Terrestrial Invertebrate Fauna Research Articles

Characterizing potential resource use of sargasso-dominant sea wrack by terrestrial invertebrate fauna during sargasso influxes in South Florida

Marine-derived macrophytes primarily compose beach-cast sea wrack that can be used by terrestrial invertebrate fauna in sandy beach system. Since 2011, the inundations of pelagic sargasso would accumulate and decompose at local, nearshore systems across the Tropical Atlantic. While ecological effects of pelagic sargasso influxes were considerably studied on tropical Atlantic nearshore coastal systems, not much has been known about their effects on the intertidal interface or terrestrial faunal communities. This study aims to investigate terrestrial invertebrate communities associated with landed sargasso and the sargasso's potential as habitat or food for these invertebrates. Surveys, sample collection of flora and fauna, and trials of a temperature experiment were conducted at Crandon Park and MJ State Park along Southeast Florida during the 2020 and 2021 sargasso seasons. Invertebrate communities were primarily composed of talitrid amphipods, coleopterans, and dipterans. The quantity of sargasso, dependent on year of sampling session, seemed to have a more discernible effect on invertebrate composition than location. HOBO logger microhabitat experiment trials showed treatments with sargasso-dominant wrack having lower temperatures than treatments with exposed or buried sand. Many invertebrate consumers showed δ13C and δ15N signatures closer to marine macrophytes than terrestrial plants. However, mixing models reveal amphipods and oligochaete worms having a trophic link with pelagic sargasso, while insect fauna had their resource use sourced from other marine macrophytes. However, any consumption of sargasso would likely be attributed to generalist resource use rather than a specific preference to sargasso. The potential uses of sargasso depend on the amount of biomass accumulated on the beach surface and the habitat requirements of specific invertebrate species.

The terrestrial and semi-aquatic invertebrates of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams.

ABSTRACTIntermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES), which cease flow and/or dry at some point, are the most abundant waterways on earth, and are found on every continent. They can support a diverse, and often abundant, terrestrial and semi‐aquatic invertebrate (TSAI) fauna, which has been poorly explored due to its position at the fringe between aquatic and terrestrial disciplines. TSAIs can inhabit a variety of habitat types, including the shoreline, the surface of exposed gravel bars, unsaturated gravels, dry riverbeds, riparian zones, and floodplains. Much less is known about the species composition and ecological roles of TSAIs of IRES than their aquatic counterparts, with TSAIs being largely overlooked in conceptual models, legislation, policy, and ecological monitoring. Herein we review the TSAI literature that has increased substantially over the last decade and present conceptual models describing how TSAIs respond to hydrological changes in IRES. Then, we test these models with data collected during wet and dry phases in IRES from Australia and France. These generic models can be utilised by water managers and policy makers, ensuring that both wet and dry phases are considered in the management and protection of IRES. IRES should be viewed as a habitat continuum through time, with taxa from a pool of aquatic, semi‐aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates inhabiting at any hydrological stage. We call for collaboration among terrestrial and aquatic ecologists to explore these invertebrates and ecosystems further.

Comunidades de invertebrados terrestres del archipiélago Diego Ramírez (56°31’S), el sitio de estudios ecológicos de largo plazo más austral de américa: Diversidad y afinidades con las islas subantárticas del océano austral

The Diego Ramirez and Cape Horn archipelagos are located at the southern end of the Magellanic subantarctic ecoregion. The fauna of insects and other terrestrial invertebrates has been poorly characterized. In this work, we present an updated assessment of invertebrates, with a focus on the terrestrial entomofauna of the Diego Ramirez Archipelago. We reviewed biogeographic affinities of this southern archipelago with the rest of the subantarctic islands. We found that Gonzalo Island in the Diego Ramirez Archipelago is free of insect species and other exotic invertebrates. The island’s terrestrial invertebrate fauna registered during this study includes 32 taxa, mainly from the Class Insecta, which are distributed in different habitats, being the communities of Poa flabellata the most important habitats. The entomofauna of the Diego Ramirez Archipelago shows a low total similarity between the fauna reported and the rest of the islands, except with South Georgia. However, the biota that links them is of Gondwanic origin, which suggests the existence of ancient vicariant biogeographic connections. This work is a contribution to the development, strengthening and inauguration of the Cape Horn Long-Term Ecological Monitoring Network (LTER Cape Horn Network). The particular focus on the Diego Ramirez Islands contributes directly to filling a “blind spot” in our current knowledge of the effects of global environmental change in sub-Antarctic ecosystems, generating information essential to their conservation in the short, medium and long term.

Terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Polish caves – a summary of 100 years of research

The year 2018 is particularly important in the history of zoological research in Poland. A hundred years ago, Kazimierz Demel published the first work concerning the terrestrial cave fauna of caves in the Ojców area. In this paper we present the extent of research on the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Polish caves in the last 100 years. All accessible research papers that have been published during this period were analysed. Based on published literature, 593 species of terrestrial invertebrate were recorded in Polish caves. Additionally, detailed list of species of individual taxonomic groups was provided.

Invertebrados continentales de las Islas Columbretes. Nuevas especies

La fauna terrestre de invertebrados del archipiélago protegido de Columbretes es poco conocida. Además, los pocos estudios existentes se centran en su isla principal, Illa Grossa. Aquí presentamos el listado de especies de invertebrados no registradas, hasta el momento, en el archipiélago, resultados obtenidos mediante una combinación de capturas con trampas de caída, avistamientos y recolecciones aleatorias realizadas tanto en Illa Grossa como en otros tres islotes de este archipiélago. Mediante el primer método se recolectaron un total de 14.830 especímenes entre 2008-2011. La mayor cantidad de individuos recolectados mediante este método resultaron ser coleópteros tenebriónidos. Los otros dos métodos proporcionaron 514 registros para el período 2004-2013. En total, se han identificado 45 nuevos taxones correspondientes a 40 géneros y 16 familias. La mayoría de las nuevas especies encontradas no fueron frecuentes a lo largo del período de muestreo. Entre ellas, figuran especies típicas de hábitats antrópicos (p.e. Cydnus aterrimus o Gryllus bimaculatus). Sorprendentemente, también se localizaron en ocasiones especies con capacidades de dispersión limitadas y no presentes en islas pequeñas (p.e. Cebrio superbus).

The terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Edge\xf8ya, Svalbard: Arctic landscape community composition reflects biogeography patterns

Colonisation and immigration history is often neglected as a factor when investigating community or species distribution patterns. However, for dynamic systems that are still reacting to large-scale environmental change, such as the retreat of the ice since the last glacial maximum, colonisation history may explain a large amount of the variation between geographically distinct communities. The High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard presents an opportunity to test whether it is possible to observe the effects of large-scale biogeographical patterns on species distribution at landscape scales. Svalbard has one of the best described inventories of the invertebrate fauna in the Arctic. Nonetheless, the majority of the species records originate from the more accessible west coast and the invertebrate fauna of the whole eastern region, including Edgeøya, is virtually unknown. Edgeøya is located at the eastern fringe of the archipelago on the boundary between Palaearctic and Nearctic faunas. It was expected that post-colonisation dispersal within Edgeøya would conceal routes to the archipelago. Samples were obtained from six locations along the coast of Edgeøya between 2009 and 2010. 140 invertebrate species were identified belonging to 69 different genera of which 16 are new records for Svalbard. Most new species present an eastern Palaearctic distribution. Habitat variables (percentage cover of moss, lichen, vascular plant, or bare soil) fail to explain 35.5% of the differences among sites. However, cluster analysis reveals a clear east–west distribution pattern across the island suggesting that pan-Arctic dispersal routes can be identified even at relatively short geographical scales.

Mitigating the conflict between pitfall-trap sampling and conservation of terrestrial subterranean communities in caves

Subterranean habitats are known for their rich endemic fauna and high vulnerability to disturbance. Many methods and techniques are used to sample the biodiversity of terrestrial invertebrate fauna in caves, among which pitfall trapping remains one of the most frequently used and effective ones. However, this method has turned out to be harmful to subterranean communities if applied inappropriately. Traditionally, pitfall traps have been placed in caves solely on the ground. Here we present an optimized technique of pitfall trapping to achieve a balance between sampling completeness and minimal disturbance of the fauna in the cave. Monthly we placed traps for two days in two parallel sets, a ground trap and an upper one−just below the ceiling−along the cave. In the upper set, about 10% additional species were recorded compared to the ground set. Greater species diversity in the cave was the consequence of both the increased sampling effort and the amplified heterogeneity of sampled microhabitats. In caves sampled by traditional pitfall trapping, overlooked species may be a consequence of methodological biases, leading to lower biodiversity estimates. In our research, incidence-based estimations mostly surpassed abundance-based ones and predicted 95% coverage of the species richness within about two years of sampling. The sampling used contributes at the same time to both the more effective and less invasive inventory of the subterranean fauna. Thus, it may serve as an optional sampling to achieve optimal balance between required data for biodiversity and ecological studies, and nature conservation goals.

A conservation assessment of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Mkambati Nature Reserve in the Pondoland Centre of Endemism

Mkambati Nature Reserve (NR) falls within the Pondoland Centre of Endemism, which is part of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany global biodiversity hotspot. The biodiversity status of this area is based largely on its flora, and the invertebrates are poorly known. The area is under threat from various proposed developments. We surveyed 14 orders in three invertebrate phyla at 26 sites with two main objectives: (1) to assess the fauna in terms of conservation value, and, (2) to identify habitats and sites of conservation concern. From the survey, 3231 samples were sent for identification and 425 species were identified. A minimum of 18 new species were confirmed. Mkambati NR shows exceptional diversity for molluscs (Gastropoda, 51 species), bees (Apoidea, 48 species) and true bugs (Heteroptera, 65 species). At least 43 species collected from the Reserve are South African endemics, 31 have a restricted distribution within South Africa and 18 are only known from the Reserve itself.Conservation implications: The authors provide the first assessment of the invertebrate fauna of the Mkambati NR, which indicates that it is a rich and important fauna. The results highlight the need to consider invertebrates in other biodiversity assessments in the Pondoland region. In terms of habitats, for both forest and grassland there was a large difference in the invertebrate communities at different sites, even over relatively short distances in grassland; shared habitat attributes clustered sites with more similar communities, for example, rocky ledges or the sea shore. All forest patches are a priority for protection.

Synopsis of the hymenopteran fauna of Lord Howe Island with a preliminary checklist of species.

Lord Howe Island is an eroded remnant of a shield volcano approximately 600 km northeast of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It has fascinated biologists for more than a century because of its unique and iconic fauna and flora, and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1982. Although the terrestrial invertebrate fauna is reasonably well known for many groups, most Hymenoptera, apart from ants, have received scant attention. Here we use material collected from a recent intensive invertebrate survey, in conjunction with the published literature, to provide an overview of the Hymenoptera known from the island that can act as a basis for future taxonomic and biodiversity research. In doing so, we record 318 species from 31 hymenopteran families from the Island, and assess the proportion that are flightless and likely to be endemic to the island.

The alien terrestrial invertebrate fauna of the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard: potential implications for the native flora and fauna

Experience from the Antarctic indicates that the establishment of alien species may have significant negative effects on native flora and fauna in polar regions and is considered to be amongst the greatest threats to biodiversity. But, there have been few similar studies from the Arctic. Although the terrestrial invertebrate inventory of the Svalbard Archipelago is amongst the most complete for any region of the Arctic, no consideration has yet been made of alien terrestrial invertebrate species, their invasiveness tendencies, threat to the native biology or their route of entry. Such baseline information is critical for appropriate management strategies. Fifteen alien invertebrate species have established in the Svalbard environment, many of which have been introduced via imported soils. Biosecurity legislation now prohibits such activities. None of the recorded established aliens yet show invasive tendencies but some may have locally negative effects. Ten species are considered to be vagrants and a further seven are classified as observations. Vagrants and the observations are not believed to be able to establish in the current tundra environment. The high connectivity of Svalbard has facilitated natural dispersal processes and may explain why few alien species are recorded compared to isolated islands in the maritime Antarctic. The vagrant species observed are conspicuous Lepidoptera, implying that less evident vagrant species are also arriving regularly. Projected climate change may enable vagrant species to establish, with results that are difficult to foresee.Keywords: Introduced; microarthropod; enchytraeid; Acari; biodiversity.(Published: 15 September 2015)Citation: Polar Research 2015, 34, 27364, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v34.27364To access the supplementary material for this article, please see supplementary files in the column to the right (under Article Tools).

Remarkable Species Diversity on Adjacent Salt Lakes in South Australia

Lakes Acraman,Gairdner,Harris and Everard are a cluster of large episodic salt lakes on Eyre Peninsula,South Australia.These lakes have a characteristic terrestrial invertebrate fauna including various spiders,

Extensive vs. semi-intensive grazing systems – are ants sensitive to this difference?

Our aim was to evaluate environmental changes caused by Voisin grazing system, using ants as bioindicators. Our hypothesis was that species richness and composition are influenced by the impact. We sampled ants in an extensive grazing system, semi-intensive Voisin and a forest fragment using 16 pitfall traps in each area, on the Barro Preto Farm, Carrancas, Minas Gerais. Ant species richness was negatively influenced by the environmental impact, since both grazing systems had the same species richness, and we found a higher species richness in the forest fragment. Species composition follows the same pattern, as the composition between grazing systems was similar but different from the forest fragment. We suggest there was not enough time for the grazing systems to become different from each other in terms of impact, but the agriculture intensification negatively affect terrestrial invertebrate fauna.

Woody debris and terrestrial invertebrates – effects on prey resources for brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a boreal stream

Intensive forestry and other activities that alter riparian vegetation may disrupt the connectivity and the flux of energy between terrestrial and aquatic habitats and have large effects on biota, especially in small streams. We manipulated the amount of in-stream wood and the flux of terrestrial invertebrate subsidies to determine how these factors affected potential food resources for drift-feeding brown trout (Salmo trutta ) in a boreal Swedish forest stream. Specifically, we followed the effects on the abundance of aquatic and terrestrial invertebrate fauna from June to August 2007. The treatments were 1) addition of wood, unmanipulated terrestrial invertebrate inputs, 2) reduction of terrestrial invertebrate inputs (using canopy covers), no addition of wood, 3) unmanipulated ambient conditions, 4) simultaneous addition of wood and reduction of terrestrial invertebrate inputs. Added wood resulted in greater biomass of aquatic invertebrate biomass, and both input and drift of terrestrial invertebrates were reduced by canopy covers. In terms of total potential prey biomass, the addition of wood with ambient levels of terrestrial invertebrate inputs had the highest standing crop of benthic, wood-living and terrestrial invertebrates combined, whereas the treatment with reduced terrestrial input and no wood added had the lowest standing crop. Our study indicates that forest practices that both reduce the recruitment of wood and the input of terrestrial invertebrates to small streams have negative effects on prey availability for drift-feeding brown trout. The positive effects of wood addition on biomass of aquatic macroinvertebrates may partly compensate for the negative effects of reduced terrestrial invertebrate subsidies.

Morphological and molecular diversity at a regional scale: A step closer to understanding Antarctic nematode biogeography

Antarctica is one of the harshest environments on earth and yet life has managed to persist on the continent for millions of years. While most of the continent is covered by snow and ice, in some coastal and mountain regions that do not have permanent cover terrestrial invertebrate fauna dominate. Nematodes are one of the most common taxa present in these environments, but despite their abundance very little work on diversity and distribution has been performed for the Phylum across the Antarctic continent. We examined nematodes from 123 limno-terrestrial samples from the vicinity of the Australian Antarctic Stations (62.8°E–110.5°E) using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, and morphological analyses. We identified the nematodes Plectus murrayi, Pl.cf. frigophilus, Scottnema cf. lindsayae, Halomonhystera cf. halophila, H. cf. continentalis and Eudorylaimus spp. The distribution of these species appears to be determined by habitat type and salinity. We also made comparisons using the COI gene with nematodes from localised sampling from Dronning Maud Land, Francis Island (Antarctic Peninsula), and Tierra del Fuego (TF), and also with COI sequences from other worldwide locations. Contrasting levels of COI sequence divergence were identified among genera and species, ranging from low levels for Pl. murrayi (≤0.5%), medium levels for S. cf. lindsayae (≤2.1%) and Halomonhystera (≤4.3%), and high within Pl.cf. frigophilus (≤8.4%). Distribution ranges varied according to the species, with widespread ranges within Antarctica for Pl. murrayi and Scottnema cf. lindsayae (a range of over 2000 km); and distribution beyond Antarctica to TF for Pl.cf. frigophilus. Our results reveal the presence of cryptic species even when conservative approaches are applied in species delimitation.

The terrestrial invertebrate fauna of the Svalbard archipelago in a changing world: history of research and challenges

AbstractThe High Arctic represents a unique environment, an environment from where knowledge is limited and which is currently experiencing rapid change. The archipelago of Svalbard in the European High Arctic possesses a terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate fauna that is distinctive and diverse. However, the majority of studies concentrate on the fauna of the comparatively mild west coast. Very few investigations of the colder east coast exist. Furthermore, scientific investigations are relatively recent. Scientific records of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna begin in the mid-19th century with species inventories and community descriptions but experimental field-based studies and physiological investigations did not commence until the 1980s. Some 570 articles consider this fauna, 54% of which have appeared since 1990. There is hence a dramatic and rapid increase in our understanding, which is not only improving our comprehension of Arctic ecosystem functioning but also providing a baseline for environmental change studies. Due to a largely pristine environment, a political focus and relative ease of logistics, Svalbard is set to become a focus of such studies. This article considers the state of knowledge of the terrestrial and freshwater invertebrate fauna of Svalbard, current research, and discusses the threats to the distinctive communities.

The terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island, Western Australia: A last word

The terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island, Western Australia: A last word

Baseline survey of the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island

Barrow Island is Western Australia's second largest offshore island and its flora and fauna have been able to evolve without major human disturbances. Chevron Australia Pty Ltd and its Joint Venture Participants made an application to construct a plant to liquefy natural gas on the island in 2001. One of the conditions under which approval was granted was the implementation of a rigorous biosecurity effort to ensure that no non-indigenous species (NIS) are introduced or allowed to establish on the island. To fulfil this condition it was first necessary to characterise what was already present on the island. A series of surveys have been performed using a purpose-designed sampling protocol in order to provide baseline data on the existing terrestrial invertebrates on Barrow Island. A total of 1,873 morphospecies were sampled but subsequent surveys and taxonomic developments have increased the count to 2,397. This compares with an estimated species richness of 2,481 terrestrial invertebrate species on the island. Composition of the fauna varied considerably between the wet and dry seasons and between years, even when samples were taken during the same month. Composition also varied with distance from the coast, which may be associated with soil type and vegetation association. Twenty five non-indigenous species and seven putative non-indigenous species have been found, all of which are believed to have been present prior to commencement of the Gorgon Gas Development project.

Documenting the terrestrial invertebrate fauna of Barrow Island, Western Australia

An intensive survey of terrestrial invertebrates was undertaken on Barrow Island, off the north-west coast of Western Australia, over a 5-year period from 2005 to 2009. The study was conducted as part of an environmental impact assessment for a liquefied natural gas (LNG) development on the island, with the aim of providing baseline information on invertebrates as a component of a future detection program in support of the island's quarantine system. The study used a standardised methodology for sampling a variety of undisturbed native vegetation communities, in addition to disturbed sites (vegetated and non-vegetated sites) across the island. Pre-eminent invertebrate taxonomists from Australia and overseas were engaged to assist with the identification of the various invertebrate orders collected. A total of 1873 species and morphospecies from 27 invertebrate orders were collected, 292 of which represented named species. A total of 321 families of invertebrates were represented in the collections. Samples taken during the same month in two consecutive years exhibited almost the same degree of difference as samples taken during the same year in the wet and the dry season. For ants, the fauna had greater affinity with the adjacent Pilbara than the Carnarvon basin Bioregion. In terms of sampling rigour and taxonomic coverage, this work represents one of the most intensive and comprehensive terrestrial invertebrate surveys presently undertaken in Australia.

Recent range expansions in non-native predatory beetles on sub-Antarctic South Georgia

The human-assisted establishment of two non-native predatory carabid beetles (Merizodus soledadinus (Guerin-Meneville), Trechisibus antarcticus (Dejean)) on the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia occurred 30–50 years ago, but the distribution of these species has never been the subject of regular monitoring, and was last assessed in the mid-1990s. Based on opportunistic collection records and directed field survey activities on South Georgia over four summer seasons between 2002/3 and 2008/9, we describe recent and important range expansions in both species on the island. The new distributional ranges of both species are highly suggestive of a continuing inadvertent human role in transferring them across the obstructions presented by tidewater glaciers or higher-altitude mountain passes. Both species now have the potential to spread unchecked by any other geographical obstructions across a large section of the north-east coast of the island and are likely to have considerable negative impacts on the elements of the native (including endemic) terrestrial invertebrate fauna.

Invertebrate trace fossils in semi-arid to arid braided-ephemeral-river deposits of the Mississippian middle member of the Mauch Chunk Formation, eastern Pennsylvania, USA

The rapid diversification of terrestrial ecosystems was initiated in the Silurian and subsequently continued through the Mississippian. Detailed collecting of the middle member of the Mississippian Mauch Chunk Formation in eastern Pennsylvania has yielded a number of important vertebrate and invertebrate trace fossils, indicating the presence of a significant terrestrial biotic diversity during the Early Carboniferous. This report illustrates the diverse invertebrate trace fossil assemblage associated with the ephemeral-river systems of the Mauch Chunk. The Mauch Chunk invertebrate ichnoassemblage consists of backfilled burrows of deposit feeders, both meniscate ( Taenidium) and non-meniscate ( Planolites) that typically cross-cut bedding; arthropod trackways ( Diplichnites, Diplopodichnus, Stiaria, Kouphichnium and Stialla); striated trails ( Cruziana) and resting traces ( Rusophycus); and surface or shallow subsurface grazing trails or burrows ( Gordia). Tetrapod footprints, mostly made by temnospondyl amphibians, are also part of this ichnoassemblage. The Mauch Chunk invertebrate ichnoassemblage corresponds well to the Scoyenia ichnofacies in consisting of simple burrows, trackways, striate and bilobate trails and pits and simple meniscate burrows. Typically, trace fossils of the Scoyenia ichnofacies indicate opportunistic behaviors in subaerial environments that are temporarily or periodically inundated. Indeed, the palaeoenvironmental setting of these traces is a semi-arid to possibly arid, braided-ephemeral-river system with extensive overbank deposits. The invertebrate traces were developed both as infaunal burrows in the tops and within channel sandstones and as surface and grazing traces on in-channel mudstone-draped bedforms and in proximal overbank deposits. The in-channel mudstone-draped bedforms display both vertebrate and invertebrate trace fossils. The Mauch Chunk invertebrate ichnofossil assemblage resembles other Devonian through Triassic ichnoassemblages from ephemeral fluvial red beds, confirming that the terrestrial invertebrate fauna had already fully colonized fluvial environments by Mississippian time. Furthermore, the development of the Scoyenia ichnoguild in the Mauch Chunk Formation, in the form of abundant traces of deposit feeders of a shallow to intermediate depth infauna (esp. Taenidium), is unusually early, when compared to the previously known Palaeozoic record.