Effects of episodic bamboo mast seeding on top predators in the southern Andes

Woody bamboos that undergo masting on a cyclic basis constitute large‐scale endogenous disturbances in forests of America, Africa and Asia, driving long‐ and short‐term effects on community structure and dynamics. Among the transient effects of these nonequilibrial phenomena are rodent outbreaks whose potential bottom‐up consequences on top predators have never been explored. We investigated the effects of unpredictable rodent outbreaks on the assemblage of nocturnal raptors of the southern Andes after a large‐scale (>140 000 ha), spatially heterogeneous, Chusquea culeou masting event in north Argentine Patagonia. We compared owl numbers and behaviours between pre‐masting (2009) and post‐masting (2011) at subsidized (outbreaking rodents) and unsubsidized (normal rodents) contiguous sites. Both generalist (opportunistic forest resident) and rodent‐specialist (forest‐facultative) owls were monitored, with emphasis on the resident territorial rufous‐legged owl (Strix rufipes). The resident owls behaved as predicted, perceiving the rodent increases soon and gathering at subsidized sites, while apparently relaxing territoriality. Contrary to our predictions, later at the rodent outbreak phase, resident territorial owls turned inconspicuous, coinciding – causally or not – with an irruption of forest‐facultative barn owls (Tyto alba tuidara), and influx of some open country short‐eared owls (Asio flammeus suinda, some of which took a chance to breed in the woods). Considering the whole rodent outbreak period, besides significant changes in owls’ numbers, we recorded a notable adjustment in owls’ foraging modes in response to food surplus (consuming prey heads only), and null interference behaviours among all observed species. This study provides a first quantitative assessment of the effects of bamboo episodic masting on top carnivores globally, and contributes novel data on the indirect effects of these events in forests of South America.     

Ecological consequences of an unusual simultaneous masting of Araucaria araucana and Chusquea culeou in North‐West Patagonia,Argentina

A simultaneous masting of two abundant species in the temperate forests of North‐West Argentinean Patagonia occurred in 2013 for the first time ever recorded: the semelparous bamboo grass Chusquea culeou (colihue), dominating the understory, flowered and set seed across 1100 km² while pehuén (Araucaria araucana), an endemic conifer co‐dominating the tree layer had the highest regionally synchronized mast event in the last 30 years. Strong trophic effects were expected as a consequence of this extraordinary amount of seed, such as rodent outbreaks (ratadas) that followed previous Chusquea spp. mast events and included Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, the main reservoir of the Andes virus causing the Hantavirus Pulmonar Syndrome. From March 2013 to May 2014, we sampled relative abundance and activity of seed‐eaters and carnivores at four study sites with different proportions of both masting species. Surprisingly, total rodent capture rates never exceeded 14% in wild habitats and 8% in peridomestic areas showing low overall density in spite of some heavy O. longicaudatus males extending their reproductive activity into winter. Total abundance and relative proportion of granivorous birds peaked at the four sites in winter or spring, when they are usually scarce. Other surveyed organisms (native and exotic seed‐eaters, ungulates and carnivores) showed moderate responses at most, probably through aggregation from surrounding areas rather than reproduction. Seed removal from experimental seed stations varied in time and space though never peaked. The clearest pattern of community responses, though much subtler than expected, occurred at the site where colihue was abundant and pehuén scarce. This is the first systematic study that reports such a simultaneous double masting and our surveys revealed no widespread community consequences. We propose that either contingent events, such as an unprecedented drought, or permanent environmental features or contextual characteristics may explain the lack of a rodent outbreak in this area.     

Cryptic genetic and wing pattern diversity in a mimetic Heliconius butterfly

Despite rampant colour pattern diversity in South America, Heliconius erato exhibits a ‘postman’ wing pattern throughout most of Central America. We examined genetic variation across the range of H. erato, including dense sampling in Central America, and discovered a deep genetic break, centred on the mountain range that runs through Costa Rica. This break is characterized by a novel mitochondrial lineage, which is nearly fixed in northern Central America, that branches basal to all previously described mitochondrial diversity in the species. Strong genetic differentiation also appears in Z‐linked and autosomal markers, and it is further associated with a distinct, but subtle, shift in wing pattern phenotype. Comparison of clines in wing phenotype, mtDNA and nuclear markers indicate they are all centred on the mountains dividing Costa Rica, but that cline width differs among data sets. Phylogeographical analyses, accounting for this new diversity, rewrite our understanding of mimicry evolution in this system. For instance, these results suggest that H. erato originated west of the Andes, perhaps in Central America, and as many as 1 million years before its co‐mimic, H. melpomene. Overall our data indicate that neutral genetic markers and colour pattern loci are congruent and converge on the same hypothesis—H. erato originated in northwest South America or Central America with a ‘postman’ phenotype and then radiated into the wealth of colour patterns present today.     

Above-ground biomass structure of a Chusquea tessellata bamboo páramo,Chingaza National Park,Cordillera Oriental,Colombia

The present study was carried out in the bamboo (Chusquea tessellata) páramo of Parque Natural Nacional de Chingaza, Eastern Cordillera, Colombia from December 1987 to April 1988. Above-ground biomass structure of bamboo páramo was quantified in 16 plots. These data are compared with previous results on above-ground biomass structure of bunch-grass (Calamagrostis spp.) páramos.The total (non-living and living) above-ground biomass of a Chusquea tessellata bamboo páramo was low (2,625 g DW · m^–2) compared to bunch-grass páramo. Nevertheless, higher values of standing living biomass and litter are found in the bamboo páramo due to the leaf shed of the bamboo. The thick litter layer may inhibit germination and growth of nearby plants.Maximum biomass is found near the ground surface. Cumulative LAI (In transformed) and height in the bamboo vegetation are related parabolically for Chusquea tessellata and linearly for bunch-grass due to differences in leaf distribution. The mean bifacial LAI of living Chusquea tessellata leaves is 2.2 m² · m^–2, whereas it is 2.5 m² · m^-2 for all Poaceae.     

Flowering cycles of woody bamboos native to southern South America

Neotropical woody bamboos range from northern Mexico to southern Argentina and Chile. The most interesting aspect of bamboo biology is their flowering habit. The species that are the most intriguing are those that manifest a cyclic pattern of gregarious flowering after long vegetative periods. The flowering cycle has been described in very few species. The goal was to identify mass flowering events of woody bamboo species native to Argentina and neighboring areas, and to estimate the flowering cycle of each species. Sixteen species were surveyed: Chusquea culeou, C. deficiens, C. lorentziana, C. montana, C. quila, C. ramosissima, C. tenella, C. valdiviensis; Colanthelia rhizantha; Guadua chacoensis, G. paraguayana, G. trinii; Merostachys clausenii, M. multiramea, Rhipidocladum neumannii and R. racemiflorum. To reconstruct flowering dates, information from literature and herbarium collections was consulted and more than 990 records were gathered. Flowering cycles were estimated by recording the intervals between reported flowering events. Evidence of regular flowering cycles of ca. 30 years was found for most of the species considered. There is a remarkable concentration of flowering cycles about multiples of 15–16 years. Flowering synchrony among different species of woody bamboos was recorded for the first time in South America.     

Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus in South America: water,seafood and human infections

The bacterial species, Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus, are ubiquitous in estuaries and coastal waters throughout the world, but they also happen to be important human pathogens. They are concentrated by filter‐feeding shellfish which are often consumed raw or undercooked, providing an important potential route of entry for an infective dose of these bacteria. Vibrio parahaemolyticus can cause abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, chills and fever. Vibrio vulnificus can cause similar gastrointestinal‐related symptoms, but can also spread to the bloodstream, resulting in primary septicaemia, and it can also cause disease via wound infections. The objective of this article is to summarize, for the first time, the incidence and importance of V. parahaemolyticus and V. vulnificus in South America, in environmental waters and seafood, especifically molluscan shellfish, as well as human infection cases and outbreaks. It appears that infections from V. parahaemolyticus have been more strongly related to shellfish ingestion and have been more frequently reported on the Pacific coast of South America. Conversely, V. vulnificus has been more frequently acquired by water contact with open wounds and its presence has been more heavily reported along the Atlantic coast of South America, and while documented to cause serious mortality, have been relatively few in number. The impacts of El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) have been observed to cause an increase in V. parahaemolyticus outbreaks on the Pacific coast of South America. The implementation of a regulated monitoring approach, along with the use of faster, more accurate and virulence‐specific detection approaches, such as PCR confirmation, should be considered to detect the presence of pathogenic Vibrio strains in environmental and seafood samples for protection of public health. Furthermore, improved clinical surveillance with suspected cases should be implemented. This review highlights the need for more research and monitoring of vibrios in South America, in water, shellfish and clinical samples.     

El Niño events, precipitation patterns, and rodent outbreaks are statistically associated in semiarid Chile

In the last two decades, several researchers have noted rodent population outbreaks in semiarid South America, in association with unusually high precipitation that seemingly concurs with El Niño events. To date, no studies have been conducted to determine the statistical relationships between ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) events, increased precipitation, and rodent irruptions. Here we show that: 1) there is a statistical association between ENSO events and inereased precipitation in the semiarid region of northern Chile: 2) the occurrence of rodent outbreaks in that region is statistically related with the precipitation levels of the same year: 3) the multi-annual patterns of the total annual precipitation levels and population abundance of those rodents during the summer are positively associated. The putative chain of effects seems to start with unusually high rainfall brought by ENSO to semiarid environments, which thus respond with inereased primary productivity (herbage and seeds), which then fuels the rodent outbreaks.     

Forest defoliator outbreaks under climate change: effects on the frequency and severity of outbreaks of five pine insect pests

To identify general patterns in the effects of climate change on the outbreak dynamics of forest‐defoliating insect species, we examined a 212‐year record (1800–2011) of outbreaks of five pine‐defoliating species (Bupalus piniarius, Panolis flammea, Lymantria monacha, Dendrolimus pini, and Diprion pini) in Bavaria, Germany for the evidence of climate‐driven changes in the severity, cyclicity, and frequency of outbreaks. We also accounted for historical changes in forestry practices and examined effects of past insecticide use to suppress outbreaks. Analysis of relationships between severity or occurrence of outbreaks and detrended measures of temperature and precipitation revealed a mixture of positive and negative relationships between temperature and outbreak activity. Two moth species (P. flammea and Dendrolimus pini) exhibited lower outbreak activity following years or decades of unusually warm temperatures, whereas a sawfly (Diprion pini), for which voltinism is influenced by temperature, displayed increased outbreak occurrence in years of high summer temperatures. We detected only one apparent effect of precipitation, which showed Dendrolimus pini outbreaks tending to follow drought. Wavelet analysis of outbreak time series suggested climate change may be associated with collapse of L. monacha and Dendrolimus pini outbreak cycles (loss of cyclicity and discontinuation of outbreaks, respectively), but high‐frequency cycles for B. piniarius and P. flammea in the late 1900s. Regional outbreak severity was generally not related to past suppression efforts (area treated with insecticides). Recent shifts in forestry practices affecting tree species composition roughly coincided with high‐frequency outbreak cycles in B. piniarius and P. flammea but are unlikely to explain the detected relationships between climate and outbreak severity or collapses of outbreak cycles. Our results highlight both individualistic responses of different pine‐defoliating species to climate changes and some patterns that are consistent across defoliator species in this and other forest systems, including collapsing of population cycles.     

The responses of small mammals to patches regenerating after fire and rainfall in the Simpson Desert,central Australia

Abstract Patch‐burning is frequently advocated as a management tool to enhance the biodiversity and pasture values of spinifex (Triodia) grasslands. In this study we compare the capture rates of small mammals in habitats regenerating shortly after fire (aged 1–5 years) and in long‐unburnt habitats (aged >25 years). To unravel the effects of temporally and spatially variable rainfall on capture rates, the study was replicated at three locations spaced over 50 km apart that experience different rainfall regimes. Ten species of small mammals were captured over the course of the study, between October 1999 and June 2001. Pseudomys desertor showed a strong preference for long‐unburnt habitats. Notomys alexis, Sminthopsis youngsoni and Sminthopsis hirtipes showed some preferences for regenerating habitats, but these were not consistent throughout the study. Factors indicative of temporal and spatial variation in rainfall, time and site had important effects on capture rates. High rainfalls associated with the La Niña phase of the El Niño/Southern Oscillation in 2000 increased seed production and prompted eruptions of rodent species and the carnivorous Dasycercus cristicauda. The greatest numbers of captures were made at the sites that received the highest rainfalls. We conclude that patch‐burning regimes do not benefit small mammals directly, but are likely to increase the resilience of ‘fire‐sensitive’ species that are dependent on dense spinifex by reducing the extent of wildfires.     

Trachemys medemi n. sp. from northwestern Colombia turns the biogeography of South American slider turtles upside down

South America was invaded by slider turtles (Trachemys spp.) twice, with one immigration wave estimated to have reached South America 8.6–7.1 million years ago (mya) and a second wave, 2.5–2.2 mya. The two widely disjunct South American subspecies of Trachemys dorbigni (northeastern and southern Brazil, Río de la Plata region of Argentina and Uruguay) are derived from the first dispersal pulse, while the two South American subspecies of Trachemys venusta (Colombia, Venezuela) originated from the second immigration event. We describe a new species of slider turtle from the lower Atrato river basin of Antioquia and Chocó departments, northwestern Colombia. This new species, the Atrato slider (Trachemys medemi n. sp.), is the first representative of the older immigration wave inhabiting northern South America. Using phylogenetic analyses of 3,242 bp of mitochondrial and 3,396 bp of nuclear DNA, we show that T. medemi is more closely related to T. dorbigni than to the geographically neighboring subspecies of Trachemys grayi and T. venusta from Central America and northern South America. The two subspecies of T. dorbigni are separated from the Atrato slider by the Andes and the Amazon Basin, and occur approximately 4,600 km and 3,700 km distant from T. medemi. According to molecular clock calculations, T. medemi diverged from the last common ancestor of the two subspecies of T. dorbigni during the Pliocene (4.1–2.8 mya), with T. dorbigni diversifying later (2.3–1.9 mya) in eastern South America beyond the Amazon basin. The divergence of the T. dorbigni subspecies overlaps with the estimated arrival of T. venusta in South America (2.5–2.2 mya). This time is characterized by massive climatic and environmental fluctuations with intermittent dispersal corridors in South America. According to their distribution, it seems likely that the ancestors of the extant subspecies of T. dorbigni dispersed along the eastern corridor, leaving a relict population northwest of the Andes with T. medemi. The distribution range of T. medemi is surrounded by taxa derived from the second southern range expansion of slider turtles, so that it can be concluded that T. venusta circumvented the habitats occupied by the ancestors of the Atrato slider when entering South America.     

Quantifying massive outbreaks of the defoliator moth Ormiscodes amphimone in deciduous Nothofagus‐dominated southern forests using remote sensing time series analysis

Forest insect outbreaks are one of the major biotic disturbances on natural and artificial landscapes. Although abundant literature of insect outbreaks exists in the Northern Hemisphere, studies for the Southern Hemisphere are rare. Recently, massive outbreaks of the native moth Ormiscodes amphimone (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Hemileucinae) have been reported in the southern cone of South America. These O. amphimone outbreaks have defoliated large areas of temperate forests, raising great concern among local inhabitants, but yet the spatio‐temporal patterns of these events have not been evaluated. Here, we quantify the extension of the massive O. amphimone outbreaks occurred in the Aysén region (southern Chile) in the period 2000–2015 using a novel remote sensing approach and field data. Remote sensing detections were strongly in agreement with field observations and showed that massive outbreaks of O. amphimone are among the largest biotic disturbances in the forests of the Southern Hemisphere. Considering only field‐confirmed outbreaks, the defoliated area reached 164,000 hectares in total between 2000 and 2015. The estimation of the spatial impact of O. amphimone, and its recurrence, represents the first step for the search of management alternatives of this massive disturbance.     

Three lines of evidence to link outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns seastar Acanthaster planci to the release of larval food limitation

Population outbreaks of the coral-eating crown-of-thorns seastar, Acanthaster planci, continue to kill more coral on Indo-Pacific coral reefs than other disturbances, but the causes of these outbreaks have not been resolved. In this study, we combine (1) results from laboratory experiments where larvae were reared on natural phytoplankton, (2) large-scale and long-term field data of river floods, chlorophyll concentrations and A. planci outbreaks on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), and (3) results from A. planci—coral population model simulations that investigated the relationship between the frequency of outbreaks and larval food availability. The experiments show that the odds of A. planci larvae completing development increases ~8-fold with every doubling of chlorophyll concentrations up to 3 μg l⁻¹. Field data and the population model show that river floods and regional differences in phytoplankton availability are strongly related to spatial and temporal patterns in A. planci outbreaks on the GBR. The model also shows that, given plausible historic increases in river nutrient loads over the last 200 years, the frequency of A. planci outbreaks on the GBR has likely increased from one in 50–80 years to one every 15 years, and that current coral cover of reefs in the central GBR may be 30–40% of its potential value. This study adds new and strong empirical support to the hypothesis that primary A. planci outbreaks are predominantly controlled by phytoplankton availability.     

NEW CHROMOSOME COUNTS FOR CHUSQUEA AND AULONEMIA (POACEAE: BAMBUSOIDEAE)

Tetraploid chromosome counts of n = 20 are reported for two previously cytologically unknown South American species of Chusquea, C. capitulifora and C. scandens. Diploid counts were previously unknown in this genus, but C. talamancensis of Costa Rica has n = 10. No previous chromosome counts were known for the genus Aulonemia nor any other genus of the subtribe Arthrostylidiinae. Aulonemia pumila and A. amplissima from South America are tetraploid with n = 20.     

Specialization on Guadua Bamboo Seeds by Three Bird Species in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina

Most bamboos are semelparous. Their synchronous masting events occur on a cycle of 3–120 yr and represent an extremely pulsed resource for granivorous birds. Although many bird species feed occasionally on bamboo seeds, there are constraints to specializing on such a fluctuating resource and few bird species are known to specialize on bamboo seeds. Three of these bird species are endemic to the Atlantic forest of South America: the purple-winged ground-dove Claravis godefrida , buff-fronted seedeater Sporophila frontalis , and Temminck's seedeater Sporophila falcirostris . All three species are irregularly recorded in the province of Misiones, Argentina. We compared the temporal and spatial patterns of records of these birds in Misiones to masting events of the five common bamboos: yatevó Guadua trinii , takuaruzú Guadua chacoensis , takuapí Merostachys claussenii , pitinga Chusquea tenella , and takuarembó Chusquea ramosissima . All bird records coincided with times and places where Guadua bamboos ( G. trinii and G. chacoensis ) were known or estimated to have seeds. None of the bird species occurred during masting events of Merostachys or Chusquea , unless Guadua was also masting. We discuss relevant ecological and morphological features of the birds that might bear on their association with Guadua bamboos and that might be key to their conservation.     

Potential Role of Masting by Introduced Bamboos in Deer Mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) Population Irruptions Holds Public Health Consequences

We hypothesized that the ongoing naturalization of frost/shade tolerant Asian bamboos in North America could cause environmental consequences involving introduced bamboos, native rodents and ultimately humans. More specifically, we asked whether the eventual masting by an abundant leptomorphic (“running”) bamboo within Pacific Northwest coniferous forests could produce a temporary surfeit of food capable of driving a population irruption of a common native seed predator, the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus), a hantavirus carrier. Single-choice and cafeteria-style feeding trials were conducted for deer mice with seeds of two bamboo species (Bambusa distegia and Yushania brevipaniculata), wheat, Pinus ponderosa, and native mixed diets compared to rodent laboratory feed. Adult deer mice consumed bamboo seeds as readily as they consumed native seeds. In the cafeteria-style feeding trials, Y. brevipaniculata seeds were consumed at the same rate as native seeds but more frequently than wheat seeds or rodent laboratory feed. Females produced a median litter of 4 pups on a bamboo diet. Given the ability of deer mice to reproduce frequently whenever food is abundant, we employed our feeding trial results in a modified Rosenzweig-MacArthur consumer-resource model to project the population-level response of deer mice to a suddenly available/rapidly depleted supply of bamboo seeds. The simulations predict rodent population irruptions and declines similar to reported cycles involving Asian and South American rodents but unprecedented in deer mice. Following depletion of a mast seed supply, the incidence of Sin Nombre Virus (SNV) transmission to humans could subsequently rise with dispersal of the peridomestic deer mice into nearby human settlements seeking food.     

Population dynamics of three Neotropical small mammals: Time series models and the role of delayed density-dependence in population irruptions

It is widely believed that only precipitation levels (through increased primary production) determine irruptions of small mammals in semi-arid areas of western South America. Nevertheless, density-dependent factors may also drive population fluctuations. To test statistically these putative effects we analysed 11 years of population records on three sympatric species of small mammals at two different habitat types in north central Chile. We applied the classical diagnostic tools of time series analysis (the autocorrelation function: ACF) to the observed time series of three neotropical small mammals. We also used simple linear autoregressive time series models to reconstruct the endogenous dynamics of these populations. The analysis strongly suggests that population fluctuations of the three species have an important density-dependent component, with the most irruptive species (Phyllotis darwini, Waterhouse 1837) displaying stronger second order population feedbacks than the other two (Akodon olivaceus, Waterhouse 1837 and Thylamys elegans, Waterhouse 1839). The latter two species showed direct density-dependent feedbacks. We hypothesize that the frequent population outbreaks of P. darwini (and perhaps of other species) in semi-arid regions of western South America, may be the result of population-level (direct density- dependence) and community-level processes (delayed density-dependence), interacting with exogenous perturbations (rainfall and associated primary production).     

Invasion origin,rapid population expansion,and the lack of genetic structure of cotton bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) in the Americas

In 2013, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) was officially declared as present in Brazil and, after two years, the species was detected in the Caribbean and North America. Information on genetic features and accurate distribution of pests is the basis for agricultural protection policies. Furthermore, such knowledge is imperative to develop control strategies, understand the geographical range, and genetic patterns of this species in the Americas. Here, we carried out the widest sampling of H. armigera in the South American continent and Puerto Rico, after we estimated the diversity, demographic parameters, and genetic structure. The Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 (ITS1) nuclear marker was used to investigate the presence of putative hybrids between H. armigera and H. zea, and they were observed at a frequency of 1.5%. An ABC analysis, based in COI gene fragment, suggested Europe as the origin of South America specimens of H. armigeraand following a movement northward through the Caribbean. Three mtDNA genes and three nDNA markers revealed high genetic diversity distributed without the defined population structure of H. armigera in South America. Most of the genetic variation is within populations with a multidirectional expansion of H. armigera among morphoclimatic regions. High genetic diversity, rapid population expansion, and hybridization have implications for pest management since they suggest that adaptive alleles are spread through wide areas in South America that favor rapid local adaptation of H. armigera to new and disturbed environments (e.g., in agricultural areas).     

Molecular phylogeny of Central and South American slider turtles: implications for biogeography and systematics (Testudines: Emydidae: Trachemys)

We analyse phylogeny, systematics and biogeography of slider turtles (Trachemys spp.) using sequence data of four mitochondrial genes (3242 bp) and five nuclear loci (3396 bp) of most South American and southern Central American taxa and representatives of northern Central American, West Indian and North American slider species (16 species and subspecies) and allied North American species (genera Chrysemys, Deirochelys, Graptemys, Malaclemys, Pseudemys). By applying maximum likelihood, relaxed molecular clock and ancestral range analyses, we provide evidence for two successive colonizations of South America by slider turtles. In addition, we show that the current species delineation of Central and South American slider turtles is incorrect. Our data suggest that Trachemys grayi is a distinct polytypic species that embraces, besides the nominotypical subspecies, T. g. emolli and T. g. panamensis. Trachemys ornata is also polytypic with the subspecies T. o. ornata, T. o. callirostris, T. o. cataspila, T. o. chichiriviche and T. o. venusta. Moreover, T. adiutrix should be regarded as a subspecies of T. dorbigni. All studied Trachemys species are inferred to have originated in the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene. The ancestor of the two subspecies of T. dorbigni colonized South America most probably prior to the establishment of the land bridge connecting Central and South America, whereas the two South American subspecies of T. ornata represent a younger independent immigration wave from Central America.     

Spatial analysis of harmonic oscillation of gypsy moth outbreak intensity

Outbreaks of many forest-defoliating insects are synchronous over broad geographic areas and occur with a period of approximately 10 years. Within the range of the gypsy moth in North America, however, there is considerable geographic heterogeneity in strength of periodicity and the frequency of outbreaks. Furthermore, gypsy moth outbreaks exhibit two significant periodicities: a dominant period of 8–10 years and a subdominant period of 4–5 years. In this study, we used a simulation model and spatially referenced time series of outbreak intensity data from the Northeastern United States to show that the bimodal periodicity in the intensity of gypsy moth outbreaks is largely a result of harmonic oscillations in gypsy moth abundance at and above a 4 km² scale of resolution. We also used geographically weighted regression models to explore the effects of gypsy moth host-tree abundance on the periodicity of gypsy moths. We found that the strength of 5-year cycles increased relative to the strength of 10-year cycles with increasing host tree abundance. We suggest that this pattern emerges because high host-tree availability enhances the growth rates of gypsy moth populations.     

Global invasion by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anthidium manicatum</Emphasis> (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): assessing potential distribution in North America and beyond

The wool carder bee, Anthidium manicatum, is the most widely distributed unmanaged bee in the world. It was unintentionally introduced to North America in the late 1960s from Europe, and subsequently, into South America, New Zealand and the Canary Islands. We provide information on the local distribution, seasonal abundance and sex ratio of A. manicatum from samples collected in an intensive two-year survey across Utah, USA. Anthidium manicatum was detected in 10 of the 29 Utah counties, largely in urban and suburban settings. Combining presence-only and MaxEnt background data from literature, museum databases and new records from Utah, we constructed three species distribution models to examine the potential distribution of A. manicatum in its native Eurasian range as well as invaded ranges of North and South America. The A. manicatum model based on locality and background data from the species’ native range predicted 50% of the invasive records associated with high habitat suitability (HS ≥ 0.90). The invasive North American model predicted a much broader distribution of A. manicatum (214% increase); whereas, the South American model predicted a narrower distribution (88% decrease). The poor predictive power of the latter model in estimating suitable habitats in the invasive South American range of A. manicatum suggests that the bee may still be limited by the bioclimatic constraints associated with a novel environment. Estimates of niche similarity (D) between the native and invasive models find that the North America bioclimatic niche is more similar to the bioclimatic niche of the native model (D = 0.78), whereas the bioclimatic niche of the South America invasion is relatively dissimilar (D = 0.69). We discuss the naturalization of A. manicatum in North America, possibly through punctuated dispersal, the probability of suitable habitats across the globe and the synanthropy exhibited by this invasive species.