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Uhey DA, Hofstetter RW, Earl S, Holden J, Sprague T, Rowe H. Living on the edge: The sensitivity of arthropods to development and climate along an urban-wildland interface in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297227. [PMID: 38635739 PMCID: PMC11025936 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Preservation of undeveloped land near urban areas is a common conservation practice. However, ecological processes may still be affected by adjacent anthropogenic activities. Ground-dwelling arthropods are a diverse group of organisms that are critical to ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, which are sensitive to anthropogenic activities. Here, we study arthropod dynamics in a preserve located in a heavily urbanized part of the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, U.S.. We compared arthropod biodiversity and community composition at ten locations, four paired sites representing the urban edge and one pair in the Preserve interior. In total, we captured and identified 25,477 arthropod individuals belonging to 287 lowest practical taxa (LPT) over eight years of sampling. This included 192 LPTs shared between interior and edge sites, with 44 LPTs occurring exclusively in interior sites and 48 LPTs occurring exclusively in edge sites. We found two site pairs had higher arthropod richness on the preserve interior, but results for evenness were mixed among site pairs. Compositionally, the interior and edge sites were more than 40% dissimilar, driven by species turnover. Importantly, we found that some differences were only apparent seasonally; for example edge sites had more fire ants than interior sites only during the summer. We also found that temperature and precipitation were strong predictors of arthropod composition. Our study highlights that climate can interact with urban edge effects on arthropod biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A. Uhey
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
| | | | - Stevan Earl
- Global Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Jerry Holden
- McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Citizen Science Program, Scottsdale, Arizona
| | | | - Helen Rowe
- McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Citizen Science Program, Scottsdale, Arizona
- School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona
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Adetimehin AD, Mole CG, Finaughty DA, Heyns M. Caught in the act: impact of Crematogaster cf. liengmei (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) necrophagous behavior on neonate pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus L.) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:259-266. [PMID: 35524805 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02835-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Ants have been documented as part of the entomo-sarcosaprophagous community. They have been known to alter the process of carcass decomposition due to their ability to feed on fly eggs/larvae and create post-mortem skin injuries. However, studies on the impact of ants on decomposing carcasses are scarce, especially within the Western Cape Province of South Africa. This study was part of a research project that utilized two (2) neonate pig carcasses in each month of the year to establish baseline data on the insect species associated with decomposing carcasses in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. In the early spring (September 2020), mid-autumn (May 2021), and mid-winter (July 2021) trials respectively, several individuals of Crematogaster cf. liengmei colonized the pig carcasses shortly after deployment. There, they fed on the flesh of the carcasses and further inflicted bite marks and conspicuous post-mortem skin lesions. Following the reduction in the presence of Crematogaster cf. liengmei specifically in the mid-winter trial, non-vital bleeding was observed as a consequence of the skin lesions. In the early spring, mid- and late autumn (May 2021), and early (June 2021) and mid-winter trials respectively, Crematogaster cf. liengmei prevented the formation of large maggot masses, principally through the predation of fly eggs, larvae, and adults. The observations recorded in this study are of considerable importance in forensic investigations as the effect of the necrophagous behavior of Crematogaster cf. liengmei on decomposing remains can be misinterpreted by inexperienced investigators during crime scene investigations and may alter post-mortem interval estimations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeyemi Daniel Adetimehin
- Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Calvin Gerald Mole
- Division of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, Department of Pathology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Devin Alexander Finaughty
- Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, Department of Human Biology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Marise Heyns
- School of Medicine, Ulster University, Derry/Londonderry, UK
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Sawyer SJ, Eubanks MD, Beasley JC, Barton BT, Puckett RT, Tomeček JM, Tomberlin JK. Vertebrate and invertebrate competition for carrion in human‐impacted environments depends on abiotic factors. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Micky D. Eubanks
- Department of Entomology Texas A&M University College Station Texas USA
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory University of Georgia Aiken South Carolina USA
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA
| | - Brandon T. Barton
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Manitoba Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Robert T. Puckett
- Department of Entomology Texas A&M University College Station Texas USA
| | - John M. Tomeček
- Department of Rangeland, Wildlife, and Fisheries Management Texas A&M University College Station Texas USA
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Uhey DA, Bowker MA, Haubensak KA, Auty D, Vissa S, Hofstetter RW. Habitat Type Affects Elevational Patterns in Ground-dwelling Arthropod Communities. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2022; 22:9. [PMID: 35983692 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding factors that drive biodiversity distributions is central in ecology and critical to conservation. Elevational gradients are useful for studying the effects of climate on biodiversity but it can be difficult to disentangle climate effects from resource differences among habitat types. Here we compare elevational patterns and influences of environmental variables on ground-dwelling arthropods in open- and forested-habitats. We examine these comparisons in three arthropod functional groups (detritivores, predators, and herbivores) and two taxonomic groups (beetles and arachnids). We sampled twelve sites spanning 1,132 m elevation and four life zones, collecting 4,834 individual ground arthropods identified to 123 taxa. Elevation was a strong predicator for arthropod composition, however, patterns differed among functional and taxonomic groups and individual species between open- and forested-habitats. Beetles, arachnids, and predators decreased with elevation in open habitats but increased in forests showing a significant interaction between habitat type and elevation. Detritivores and herbivores showed no elevational patterns. We found 11 arthropod taxa with linear elevational patterns, seven that peaked in abundance at high elevations, and four taxa at low elevations. We also found eight taxa with parabolic elevational patterns that peaked in abundance at mid-elevations. We found that vegetation composition and productivity had stronger explanatory power for arthropod composition in forested habitats, while ground cover was a stronger predictor in open habitats. Temperature and precipitation were important in both habitats. Our findings demonstrate that relationships between animal diversity and elevation can be mediated by habitat type, suggesting that physiological restraints and resource limitations work differently between habitat types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A Uhey
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Karen A Haubensak
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, 617 North Beaver Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - David Auty
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Sneha Vissa
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Richard W Hofstetter
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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The predatory impacts of invasive European wasps on flies are facilitated by carcasses with open wounds. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Lin C, Tarone AM, Eubanks MD. The discrepancy between fire ant recruitment to and performance on rodent carrion. Sci Rep 2022; 12:71. [PMID: 34997078 PMCID: PMC8742042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04051-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Ants have not been considered important in the process of vertebrate carrion decomposition, but a recent literature review reported over 150 carrion-visiting ant species. Though many ant species have been observed to remove carrion tissue and consume carrion-exuded liquids, the significance of ant recruitment to vertebrate carrion is poorly understood. We conducted a combination of field and laboratory experiments to quantify red imported fire ant recruitment to rodent carrion and determine whether consuming rodent carrion is beneficial to ant colony performance. In the field, 100% of rat carcasses were rapidly colonized by fire ants at high abundances. In our laboratory experiment, the performance of mice-fed fire ant colonies was poor when compared to colonies that were fed mice and insects or insects only. Our results suggest that there is a discrepancy between high levels of fire ant recruitment to vertebrate carrion and the poor colony performance when fed carrion. We hypothesize that fire ants are attracted to vertebrate carrion not because it is a high-quality food, but rather because it hosts large numbers of other invertebrates that can serve as prey for fire ants, potentially showcasing an interesting case of tritrophic interaction in carrion ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Lin
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, Minnie Belle Heep, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA.
| | - Aaron M Tarone
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, Minnie Belle Heep, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA
| | - Micky D Eubanks
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, Minnie Belle Heep, 2475 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-2475, USA
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