Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/2878
Title: | Abundance-body mass relationships among insects along a latitudinal gradient | Contributor(s): | Andrew, Nigel R (author) ; Hughes, Lesley (author) | Publication Date: | 2008 | DOI: | 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2007.01804.x | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/2878 | Abstract: | We investigated the relationship between abundance and body size (body mass) of 162 insect herbivore species on the host plant 'Acacia falcata' along its entire coastal latitudinal distribution (eastern Australia), spanning a gradient in mean annual temperature of 4.3°C. We extend previous research by assessing these relationships at different spatial scales (latitudes pooled, among latitudes and within latitudes) and at different taxonomic levels (insect phytophages pooled, phytophagous Coleoptera and Hemiptera, and five component suborders/superfamilies). Insect species were collected from two orders (Hemiptera and Coleoptera) and five component suborders/superfamilies. There were no consistent trends in the relationships (linear or polygonal/hump-shaped) between abundance and body mass when latitudes were pooled, among latitudes, or when phytophagous insect species were separated into their component suborder/superfamily groups. The reason for the lack of consistent trends might be due to the insect herbivores not fully exploiting their host plant and the relative absence of competition among herbivore species for food resources. This is further assessed in relation to the lack of a consistent pattern in species richness of Coleoptera and Hemiptera herbivores from the same dataset and rates of chewing and sap-sucking herbivory along the same latitudinal gradient. Future studies of abundance–body size relationships are discussed in relation to sampling across environmental gradients and accounting for the influence of host plant identity and insect phylogeny. | Publication Type: | Journal Article | Source of Publication: | Austral Ecology, 33(3), p. 253-260 | Publisher: | Blackwell Publishing Ltd | Place of Publication: | Australia | ISSN: | 1442-9993 1442-9985 |
Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 060302 Biogeography and Phylogeography | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 960806 Forest and Woodlands Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | C1 Refereed Article in a Scholarly Journal |
---|---|
Appears in Collections: | Journal Article |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format |
---|
Items in Research UNE are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.