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A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 27124

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Dr. Viktor Brygadyrenko

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Department of Zoology and Ecology, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, Nauky Avenue 72, 49045 Dnipro, Ukraine
Interests: Coleoptera; litter invertebrate community; agricultural pests; parasitic nematodes; food additives; industrial pollutants; sustainable agriculture; ecology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to take part in the publication of a Special Issue titled “Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities”. The objects of research are the more than a million species of these organisms known to modern science and the several million species that have not yet been studied.

Terrestrial ecosystems have been studied better than marine ones, but the ways of regulating energy flows and mechanisms of maintaining stability in terrestrial ecosystems are not well understood. The central role in maintaining the stability of terrestrial ecosystems is played by invertebrates at different levels in the trophic pyramid—from phytophages to consumers of the fourth to fifth orders. Parasites are able to relatively slowly but effectively regulate the biomass of mass species; therefore, they are of particular importance in preventing the mass reproduction of consumers of lower orders. The spatial heterogeneity of habitat conditions is of great importance for maintaining the stability of terrestrial ecosystems. Within the range of a certain type of consumer it can provide suitable stations (biotopes) for its population both on the southern border of the range and on the northern one. Global climate change poses serious challenges for zoologists and ecologists. Local habitats characteristic of invertebrates are becoming less suitable, and in the northern parts of ranges, these organisms acquire an invasive potential. If autotroph populations move northward as a result of global warming relatively synchronously with most invertebrate species, then the soil and litter layer, having a greater buffer capacity, is able to keep its properties unchanged for many years and decades. As a result, the biocenosis (a community of producers, consumers and decomposers) is shifting northward to relatively unsuitable soil and climatic conditions. Changes in temperature, humidity, insolation, uneven precipitation contribute to the elimination (exclusion) of certain species from the biocenosis, which do not withstand, for example, summer drought or freeze out in snowless winters. As a result, the diversity of invertebrate communities is becoming impoverished. For several seasons, species that can prevent massive outbreaks of the reproduction of certain types of consumers are eliminated from it. This causes a decrease in the overall biological diversity of the terrestrial ecosystem. A decrease in the diversity of plant organisms makes the habitat less suitable for human life. Successional processes which took place many centuries before the Industrial Revolution, now take place on local territories in the 21st century. This affects invertebrates at the population level, as the morphological, physiological and biochemical variability of model populations increases. All these complex biocenotic processes occur in a gradient of various anthropogenic factors; agrogenic and technogenic pollution of the environment by various pollutants undoubtedly complicates the processes of maintaining a stable population in invertebrate populations.

This Special Issue of the journal Diversity entitled “Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities” is devoted to the description of such changes in populations, species and communities of invertebrates. Maintaining the sustainability of the natural human habitat may remain questionable without a deep study of these processes. If your research is aimed at maintaining the diversity of communities and populations of invertebrates, we invite you to send your manuscript for publication.

Prof. Dr. Viktor Brygadyrenko
Guest Editor

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Keywords

invertebrate populations
morphological variability
global climate change
areal
the structure of biological communities
anthropogenic impact on populations
habitat pollution
sustainability of biological communities
taxonomic diversity

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1885 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oribatid Mites (Oribatida) Associated with Nests of Hollow-Nesting Birds, on the Example of a Model Species, the European Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), in the Taiga Forests of the European North-East of Russia

by Elena N. Melekhina, Andrey N. Korolev and Natalia P. Selivanova

Diversity 2023, 15(6), 765; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15060765 - 12 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1188

Abstract

The authors have obtained original material on the fauna and population structure of oribatid mites inhabiting nests of the European Pied Flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca, Passeriformes, hollow-nesting bird) on the territory of the taiga zone of the European North-East of Russia. Long-term research and the collection of nests were carried out in the green zone of Syktyvkar in 2017–2022. Observations were made for artificial nests (hollows) of a box type with a bottom area of 100 cm². The material of the tray was collected completely. In 135 studied nests of Pied Flycatchers, 1762 specimens were found and identified for 22 species of oribatid mites from 19 genera and 16 families. In the nests of the Pied Flycatcher, a complex of species was found that is known as an arboricolous species for this region; these are Oribatula (Zygoribatula) propinqua, Oribatula (Z.) exilis, Trichoribates (T.) berlesei, and Ameronothrus oblongus. We suggested that arboricolous species, as well as eurytopic species, can actively inhabit bird nests. Highly numerous in our collections were representatives of the Oribatulidae and Scheloribatidae families; they are Oribatula (Z.) propinqua, Oribatula (Z.) exilis, Oribatula (O.) tibialis, and Scheloribates laevigatus. Epigeic species are dominated by the species number. The fauna of oribatid mites mainly included widespread Holarctic species (54.54%). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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14 pages, 1619 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Saproxylic Beetle Community in the Expansion Site of a Megaproject and in the Surrounding Area in the Western Italian Alps

by Irene Piccini, Davide Bellone, Viviana Di Pietro, Roberta Berretti, Luca Cristiano, Enrico Caprio, Alessandro Bruno Biscaccianti and Simona Bonelli

Diversity 2023, 15(4), 556; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040556 - 14 Apr 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1679

Abstract

Beetles are one of the most diverse and often highly specialized groups among saproxylic organisms and play a key role in forest dynamics. To develop conservation plans in forests threatened by human activities, such as construction sites, it is crucial to identify key parameters characterizing forest structure in turn influencing saproxylic beetle diversity and abundance. Here, we investigate the difference in forest structure parameters and their cascading effect on saproxylic beetle communities between a forest site affected by the construction site expansion of the Turin–Lyon High-Speed Railway Line and a nearby second forest site. Our study showed differences in forest structure parameters between the two sites, in particular in the overall volume and diameter of coarse woody debris and in standing dead tree abundance. Even saproxylic beetle community structure was different between the two sites and this difference was linked to the different abundance and species richness of standing dead trees. Our findings provide information for the development of a local conservation plan for the saproxylic beetle community within forest habitats. Increasing the volume of deadwood and enriching tree diversity can locally sustain abundant and diverse communities and, eventually, support those species that are threatened by the building site expansion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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16 pages, 2742 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Climate on Scorpion Diversity in Arid Ecosystems of the Sahara Desert of Algeria

by Salah Eddine Sadine, Zineb Souilem, Yacine Belgaid, Abdelwahab Chedad, Zineb Djelloud-Souilem, Bahri Chebihi, Abdelheq Zouaimia, Zinette Bensakhri, Moussa Houhamdi and Rabah Zebsa

Diversity 2023, 15(4), 541; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040541 - 9 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3761

Abstract

In desert ecosystems, arthropods such as scorpions are understudied, and sufficient information is still lacking regarding their biodiversity. Specimen collection was carried out over 24 months (2016–2017). This study assessed the phenology, abundance, richness and diversity of scorpion species in arid ecosystems of the Sahara desert of Algeria (Ghardaïa). It examined the potential influence of climate parameters (precipitation, temperature and wind) on activity density, diversity and the phenological distribution of the species among seasons. We identified eight Buthidae species: Androctonus aeneas, Androctonus amoreuxi, Androctonus australis, Buthacus samiae, Buthacus spinatus, Buthacus elmenia, Buthus saharicus and Lissothus chaambi. Androctonus amoreuxi and Androctonus australis were the most abundant and omnipresent species, comprising 54.41% and 33.82% of all species found, respectively. Shannon’s index and the evenness index demonstrated a very poor diversity of scorpions in this region and a poor balance between the number of sampled species. Seasonal variation and climate parameters, i.e., temperature and wind, influenced the number, distribution, and the diversity of scorpions. The number of species found in Ghardaïa Province represent more than 20% of the scorpion species reported in Algeria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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18 pages, 4363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Use of Microbially Treated Olive Mill Wastewaters as Soil Organic Amendments; Their Short-Term Effects on the Soil Nematode Community

by Maria D. Dimou, Nikolaos Monokrousos, Petros Katapodis, Panagiota A. Diamantopoulou, Maria D. Argyropoulou and Efimia M. Papatheodorou

Diversity 2023, 15(4), 497; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15040497 - 29 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1841

Abstract

Managing olive mill wastewater (OMW) is a major environmental problem. We followed two methods for OMW bioremediation: one with the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus alone and one with the fungus plus the microalga Chlorella vulgaris. To evaluate the potential use of both final products as soil amendments, in a pot experiment, we applied treated OMW to soil cultivated with Lactuca sativa, and we studied their short-term effects on the soil nematode community in terms of trophic and functional structure, metabolic footprint, genera composition, and interaction networks. We also applied non-treated OMW and simply water (control). The addition of non-treated OMW significantly reduced the abundance of all nematodes, and the network of interactions was the most fragmented and the least robust against future disturbance. The effect on trophic group abundances was similar but less pronounced when OMW was previously detoxified either by the fungus alone or by its combination with the alga. In the latter case, the phytoparasites were suppressed but the bacterivorous nematodes were not affected. However, the most cohesive and robust nematode network was formed in the soil that received the fungal-treated OMW. None of our OMW applications significantly changed community composition, none improved the already degraded status of the soil food web—which is attributed to the sandy texture of our soil—and none affected the growth of lettuce plants, perhaps because of the short duration of the experiment (30 days). Thus, our future research will aim to estimate the long-term impact of OMW. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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15 pages, 1563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Large Remaining Forest Habitat Patches Help Preserve Wild Bee Diversity in Cultivated Blueberry Bush

by Sergio Vega, Héctor Vázquez-Rivera, Étienne Normandin, Valérie Fournier and Jean-Philippe Lessard

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030405 - 10 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2444

Abstract

Global declines in wild and managed bee populations represent a major concern for the agricultural industry. Such declines result, in part, from the loss of natural and semi-natural habitats in and around agricultural ecosystems. However, remaining forest patches in heavily modified landscapes represent nesting habitats that may be crucial to preserving wild bees and their services. Because wild bees are the main pollinators of fruit crops, preserving potential nesting habitats might be particularly important for the crops’ yield and profitability. Here, we assessed whether the abundance and richness of visiting wild bees in blueberry crops relates to the amount of surrounding forest cover and if so, whether those relationships varied with spatial scale. Specifically, we sampled wild bee communities in 18 blueberry fields during the blooming period in Montérégie, Quebec, Canada, where sampling consisted of pan trap triplets and direct observation of flower visitors on blueberry bushes. Then, we quantified the proportion of forest in radii of 0.5 km, 1 km, and 2 km around each field. Wild bee abundance was positively related to the proportion of forest habitat surrounding the crop field, but the relationship for wild bee richness was less clear. Moreover, these relationships were strongest at 1 and 2 km radii of measured land cover. Overall, pollinator diversity was highest when at least 30% of the surrounding landscape consisted of forest patches, representing a total area of at least 1 km². Our results suggest that preserving large habitat patches in agricultural landscapes can help prevent further decline in wild bee diversity while maximizing pollination services to fruit crops. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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16 pages, 2042 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spider Diversity in the Fragmented Forest-Steppe Landscape of Northeastern Ukraine: Temporal Changes under the Impact of Human Activity

by Nina Polchaninova, Galina Savchenko, Vladimir Ronkin and Dmytro Shabanov

Diversity 2023, 15(3), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15030351 - 1 Mar 2023

Viewed by 2343

Abstract

Semi-natural forests and dry grasslands are highly fragmented and influenced by human activity. Despite the small area, they serve as the refuge for habitat-specific species and enhance agrolandscape biodiversity. We studied spiders in Velykoburlutskyi Steppe Regional Landscape Park (northeastern Ukraine) for 10 years and found 224 species of 26 families; of these, 27 are rare and require protection. The araneofauna of small forests in gullies is poorer than that of the large oakeries and hosts fewer sylvatic species; the dry grassland fauna is rich, has typical steppe traits, and varies depending on topography and grazing history. The ungrazed gully hosted 125 spider species. The richest assemblages (97 species) were at the bottom, and they were similar to those of meadows and forest edges. The most typical steppe assemblages were formed on the ungrazed slope (77 species). The human-induced disturbance had a negative effect on spiders: we found only 63 species at the grazed bottom and 62 on the slope. After abrupt grazing cessation, four spider species appeared and occurred constantly at the bottom, while no species left this habitat. Grazing on the slopes declined gradually, and spider assemblages did not change significantly after the final cessation; moreover, they enriched on the abandoned slope (75 species). The presence of rare species and a variety of spider assemblages confirm the conservation value of the study site and the need to maintain its mosaic pattern. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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12 pages, 1395 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Facet of Human Impact: Solenopsis invicta Buren, 1972 Spreading around the Atlantic Forest

by Manuela O. Ramalho, Victor H. Nagatani, Juliana M. C. Alves, Otavio G. M. Silva, Eduardo G. P. Fox, Rodrigo F. Souza, Debora Y. Kayano, Ricardo Harakava, Alexandre W. S. Hilsdorf and Maria S. C. Morini

Diversity 2023, 15(2), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/d15020194 - 1 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2458

Abstract

The present investigation deals with some aspects of the diversity of fire ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in their native range. The Red Imported Fire Ant Solenopsis invicta is native to the tropical and subtropical inland territories of South America. In Brazil, it mainly occurs around the Pantanal region and across the Paraguay river, a region composed of grasslands which are seasonally flooded. Recent studies have evidenced this fire ant species is gradually spreading to other regions of Brazil. In the present investigation, we surveyed the molecular diversity of S. invicta populations across fragments of Atlantic Forest in São Paulo, Brazil, using mtDNA COI haplotypes. Fire ant nests were sampled along the highways lining the northern and southern slope sides of the mountain range Serra do Mar, SP, Brazil. Four haplotypes were identified (H1–H4), which were assessed for similarity to deposited records by other authors, revealing that the haplotypes H1 and H2 are likely of foreign origin through recent reintroduction via a marine port to the south of the Serra do Mar mountain range. On the other hand, the haplotypes H3 and H4, predominating among the inland samples from the northern side of the mountain range, were most similar to previous records from more central regions of Brazil. Haplotypes clustered into distinct supergroups, further pointing to the occurrence of two separate expansion waves of S. invicta in the region. We suggest the obtained pattern indicates the mountain range may function as a geographical barrier deferring gene flow. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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11 pages, 3562 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tracking the Effects of Climate Change on the Distribution of Plecia nearctica (Diptera, Bibionidae) in the USA Using MaxEnt and GIS

by Hossam F. Abou-Shaara, Esmaeil Amiri and Katherine A. Parys

Diversity 2022, 14(8), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/d14080690 - 21 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3077

Abstract

Plecia nearctica Hardy, commonly referred to as lovebugs, is a species of march fly with a subtropical American distribution. The northern range limits of P. nearctica could alter due to climate change, which is a worldwide issue. It has been reported that flowers utilized by P. nearctica are not visited by pollinators, which may negatively impact foraging activity particularly when resources are limited. This study used 933 occurrence records of P. nearctica in the USA to predict its potential range expansion by 2050. To predict potential habitat change we applied well-established modeling procedures using both MaxEnt and geographical information system (GIS). Six environmental variables, two climate models, and two Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSP126 and SSP585) were used in the analysis. The model performance was excellent with a high True Skilled Statistic (=0.75) value. The predicted potential distribution and range expansion of P. nearctica in 2050 includes the Gulf Coast and the Southeastern and Western regions of the USA. However, results suggest that most of the Central and Northern USA are unlikely to provide suitable habitat for this pest and have no reason for concern about interactions between pollinators and P. nearctica. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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22 pages, 16183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diversity of Insect Flower Visitors of Xylopia aromatica (Magnoliales, Annonaceae) in a Brazilian Savanna

by Fábio Pinheiro Saravy, Karl-L. Schuchmann and Marinez I. Marques

Diversity 2021, 13(12), 661; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13120661 - 11 Dec 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3271

Abstract

Small beetles are important pollinators of Annonaceae whose flower chambers are small and have diurnal and/or nocturnal anthesis. The pollinators of these flowers belong to the families Nitidulidae, Staphylinidae, Chrysomelidae, and Curculionidae. In this study, the first conducted in the Cerrado of Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brazil, the behavior of the insect flower visitors of Xylopia aromatica was observed, in both the field and the laboratory. The chambers of 253 flowers were collected from 11 plants, and the biological aspects of their visitors were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The most abundant visitors were thrips and beetles. Coleoptera was represented by four morphospecies occurring frequently in the floral chambers (>70% of individuals). Among beetles, one species belonged to Nitidulidae (Cillaeinae, Conotelus sp. 1) and two belonged to Staphylinidae (Aleocharinae sp. 1 and Aleocharinae sp. 2). These three morphospecies of small elongate beetles have setae where pollen may adhere. In addition, they were present on both male and female phases of the flowers, indicating potential cross-pollination. In the study area, X. aromatica possesses mixed pollination promoted by Thysanoptera and small Nitidulidae and Staphylinidae beetles. This study brings the first record of Lamprosomatinae (Chrysomelidae) and, especially, of Conotelus (Nitidulidae) in the flower chambers of X. aromatica, with new information on behavior of floral visitors coupled with their morphological traits that may promote cross-pollination in this plant species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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15 pages, 4187 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Potential Bioclimatic Ranges of Crop Pests Zabrus tenebrioides and Harpalus rufipes during Climate Change Conditions

by Tamara Avtaeva, Kornélia Petrovičová, Vladimir Langraf and Viktor Brygadyrenko

Diversity 2021, 13(11), 559; https://doi.org/10.3390/d13110559 - 2 Nov 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3080

Abstract

The ground beetles Zabrus tenebrioides and Harpalus rufipes (Coleoptera, Carabidae) are two of the most prevalent pests of wheat and other grasses. This article presents current data on their distribution and the results of modelling the bioclimatic ranges of these species using the maximum entropy method. To improve the model, we used various RStudio packages including the R script “thin points 4-1-18.R” package spThin and the «Raster» RStudio package. We determined the climatic parameters that promote the dispersal of the species, as well as the optimum conditions for the growth of Z. tenebrioides and H. rufipes. Maps forecasting the distribution of the studied species were generated through the perspective of two climate scenarios: RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5. For the modelling, we utilised 435 geographic points of Z. tenebrioides occurrence and 653 points of H. rufipes occurrence. Both species have similar bioclimatic ranges, and the most favourable conditions for them are fields of grain crops. The most significant parameters influencing Z. tenebrioides are those of moisture, whereas H. rufipes is most sensitive to the temperature parameters. According to the generated climatic models for both species, a decrease in the areas of their ranges would occur in their eastern, more continental areas, with a slight shift towards the north. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diversity of Terrestrial Invertebrate Communities)

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