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Abstract
Nest aggregations of mud dauber wasps increase substrate heterogeneity and provide suitable sites for colonization by other invertebrate species. The mud dauber wasp Sceliphron fuscum Klug, 1801 (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae) abundantly occurs throughout the Seychelles Archipelago, Republic of Seychelles. Here, we estimated the taxonomic richness of the hymenopteran assemblage associated with S. fuscum’s nest aggregations, using material collected from the Inner Seychelles in 2016. Furthermore, we examine available historical survey data in order to assess possible changes in this association over decades. We discovered that from 1936 to 1938, seven hymenopteran species were associated with the nest aggregations of S. fuscum on Mahé and Praslin islands, representing six native taxa and one invasive species. From the material collected in 2016, we found one native and three invasive hymenopteran species associated to S. fuscum nests. Our findings could indicate a replacement of native species associated with the mud dauber wasps’ nest aggregations by recently introduced alien taxa on the Seychelles Archipelago.
Highlights
A rapidly growing body of modern research reveals a decline of insect diversity and abundance globally (Forister et al 2019; Lewis et al 2020; Montgomery et al 2020; Wagner et al 2021b; Zattara & Aizen, 2020)
We discovered that from 1936 to 1938, seven hymenopteran species were associated with the nest aggregations of S. fuscum on Mahé and Praslin islands, representing six native taxa and one invasive species
This study aims to (1) describe the hymenopteran assemblage associated with nests of the mud dauber wasp Sceliphron fuscum on the Inner Seychelles in 2016; (2) compare our recent results with a historical data set collected from 1936 to 1938; and (3) discuss possible shifts in the taxonomic richness and structure of the Seychelles mud dauber wasp-associated hymenopteran assemblages in context of habitat degradation and invasion of alien species
Summary
A rapidly growing body of modern research reveals a decline of insect diversity and abundance globally (Forister et al 2019; Lewis et al 2020; Montgomery et al 2020; Wagner et al 2021b; Zattara & Aizen, 2020). The loss of insect diversity caused parallel declines in associated assemblages such as entomophilous plants (Biesmeijer et al 2006) and birds (Tallamy & Shriver 2021), and may drive to native species. Patterns of insect declines in specific environments such as oceanic islands are poorly understood (Elton 2020; Theng et al 2020). All these declining processes may affect the services of native ecosystems, driving to unprecedented alterations to different ecological functions where insects contribute, such as biological control, pollination, and nutrient cycling, among others (Wagner 2020). Shelter-building insect lineages capable of housing other species can be classified within this category (Cornelissen et al 2016)
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