Ecological Zone, Nigeria were collected by harvesting and breeding methods as described in Novonty et al (2005). The identity of B. invadens was confirmed morphologically following descriptions by Drew et al (2005) and De Meyer et al (2012).…”