Austral Entomology最新文献

{"title":"Inferring ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) dietary responses to experimental drought in a tropical rainforest using stable isotopes","authors":"Claire Gely,&nbsp;Susan G. W. Laurance,&nbsp;Nico Blüthgen,&nbsp;Lori Lach,&nbsp;Nara O. Vogado,&nbsp;Chris J. Burwell,&nbsp;Michael J. Liddell,&nbsp;Nigel E. Stork","doi":"10.1111/aen.12712","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12712","url":null,"abstract":"<p>With higher frequency and intensity of droughts predicted for many tropical forests, understanding the responses of plants and animals to changed climatic conditions will be increasingly important. Ants are considered ecosystem engineers in tropical rainforests due to their abundance and the diversity of functional roles they perform. Function in animals is often dictated by diet, with diets of rainforest ants ranging from purely carnivorous to mostly plant based. Stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon have been utilised to infer information on diets, and more broadly on changes in ecosystem dynamics and water-use in plants. We used stable isotopes to investigate the potential effects of drought on the diets of two dominant ant species (<i>Anonychomyrma gilberti</i> and <i>Oecophylla smaragdina</i>) in an in-situ through-fall experiment in lowland rainforest. We observed a significant and sustained increase of <i>δ</i>¹⁵N in both ant species in the drought experiment and during the dry season in the control treatment. We also detected elevated although much smaller levels of <i>δ</i>¹⁵N values in leaves of some drought-stressed plant species. There was no detectable difference of the experiment for ant or plant <i>δ</i>¹³C values. We conclude that the observed elevation in ants' <i>δ</i>¹⁵N in response to drought may be partly caused by a drought-induced shift in <i>δ</i>¹⁵N in plants. Although, with average nitrogen enrichment values of 2.7‰ and 3.2‰, for <i>A. gilberti</i> and <i>O. smaragdina</i>, respectively, it is consistent with these ants deriving nitrogen largely from prey. Because ants are such dominant species in rainforests, even small trophic shifts in response to climate change if widespread could have broad implications for species interactions and food webs. Importantly, it is possible that such a change could potentially mediate the effects of drought on tropical forests if herbivory on drought-stressed plants is diminished by ant predation.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 4","pages":"457-465"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12712","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142749130","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}

{"title":"Rapid in-field diagnostics to detect pyrethroid resistance in the redlegged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor (Trombidiformes: Penthaleidae) (Tucker)","authors":"Paul A. Umina,&nbsp;Xuan Cheng,&nbsp;Moshe E. Jasper,&nbsp;James Maino,&nbsp;Aston L. Arthur,&nbsp;Nancy M. Endersby-Harshman,&nbsp;Matthew Binns,&nbsp;Ary A. Hoffmann","doi":"10.1111/aen.12710","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12710","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pyrethroid resistance in the redlegged earth mite (<i>Halotydeus destructor</i>) continues to be a persistent and expanding problem across the grain belt of Australia, requiring ongoing monitoring to detect emerging local resistance issues. Detection of field resistance in <i>H. destructor</i> currently relies upon the collection and transport of live mites, followed by laborious experiments involving laboratory pesticide bioassays or fairly complex genetic screening assays. Both approaches require trained scientists and are time-consuming and therefore do not provide rapid feedback to farmers. To facilitate the rapid detection of resistance issues, we developed a novel bioassay that can be readily applied in the field using commercially available materials and without the need for training. Although effective in detecting field resistance, this approach was found to be unsuitable in situations where the resistance allele frequency within a mite population was low. To address this limitation, we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based assay. This approach was successful in distinguishing between homozygote (SS) and heterozygote (RS) mites and, therefore, capable of detecting resistance at low frequency. These tools should help in the ongoing real-time monitoring of resistance in this important agricultural pest.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 4","pages":"434-446"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12710","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142748837","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}

{"title":"The efficacy and costing of termite (Blattodea: Termitoidae) survey methods in Australian tropical savannas","authors":"Ellen Rochelmeyer,&nbsp;Anna E. Richards,&nbsp;Brett P. Murphy,&nbsp;Shaun Levick,&nbsp;Alyson M. Stobo-Wilson,&nbsp;Theo Evans","doi":"10.1111/aen.12711","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12711","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Termites are important ecosystem engineers in many ecosystems globally. Hence, surveys of termite species composition, abundance and activity can be important for understanding ecosystem function—especially in biomes where they tend to be abundant, such as tropical savannas. However, comprehensively surveying termites can be challenging due to their cryptic nature and varied feeding and nesting habits, which strongly influence the effectiveness of different survey methods. Baiting and active searches of reduced transects are two methods commonly used to sample termites, and while these methods have been evaluated in the savannas of South Africa, this has not occurred in the extensive tropical savannas of northern Australia. Thus, this study evaluated the effectiveness of baits and reduced transects to assess termite species richness and activity across 18 × 1 ha experimental plots in a tropical savanna near Darwin, Australia. Surveys in each plot consisted of two 60 × 2 m transects and a 9 × 3 baiting grid of alternating buried wood and paper baits and surface straw baits. Baits were checked three times: at 4-, 7- and 10-week intervals following placement. Upon survey completion, the sampling effort, efficacy and costs of each method were compared. Reduced transects detected all 32 species recorded in this study, representing four feeding groups (from undecayed wood to highly decayed organic material in the soil). Baiting detected 20 species, but failed to detect some of the species that fed on decayed materials. Paper baits, checked only twice (at 4 and 10 weeks following placement), were required to detect all species sampled at both wood and paper baits. Therefore, overall baiting costs could be reduced (without data loss) by using paper baits only and reducing the number of bait checks. Compared with baiting using all three bait types, reduced transects detected the most species and had the lowest per-species cost. Consequently, reduced transect surveys are the most effective method in these northern Australian savannas when assessing species composition. However, if the abundance of species that feed on undecayed wood or levels of termite activity are being assessed, then reduced baiting is a more appropriate method.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 4","pages":"447-456"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12711","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142749050","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}

{"title":"Myrmecia: Volume 59, Part 2","authors":"","doi":"10.1111/aen.12709","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12709","url":null,"abstract":"<p>No abstract is available for this article.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 3","pages":"N1-N45"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12709","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141991574","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}

{"title":"Seven new Rhopalomyia gall midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) from Australia broaden the scope of the genus","authors":"Robin J. Adair,&nbsp;Peter Kolesik,&nbsp;Omri Bronstein,&nbsp;Netta Dorchin","doi":"10.1111/aen.12703","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12703","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Seven new species of <i>Rhopalomyia</i> Rübsaamen, 1892 are described from eastern Australia feeding on a diverse range of plant genera and families. All induce galls on flower or growth buds: <i>Rhopalomyia cassiniae</i> Adair &amp; Kolesik, <b>sp. nov.</b> on <i>Cassinia subtropica</i> (Asteraceae), <i>Rhopalomyia digitata</i> Adair &amp; Kolesik, <b>sp. nov.</b> on <i>Podolobium ilicifolium</i> (Fabaceae), <i>Rhopalomyia glebosa</i> Adair &amp; Kolesik, <b>sp. nov.</b> on <i>Parsonsia straminea</i> (Apocynaceae), <i>Rhopalomyia inconspicua</i> Adair &amp; Kolesik, <b>sp. nov.</b> on <i>Kunzea</i> sp. (Myrtaceae), <i>Rhopalomyia ozothamniae</i> Adair &amp; Kolesik, <b>sp. nov.</b> on <i>Ozothamnus ferrugineus</i> (Asteraceae), <i>Rhopalomyia pultenicola</i> Adair &amp; Kolesik, <b>sp. nov.</b> on <i>Pultenaea forsythiana</i> (Fabaceae) and <i>Rhopalomyia stypheliae</i> Adair &amp; Kolesik, <b>sp. nov.</b> on <i>Syphelia triflora</i> (Ericaceae). The scope of <i>Rhopalomyia</i> is broadened to contain species with a partially setulose gonostyle and a four-segmented palp, a decision supported by a phylogenetic analysis based on the barcoding section of the mitochondrial COI gene. Apocynaceae, Ericaceae, Fabaceae and Myrtaceae are recorded as hosts of <i>Rhopalomyia</i> for the first time.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 3","pages":"332-359"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141991577","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":"Prytanoides gen. nov., a new myodochine genus to include a new species from Argentina, and new records for Prytanes Distant, 1893 species (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae)","authors":"Pablo M. Dellapé,&nbsp;María Cecilia Melo","doi":"10.1111/aen.12693","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12693","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A new genus, <i>Prytanoides</i> <b>gen. nov.,</b> is described to accommodate the new species <i>Prytanoides prorrectus</i> <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b> from Argentina. Its relationship with the presumably closely related <i>Prytanes</i> Distant,1893 is discussed. The distributional range of four <i>Prytanes</i> species is also extended: <i>Prytanes formosus</i> (Distant, 1882) and <i>Prytanes foedus</i> (Stål, 1860) are recorded for many provinces in Argentina; <i>Prytanes oblongus</i> (Stål, 1862) is recorded from Ecuador for the first time; and <i>Prytanes tumens</i> (Stål, 1874) from Mexico. For each species, we provide a colour habitus of the adult, together with photographs of the male genitalia of the new genus and species.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 3","pages":"322-331"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141991576","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":"New insect family for Australia: Chrysostylops australiensis Benda & Straka, gen. et sp. nov. (Strepsiptera: Stylopidae) described from Chrysocolletes aureus Leijs & Hogendoorn, 2021 (Hymenoptera: Colletidae)","authors":"Daniel Benda,&nbsp;Ben A. Parslow,&nbsp;Remko Leijs,&nbsp;Jakub Straka","doi":"10.1111/aen.12704","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12704","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A new genus and species of Strepsiptera, <i>Chrysostylops australiensis</i> Benda &amp; Straka, <b>gen. et sp. nov.</b>, is described. It represents the first record of the family Stylopidae from Australia. It was parasitising the bee species <i>Chrysocolletes aureus</i> Leijs &amp; Hogendoorn, 2021 (Neopasiphaeinae). The diagnosis and description of the genus and species are provided based on the characters of the female cephalothorax. Diagnostic characters are discussed. The male and first instar larvae of <i>C. australiensis</i> are unknown. We removed Hylecthrini Ulrich, 1930 <b>reinst. stat.</b> from synonymy based on the specific sculpture on the female cephalothorax. The tribe is specialised for bees of the family Colletidae.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 3","pages":"360-368"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12704","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141991578","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}

{"title":"Investigation of heat transfer in timber boards and a simulated wall section to eliminate colonies of the west Indian drywood termite, Cryptotermes brevis (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae)","authors":"Chandan Kumar,&nbsp;Babar Hassan,&nbsp;Chris Fitzgerald","doi":"10.1111/aen.12708","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aen.12708","url":null,"abstract":"<p><i>Cryptotermes brevis</i> (Walker) (Blattodea: Kalotermitidae) is one of the most destructive drywood termites that attack moisture-protected timber in service. Heat treatment has been studied to control these termites, but the low thermal conductivity of wood can result in prolonged treatment times and the need for high temperatures to eliminate termite colonies. The current study investigated heat transfer through a heat transfer model and experiments within solid timber boards and a representative wall section. The aim was to optimise targeted spot heat treatment as a cost-effective method for eradicating this pest within structural elements. Through experimental work and the development of a deterministic heat transfer model, valuable insights were gained into temperature distribution within wooden structural elements. The findings revealed that proximity to the heated surface played a crucial role, with closer distances reaching equilibrium temperatures faster. The heat transfer model, validated against experimental data, accurately predicted temperature distributions within the timber. Termite survival was significantly influenced by heating time and distance from the heated surface when a wall section was heated at 60°C. The mean survival of <i>C. brevis</i> pseudergates kept inside wall studs varied from 30% to 96.7% depending on the distance from the heated surface after 1.5 h of heating, where the temperature ranged from 43°C to 45°C. However, after extending the heating duration to 3 h, the temperature in wall studs was elevated to 51°C, 49°C and 47°C at 22, 40 and 60 mm from the heated stud face, respectively. All <i>C. brevis</i> pseudergates across all distances were killed at a 3-h duration. This research underscores the importance of understanding temperature distribution in structural wood elements and exposure times when employing heat as a spot treatment for drywood termite control.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 4","pages":"425-433"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12708","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141920104","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}

{"title":"Microhabitat and seasonal influence on bess beetle (Coleoptera: Passalidae) assemblage in Altitudinal Atlantic Forest","authors":"Josival F. Araújo,&nbsp;Pedro V. da Silva,&nbsp;Renato P. Salomão,&nbsp;Rita C. Moura","doi":"10.1111/aen.12706","DOIUrl":"10.1111/aen.12706","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of diversity has been a significant challenge in the field of conservation biology. Presently, there exists a limited understanding of the spatial distribution of passalid beetles within decomposing logs, as well as their distribution in microhabitats such as the cortex, heartwood and trunk–soil interface. Moreover, there is a scarcity of studies that delve into the temporal distribution patterns of passalid beetles. We evaluate the effect of seasons of the year and microhabitats on the distribution of passalid in an Altitudinal Atlantic Forest. More specifically, the effects of the period of the year and microhabitats were analysed on an assemblage scale and population structure scale. Collections were actively conducted monthly, during dry and rainy seasons, and distinct microhabitats of logs (tree cortex, heartwood and trunk–soil interface) were sampled. We discovered passalid galleries within 235 logs, housing a total of 785 individuals representing nine species across six genera and two tribes. Within the three examined microhabitats, the heartwood and cortex harboured the majority of individuals. In contrast, the trunk–soil interface microhabitat displayed reduced diversity and abundance and the absence of indicator species, exhibiting a distinct community structure compared with the others. The dry season stood out with a greater number of individuals, underscoring the influence of precipitation on passalid activity in this study. Our study contributes to understanding the ecological dynamics of these insects and evaluating their resilience to current landscape transformations on the planet.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 3","pages":"393-405"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12706","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141927111","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}

{"title":"Host specificity of two co-occurring nesting-forms of the bag-shelter moth Ochrogaster lunifer (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) is congruent with there being cryptic species","authors":"Lynda E. Perkins,&nbsp;Mizuki Uemura,&nbsp;Myron P. Zalucki,&nbsp;Lyn G. Cook","doi":"10.1111/aen.12707","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/aen.12707","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Bag-shelter moth, <i>Ochrogaster lunifer</i> (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), is an Australian endemic species of Thaumetopoeinae with a univoltine life cycle and gregarious, herbivorous larvae. It is variable throughout its range across the continent, most noticeably by the species of host tree used and nest-building behaviour. It has long been considered a species complex by some taxonomists, and the lack of gene flow between populations of ground-nesters and above-ground nesters at the same sites provides strong evidence for at least two species. We tested the specificity of host use and nesting behaviour of ground-nesting and trunk-nesting forms of <i>O. lunifer</i> by transplanting field-collected egg masses to the other form's host, either in their natural position or in the position used by the other form. At the study site, ground-nesting and trunk-nesting (tree-hugger) <i>O. lunifer</i> coexist. Ground-nesting larvae are found on <i>Acacia</i> spp., and egg masses are laid at the base of host tree trunks where nests develop whereas tree-hugger larvae are found on <i>Blakella tessellaris</i>, egg masses are laid in the outer canopy, and nests develop on the trunk or large branches. Of the 47 egg masses of <i>O. lunifer</i> transplanted to the unnatural host, only one cohort of tree-hugger larvae developed through to adult moths. Placing an egg mass in its unnatural position on its natural host did not prevent the larvae from developing and successfully establishing nests for either nesting-form, although all the ground-nesters moved position (from the canopy to the ground) and the tree-huggers mostly did not (from the ground to the canopy). Only the tree-hugger form of <i>O. lunifer</i> developed a viable nest on the unnatural host species, established a nest at the unnatural oviposition site, and shared that nest with larvae of the other nesting-form, suggesting tree-hugger larvae are somewhat plastic in their behaviour and ecology. Our findings add to previous studies indicating that <i>Acacia</i> is likely the ancestral host of <i>O. lunifer</i> though large areas of its range remain unstudied.</p>","PeriodicalId":8574,"journal":{"name":"Austral Entomology","volume":"63 3","pages":"406-412"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/aen.12707","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141991569","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}