Effect of substrate on the risk of being washed away by floods for the Groundhoppers Tetrix subulata and Tetrix tenuicornis (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)

Abstract

AbstractInundation zones of rivers are risky environments for terrestrial animals because of the regular or irregular occurrence of floods. Although animals in these zones have evolved several strategies to survive floods, behavioural anti‐flooding strategies have seldom been studied but could play an important role in their life history strategies. We previously reported that the groundhopper Tetrix tenuicornis moves to dense vegetation in response to low atmospheric pressure (which may signal rain and flooding) but prefers mossy microhabitats and bare ground under high atmospheric pressure. In the current study, we found that the ability of the semi‐aquatic groundhoppers T. tenuicornis and Tetrix subulata to withstand direct water flow was greater in patches of dense vegetation than in patches of moss or on bare ground. Even a relatively low water velocity led to water transport (presumably passive) of both species, perhaps because they lack arolia or other adhesive devices on their tarsi. This morphological limitation precludes vertical migration on vegetation, which is a common anti‐flooding strategy in insects. Our results suggest that, by moving to dense vegetation in response to drops in atmospheric pressure, groundhoppers may reduce their risk of being washed away by floods.