New Distribution Records and Host Plant Associations of Bruchinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Galapagos Islands, with a Revised Checklist of Species and their Associated Host Plants

Amarillo‐Suárez, Ángela R.; Camacho-Erazo, Mariana; Morse, Geoffrey E.; Rueda, Danny; Herrera, Henri W.

doi:10.1649/0010-065x-74.4.719

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 16 publications

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“…Legume plants interact with other organisms, such as animals that feed on their leaves and fruits. In the Galapagos, 12 species of Bruchinae insects feed on the seeds of 15 legume species, and many of these insects play an important role in seed dispersion and viability [25,46] and establish more extensive communities along with their natural enemies and competitors. Seed predator-legume plant interactions provide excellent models for analyzing how anthropogenic changes affect interactions among organisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land use is a stronger determinant of ecological network complexity than the number of trophic levels

Amarillo-Suárez,

Camacho-Erazo,

Herrera

2024

PLoS ONE

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Land modification causes biodiversity loss and ecosystem modification. Despite many studies on the impacts of this factor, there is little empirical evidence on how it affects the interaction networks of plants, herbivores and their natural enemies; likewise, there is little evidence on how those networks change due to differences in the complexity of the communities they comprise. We analyzed the effects of land use and number of trophic levels on the interaction networks of exotic legume species and their associated arthropods. We collected seedpods from five exotic legume species (one of them invasive) in four land use types (urbanization, roadside, L. leucocephala plantation, wooded pasture) on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, and obtained all arthropods that emerged from the seeds. Then, we built and analyzed the interaction networks for each land use at two community scales, each with different numbers of trophic levels: (1) three levels: plant-seed beetle-parasitoid (PSP), and (2) more than three levels: plant-seed beetle-parasitoid-predator and other trophic guilds (PSPP). Land use was more relevant than number of trophic levels in the configuration of species interactions. The number of species and interactions was highest on roadsides at PSPP and lowest in plantations at PSP. We found a significant effect of land use on connectance and interaction evenness (IE), and no significant effect of number of trophic levels on connectance, diversity or IE. The simultaneous analysis of land use and number of trophic levels enabled the identification of more complex patterns of community structure. Comparison of the patterns we found among islands and between exotic and native legumes is recommended. Understanding the structure of the communities analyzed here, as well as the relative contribution of their determinants of change, would allow us to develop conservation plans according to the dynamics of these neo-ecosystems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Land use is a stronger determinant of ecological network complexity than the number of trophic levels

Amarillo-Suárez,

Camacho-Erazo,

Herrera

2024

PLoS ONE

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Morphologic Differentiation of the Exotic Parasitoid Eupelmus pulchriceps (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) in the Galapagos Archipelago

Camargo-Martinez,

Camacho-Erazo,

Amarillo-Suárez

et al. 2023

Neotrop Entomol

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The historical and geographical properties of the archipelagos allow a detailed study of species diversification, and phenotypic traits can indicate the extent of such processes. Eupelmus pulchriceps (Cameron, 1904) is an exotic species to the Galapagos archipelago, and generalist parasitoid that attacks a beetle species that consumes the seeds of the invasive shrub Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. Despite extensive sampling, the wasp is recorded only in Santa Cruz and San Cristobal islands of the Galapagos archipelago. Thus, using 112 female wasps, we compare body size, proportion, and allometric differentiations within and between the two islands. There were no body size differences between islands. A PerMANOVA indicates differences between the islands and a single differentiation between two localities of one island. Allometric differences between islands were not the same for all structures. These results are consistent with the greater distance between islands than between localities and suggest a differentiation process. The variables with allometric differentiation are associated with wings and ovipositor, possibly responding to different ecological pressures. It is interesting that this parasitoid, recently arrived at the archipelago, is already showing differentiation. Also, it is essential to monitor the behavior of these wasps in the archipelago, given their potential to access other species affecting the trophic interactions of the local biota.

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Critical Insights Into the Ecological and Invasive Attributes of Leucaena leucocephala, a Tropical Agroforestry Species

et al. 2022

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Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit (commonly known as leucaena) is a leguminous species of the family Fabaceae and a native of Mexico and Central America. It is often addressed as a “miracle tree” for offering a wide variety of ecosystem services and possessing strong ecological attributes. The multiple uses of leucaena in agroforestry, livestock, and restoration practices led to the worldwide distribution of its ssp. glabrata and leucocephala. However, following its introduction into non-native regions, the commercial value of ssp. leucocephala was challenged by its large-scale spread outside the cultivation zone. It has assumed a status of an environmental weed and invasive plant in many regions across Africa (17 countries and Island nations), Asia (17), Europe (1), Oceania (23), North America (12), and South America (7). The plant is enlisted in the top five terrestrial invasive plant species with the greatest international presence. The species is now considered one of the 100 worst invaders in the world. The plant mainly invades roadsides, wastelands, cultivated lands, riverbanks, and forest edges, and suppresses the growth of other woody and herbaceous species. Its infestations alter the patterns of vegetation, plant succession, and community assembly in the introduced habitats. Propagation of ssp. leucocephala, without considering the environmental risks associated with it, may result in major repercussions and irreparable losses. Therefore, it is important to discuss its invasive propensities and the possible alternatives that may replace the weedy species without encumbering its economic benefits. This review aims to thoroughly evaluate the ecological and invasive attributes of leucaena, promote awareness about the ecological costs associated with its spread, and suggest suitable options for its management.

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New Distribution Records and Host Plant Associations of Bruchinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in the Galapagos Islands, with a Revised Checklist of Species and their Associated Host Plants

Cited by 3 publications

References 16 publications

Land use is a stronger determinant of ecological network complexity than the number of trophic levels

Land use is a stronger determinant of ecological network complexity than the number of trophic levels

Morphologic Differentiation of the Exotic Parasitoid Eupelmus pulchriceps (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae) in the Galapagos Archipelago

Critical Insights Into the Ecological and Invasive Attributes of Leucaena leucocephala, a Tropical Agroforestry Species

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