Non-volant modes of migration in terrestrial arthropods

Abstract

rather overlooked means of migration occur in insects, and in non-insect terrestrial arthropods. These include: aerial transport without powered flight (with or without the use of silk), pedestrian and waterborne migration, wind-propelled migration on the surface of water, and phoresy. ('Parasitic dispersal,' the movement of true parasites in or between their hosts, is outside the scope of this paper.) There is a large body of literature on some of these topics (e.g. phoresy in mites), so the current paper will be illustrative rather than comprehensive.The movements by which animals are able to change their physical location can be categorized behaviourally into 'station-keeping' movements (e.g. foraging), 'ranging,' and migration [2]. The present review is concerned with migratory movements, and we adopt the widely-accepted behavioural definition of this process formulated by J.S. Kennedy [6]:"Migratory behaviour is persistent and straightened-out movement effected by the animal's own locomotory exertions or by its active embarkation on a vehicle. It depends upon some temporary inhibition of station-keeping responses but promotes their eventual disinhibition and recurrence." Abstract: Animal migration is often defined in terms appropriate only to the 'to-and-fro' movements of large, charismatic (and often vertebrate) species. However, like other important biological processes, the definition should apply over as broad a taxonomic range as possible in order to be intellectually satisfying. Here we illustrate the process of migration in insects and other terrestrial arthropods (e.g. arachnids, myriapods, and non-insect hexapods) but provide a different perspective by excluding the 'typical' mode of migration in insects, i.e. flapping flight. Instead, we review non-volant migratory movements, including: aerial migration by wingless species, pedestrian and waterborne migration, and phoresy. This reveals some fascinating and sometimes bizarre morphological and behavioural adaptations to facilitate movement. We also outline some innovative modelling approaches exploring the interactions between atmospheric transport processes and biological factors affecting the 'dispersal kernels' of wingless arthropods.

Windborne migration of Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera) over Britain

“…Taylor and others, Teraguschi (1986) in his study of leafhoppers of an old-fi eld site in Ohio, USA, espouses the view "that the crossing of the fl ight boundary layer interface is a highly programmed event" so that "aerial abundances are not simple functions of terrestrial abundances" -a standpoint with which we agree (see e.g. Reynolds et al, 2014). Günthart's (1988) samples were taken at several heights simultaneously and extended high above the ground, so she was able to estimate the thickness of the leafhopper fl ight boundary layer (viz.…”

Phoresy or an accident? Trafficking of flower‐feeding thrips by pollen‐foraging bees

“…Phoresy, an interspecific interaction by which one organism, the phoront, moves by attaching itself to a host organism (Camerik ), is a widespread mechanism for dispersal among invertebrates (Reynolds et al. ). Previous observations suggest that honey bee and other Hymenopteran pollinators transport many arthropods, including mites (Nazzi and Le Conte ), pseudoscorpions (Poinar et al.…”

Biota Connect Aquatic Habitats throughout Freshwater Ecosystem Mosaics

“…These aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates can be transported downstream with water flow (Figures and ) (Elliott ; Müller ; Brittain and Eikeland ; Reynolds et al. ). Cumulatively, export of invertebrates from numerous headwater streams within a single network to downstream waters can be substantial (Wipfli and Gregovich ), especially in intermittent and ephemeral streams, as terrestrial invertebrates accumulate in these channels during dry periods and are then transported downstream upon channel rewetting (Corti and Datry ; Rosado et al.…”