The Experts below are selected from a list of 3072 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Brian V Brown - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Comparisons of Citizen Science Data-Gathering Approaches to Evaluate Urban Butterfly Diversity.
Insects, 2018Co-Authors: Kathleen L. Prudic, Brian V Brown, Jeffrey C. Oliver, Elizabeth C. LongAbstract:By 2030, ten percent of earth’s landmass will be occupied by cities. Urban environments can be home to many plants and animals, but surveying and estimating biodiversity in these spaces is complicated by a heterogeneous built environment where access and landscaping are highly variable due to human activity. Citizen science approaches may be the best way to assess urban biodiversity, but little is known about their relative effectiveness and efficiency. Here, we compare three techniques for acquiring data on butterfly (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) species richness: trained volunteer Pollard walks, Malaise trapping with expert identification, and crowd-sourced iNaturalist observations. A total of 30 butterfly species were observed; 27 (90%) were recorded by Pollard walk observers, 18 (60%) were found in Malaise Traps, and 22 (73%) were reported by iNaturalist observers. Pollard walks reported the highest butterfly species richness, followed by iNaturalist and then Malaise Traps during the four-month time period. Pollard walks also had significantly higher species diversity than Malaise Traps.
-
remarkable fly diptera diversity in a patch of costa rican cloud forest why inventory is a vital science
Zootaxa, 2018Co-Authors: Art Borkent, Brian V Brown, Peter H Adler, Dalton De Souza Amorim, Kevin N Barber, Daniel J Bickel, Stephanie Boucher, Scott E Brooks, John F Burger, Z L BuringtonAbstract:Study of all flies (Diptera) collected for one year from a four-hectare (150 x 266 meter) patch of cloud forest at 1,600 meters above sea level at Zurqui de Moravia, San Jose Province, Costa Rica (hereafter referred to as Zurqui), revealed an astounding 4,332 species. This amounts to more than half the number of named species of flies for all of Central America. Specimens were collected with two Malaise Traps running continuously and with a wide array of supplementary collecting methods for three days of each month. All morphospecies from all 73 families recorded were fully curated by technicians before submission to an international team of 59 taxonomic experts for identification. Overall, a Malaise trap on the forest edge captured 1,988 species or 51% of all collected dipteran taxa (other than of Phoridae, subsampled only from this and one other Malaise trap). A Malaise trap in the forest sampled 906 species. Of other sampling methods, the combination of four other Malaise Traps and an intercept trap, aerial/hand collecting, 10 emergence Traps, and four CDC light Traps added the greatest number of species to our inventory. This complement of sampling methods was an effective combination for retrieving substantial numbers of species of Diptera. Comparison of select sampling methods (considering 3,487 species of non-phorid Diptera) provided further details regarding how many species were sampled by various methods. Comparison of species numbers from each of two permanent Malaise Traps from Zurqui with those of single Malaise Traps at each of Tapanti and Las Alturas, 40 and 180 km distant from Zurqui respectively, suggested significant species turnover. Comparison of the greater number of species collected in all Traps from Zurqui did not markedly change the degree of similarity between the three sites, although the actual number of species shared did increase. Comparisons of the total number of named and unnamed species of Diptera from four hectares at Zurqui is equivalent to 51% of all flies named from Central America, greater than all the named fly fauna of Colombia, equivalent to 14% of named Neotropical species and equal to about 2.7% of all named Diptera worldwide. Clearly the number of species of Diptera in tropical regions has been severely underestimated and the actual number may surpass the number of species of Coleoptera. Various published extrapolations from limited data to estimate total numbers of species of larger taxonomic categories (e.g., Hexapoda, Arthropoda, Eukaryota, etc.) are highly questionable, and certainly will remain uncertain until we have more exhaustive surveys of all and diverse taxa (like Diptera) from multiple tropical sites. Morphological characterization of species in inventories provides identifications placed in the context of taxonomy, phylogeny, form, and ecology. DNA barcoding species is a valuable tool to estimate species numbers but used alone fails to provide a broader context for the species identified.
-
Big data from tiny flies: patterns revealed from over 42,000 phorid flies (Insecta: Diptera: Phoridae) collected over one year in Los Angeles, California, USA
Urban Ecosystems, 2017Co-Authors: Brian V Brown, Emily A. HartopAbstract:The first ever large-scale inventory of an urban phorid fly fauna is described. Collections from 30 Malaise Traps from urban Los Angeles over one year from the BioSCAN Project document the presence of 99 species from 42,480 specimens identified. Species accumulation curves predict 102–106 species actually occurring in this area. Collections are overwhelmingly dominated by the North American fungus feeding species Megaselia agarici , which accounts for about one quarter of all specimens identified. Percentage of M. agarici per site ranges from approximately 4% to 75%. Diversity varied significantly among sites, with species richness per site ranging from 23 to 82. Implications of patterns of abundance, diversity, and size are discussed.
-
strange little flies in the big city exotic flower breeding drosophilidae diptera in urban los angeles
PLOS ONE, 2015Co-Authors: David A Grimaldi, Paul S Ginsberg, Lesley Thayer, Shane F Mcevey, Martin Hauser, Michael Turelli, Brian V BrownAbstract:Urban landscapes are commonly considered too mundane and corrupted to be biotically interesting. Recent insect surveys employing 29 Malaise Traps throughout Los Angeles, California, however, have uncovered breeding populations of two unexpected species of one of the most studied and familiar groups of organisms, Drosophila “fruit” flies. Unlike most introduced species of drosophilids, which breed in fresh or decaying fruits, these are specialized flower-breeders. A common species in the survey was Drosophila (Drosophila) gentica Wheeler and Takada, previously collected only once, in El Salvador. It belongs to the flavopilosa species group, all species of which have been known until now from central Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, to Veracruz, Mexico and the Caribbean, breeding in flowers of Cestrum (“jessamine”) and Sessea (Solanaceae). The Los Angeles populations are probably breeding in a native and/or introduced Cestrum; in addition, populations in San Luis Obispo County were visiting ornamental Cestrum. Drosophila gentica occurs as far north as San Francisco, where it was found breeding in Cestrum aurantiacum. D. gentica is redescribed and figured in detail for diagnostic and identification purposes. Specimens from Jamaica previously identified as D. gentica are a distinct species but are not formally described in lieu of complete male specimens. Rare in the Malaise Traps was Drosophila (Sophophora) flavohirta Malloch, a common species in Australia on the blossoms of native Myrtaceae, found on introduced Eucalyptus in South Africa and both Eucalyptus and Syzygium in Madagascar; adults feed on myrtaceous pollen and nectar, larvae breed in the flowers. It is also redescribed in detail, including its unusual egg. This is the first New World report of this species; DNA sequences confirm it is a morphologically highly aberrant member of the D. melanogaster species group. This study reveals how intensive field sampling can uncover remarkable biodiversity in even the most urbanized areas.
Kenneth W. Mccravy - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) Functional Traits in Relation to Sampling Methodology in a Restored Tallgrass Prairie
Florida Entomologist, 2019Co-Authors: Kenneth W. Mccravy, Ray K. Geroff, Jason GibbsAbstract:Analysis of functional trait composition can provide insights into effects of habitat alteration on ecological functioning of particular taxa. However, assessments of functional trait composition may be affected by the sampling methodology used. We assessed functional trait composition of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) collected using 4 sampling methods (elevated bowl Traps, ground-level bowl Traps, Malaise Traps, and vane Traps). Functional diversity, as measured by functional dispersion (mean distance between individual species and the community centroid in multidimensional trait space), did not vary among sampling methods. Fourth corner analysis revealed statistically greater representation of solitary species and above-ground nesting species than expected in ground-level bowl Traps. Polylecty was strongly associated with Malaise Traps. Body length was negatively associated with Malaise Traps and positively associated with vane Traps. Our results suggest that sampling of bee functional traits can be method-dependent, and this should be considered in assessments of functional trait composition.
-
An Analysis of Malaise-Trap Effectiveness in Assessing Robber Fly (Diptera: Asilidae) Species Richness
Northeastern Naturalist, 2017Co-Authors: Kenneth W. MccravyAbstract:Abstract Little quantitative information is available on the effectiveness of Malaise Traps in estimating insect species richness. I used the Chao1 nonparametric species richness estimator to evaluate the effectiveness of Malaise Traps in assessing species richness of robber flies in west-central Illinois burned and unburned deciduous forest and tallgrass prairie habitats. Two of 12 Traps yielded asymptotic species richness values, with remaining Traps requiring fold increases ranging from 3.1 to 20.9 to reach asymptotic richness. Overall, observed species richness was over 85% of estimated species richness, but a 3.9-fold sample-size increase would have been required to reach asymptotic species richness. For individual habitats, estimated fold increases in sample size ranging from 1.9 to 9.7 would have been needed to reach asymptotic species richness. These results show that Malaise Traps are effective in sampling robber flies, but asymptotic species richness would be difficult to achieve. Lower target c...
-
Malaise Trap Sampling Efficiency for Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) in a Restored Tallgrass Prairie
Florida Entomologist, 2016Co-Authors: Kenneth W. Mccravy, Ray K. Geroff, Jason GibbsAbstract:Summary Effective assessment of bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) diversity is essential for informed bee conservation policies. In this study, the effectiveness of Malaise Traps in assessing bee species richness in a westcentral Illinois restored prairie was examined using the Chao1 nonparametric richness estimator. Individual Traps varied greatly in abundance and species richness of bees collected, and substantially greater trapping effort would have been needed to achieve Chao1 estimates. Malaise Traps provide a potentially effective means of augmenting bowl trap inventories, but more studies on Malaise trap performance and comparisons with bowl Traps are needed, particularly in heterogeneous environments.
-
assessing bee hymenoptera apoidea diversity of an illinois restored tallgrass prairie methodology and conservation considerations
Journal of Insect Conservation, 2014Co-Authors: Ray K. Geroff, Jason Gibbs, Kenneth W. MccravyAbstract:Bee species diversity and the effectiveness of four sampling methods were investigated in a west-central Illinois restored tallgrass prairie. Bees were sampled using Malaise Traps, ground-level pan Traps, elevated pan Traps, and vane Traps. A total of 4,622 bees representing 31 genera and 111 species were collected. Malaise Traps collected the greatest number of bees and species, and ground-level pan Traps the least. Among the pan Traps and vane Traps, blue-colored Traps collected the greatest abundance and species richness, and yellow Traps the least. Chao1 estimator and rarefaction analyses showed that substantial increases in sample sizes would be necessary to achieve asymptotic species richness levels, particularly if ground-level pan Traps alone were used. Elevated pan Traps and vane Traps collected relatively similar species composition. Different colored pan Traps at the same height collected more similar species composition than did those at different heights, but species composition of blue ground-level pan Traps was relatively similar to elevated pan Traps, regardless of color. Indicator species analysis revealed 22 species that were significantly associated with a specific trap type, and 11 species that were associated with a particular pan trap color/elevation. Results of this study show that elevated Traps can increase the effectiveness of bee surveys in tallgrass prairie, and that a combination of trap types gives a more complete picture of the bee fauna than does a single survey method. These results should be considered along with cost, ease of use, and goals when planning and designing bee inventories.
Kaare Aagaard - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
how reliable are Malaise Traps for biomonitoring a bivariate species abundance model evaluation using alpine chironomidae diptera
Insect Conservation and Diversity, 2013Co-Authors: Ola Håvard Diserud, Elisabeth Stur, Kaare AagaardAbstract:In this study, the potential of Malaise Traps to collect representative portions of an insect community was investigated. To do so, the complete catch (nearly 22 000 specimens) of male Chironomidae (Diptera) from five parallel Malaise Traps along an alpine stream was identified and assigned to 108 different species. The Traps were run for 4 weeks in June and July, 2008. The similarity in community composition between parallel samples, that is, from different Traps the same week, was evaluated by fitting a bivariate Poisson-lognormal species abundance model. The estimated correlation in this bivariate distribution was used as a measure of similarity since this approach is utilising all the available species abundance information and accounts for the sampling process. Estimated similarities showed non-significant differences in chironomid community structure between parallel samples. The five Malaise Traps sampled equally representative portions of the Chironomidae community present at the site, so the Traps were found to be very reliable in the monitoring of Chironomidae community structure. Application of the bivariate correlation as a similarity measure offers advantages over traditional measures because it takes account of the complete species abundance distributions. This approach provides an approximately unbiased estimate of similarity despite varying sample sizes and detection/non-detection of species that are present, but rare.
-
How reliable are Malaise Traps for biomonitoring? – A bivariate species abundance model evaluation using alpine Chironomidae (Diptera)
Insect Conservation and Diversity, 2012Co-Authors: Ola Håvard Diserud, Elisabeth Stur, Kaare AagaardAbstract:In this study, the potential of Malaise Traps to collect representative portions of an insect community was investigated. To do so, the complete catch (nearly 22 000 specimens) of male Chironomidae (Diptera) from five parallel Malaise Traps along an alpine stream was identified and assigned to 108 different species. The Traps were run for 4 weeks in June and July, 2008. The similarity in community composition between parallel samples, that is, from different Traps the same week, was evaluated by fitting a bivariate Poisson-lognormal species abundance model. The estimated correlation in this bivariate distribution was used as a measure of similarity since this approach is utilising all the available species abundance information and accounts for the sampling process. Estimated similarities showed non-significant differences in chironomid community structure between parallel samples. The five Malaise Traps sampled equally representative portions of the Chironomidae community present at the site, so the Traps were found to be very reliable in the monitoring of Chironomidae community structure. Application of the bivariate correlation as a similarity measure offers advantages over traditional measures because it takes account of the complete species abundance distributions. This approach provides an approximately unbiased estimate of similarity despite varying sample sizes and detection/non-detection of species that are present, but rare.
-
The macrobenthos of the pristine stream, Skiftesåa, Høylandet, Norway
Hydrobiologia, 1997Co-Authors: Kaare Aagaard, Terje Nøst, John O. Solem, Oddvar HanssenAbstract:The species composition of aquatic insects in theboreal stream, Skiftesaa, was investigated usingemergence Traps, Malaise Traps and kick samples. Atleast 13 Ephemeroptera, 16 Plecoptera, 25 Trichopteraand 120 Chironomidae species were recorded. This faunais representative for non-polluted, northern streams.The production of macrobenthos was estimated to beonly about 1 g dry weight per year and m2,possibly due to the fluctuating flow of water.
Peter J Mayhew - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
the effectiveness and optimal use of Malaise Traps for monitoring parasitoid wasps
Insect Conservation and Diversity, 2008Co-Authors: Sally E M Fraser, Calvin Dytham, Peter J MayhewAbstract:Abstract. 1 Parasitoid wasps are species-rich and likely to be sensitive indicators of environmental change. Malaise Traps are widely used for sampling certain taxa of parasitic Hymenoptera, but little is known about how they should best be used to monitor the community at an individual site. 2 To investigate the effects of sample duration, trap location and replication on the parasitoid assemblage, we sampled four ichneumonid subfamilies (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) intensively using Malaise Traps in two farm woods in the Vale of York, UK. 3 Species accumulation curves showed that even with 16 Malaise Traps per wood, the community is incompletely sampled. Despite this, we caught up to 28% of all UK species in a single wood, implying that local parasitoid diversity may be very high. 4 Abundance and species richness of parasitoids differed significantly between sample periods (fortnights) and between Traps, but did not differ overall between core and edge locations. 5 Parasitoid community composition differed between core and edge Traps, but differences were much stronger in one wood than the other. One subfamily, the Poemeniinae, was found predominantly in edge locations. Catch differences became greater with increasing distance between Traps. 6 The previous year, two Traps in each of the same woods caught only half as many species, but species abundance was positively correlated between years. 7 Our results suggest that a small number of Traps can contain useful information about the parasitoid community but is likely to seriously underestimate total species richness. To achieve extensive species coverage, sampling should continue over several weeks, with widely separated Traps sampling both core and edge locations. Our focal taxa should prove excellent for monitoring the effects of environmental change on biodiversity.
Jason Gibbs - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) Functional Traits in Relation to Sampling Methodology in a Restored Tallgrass Prairie
Florida Entomologist, 2019Co-Authors: Kenneth W. Mccravy, Ray K. Geroff, Jason GibbsAbstract:Analysis of functional trait composition can provide insights into effects of habitat alteration on ecological functioning of particular taxa. However, assessments of functional trait composition may be affected by the sampling methodology used. We assessed functional trait composition of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) collected using 4 sampling methods (elevated bowl Traps, ground-level bowl Traps, Malaise Traps, and vane Traps). Functional diversity, as measured by functional dispersion (mean distance between individual species and the community centroid in multidimensional trait space), did not vary among sampling methods. Fourth corner analysis revealed statistically greater representation of solitary species and above-ground nesting species than expected in ground-level bowl Traps. Polylecty was strongly associated with Malaise Traps. Body length was negatively associated with Malaise Traps and positively associated with vane Traps. Our results suggest that sampling of bee functional traits can be method-dependent, and this should be considered in assessments of functional trait composition.
-
Malaise Trap Sampling Efficiency for Bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) in a Restored Tallgrass Prairie
Florida Entomologist, 2016Co-Authors: Kenneth W. Mccravy, Ray K. Geroff, Jason GibbsAbstract:Summary Effective assessment of bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) diversity is essential for informed bee conservation policies. In this study, the effectiveness of Malaise Traps in assessing bee species richness in a westcentral Illinois restored prairie was examined using the Chao1 nonparametric richness estimator. Individual Traps varied greatly in abundance and species richness of bees collected, and substantially greater trapping effort would have been needed to achieve Chao1 estimates. Malaise Traps provide a potentially effective means of augmenting bowl trap inventories, but more studies on Malaise trap performance and comparisons with bowl Traps are needed, particularly in heterogeneous environments.
-
assessing bee hymenoptera apoidea diversity of an illinois restored tallgrass prairie methodology and conservation considerations
Journal of Insect Conservation, 2014Co-Authors: Ray K. Geroff, Jason Gibbs, Kenneth W. MccravyAbstract:Bee species diversity and the effectiveness of four sampling methods were investigated in a west-central Illinois restored tallgrass prairie. Bees were sampled using Malaise Traps, ground-level pan Traps, elevated pan Traps, and vane Traps. A total of 4,622 bees representing 31 genera and 111 species were collected. Malaise Traps collected the greatest number of bees and species, and ground-level pan Traps the least. Among the pan Traps and vane Traps, blue-colored Traps collected the greatest abundance and species richness, and yellow Traps the least. Chao1 estimator and rarefaction analyses showed that substantial increases in sample sizes would be necessary to achieve asymptotic species richness levels, particularly if ground-level pan Traps alone were used. Elevated pan Traps and vane Traps collected relatively similar species composition. Different colored pan Traps at the same height collected more similar species composition than did those at different heights, but species composition of blue ground-level pan Traps was relatively similar to elevated pan Traps, regardless of color. Indicator species analysis revealed 22 species that were significantly associated with a specific trap type, and 11 species that were associated with a particular pan trap color/elevation. Results of this study show that elevated Traps can increase the effectiveness of bee surveys in tallgrass prairie, and that a combination of trap types gives a more complete picture of the bee fauna than does a single survey method. These results should be considered along with cost, ease of use, and goals when planning and designing bee inventories.
