Spatial synchrony of planthopper species with contrasting outbreak behaviour

1 We studied the synchrony of two sympatric delphacids species with different outbreak behaviours over a range of 250 km in Argentina. 2 The spatial synchrony in the dynamics of Delphacodes kuscheli and Toya propinqua was quantified by collecting individuals of both species simultaneously at three sampling heights: ground, 1.5 m and 6 m above the ground. Synchrony between paired sampling sites separated by increasing distances was estimated using a nonparametric covariance function. 3 A significant difference was found between the spatial synchrony of the species studied. Delphacodes kuscheli individuals collected at 6 m above the ground showed consistent spatial synchrony over long distances with correlation values declining by 40%. Population dynamics showed declining synchrony as site separation increased. Toya propinqua populations did not show this pattern. This species had a lower mean regional synchrony at at 6 m above the ground, but their ground height synchrony was greater than that observed for D. kuscheli. 4 One possible synchronizing mechanism is seasonality and the dispersal strategies of each species. The main host plants of D. kuscheli are winter cereals sown as pasture for cattle grazing and the synchrony of the crop may affect the general pattern of dispersing individuals of this species. The lack of synchrony observed in T. propinqua populations was probably due to the wider host range of this species.     

Maize and oat antixenosis and antibiosis against Delphacodes kuscheli (Homoptera: Delphacidae), vector of "Mal de Rio Cuarto" of maize in Argentina

"Mal de Rio Cuarto" (MRC) is the most important virus disease of maize, Zea mays L., in Argentina. Several maize lines show different levels of resistance to MRC in the field; however, no studies have been conducted to investigate resistance mechanisms against its insect vector, Delphacodes kuscheli Fennah (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Oat, Avena spp., is the main overwintering host of D. kuscheli and main source of populations that infest maize. Although oat varieties resistant to the greenbug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani) (Homoptera: Aphididae) are commercially available, their effect on D. kuscheli is unknown. We conducted laboratory experiments to test for the presence of antixenosis and antibiosis resistance mechanisms on six maize lines with different levels of field resistance to MRC, and seven commercial oat cultivars that include two S. graminum-resistant varieties. We did not find antibiotic effects of maize lines on D. kuscheli longevity and survivorship patterns, but we obtained antixenotic effects from the LP2 line (field moderate) due to reduced settling preference and feeding. Oat 'Bonaerense Payé and 'Suregrain INTA' showed both antixenosis and antibiosis, with significantly less settling preference, oviposition in the no-choice test, and reduced total fecundity in comparison with the other varieties studied. The S. graminum-resistant 'Boyera F. A.' and 'Tambera F. A.' did not showed a consistent pattern of resistance versus D. kuscheli across all experiments. Our results indicate the presence of potential sources of insect resistance in the maize lines and oat cultivars tested that may be used in MRC integrated pest management programs.     

Regional abundance of a planthopper pest: the effect of host patch area and configuration

The effect of host patch area and configuration on the abundance of dispersing individuals of Delphacodes kuscheli Fennah (Homoptera: Delphacidae), the vector of Río Cuarto disease in maize, was investigated in the main maize production area of Argentina. Actively dispersing D. kuscheli individuals were collected from 15 sampling sites during the spring seasons of 1999 and 2000, using sticky traps placed at 6 m above ground level. Host patches were detected and quantified using Landsat 5 TM images for the periods studied. The spatial pattern analysis program FRAGSTATS was used to estimate the total class area, largest patch index, mean proximity index, and patch cohesion index for patches of winter pastures (the main insect host during winter) as observed from the satellite images. Landsat 5 TM estimations showed local variability in the proportion of winter pastures, with patches bigger during 1999 than during 2000, but these patches represented only a very small part of the total landscape. Proximity between host patches was also variable between sites and higher values of cohesion occurred during the first sampling season. The relationship between host area and D. kuscheli mean abundance was adjusted to an exponential (R²= 77.5%) model. Host patch dominance, host patch isolation, and host patch connectivity all showed a positive relationship with D. kuscheli mean abundance, adjusting significantly to linear models (R²= 92%, R²= 90%, and R²= 22%, respectively). Outbreaks of Río Cuarto disease in the main maize production area of Argentina are related to high vector populations. The results indicate that the abundance of D. kuscheli depends on factors related to the abundance and configuration of its host patches.     

Habitat selection by Ortolan Buntings Emberiza hortulana in post-fire succession in Catalonia: implications for the conservation of farmland populations

The Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana is a long-distance migrant that has suffered major population declines across much of its European breeding range. While northern populations are bound largely to farmland, Mediterranean populations are largely confined to habitats subject to recurrent wildfires. Habitat selection of the Ortolan Bunting was assessed in a recently burnt area in Catalonia at landscape and habitat scales. A Zero-inflated Poisson procedure was used to model the abundance of birds in relation to landscape and habitat variables. The most parsimonious landscape model predicted the highest abundance on south-facing slopes, with a gradient above 10°. The most parsimonious habitat model showed a positive quadratic effect of bare ground and regenerating oak Quercus spp., with predicted optima for abundance around 20–30% and 20% cover, respectively. There was a clear relationship between predicted abundance of the Ortolan Bunting and post-fire regenerating oak shrubs. South-facing, moderately sloping areas were favoured and bare ground was a key feature of the species' habitat. A matrix combining patches of sparse oak shrubs and patches of bare ground appears to be the optimal breeding habitat in the Mediterranean. The maintenance or provision of similar habitat features, especially patches of bare ground, may prove crucial for the conservation of rapidly declining Ortolan Bunting populations on farmland across temperate Europe.     

Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) invasion along streams in a heterogeneous landscape

Streams are periodically disturbed due to flooding, act as edges between habitats and also facilitate the dispersal of propagules, thus being potentially more vulnerable to invasions than adjoining regions. We used a landscape-wide transect-based sampling strategy and a mixed effects modelling approach to understand the effects of distance from stream, a rainfall gradient, light availability and fire history on the distribution of the invasive shrub Lantana camara L.(lantana) in the tropical dry forests of Mudumalai in southern India. The area occupied by lantana thickets and lantana stem abundance were both found to be highest closest to streams across this landscape with a rainfall gradient. There was no advantage in terms of increased abundance or area occupied by lantana when it grew closer to streams in drier areas as compared to moister areas. On an average, the area covered by lantana increased with increasing annual rainfall. Areas that experienced greater number of fires during 1989–2010 had lower lantana stem abundance irrespective of distance from streams. In this landscape, total light availability did not affect lantana abundance. Understanding the spatially variable environmental factors in a heterogeneous landscape influencing the distribution of lantana would aid in making informed management decisions at this scale.     

Spatial pattern of the Río Cuarto corn disease vector, Delphacodes kuscheli Fennah (Hom., Delphacidae), in oat fields in Argentina and design of sampling plans

The spatial pattern of the Río Cuarto Corn Disease vector, Delphacodes kuscheli (Hom., Delphacidae), was analysed in oat fields within the endemic area of the disease, during the growing seasons 1993 and 1994. The spatial pattern was analysed by fitting the probabilistic models Poisson and negative binomial and estimation of single-date and overall aggregation indices. The population of the different stage classes, sex, and wing forms showed a significant trend to aggregation as the negative binomial model fitted the observed frequency distributions in more than 78% of the cases (sampling dates) while the Poisson model fitted well in only 28% of cases or less. Single-date aggregation index, C _A, ranged from 0.3 to 0.84. Overall (whole season) aggregation index, C _A*, estimated through the Bliss and Owen's regression method, ranged from 0.18 (female adults) to 1.08 (nymphs I–II), indicating a moderate degree of aggregation compared with other planthopper species. There were no significant relationships between aggregation and population density. The minimum number of sampling units and critical lines for sequential sampling plans were calculated based on the estimation of C _A* for the precision levels ( D ) 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3. Even low degrees of aggregation, like that of adults, demand much more sampling effort than randomly distributed populations, particularly at high densities. General implications and limitations of the proposed sampling plans for monitoring the vector population abundance are discussed.     

农田景观格局对华北地区麦田早期瓢虫种群发生的影响

【目的】评价在华北地区农田景观格局对早期麦田瓢虫种群数量的影响。【方法】本文通过黄板诱集法调查4月中下旬麦田瓢虫成虫数量,对不同空间尺度下的景观格局进行调查与主成分分析,并结合"校正后赤池信息准则(AICc)"对构建的线性模型进行筛选,评估了景观因子对瓢虫种群数量的影响。【结果】在半径0.5、1.0、1.5、2.0 km 4个景观尺度下以林地为主的非作物生境均有利于麦田瓢虫成虫种群数量的增加,在较大的尺度范围内村落和休耕地与麦田瓢虫的发生数量正相关。其中,0.5 km尺度下的景观因子最能预测麦田瓢虫种群数量,其中林地面积和瓢虫种群数量呈正相关,而麦田瓢虫却随着景观多样性指数的增加而降低。此外,龟纹瓢虫作为麦田早期瓢虫的优势种类对景观多样性的响应与瓢虫复合种群一致。【结论】在华北地区,农田景观系统中非作物生境有利于麦田早期瓢虫种群的发生。     

Synchronization in ecological systems by weak dispersal coupling with time delay

One of the most salient spatiotemporal patterns in population ecology is the synchronization of fluctuating local populations across vast spatial extent. Synchronization of abundance has been widely observed across a range of spatial scales in relation to the rate of dispersal among discrete populations. However, the dependence of synchrony on patterns of among-patch movement across heterogeneous landscapes has been largely ignored. Here, we consider the duration of movement between two predator–prey communities connected by weak dispersal and its effect on population synchrony. More specifically, we introduce time-delayed dispersal to incorporate the finite transmission time between discrete populations across a continuous landscape. Reducing the system to a phase model using weakly connected network theory, it is found that the time delay is an important factor determining the nature and stability of phase-locked states. Our analysis predicts enhanced convergence to stable synchronous fluctuations in general and a decreased ability of systems to produce in-phase synchronization dynamics in the presence of delayed dispersal. These results introduce delayed dispersal as a tool for understanding the importance of dispersal time across a landscape matrix in affecting metacommunity dynamics. They further highlight the importance of landscape and dispersal patterns for predicting the onset of synchrony between weakly coupled populations.     

On the evolution of dispersal via heterogeneity in spatial connectivity

Dispersal has long been recognized as a mechanism that shapes many observed ecological and evolutionary processes. Thus, understanding the factors that promote its evolution remains a major goal in evolutionary ecology. Landscape connectivity may mediate the trade-off between the forces in favour of dispersal propensity (e.g. kin-competition, local extinction probability) and those against it (e.g. energetic or survival costs of dispersal). It remains, however, an open question how differing degrees of landscape connectivity may select for different dispersal strategies. We implemented an individual-based model to study the evolution of dispersal on landscapes that differed in the variance of connectivity across patches ranging from networks with all patches equally connected to highly heterogeneous networks. The parthenogenetic individuals dispersed based on a flexible logistic function of local abundance. Our results suggest, all else being equal, that landscapes differing in their connectivity patterns will select for different dispersal strategies and that these strategies confer a long-term fitness advantage to individuals at the regional scale. The strength of the selection will, however, vary across network types, being stronger on heterogeneous landscapes compared with the ones where all patches have equal connectivity. Our findings highlight how landscape connectivity can determine the evolution of dispersal strategies, which in turn affects how we think about important ecological dynamics such as metapopulation persistence and range expansion.     

Do species population parameters and landscape characteristics affect the relationship between local population abundance and surrounding habitat amount?

In landscape ecology, correlational approaches are typically used to analyse links between local population abundance, and the surrounding habitat amount to estimate biologically-relevant landscape size (extent) for managing endangered or pest populations. The direction, strength, and spatial extent of the correlations are then sometimes interpreted in terms of species population parameters. Here we simulated the population dynamics of generalized species across spatially explicit landscapes that included two distinct habitat types. We investigated how characteristics of a landscape (structure), including the variation in habitat quality and spatial aggregation of the habitat, and the precise population-dynamic properties of the simulated species (dispersal and growth rates) affect the correlation between population abundance and amount of surrounding favourable habitat in the landscape. To evaluate these spatial extents of correlation, proportions of favourable habitat were calculated within several circles of increasing diameter centred on sampling patches of favourable habitat where population abundance was recorded.We found that the value of the correlation coefficients between population abundance and amount of surrounding favourable habitat depended on both population dynamic parameters and landscape characteristics. Coefficients of correlation increased with the variation in habitat quality and the aggregation of favourable habitat in the landscape, but decreased with the dispersal distance. The distance at which the correlation was maximized was sensitive to an interaction between the level of aggregation of the habitat and the dispersal distance; whereas the greatest distance at which a significant correlation occurred was more sensitive to the variation in habitat quality. Our results corroborate the view that correlational analyses do provide information on the local population dynamics of a species in a given habitat type and on its dispersal rate parameters. However, even in simplified, model frameworks, direct relationships are often difficult to disentangle and global landscape characteristics should be reported in any studies intended to derive population-dynamic parameters from correlations. Where possible, replicated landscapes should be examined in order to control for the interaction between population dynamics and landscape structure. Finally, we recommend using species-specific, population-dynamic modelling in order to interpret correctly the observed patterns of correlation in the landscape.     

Synchrony of woodland bird populations: the effect of landscape structure

The influence of environmental stochasticity and dispersal in producing patterns in population synchrony was examined for 53 woods censused annually from 1990 to 1999 for nine resident bird species (wren Troglodytes troglodytes , dunnock Prunella modularis , robin Erithacus rubecula , blackbird Turdus merula , song thrush Turdus philomelos , long-tailed tit Aegithalos caudatus , blue tit Parus caeruleus , great tit Parus major , and chaffinch Fringilla coelebs ) and four migrant bird species (garden warbler Sylvia borin , blackcap Sylvia atricapilla , chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita and willow warbler Phylloscopus trochilus ). Twelve species showed global synchrony of population counts due to regional population trends and widespread annual population fluctuations. There was a clear link between population fluctuations and winter weather for wren, and three other species showed their largest population declines after the coldest winters. Eight species showed a decline in synchrony with distance between woods, and there was evidence for dispersal causing this pattern in three species. Landscape structure affected patterns of synchrony in several species, with lower synchrony in landscapes with less woodland. For three species, this difference in synchrony across a landscape gradient of decreasing woodland cover accounted for the decline in synchrony over distance. Three species showed greater synchrony between woods with similar amounts of hedgerow in the surrounding landscape, suggesting that the surroundings of a wood influence the population dynamics of some species breeding in the wood. Habitat fragmentation can alter the processes contributing to population synchrony. Loss of woodland reduces the relative abundance of woodland bird species. The remaining patches of habitat are smaller, more isolated and are set in a more hostile landscape, all of which may disrupt dispersal between patches and alter the population dynamics within woods.     

Wind mediated dispersal of freshwater invertebrates in a rock pool metacommunity: differences in dispersal capacities and modes

Current evidence suggests regular overland transport of different freshwater invertebrates by wind, mainly over short distances. Yet, very little is known about the mechanism and scale of this process or about differences in wind dispersal dynamics and capacities among taxa and propagule types. We investigated wind dispersal of freshwater invertebrates in a cluster of temporary rock pools (spatial scale: 9,000 m²) in South Africa. Dispersing propagules and propagule bank fragments (i.e. aggregates of sediments and propagules) were intercepted during 1 month using a combination of windsocks (1.5 m above ground level) and sticky traps (ground level). The potential movement of propagule bank fragments (i.e. aggregates of propagules and sediments) was also simulated by tracking inter-pool movements of differently sized artificial substrate fragments similar to dry propagule bank fragments. We detected differences in the composition of dispersing communities intercepted at different altitudes (ground level and at 1.5 m). Comparison of dispersal distance distributions also revealed significant differences among taxa. Overall, larger propagule types (e.g. adult ostracods and oribatid mites) dominantly travelled near ground level while small resting eggs and cryptobiotic life stages of copepods were most frequently collected at higher altitudes (1.5 m) and dispersed over the longest distances. Finally, not only dispersal of single propagules but also ground level transport of propagule bank fragments was shown to contribute to local dispersal dynamics in temporary aquatic habitats.     

夷陵地区异质景观对松材线虫病的抵抗力及生态风险分析

以宜昌市夷陵地区为研究区域,探讨在疫区通过异质性的景观控制松材线虫病扩散流行的方法及当前疫区的生态风险.结合景观生态学和森林保护学理论,基于松材线虫病生物学特征和现有土地利用类型,经过重分类,构建了夷陵区景观格局,并以景观格局指数为评价指标,通过空间分析和克里金插值法对夷陵区生态风险进行评价.结果表明,研究区异质性景观...     

Potential of yellow sticky traps for lady beetle survey in cotton

A 2-yr study was conducted to investigate the potential of using yellow sticky traps to survey lady beetles in cotton and to quantify seasonal activity patterns. The performance of sticky traps was compared with that of a 2-cycle vacuum sampler. The most common lady beetle species captured by sticky traps and vacuum sampler in cotton were Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville and Scymnus loewii Mulsant. Sticky traps captured significantly more of both species of lady beetles, had greater capture efficiency, and more effectively detected lady beetles compared with the vacuum sampler. These data indicate that the sticky trap can be a valuable tool in monitoring lady beetle populations in cotton. In the second part of this study, a year-round survey of lady beetle populations in the periphery of a cotton farm using sticky traps showed that lady beetles remained active throughout the year in the Texas Rolling Plains, but the activity was influenced by winter severity. Over a 2-yr period, H. convergens, S. loewii, Coccinella septempunctata (L.), and Olla v-nigrum (Mulsant) comprised 89.6, 8.2, 1.9, and 0.3% of the specimens, respectively. Sticky trap captures were affected by year, trap height, and cropping season. Traps placed at 0.75 m above ground captured significantly more (80%) lady beetles than traps placed at 1.50 m (20%) above ground; traps at 0.75 m above ground also detected the rarer species while the traps at 1.50 m above ground detected only the abundant species. Trap captures were higher during the noncotton season (November to April) compared with the cotton season (May to October). A significant positive correlation between cotton aphid abundance during the growing season and H. convergens abundance during the following noncotton season was also detected, indicating a significant movement of H. convergens from cotton to the periphery of the farm to seek refuge after cotton termination.     

Responses of vertebrates to pastoralism,military land use and landscape position in an Australian tropical savanna

Despite the hegemony of pastoralism over most of Australia’s tropical savannas, its impacts upon biodiversity are poorly known. There is even less knowledge about the impacts of military training, a recent, but rapidly expanding, alternative land use. We compare impacts of these land uses upon mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs at a site in north‐eastern Australia, with sampling from 24 quadrats stratified by four landscape positions (upper slope to riparian) and three current land‐use types (pastoralism, military training and undisturbed). Prior to exclusion in 1967, the whole study area had been subjected to grazing over the course of approximately 100 years, so differences observed strictly reflect responses to changed land use (largely cessation from grazing) over the period of 32 years subsequent to the imposition of the present regime. The four classes of vertebrates showed contrasting responses. Frog distribution was unrelated to land use, but strongly associated with landscape position. Reptiles showed a very strong response to land‐use type but not to landscape position. The total abundance and richness of reptiles was greater in ungrazed (i.e. military and undisturbed) than in grazed quadrats. The total abundance and species richness of birds varied strongly with landscape position but was unrelated to land use. However, many individual bird species showed significant responses to land‐use type, and bird species composition was significantly related to both land‐use type and landscape position. The richness of the mammal fauna was weakly related to landscape position and not related to land‐use type. A few individual mammal species showed significant responses to either or both factors, but mammal species composition was significantly (albeit weakly) related only to land‐use type. With due regard to some interpretative constraints in the study design, and the history of the site prior to this study, these results suggest that pastoralism leads to a substantial rearrangement of the vertebrate fauna, and particularly so for reptiles and those mammals and birds associated with the ground and understorey layers. Given the extent of pastoralism across the tropical savannas, these results suggest that this industry has contributed to major and widespread change in the savanna fauna. In contrast to pastoralism, military land use (at least at the relatively low intensity examined here) produced little change in vertebrate assemblages.     

快速城市化地区景观格局梯度动态及其城乡融合区特征——以广州市番禺区为例

以快速城市化的广州市番禺区为研究样区,通过解译1990-2008年4期Landsat TM影像得到研究区土地利用/覆被数据.选取景观类型水平和景观水平上的景观指数,采用景观格局与梯度分析相结合的方法,研究快速城市化地区景观格局的梯度变化及其城乡融合区特征.结果表明：研究区景观格局动态变化显著,在城市化缓冲带上具有典型的城乡融合区特征,城市景观逐年增加且向外围扩展,而农业景观破碎化严重.斑块密度、蔓延度、景观多样性等指数在城市化梯度上表现出明显的规律性,景观指数峰值出现在距离城市中心4～6 km的梯度带上.时间序列上的景观格局数据体现了不同梯度带上景观动态的差异,城乡融合区景观格局具有斑块形状复杂、景观多样性和破碎化程度高、景观动态变化剧烈的特点.景观指数的峰值逐年向外推移,城乡融合区有逐渐向外发展的趋势.探讨了城乡融合区景观格局时空演化的一般特征及其驱动因素,对区域土地利用政策和可持续发展规划具有指导意义.     

Interpreting outputs of agent-based models using abundance–occupancy relationships

Reliable assessments of how human activities affect wild populations are essential for effective natural resource management. Agent-based models provide a powerful tool for integration of multiple drivers of ecological systems, but selecting and interpreting their output is often challenging. Here, we develop an indicator (the AOR-index) based on the abundance–occupancy relationship to facilitate the interpretation of agent-based model outputs. The AOR-index is based on the distribution of individuals in the landscape translated into the number of individuals in each cell of a regular grid. The proportion of grid cells with at least one individual is used to quantify occupancy and the mean number of individuals in occupied cells is used to quantify abundance. The AOR-index is a two-dimensional index giving the relative change in abundance and occupancy in response to a scenario (e.g. a change in land use or climate). We systematically modify a digital version of a real landscape to produce a set of artificial landscapes differing only in the degree of landscape fragmentation. We test how these different landscapes affect the AOR-index of six model animal species in four different land use scenarios using an agent-based model framework (ALMaSS). Our results suggest that the AOR-index is a sensitive tool to demonstrate how different species respond to particular land-use scenarios. The bird and mammal species generally showed larger responses than the invertebrates and changes in abundance and occupancy were often of different magnitude. The different responses are caused by species-specific habitat requirements and dispersal abilities, but the importance of such life history traits depend on landscape structure. Hence, predictions of species-specific responses to land-use changes in terms of abundance and occupancy are greatly improved by incorporation in a model framework taking spatial and temporal dynamics into account. The AOR-index facilitates the evaluation of multiple scenarios and allows for multi-species assessments. Its use, however, still requires identified management goals in order to evaluate scenario responses.     

黄河中下游农业景观中景观简化对传粉昆虫多样性的影响——以巩义市为例

在农业景观中,传粉昆虫的生存繁衍与半自然生境的面积大小有关。集约化生产方式使半自然生境比例逐渐减少,农田比例不断增加,随着景观简化梯度的变化(农田比例逐渐增大),传粉昆虫群落多样性将会发生怎样的变化?选择黄河中下游典型农区巩义市为研究区域,采用诱捕盘法(Pan traps)进行农田、林地的传粉昆虫取样,以21个样点作为景观简化梯度(农田比例范围5%—86%)的呈现,基于每个样点的传粉昆虫多度和丰富度变化来探究景观简化对传粉昆虫多样性的影响。结果显示:区内累计捕获传粉昆虫39660头,优势类群包括双翅目(Diptera)、膜翅目(Hymenoptera)、鞘翅目(Coleoptera)等。采用逐步回归分析及线性拟合后发现景观简化程度与传粉昆虫多度和丰富度呈显著负相关(P0.05);景观简化对传粉昆虫类群间的影响也是有差异的,其中对鞘翅目多度的影响最为密切(R~2=0.27),同时对膜翅目和双翅目也有较大影响(R~2=0.14、R~2=0.11),景观简化与鳞翅目多度呈正相关;随景观简化的程度加深,农田生境中膜翅目多度呈显著下降趋势(P0.05),而林地中膜翅目多度变化不明显。在未来的景观规划中,应着重考虑传粉昆虫中鞘翅目类群的栖息地变化及食物资源状况。依据研究结果建议林地生境中应注重保护现有的自然植被群落,在人工林中可以种植一定面积的蜜粉源植物;农田生境内对杂草群落、半自然生境斑块进行合理规划的基础上,还可以种植线性景观植物作为传粉昆虫的食物源。     

Sampling method affects estimates of population density and reproductive maturity of summer‐form pistachio psyllids

Abstract

In this study, the effects of using three different sampling methods (yellow sticky traps, beating tray, organdy bags) on estimating the distribution through the canopy of the summer‐form adults of the pistachio psyllid (Agonoscena targionii (Licht.)) was investigated throughout the vegetative period. The traps or bags were hung at two heights in the tree canopy, 3.5 m above ground and 2 m above ground. Psyllids were counted weekly, and their sex determined. Adult abundance varied during the study, but all three sampling methods indicated that densities were higher in the upper canopy than the lower canopy. The percentage of females having mature eggs was lowest in late May, and highest in June and September. Sex ratios were highly variable among sampling dates and among sampling methods, at both canopy heights. Sex ratios in bags tended to be more female‐biased in the lower canopy than in the upper canopy. Sticky trap counts were significantly male biased, more so in the upper canopy than in the lower canopy. Mean sex ratios differed significantly between bag and sticky trap samples at both heights, but did not differ significantly between tray and bag samples at either height. In addition, for a given tray or bag count, sticky trap catch of males was larger than catch of females, and was larger in the upper canopy than in the lower canopy. Bag counts (psyllids per leaflet) strongly increased with tray count.

Of the three sampling methods described here, the bag samples provided direct estimates of psyllid numbers per leaflet, but this method is extremely time consuming. Bag counts (psyllids per leaflet) increased with tray count, suggesting that beat trays can be used to estimate absolute densities.     

Pattern analysis of eastern spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana dispersal

Dispersal has been proposed as an important mechanism in the broad‐scale synchronisation of insect outbreaks by linking spatially disjunct populations. Evidence suggests that dispersal is influenced by landscape structure, phenology, temperature, and air currents; however, the details remain unclear due to the difficulty of quantifying dispersal. In this study, we used data on the abundance and distribution of spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana larvae (potential dispersers) and adult male moths (dispersers) to make inference on the effects of air currents and host‐species abundance on dispersal. Hierarchical‐Bayesian and inverse modeling was used to explore 4 dispersal models: 1) isotropic dispersal; 2) directional‐dispersal; 3) directional‐and‐host‐species dispersal; and 4) host‐species dispersal. Despite their strong dependence on balsam fir Abies balsamea and spruce species Picea spp., the mapped basal area of these host species did not influence the pattern of dispersed moths. The model that best fit the data was the directional‐dispersal model, which showed that the prevailing dispersal direction was from the northwest (328°). We infer that the strong pattern of directional dispersal was due to a prevailing wind from the same direction. Our interpretation was corroborated by independent wind data during the period of active adult male budworm flight, particularly in the region with high larval abundance. Our results indicate that there was a relatively high probability of individuals flying at least 48 km with the wind where larvae abundance at source locations was also high. Such findings emphasize the importance of long‐distance dispersal on spatial distribution of adult male spruce budworms. Insight into the population‐level consequences of such dispersal patterns requires additional research.