Circular Distribution Pattern of Plant Modulars and Endophagous Herbivory within Tree Crowns: The Impact of Roadside Light Conditions

Abstract

The circular distributions of plant modulars (branches, leaves) and endophagous herbivory (mines, galls) were investigated within the crowns of four dominant Fagaceae trees in a subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest at Jiulianshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangxi, China. The hypothesis is that more plant modulars and more endophagous herbivory should occur in the crown area perpendicular to the roads. Circular statistical techniques were used to verify new patterns of the impact of roads on plants and insects. The results confirmed that the roadside light environments had larger impacts on the circular distribution patterns of plant modulars than those of leaf herbivores. For herbivores, the impact of light was larger on mine distribution than on gall distribution. The branches of all four tree species were concentrated in the direction perpendicular to the roads. In the preferred direction, branches were longer and higher. More leaves, more mines, and more galls were found surrounding the preferred branch direction. In general, leaf miners and leaf gallers preferred leaves in the sun over those in the shade; however, leaf gallers had a lower degree of preference for sun than leaf miners. Different endphagous insects also showed clear interspecific differences in sun/shade leaf selection.

Are dominant plant species more susceptible to leaf‐mining insects? A case study at Saihanwula Nature Reserve, China

“…Our 8 years of experience with leafminer collection in China, which began in 2007, has made us thoroughly familiar with most types of leaf mines, allowing us to easily identify plants with leaf mines and some leafminer groups (Bai, Xu, & Dai, 2015, 2016; Dai et al., 2013, 2014, 2018; Liao, Liu, Xu, Staines, & Dai, 2018; Liu et al., 2015; Xu, Dai, Liao, Diškus, & Stonis, 2018; Xu et al., 2017). According to our rearing records and leaf mine characteristics, leafminers in Saihanwula belong to four insect orders: Lepidoptera (moths), Diptera (flies), Coleoptera (beetles), and Hymenoptera (sawflies).…”

“…High incidences and abundances of leafminers on dominant plants have been demonstrated at global, regional, and community levels (Dai et al., 2017). For example, the highest reported abundance and richness values of leaf‐mining insects are found for members of Fagaceae and Myrtaceae (i.e., the most dominant plant families in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively) (Bairstow, Clarke, McGeoch, & Andrew, 2010; Claridge & Wilson, 1982; Dai, Xu, & Cai, 2014; Dai, Xu, & Ding, 2013; Faeth & Mopper, 1981; Ishida, Hattori, & Kimura, 2004; Kollár & Hrubík, 2009; Lopez‐Vaamonde, Godfray, & Cook, 2003; Nakamura, Hattori, Ishida, Sato, & Kimura, 2008; Opler & Davis, 1981; Sato, 1991; Sinclair & Hughes, 2008a,b). The variation in leafminer species richness among different host plants might be described by the species–area (i.e., leafminer species to host plant area) or species–apparency (i.e., leafminer species to host plant apparency) relationship (Dai et al., 2017; MacArthur & Wilson, 1967; Opler, 1974).…”

Revisión de las influencias de los insectos minadores de hojas en sus plantas huésped

“…After a long-period of coevolution and interspecific competition, there are diverse leaf-mining patterns (Fig. 1), even on the same plant species (Dai et al, 2013.…”

“…The diversity of leaf-mining patterns may refer to different leaf mine shapes and different leaf-mining depths (Table 1; Hering, 1951;Dai et al, 2013). The types of leaf mine shapes could be classified as linear mines, blotch mines, and linear-blotch mines ( Fig.…”

“…Cheng et al, 2006;Zhang et al, 2008); (3) influences of different host plants on leaf miners (Zhang et al, 1998;Li et al, 2002;Wei et al, 2004;Pang et al, 2005); (4) impacts of leaf miners on plants (Sun et al, 2012); (5) effects of environmental factors on insect-plant interactions (e.g. Dai et al, 2001aDai et al, , b, 2002Dai et al, , 2011aDai et al, , 2013Dai et al, , 2014Cen et al, 2003); (6) coevolution and codiversification (e.g. Du et al, 2008;Liao et al, 2015).…”