Vertical distribution of earwigs (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) in a temperate lowland forest, based on sampling with a mobile aerial lift platform

Abstract

Although earwigs (Dermaptera) may be important components of ecosystems because of their locally high abundance and omnivory, their vertical distribution among forest strata is poorly understood. This study used a mobile aerial lift platform to survey the spatiotemporal distribution of earwigs along the vertical dimension in a forest. In 2013 and 2014, 57 trees in a lowland floodplain forest were sampled in the southeastern Czech Republic, Central Europe. Earwigs were collected along the complete vertical gradient of the foliage of the trees using square beating sheets and exhaustors. Of the three recorded earwig species (Apterygida media, Chelidura acanthopygia and Forficula auricularia), A. media was the most abundant. The distribution of its abundance with the height from ground (in the tree leaf layer) was unimodal, with a peak at 4–10 m, indicating that A. media is arboricolous. The vertical stratification of A. media differed among developmental stages, and in its abundance among tree species. Investigation of insect vertical stratification in forests should be facilitated by the use of a mobile aerial lift platform.

Factors influencing microhabitat selection and food preference of tree-dwelling earwigs (Dermaptera) in a temperate floodplain forest

“…In our previous study (Kirstová et al, 2017), we found that earwigs can be abundant in a temperate forest. Using a mobile aerial lift platform, we collected more than 700 specimens of earwigs on a 0.2 ha representative plot in a hardwood floodplain forest near Lanžhot (Czech Republic).…”

“…C. acanthopygia did not occur on the trees outside the forest because of its strong association with forest habitats (Kočárek et al, 2005). In the study of Kirstová et al (2017), C. acanthopygia was sporadically collected even in high parts of the canopy layer. This finding did not agree with the previous observations (Franke, 1985;Irmler & Hingst, 1993) that this species exclusively inhabits leaf litter and the shrub layer.…”

Cantharidin world in air: Spatiotemporal distributions of flying canthariphilous insects in the forest interior

“…); and Forficulidae (Dermaptera) by beating leaves to drop insects to square sheets at 1 to 36 m using a mobile aerial lift platform (Kirstová et al . ). Based on those samplings, it has been reported that vertical microhabitat segregation or vertical stratification in the forest above‐ground space is seen among some closely related species (Toda , ; Beppu ; Van Klinken & Walter ; Tanabe ; Schmeelk et al .…”

Spatial distribution of aphids in the canopy of a temperate forest: where can they be found?

“…A mobile aerial lift platform (GENIE Z‐135/70 JRT; Genie Industries, Redmond, Washington, U.S.A.) enabled us to sample along the entire vertical gradient of trees (1.8–43.0 m) as part of a complex sampling of herbivores in the canopy (Kirstová et al ., 2017; Volf et al ., 2017), focusing on tree species that were expected to host aphids based on aphid host specificity knowledge (Blackman & Eastop, 1994), see Fig. S1.…”

“…Differences in predator abundance (as shown in the case of soybean, Costamagna & Landis, 2011) could also strongly influence aphids' stratification. As earwigs are important aphid predators at the studied locality (Kirstová et al ., 2019), and they prefer the lower canopy (Kirstová et al ., 2017), they could influence aphid distribution and favour a preference for the upper part of the crown.…”