Comparative Ant Faunas between Seonyudo and Seven Other Islands of West Sea in Korea

ABSTRACT This paper is intended as an investigation of the biogeographic characteristics of ant faunas of the eight islands in West Sea of South Korea, using quantitative genetic analyses. The faunal similarity is examined using the Nomura-Simpson's Coefficient (NSC). The obtained NSC value matrix was examined by a cluster analysis using UPGMA method. The MSC-values between the seven areas investigated range from 0.500 (Deokjeokdo Hongdo) to 0.909 (Wonsando-Hongdo). In these islands including Seonyudo, the NSC -values range from 0.571 (Deokjeokdo) to 0.778 (Bigeumdo). The cluster analysis using the similarity index (NSC) showed that eight islands were divided into two groups at the level of 41%. It was shown that Wonsando and Bigeumdo were closer (Similarity = 83%) than those between others. Deokjeokdo and Bigeumdo were remote (Similarity = 41%) from each conspecific population. That is, the species composition of Bigeumdo (Similarity = 70%) was similar to that of the Seonyudo, while that of Deokjeokdo (Similarity = 41%) was different from that.     

Faunal Comparison of Ants among Cheongsando and Other Islands of South Sea in Korea

ABSTRACT This paper attempts to reveal the biogeographic characteristics of ant fauna of the islands among Korean South Sea, using quantitative analyses. The data treated in this paper are those from Cheongsando Is. and 10 other islands in South Sea which have been well investigated. The faunal similarity is examined using the Nomura-Simpson's Coefficient (NSC). Futhermore, the obtained NSC value matrix is examined by a cluster analysis using UPGMA method. The number of species which has been recorded in the 11 islands are 91 species belonging to 34 genera under 4 subfamilies. Among the above 11 islands, Jejudo Is., which is the largest, has the highest number of species, 67 spp., while Geogeumdo Is. has the lowest, 21 spp. Cheongsando Is. which has directly been investigated by authors has 30 species. The NSC- values between the 11 localities investigated range from 0.522 (Wando Is. to Saryangdo Is.) to 1.000 (Namhaedo Is. to Geojedo Is.). The comparative NSC value of Cheongsando Is. and 10 islands range from 0.522 (to Saryangdo Is.) to 0.833 (to Jejudo Is). The cluster analysis using a similarity index (NSC) showed that the islands of these areas could be grouped into 3, a level of 32%. The similarity of Soando Is. and Geomundo Is. were the closest, 63%, while Soando Is. and Namhaedo Is. were the remotest, 32%. The similarity of Jindo Is. and Cheongsando Is, was 63%, while that of Namhaedo Is. and Cheongsando Is. was 32%.     

Gelechiid fauna of Baengnyeongdo,Daecheongdo, and Yeonpyeongdo in the West Sea near North Korea,with description of two new species (Lepidoptera,Gelechioidea)

In the faunistic survey on three islands (Baengnyeongdo, Decheongdo, and Yeonpyeongdo) in the northern West Sea of the Korean Peninsula, 37 species of Gelechiidae (Gelechioidea) are recognized. Of them, Anarsia asymmetrodes Park, sp. nov. and Aristotelia nesiotatos Park, sp. nov. are described as new to science and Stenolechia kodamai Okada is reported for the first time in Korea.     

长白山苔原带昆虫群落组成与时间动态

【目的】苔原是一种极地景观类型,本研究调查了长白山苔原带昆虫的物种组成与时间动态,以期为苔原带昆虫保护以及昆虫与苔原植物协同进化研究提供基础依据。【方法】2005-2007年每年6-9月,在长白山北坡、西坡苔原带利用网捕、灯诱、巴氏罐法采集昆虫标本。【结果】2005-2007年从长白山苔原带共获得昆虫标本4 634头,隶属于11目105科550种,其中鳞翅目、鞘翅目、膜翅目、双翅目的种类和个体数量较为丰富,这4个类群的物种数与个体数的最高峰都出现在7月份。对应分析显示,鳞翅目昆虫对7月份,鞘翅目昆虫对8和9月,膜翅目和双翅目昆虫对6月的适应性较强。苔原带7月份昆虫的物种数(382种)、个体数(2 571个个体)和多样性指数(4.673)都最高,物种数和个体数在9月份最低,仅22种265个个体。不同月份昆虫的物种数与个体数之间呈显著正相关(R=0.992)。不同月份间昆虫的相似性低(相似性系数＜0.20)。【结论】长白山苔原带昆虫多样性较低,7月为昆虫的活跃高峰期,9月昆虫的个体数和物种数均较少。鳞翅目昆虫的物种最丰富,对7月份气侯的适应性相对较强,鞘翅目对季节变化的适应能力强于其他类群,在维持苔原带生态平衡中起着重要作用。     

Taxonomic homogenization and differentiation across Southern Ocean Islands differ among insects and vascular plants

Aim To investigate taxonomic homogenization and/or differentiation of insect and vascular plant assemblages across the Southern Ocean Islands (SOI), and how they differ with changing spatial extent and taxonomic resolution. Location Twenty‐two islands located across the Southern Ocean, further subdivided into five island biogeographical provinces. These islands are used because comprehensive data on both indigenous and non‐indigenous insect and plant species are available. Methods An existing database was updated, using newly published species records, identifying the indigenous and non‐indigenous insect and vascular plant species recorded for each island. Homogenization and differentiation were measured using Jaccard’s index (JI) of similarity for assemblages across all islands on a pairwise basis, and for island pairs within each of the biogeographical provinces. The effects of taxonomic resolution (species, genus, family) and distance on levels of homogenization or differentiation were examined. To explore further the patterns of similarity among islands for each of the taxa and groupings (indigenous and non‐indigenous), islands were clustered based on JI similarity matrices and using group averaging. Results Across the SOI, insect assemblages have become homogenized (0.7% increase in similarity at species level) while plant assemblages have become differentiated at genus and species levels. Homogenization was recorded only when pairwise distances among islands exceeded 3000 km for insect assemblages, but distances had to exceed 10,000 km for plant assemblages. Widely distributed non‐indigenous plant species tend to have wider distributions across the SOI than do their insect counterparts, and this is also true of the indigenous species. Main conclusions Insect assemblages across the SOI have become homogenized as a consequence of the establishment of non‐indigenous species, while plant assemblages have become more differentiated. The likely reason is that indigenous plant assemblages are more similar across the SOI than are insect assemblages, which show greater regionalization. Thus, although a suite of widespread, typically European, weedy, non‐indigenous plant species has established on many islands, the outcome has largely been differentiation. Because further introductions of insects and vascular plants are probable as climates warm across the region, the patterns documented here are likely to change through time.     

转基因玉米对田间节肢动物群落多样性的影响

通过对转基因耐除草剂(EPSPS)抗虫(Cry1Ab)玉米转化体‘DBN9936’、受体玉米‘DBN318’、常规玉米‘先玉335’和喷施除草剂的转化体‘DBN9936’玉米田中节肢动物种类及数量的调查, 评价转基因玉米对田间节肢动物群落多样性的影响。2015年和2017年我们采用直接观察法、陷阱调查法和剖秆法对田间节肢动物进行调查, 采用聚类分析、物种累积曲线等方法对数据进行分析, 并比较了4个处理玉米田节肢动物群落的Margalef丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数、优势集中性指数和群落相似性指数的差异及其随时间变化的规律。调查期间共记录节肢动物20目80科; 转化体玉米‘DBN9936’ (2015: 10.3 ± 2.6头, 2017: 3.3 ± 1.7头)和喷施除草剂的转化体玉米‘DBN9936’ (2015: 6.0 ± 1.5头, 2017: 17.0 ± 0.6头)上鳞翅目昆虫的数量明显低于受体‘DBN318’ (2015: 20.0 ± 3.2头, 2017: 24.0 ± 6.0头)和‘先玉335’ (2015: 21.0 ± 8.9头, 2017: 26.7 ± 2.0头); 物种累积曲线呈典型的抛物线, 各类玉米田间总体物种丰富度差异较小; 玉米生育期节肢动物调查结果累计数量的功能团组成及其丰富度、多样性、均匀度、优势集中性间均无明显的差异, 各类指数随时间变化的动态趋于一致, 群落间相似性程度较高。转基因玉米‘DBN9936’对鳞翅目害虫有明显的抗性, 对非靶标节肢动物无显著的影响, 对田间节肢动物的群落多样性、均匀度、丰富度、优势集中性等没有明显的影响。     

Ecological biogeography of southern ocean islands: species-area relationships, human impacts, and conservation

ABSTRACT Previous studies have concluded that southern ocean islands are anomalous because past glacial extent and current temperature apparently explain most variance in their species richness. Here, the relationships between physical variables and species richness of vascular plants, insects, land and seabirds, and mammals were reexamined for these islands. Indigenous and introduced species were distinguished, and relationships between the latter and human occupancy variables were investigated. Most variance in indigenous species richness was explained by combinations of area and temperature (56%)-vascular plants; distance (nearest continent) and vascular plant species richness (75%)-insects; area and chlorophyll concentration (65%)-seabirds; and indigenous insect species richness and age (73%)-land birds. Indigenous insects and plants, along with distance (closest continent), explained most variance (70%) in introduced land bird species richness. A combination of area and temperature explained most variance in species richness of introduced vascular plants (73%), insects (69%), and mammals (69%). However, there was a strong relationship between area and number of human occupants. This suggested that larger islands attract more human occupants, increasing the risk of propagule transfer, while temperature increases the chance of propagule establishment. Consequently, human activities on these islands should be regulated more tightly.     

Insular Freshwater Fish Faunas of Micronesia: Patterns of Species Richness and Similarity

Freshwater fishes are an important but relatively little known component of the highly diverse fish fauna of Micronesia. Localities supporting communities of freshwater fishes include large high islands, with considerable habitat complexity, and smaller low islands, such as atolls and raised coral islands, with limited freshwater habitat. Both types of islands may support species with adult life history styles that are (a) amphidromous and catadromous, (b) euryhaline (often estuarine), or (c) marine species which enter freshwater from time to time. We compared patterns of species richness and similarity between Micronesian localities for amphidromous and catadromous, euryhaline and marine species (ACEM) pooled, and for amphidromous and catadromous species (ACFW). Species richness of both ACEM and ACFW fishes was greatest on larger high islands compared to smaller high and all low islands. Cluster analysis of similarity indices for ACEM species between localities revealed two faunal components: high islands and low islands. High islands were further partitioned into a Caroline Islands cluster and a separate Mariana Islands cluster. Cluster analysis of ACFW species was more complex. One cluster consisted of a low island and a small high island, both in the Carolines chain and with limited freshwater habitat. The second cluster was partitioned into high islands and low islands that reflected influences of both size and geographical location.     

Diversity of insects captured by weaver spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in the cocoa agroecosystem in Tabasco, Mexico

The aim of this work was to know the diversity of insects captured by weaver spiders in a plantation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) of 6 ha in the State of Tabasco, Mexico. The study was carried out from July 2004 to June 2005 by means biweekly samples of the insects captured on the spiders webs. The total of 3,041 webs of 54 species of spiders belonging to seven families (Araneidae, Theridiidae, Tetragnathidae, Uloboridae, Pholcidae, Dyctinidae and Linyphiidae) were revised. We found 1,749 specimens belonging to 10 orders of insects, represented by 93 families, the majority of Coleoptera, Diptera and Hemiptera that constituted 74% of the identified families. The biggest number of specimens of all orders was captured by Araneidae, except of Isoptera, whose specimens were captured mainly by the family Theridiidae. The index of diversity (H'), evenness (J') and similarity (Is), applied to know the diversity of families of insects captured among families of spiders, varied from 0.00 to 3.24, 0.00 to 0.81, and 0.04 to 0.522, respectively. We conclude that there is a wide diversity of insects predated by the weaver spiders in the cocoa agroecosystem, and that there are species that can be promising for the biological control of pests.     

A global comparison of plant invasions on oceanic islands

Oceanic islands have long been considered to be particularly vulnerable to biotic invasions, and much research has focused on invasive plants on oceanic islands. However, findings from individual islands have rarely been compared between islands within or between biogeographic regions. We present in this study the most comprehensive, standardized dataset to date on the global distribution of invasive plant species in natural areas of oceanic islands. We compiled lists of moderate (5–25% cover) and dominant (>25% cover) invasive plant species for 30 island groups from four oceanic regions (Atlantic, Caribbean, Pacific, and Western Indian Ocean). To assess consistency of plant behaviour across island groups, we also recorded present but not invasive species in each island group.We tested the importance of different factors discussed in the literature in predicting the number of invasive plant species per island group, including island area and isolation, habitat diversity, native species diversity, and human development. Further we investigated whether particular invasive species are consistently and predictably invasive across island archipelagos or whether island-specific factors are more important than species traits in explaining the invasion success of particular species.We found in total 383 non-native spermatophyte plants that were invasive in natural areas on at least one of the 30 studied island groups, with between 3 and 74 invaders per island group. Of these invaders about 50% (181 species) were dominants or co-dominants of a habitat in at least one island group. An extrapolation from species accumulation curves across the 30 island groups indicates that the total current flora of invasive plants on oceanic islands at latitudes between c. 35°N and 35°S may eventually consist of 500–800 spermatophyte species, with 250–350 of these being dominant invaders in at least one island group. The number of invaders per island group was well predicted by a combination of human development (measured by the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita), habitat diversity (number of habitat types), island age, and oceanic region (87% of variation explained). Island area, latitude, isolation from continents, number of present, non-native species with a known invasion history, and native species richness were not retained as significant factors in the multivariate models.Among 259 invaders present in at least five island groups, only 9 species were dominant invaders in at least 50% of island groups where they were present. Most species were invasive only in one to a few island groups although they were typically present in many more island groups. Consequently, similarity between island groups was low for invader floras but considerably higher for introduced (but not necessarily invasive) species – especially in pairs of island groups that are spatially close or similar in latitude. Hence, for invasive plants of natural areas, biotic homogenization among oceanic islands may be driven by the recurrent deliberate human introduction of the same species to different islands, while post-introduction processes during establishment and spread in natural areas tend to reduce similarity in invader composition between oceanic islands. We discuss a number of possible mechanisms, including time lags, propagule pressure, local biotic and abiotic factors, invader community assembly history, and genotypic differences that may explain the inconsistent performance of particular invasive species in different island groups.     

红松林和针阔叶混交林下黏菌物种多样性研究

为探讨不同林型下黏菌物种多样性的差异,本文在凉水国家级自然保护区内红松林和针阔叶混交林两种林分中开展调查研究,共采集黏菌样本242份,基于形态特征鉴定为4目7科17属50种黏菌,其中鲜红团网菌Arcyria insignis、网格筛菌Cribraria paucidictyon和玫瑰绒泡菌Physarum roseum...     

Insect biogeography in the south-western Sea of Korea with comments on the insect fauna of Kwanmae Island

The insect species richness of each island in the south‐western Sea of Korea was considered on the background of the equilibrium theory. The species number of insects on Kwanmae Island in the present study (140 species) was much higher compared with a previous survey. Based on a literature survey of island biota surveys published in the 1980s, of 47 islands, the lowest species number (12 species) was on Kwanmae Island, and the most diverse insect fauna (254 species) was on Baekryong Island. The mean species number of surveyed islands was approximately 54 (53.96 with a standard deviation of 46.95). The median species number was 38 with a skew of +2.56. Insects, including the orders Odonanta, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera and Diptera, occurred on 32 of the 47 surveyed islands, and had an occurrence rate of more than 0.68. This indicates that these insects are distributed widely on the islands in the south‐western Sea of Korea. The species number showed a significant linear relationship with both area of an island and its distance from the mainland (P < 0.05), with an extremely low determinant coefficient (r² = 0.13 for area vs species number and r² = 0.28 for distance vs species number). Other factors tested in the study failed to show a significant relationship with species number. A multiple‐regression model established using area and distance as independent variables showed significant relationship with species number, with a relatively higher determinant coefficient (r² = 0.70, P < 0.05). We present possible explanations to explain the difference between estimated and observed species number in Kwanmae Island.     

中国云南洱海周边小兽体表革螨多样性（英文）

云南大理洱海周边是我国流行性出血热的流行地区之一。本文目的是运用Shannon-Wiener、系统聚类分析方法（SPSS 13.0软件）和Levins'niche等对该区3 303只小兽体表寄生革螨的物种多样性、群落结构、相似性、分布和生态位进行研究。选择的洱海周边三个不同方位恰好处于东部无量山、南部哀老山和西部苍山,由于洱海的天然隔离使这三个方位形成了同地域异生境的地理景观。在调查点共捕获小兽宿主3 303只属4目（啮齿目、食虫目、攀鼩目和食肉目）7科15属21种,收集到的小兽体表寄生虫革螨23 196只被鉴定为6科16属43种。研究结果表明革螨群落结构复杂,物种多样性高。在不同方位革螨和它们相对应宿主的分布是不均匀的,但是洱海周边不同方位同样优势小兽上寄生的优势革螨种是一致的。结果暗示：生境影响着革螨和它们相对应小兽的物种构成和分布,如果小兽宿主的分类地位和生境相似,那么相对应的小兽宿主上的革螨群落就相似; 不同方位小兽体表寄生虫革螨的丰富度和物种多样性主要由宿主本身和宿主所栖息的生境决定;这可能是小兽和革螨之间协同进化在生态学上的一个佐证。但通过使用革螨的生态位宽度分析,革螨的宿主特异性很低,这又可能暗示着小兽和革螨之间有协同进化,但协同进化程度不高。     

Vegetation pattern and microtopography on a landslide scar of Mt Kiyosumi,central Japan

Vegetation pattern and microtopography were examined on a mountain slope with a rotational type landslide scar on Mt Kiyosumi, central Japan. Similarities of distribution patterns among 55 woody species were calculated using Cole's species association coefficient, and based on them, seven vegetation units were classified using cluster analysis and principal coordinates analysis. The seven vegetation units coincide with seven microtopographical facets at 10¹ to 10² m² order. Furthermore, these vegetation units were grouped into three higher categories by reciprocal averaging and principal coordinates analysis. They were ridge slopes, surrounding slopes and landslide slopes. The three categories were arranged in the above-mentioned order based on similarity in floristic composition. In the ridge slopes, late-successional trees and deciduous trees had high relative basal areas. In the surrounding slopes,Euptelea polyandra and other deciduous trees had high relative basal areas. In the landslide slopes,E. polyandra and deciduous shrubs had high relative basal areas. The density and the age distributions ofE. polyandra, a typical pioneer tree which invades disturbed sites, suggested that the severity of soil surface disturbances increase in this order. The disturbance regime explains the vegetation pattern on the study site, where the rotational type landslide had occurred.     

Insect fauna in nests of the Eurasian griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in Croatia

Qualitative, quantitative and trophic structure of insects found in Eurasian griffon vulture nests were analysed. A total of 249 insects belonging to six orders were found in 18 griffon vulture nests, collected in three colonies on the islands Cres and Plavnik (Adriatic Sea). Eudominant orders were beetles (64.26%) and ants (22.49%). Dermestid beetles were present in all examined nests and comprise the permanent nest fauna. Other groups of insects (cockroaches, web spinners, ants, flies, aphids) were found to occur occasionally in nests.     

Arthropod diversity and allochthonous-based food webs on tiny oceanic islands

Very small islands, on the order of a few hundred square metres in area, have rarely been the focus of ecological investigations. I sampled nine such islands in the central Exumas, Bahamas for arthropod species abundance and diversity using a combination of pitfall traps, pan traps and sticky traps. Three islands had no terrestrial vegetation, three islands contained only Sesuvium portulacastrum L., a salt‐tolerant perennial that had been experimentally introduced 10 years ago, and three islands supported one or two naturally occurring plant species. A relatively diverse arthropod assemblage was discovered, including representatives of 10 different orders of Crustacea and Insecta. Land hermit crabs were the most abundant crustaceans, and dipterans were the most abundant and speciose insects. Two of the most common insects were previously undescribed species. Measures of arthropod species abundance and diversity were not significantly different for vegetated vs. non‐vegetated islands. All 10 orders were present on bare islands, and nine of them were present on vegetated islands. Measures of arthropod species abundance and diversity were positively associated with island area, and negatively associated with distance from the nearest large island. Hypothesized food webs consist of several trophic levels and have strong allochthonous inputs. Tiny islands such as these hold insights into early successional processes and the base of insular food webs.     

Colonizing success of saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes on islands

The biodiversity of saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetous macrofungi growing on seven islands in central Japan were compared to examine colonizing success within the context of island biogeography theory. Two hypotheses were tested: that the number of the fungal species depends on island area and that the slope of the species-area curve for saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal macrofungi differ in response to differences in their nutritional requirements. Data for the number of species that were identified based on sporocarps closely fit the conventional species-area curve. The slopes of the species-area curve for saprotrophic fungi (0.316) and ectomycorrhizal fungi (0.469) were similar to those reported for insects and birds, and plants on other archipelagos, respectively. In addition species-area curve data showed that ectomycorrhizal fungi colonized only islands > 630 m(2). While the species composition of saprotrophic fungi found on any pair of islands was positively correlated to the ratio of the areas of the island pair being compared (smaller/larger), no such relationship was observed for ectomycorrhizal fungi. Conversely similar ectomycorrhizal fungi, mostly those belonging to the genera Amanita, Inocybe, Boletellus and Russula, were found on pairs of islands with similar vegetation in the same geographic region. These results suggested that the colonizing success by ectomycorrhizal fungi is limited by host plant diversity, which is lower on smaller islands, instead of restricted immigration resulting from limited spore dispersal ability.     

Risks to Birds Traded for African Traditional Medicine: A Quantitative Assessment

Few regional or continent-wide assessments of bird use for traditional medicine have been attempted anywhere in the world. Africa has the highest known diversity of bird species used for this purpose. This study assesses the vulnerability of 354 bird species used for traditional medicine in 25 African countries, from 205 genera, 70 families, and 25 orders. The orders most represented were Passeriformes (107 species), Falconiformes (45 species), and Coraciiformes (24 species), and the families Accipitridae (37 species), Ardeidae (15 species), and Bucerotidae (12 species). The Barn owl (Tyto alba) was the most widely sold species (seven countries). The similarity of avifaunal orders traded is high (analogous to “morphospecies”, and using Sørensen''s index), which suggests opportunities for a common understanding of cultural factors driving demand. The highest similarity was between bird orders sold in markets of Benin vs. Burkina Faso (90%), but even bird orders sold in two geographically separated countries (Benin vs. South Africa and Nigeria vs. South Africa) were 87% and 81% similar, respectively. Rabinowitz''s “7 forms of rarity” model, used to group species according to commonness or rarity, indicated that 24% of traded bird species are very common, locally abundant in several habitats, and occur over a large geographical area, but 10% are rare, occur in low numbers in specific habitats, and over a small geographical area. The order with the highest proportion of rare species was the Musophagiformes. An analysis of species mass (as a proxy for size) indicated that large and/or conspicuous species tend to be targeted by harvesters for the traditional medicine trade. Furthermore, based on cluster analyses for species groups of similar risk, vultures, hornbills, and other large avifauna, such as bustards, are most threatened by selective harvesting and should be prioritised for conservation action.     

桂林两江国际机场内草坪动物与鸟类关系

2005年7月～2006年7月对桂林两江国际机场草坪动物及鸟类进行调查.共记录到鸟类9目23科48种,其中优势种是:田鹨、家燕、小云雀、棕背伯劳、黑卷尾、针尾沙锥、红隼、黑翅鸢;记录到昆虫13目76科,其中优势种有:直翅目、鞘翅目、双翅目、膜翅目、半翅目等昆虫和各种蜘蛛.鸟类数量和昆虫数量存在密切联系,鸟类数量峰值和昆虫数量峰值有部分重叠,说明昆虫数量对鸟类数量有影响.严格控制草坪昆虫数量能有效控制机场草坪的鸟类数量.蛙鼠类对草坪鸟类数量影响不大.     

Terrestrial bird community patterns on the coralline islands of the Dahlak Archipelago, Red Sea, Eritrea

Aim This study aims to explain the patterns of species richness and nestedness of a terrestrial bird community in a poorly studied region. Location Twenty‐six islands in the Dahlak Archipelago, Southern Red Sea, Eritrea. Methods The islands and five mainland areas were censused in summer 1999 and winter 2001. To study the importance of island size, isolation from the mainland and inter‐island distance, I used constrained null models for the nestedness temperature calculator and a cluster analysis. Results Species richness depended on island area and isolation from the mainland. Nestedness was detected, even when passive sampling was accounted for. The nested rank of islands was correlated with area and species richness, but not with isolation. Idiosyncrasies appeared among species‐poor and species‐rich islands, and among common and rare species. Cluster analysis showed differences among species‐rich islands, close similarity among species‐poor and idiosyncratic islands, and that the compositional similarity among islands decreased with increasing inter‐island distance. Thus, faunas of species‐poor, smaller islands were more likely to be subsets of faunas of species‐rich, larger islands if the distance between the islands was short. Main conclusions Species richness and nestedness were related to island area, and nestedness also to inter‐island distances but not to isolation from the mainland. Thus, nestedness and species richness are not affected in the same way by area and distance. Moreover, idiosyncrasies may have been the outcome of species distributions among islands being influenced also by non‐nested distributions of habitats, inter–specific interactions, and differences in species distributions across the mainland. Idiosyncrasies in nested patterns may be as important as the nested pattern itself for conservation – and conservation strategies based on nestedness and strong area effects (e.g. protection of only larger islands) may fail to preserve idiosyncratic species/habitats.