bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Morphology of the antennal sensilla in four Australian spittlebug species (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) with implications for phylogeny
Authors: Liang Ai‐Ping , Fletcher Murray J 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe antennal sense organs of four Australian spittlebugs, Aufidus trifasciatus
Stål, Euryaulax carnifex (Fabricius), Petyllis deprivata (Walker)
and Tonnoiria tasmaniae Lallemand (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) are described for
the first time, based on scanning electron microscope observations. Four major types
of sense organs were found: one basiconic sensillum and 8–9 coeloconic sensilla
on the expanded flagellar base, and several trichoid sensilla and one campaniform
sensillum on the pedicel. The antennal sensilla found in the four species show very
similar patterns in their shape, distribution and arrangement and this suggests that
the genera Aufidus Stål, Petyllis Kirkaldy and Tonnoiria
Lallemand, all currently placed in the Afrotropical and Oriental tribe Rhinaulacini,
may belong to the Australian tribe Euryaulacini. In addition, the history of the
nomenclature of two Australian species previously assigned to the genus Eoscarta
is reviewed, and the following two resurrected combinations established: Euryaulax
carnifex (Fabricius) comb. rev. and Euryaulax vacuola (Jacobi) comb. rev.
Idioscopus clypealis (Lethierry), a second new leafhopper pest of mango in Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Idiocerinae)
Authors: Fletcher Murray J , Dangerfield Paul C 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe first Australian record of Idioscopus clypealis, a serious pest of mango
in south‐east Asia, is reported following the discovery of the species in northern
Queensland in October 1999. This follows the discovery of I. nitidulus (Walker) on mainland Australia in 1997. Descriptions and illustrations of both species are provided to enable the two species to be distinguished. Notes on the economic importance of the species are provided.
First record of the mite Hirstiella diolii Baker (Prostigmata: Pterygosomatidae) from Australia, with a review of mites found on Australian lizards
Authors: Walter David Evans , Shaw Matthew 
Published: March 2003

AbstractWe report the first occurrence in Australia of an exotic mite parasite of lizards, Hirstiella diolii Baker (Prostigmata, Pterygosomatidae), and its association
with iguanas at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. We also report on the spread of the exotic
snake mite Ophionyssus natricis (Gervais) to native populations of skinks, provide a key to the mites associated with Australian lizards and review how to distinguish chiggers from pterygosomatid mites.
Seed germination in Chrysophyllum sp. nov., a large‐seeded rainforest species in north Queensland: effects of seed size, litter depth and seed position
Authors: Green Peter T. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractLeaf litter affects seed germination in many ways and past studies have shown greater impacts on relatively small seeds, both within and among species. In this shade‐house experiment I examined the impact of forest litter on seed germination in Chrysophyllum sp. nov. (Sapotaceae), a large‐seeded (2.4 g) rainforest tree from north Queensland. Seed mass varies more than 30‐fold in this species, making it useful for studying the role of litter as a possible selective pressure in the evolution of seed size in large‐seeded species. Seeds of varying size (small, medium, large) were sown in planting boxes containing one of three litter levels (low, medium, high) and placed either below or on top of the litter. Seed size and litter biomass had no significant impact on the number of germinating seeds or the time to germination but seeds placed below the litter germinated around twice as frequently, and 20% sooner, than seeds placed on top of the litter. There were no significant interactions between any of the three factors. This shade‐house experiment suggests that leaf litter is not an important selective pressure in the evolution of seed size in this species. However, if litter disturbance under field conditions differentially affects the probability of seed germination in relation to seed size and/or litter biomass, then litter could still act as a selective pressure in the evolution of seed size in Chrysophyllum and other large‐seeded species.
Arboreal arthropod biodiversity in woodlands: Effect of collection procedures and geographic distance on estimates of diversity found on two species ofMelaleuca
Authors: Richardson B. J. , Azarbayjani F. F. , Burgin Shelley , Richardson Sylvia 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe estimation of the level of biological diversity is critical to conservation planning and management. In this paper, factors affecting arboreal arthropod biodiversity estimates are examined, namely, reproducibility between trees, the proportion of the foliage of a tree that needs to be sampled, the effects of placement position of collectors under the tree and geographical distance between sampled trees of the speciesMelaleuca linariifoliaandM. decora. It was found that arboreal arthropod specimens are not randomly distributed on trees and that, on average, 33% fewer species and 52% fewer specimens occur on the northern (sunny) sides of the trees than on the southern sides. The placement of collectors therefore can radically affect the estimates obtained. The species area curve continued to rise for each host until the entire tree was sampled. The shapes of the curves obtained from the two hosts however, were markedly different and it is concluded that it is not possible to simply transfer protocols from one host species to another, very similar, host species. When the same collecting effort was applied, the same number of species were collected, thoughM. decorasupports twice the number of species asM. linariifolia. Variations of as much as 50% were found between trees of the same species in the number of species present and none of the estimators of biodiversity richness, evenness or information gave consistent results. As a consequence of these observations, the use of changes in standard estimators in decisions related to the management of biodiversity need to be considered carefully. Complementarity, however, was found to be a useful and robust measure of similarity of faunas for both host species. A new descriptor of the geographical distribution of organismal biodiversity, the biodiversity neighbourhood, is described and two methods of measuring it, using either spatial autocorrelation or complementarity, are demonstrated.
Spatial patterns of invertebrate species richness in a river: the relationship between riffles and microhabitats
Authors: Robson B. J. , Chester E. T. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThis study describes the pattern of invertebrate species richness in a river reach with large differences in habitat complexity at two, hierarchically nested, spatial scales. The aim was to determine whether the mass effect was likely to be increasing invertebrate species richness in epilithic microhabitats in this river. The mass effect is the process by which the species richness of a patch is increased when it acts as a ‘sink’ for species generated by ‘source’ patches. Microhabitat patch types in Mountain River, Tasmania, were distinguished on the basis of physical structure and orientation on the river bed. They were nested within two types of riffle with contrasting structural complexity: bedrock and boulder‐cobble riffles. It was hypothesized that microhabitats with high species richness would act as source patches, contributing species to other microhabitats (sinks) and thereby increasing their species richness. Microhabitat sampling was carried out in four consecutive seasons and rarefaction was used to estimate riffle‐scale species richness. Analysis of variance ( ANOVA) was used to compare the identical microhabitats present in the contrasting riffle types, to detect evidence of the mass effect in either riffle type. The more structurally complex boulder‐cobble riffles had higher species richness than did bedrock riffles. Amongst the microhabitats, the spaces beneath the cobbles had the most species. Microhabitats accounted for a higher percentage of the variation in species richness than did differences between riffles of the same type. No evidence was found for the operation of the mass effect in either riffle type. The majority of species found only in boulder‐cobble riffles were unique to the beneath‐cobble microhabitat and appeared to be unable to colonize other microhabitats, even as transients. In Mountain River, small‐scale habitat characteristics appeared to be more important than larger‐scale effects in determining microhabitat species richness.
The effects of willow and eucalypt leaves on feeding preference and growth of some Australian aquatic macroinvertebrates
Authors: Yeates Lorilee V. , Barmuta Leon A. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe effect of leaf species (willow, Salix fragilis L., and white gum, Eucalyptus viminalis Labill.) and leaf state (senescent or green) on the feeding selectivity and growth rates of three species of macroinvertebrate Notalina sp. Mosely (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), Koorrnonga sp. Campbell and Suter (Ephemeroptera: Leptophlebiidae) and Physastra gibbosa (Gould) (Mollusca: Planorbidae) were tested in the laboratory. All three species of macroinvertebrate selected green willow most strongly over the other leaf types (senescent willow, green eucalypt and senescent eucalypt). Growth rates of P. gibbosa and Notalina sp. were significantly greater on green willow than on the other leaf types. We were unable to measure the growth of Koorrnonga sp. Invertebrates had access to softer internal tissues of leaf material during preference trials, therefore we do not think that leaf structure was the main influence on selection between these materials. Green willow material may have been a better food source because of the noticeably thicker biofilm that it supported, and this material may also retain higher levels of nutrients than abscissed leaves. We speculate that willow leaves may provide a preferred source of food but will be available for less time than native eucalypt detritus.
Frequent fuel‐reduction burning: the role of logs and associated leaf litter in the conservation of ant biodiversity
Authors: Andrew N. , Rodgerson L. , York A. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractFrequent low‐intensity fires are used in management of Australian forests to reduce fuel loads and protect natural resources and human property. Low‐intensity fires are typically patchy and unburned litter microhabitats are often associated with large objects such as logs, which may act as refuges both for vertebrate and for invertebrate fauna. The aim of this study was to determine whether ants were using unburned leaf litter microhabitats associated with logs as a refuge after fire. The study was carried out in Bulls Ground State Forest, New South Wales, Australia, where experimentally burned and unburned sites had previously been established. Species richness and abundance of ants in leaf litter did not differ between habitats adjacent to logs and away from logs, in burned and unburned sites. Fifteen of the 42 ant species were found in all four habitats, and contributed 94% of total ant abundance. Every habitat had a group of unique species, which together made up 30% of the total species richness. There was also a distinct group of species that was not found in the leaf litter associated with the burned/open habitat. However, as 45% of all species were found in low abundance (less than 10 individuals), care must be taken in inferring patterns for these groups. When functional groups were used to assess community structure, ‘cryptic’ species were found to be common in all habitats, whereas ‘subordinate Camponotini’ were found in burned habitats only. This study indicates that in an area where frequent burning is applied on a broad scale, preserving a range of microhabitats, including those associated with retained logs, may make a substantial contribution to conserving ant biodiversity.
Response of an open‐forest ant community to invasion by the introduced ant, Pheidole megacephala
Authors: Vanderwoude C. , Lobry De Bruyn L. A. , House A. P. N. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe introduced tramp ant, Pheidole megacephala, is a well‐known pest of urban areas and coastal dune ecosystems in eastern Australia. Until recently, establishment and spread of P. megacephala colonies has been regarded as likely only in disturbed areas. Here we describe the extent of an established colony of P. megacephala in a long undisturbed open forest near Maryborough in southeast Queensland and compare ant community structure with those of nearby uninfested sites. Tuna baiting revealed three distinct zones: (i) a zone totally dominated by P. megacephala (at least 10 ha) where few other ant ant species were detected; (ii) a zone where P. megacephala was absent and many other ant species were found; and (iii) a zone where opportunists (species of Ochetellus and Paratrechina) competed with P. megacephala at baits. Pitfall trapping over a 9‐month period resulted in 12 species being recorded at the infested site, compared with a mean of 25 species recorded at adjoining uninfested forest. Over 94% of ants recorded in pitfalls at the infested site were P. megacephala. Most notably, P. megacephala had completely displaced dominant Dolichoderines (species of Iridomyrmex), subordinate Camponotini (species of Camponotus, Opisthopsis and Polyrhachis) and other species of Pheidole which are common at forest sites.
Conservation biology of the succulent shrub,Euphorbia barnardii, a serpentine endemic of the Northern Province, South Africa
Authors: Knowles Laura , Witkowski E. T. F. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractEuphorbia barnardiiWhite, Dyer & Sloane is a relatively small, succulent shrub found in the Northern Province of South Africa. In 1994 it was listed as endangered by the Transvaal Threatened Plants Programme, because only three populations, totalling 1150 plants, were found. However, our study found five populations totalling 10 783 plants (9503 were reproductive). One population, found 50 km from the others, in the Bewaarkloof district, differs in terms of habitat type and morphology and may therefore be a different taxon. The other populations occur in Sekhukhuneland. Soil analyses showed thatE. barnardiiis restricted to ultramafic (serpentine) substrates. A sample of 2015 plants was examined in 1995 for size, stage, new growth, dead branches, reproduction (indices of vigour), damage and disease. Analysis of the results of 10 years’ demographic monitoring (1985–1995) on two of the Sekhukhuneland populations showed that one population, which was vigorous in 1995, showed little change in population size and structure, while the other, which had low vigour in 1995, showed a precipitous decline to local extinction in the monitoring plot. Aerial photographs taken in 1957 (1963 for Bewaarkloof) and 1986 showed large increases in human population density within 1.5 km of theE. barnardiipopulations except at Bewaarkloof, where it decreased. An increase in human habitation is associated with an increase in livestock (mostly cattle and goats) which trample plants. Trampling damages the terminal segments, which may lead to lowered reproductive output and increase susceptibility to opportunistic bacterial wilt pathogens. Bacterial wilts were prevalent on all populations but were particularly high at Bewaarkloof and on the population that showed a steep decline in numbers. Disease incidence was associated with the level of plant damage. The impact on plants further up the slopes and on the crest of hills (quite far from human settlements) was to a far lesser degree but further increases in human population density could change this situation. While this study has shown that the population size ofE. barnardiiis much greater than previously thought, the species is still threatened by several different processes and should be listed as ‘Vulnerable (A1a + c, B1, B2b + e, C1, D2)’ according to World Conservation Union categories.
Dynamics of cryptogamic soil crusts in a derived grassland in south‐eastern Australia
Authors: Eldridge D. J. , Semple W. S. , Koen T. B. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractWe examined the dynamics of cryptogamic soil crusts in a derived (disclimax) grassland near Orange in south‐eastern Australia. Changes in the cover of cryptogamic crusts and floristics and abundance of the constituent species were measured on four treatments with two levels each of grazing and cultivation. Twenty‐two lichens, mosses and liverworts were found at the study site and, of these, 13 were collected in the quadrats. Three moss species (Barbula calycina, Eccremidium arcuatum and Bryum pachytheca) and one lichen species (Cladonia tessalata) accounted for 67% of total cover‐abundance scores. Generally, cover‐abundance was significantly higher in the unvegetated microsites than in the vegetated microsites. Species richness was not significantly different between the four grazing‐cultivation treatments but, on average, there were significantly more species in the unvegetated microsites (mean = 3.2 species) than in the vegetated microsites (0.54 species). Grazing and cultivation resulted in significantly greater cover of bare ground and consequently significantly greater crust cover. Averaged across all treatments, approximately half of the area of unvegetated soil was occupied by cryptogams. Overall, the results indicate that lichens and bryophytes are important components of derived temperate grasslands, surviving in even densely vegetated swards. This study suggests that strategies which disturb the soil surface (e.g. grazing and cultivation) will stimulate the abundance and cover of soil crust organisms by increasing the availability of unvegetated microsites.
Dormancy and germination characteristics of herbaceous species in the seasonally dry tropics of northern Australia
Authors: McIvor JohN. G. , Howden S. Mark 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThis study investigated changes in dormancy and germination over 8 months for 23 common species (annual and perennial grasses, legumes and other dicotyledons) from herbaceous communities in northern Australia. Seeds were exposed to three storage treatments: relatively constant laboratory conditions, an oven with fluctuating temperatures similar to those found on the soil surface (25/60°C), or exposed on the soil surface at Townsville. There were wide ranges of initial levels of dormancy (9–100%), rates of change of dormancy and response to the different storage conditions showing that species with several types of dormancy characteristics are able to coexist in these communities. The general trend in dormancy levels was a decline with time with the rate of decline greatest for seeds exposed on the soil surface and least for those stored in the laboratory. The species were divided into groups based on dormancy levels in seeds on the soil surface during the late dry and mid wet seasons. The dormancy characteristics of the groups were related to the ecology of the species in the groups. There was an approximately linear increase in germination rate (i.e. a decrease in the number of days to 50% of final germination) over time for all storage treatments; rates for seeds on the soil surface increased more rapidly than those of seeds in laboratory and oven samples.
Plant size and season of burn affect flowering and fruiting of the grasstree Xanthorrhoea preissii
Authors: Lamont Byron B. , Swanborough Perry W. , Ward David 
Published: March 2003

AbstractFlowering and fruiting were assessed on 14 populations of the grasstree, Xanthorrhoea preissii Endl., occurring in the Darling Range near Perth, Western Australia. Independent of site, season of burn or year of flowering, there was a strong relationship between plant height, which varied from 0.1 to over 2 m, and the incidence of postfire flowering, which varied from 1% (winter burn) to 75% (summer burn) of grasstrees present. There was no relationship between inflorescence dimensions, or flower or fruit production on a spike basis, and plant size/age (height). When standardized for height, spring‐burnt populations produced 40% as many inflorescences as autumn‐burnt populations and 20% as many as summer‐burnt populations. Inflorescences produced by spring‐burnt plants were moderately smaller than those by summer–autumn‐burnt plants. Fruit density per spike in autumn‐burnt plants was 80% of that in spring–summer‐burnt plants. The net effect was an average of 70 000 fruits produced per 100 summer‐burnt plants, 22 000 in autumn‐burnt plants, and 14 000 in spring‐burnt plants. Ecophysiological explanations of these results and their implications for population dynamics have yet to be explored.
Effect of density on spatial distribution, pit formation and pit diameter of Myrmeleon acer Walker, (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae): patterns and processes
Authors: Day M. D. , Zalucki M. P. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe effect of increasing population density on the formation of pits, their size and spatial distribution, and on levels of mortality was examined in the antlion Myrmeleon acer Walker. Antlions were kept at densities ranging from 0.4 to 12.8 individuals per 100 cm2. The distribution of pits was regular or uniform across all densities, but antlions constructed proportionally fewer and smaller pits as density increased. Mortality through cannibalism was very low and only occurred at densities greater than five individuals per 100 cm2. Antlions in artificially crowded situations frequently relocated their pits and when more space became available, individuals became more dispersed with time. Redistribution of this species results from active avoidance of other antlions and sand throwing associated with pit construction and maintenance, rather than any attempt to optimise prey capture per se.
Social and mating systems of the protandrous anemonefish Amphiprion perideraion under the influence of a larger congener
Authors: Hattori Akihisa 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe effect of a larger anemonefish Amphiprion clarkii (Bennett) on the social and mating system of a smaller congener Amphiprion perideraion (Bleeker) was investigated on a coral reef at Okinawa, Japan, where both species use the same host sea anemone Heteractis crispa (Ehrenberg). The population of A. perideraion consisted of adult, subadult and juvenile groups. Adult groups, which consisted of one or two adults and a varying number of subadults and juveniles, usually did not share the host with A. clarkii. In contrast, subadult and juvenile groups, which included no adults, always cohabited with A. clarkii. In the heterospecific groups, subadult A. perideraion were able to mature histologically, and changed to female when they were the largest among conspecific members, although their reproduction was suppressed by A. clarkii. After all members of A. clarkii emigrated or disappeared from a heterospecific group, adult A. perideraion could begin breeding. I suggest that A. perideraion in both heterospecific and conspecific groups adopt a mating strategy that involves waiting for vacated breeding posts because of their low mobility and a low host density.