A survey of exotic arthropods in disturbed Azorean forest habitats using SLAM traps

Paulo A. V. Borges; Lucas Lamelas-López; Alejandra Ros-Prieto

doi:10.15468/ucfehv

A survey of exotic arthropods in disturbed Azorean forest habitats using SLAM traps

Citation

Borges P A V, Lamelas-López L, Ros-Prieto A (2023). A survey of exotic arthropods in disturbed Azorean forest habitats using SLAM traps. Version 1.8. Universidade dos Açores. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ucfehv accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-15.

Description

The data we present consists in an inventory of exotic arthropods, potentially invasive, collected on exotic and mixed forests, as well disturbed native forest patches most of them not included in protected areas, on the Azores archipelago. The study was carried out between 2019 and 2020 in four islands: Corvo, Flores, Terceira and Santa Maria, where a total of 45 passive flight interception SLAM traps were deployed, during three to six consecutive months. This manuscript is the second contribution of the “SLAM Project - Long Term Ecological Study of the Impacts of Climate Change in the natural forest of Azores”. A total of 45 passive flight interception SLAM traps were deployed, during six consecutive months, collecting arthropods belonging to Arachnida, Diplopoda, Chilopoda and Insecta Classes. We collected a total of 21,175 specimens, belonging to 20 orders, 93 families and 249 species of arthropods. A total of 125 species are considered introduced, 89 native non-endemic and 35 endemic. We registered a total of 33 new records for one or more islands, of which five are new for Azores: Dieckmanniellus nitidulus (Gyllenhal, 1838), Gronops fasciatus Küster, 1851, Hadroplontus trimaculatus (Fabricius, 1775), Hypurus berandi (Perris, 1852) (all Coleoptera, Curculionidae) and Cardiocondyla mauritanica Forel, 1890 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). This publication remarks the importance of disturbed native forest patches and exotic vegetation areas as potential reservoirs of exotic potentially invasive arthropods and also accommodating some rare relict endemic arthropod species

Sampling Description

Study Extent

The study was conducted in four islands of the Azores archipelago, Corvo, Flores, Terceira and Santa Maria islands. The sampled habitats included exotic species dominated forests, mixed forests (native and exotic species) and native forest patches not included on Protected Areas. The exotic forests were dominated mainly by Pittosporum undulatum, Eucalyptus spp., Cryptomeria japonica, Acacia melanoxylon and Pinus pinaster. The native forests were mainly dominated by Erica azorica, Laurus azorica, Ilex perado azorica and Juniperus brevifolia, between others. Mixed forests included exotic and native species of vegetation

Sampling

A total of 45 passive flight interception SLAM traps (Sea, Land and Air Malaise trap) were used to sample the plots in the four study islands, with one trap being setup at each plot. Trap size is of approximately 110 x 110 x 110 cm. The trap functioning consist on that the intercepted arthropods crawl up the mesh and then fall inside the sampling recipient, which is filled with propylene glycol (pure 1,2-PROPANODIOL) (Borges et al, 2017). A total of 19 SLAM traps were deployed in exotic forest areas, 8 on native forest patches, and 18 on mixed forests. The traps samples were collected every three or six months.

Quality Control

All sampled individuals were first sorted by trained paratoxonomists. All specimens were allocated to a taxonomic species by Paulo A. V. Borges. Despite the uncertainty of juvenile identification, juveniles are also included in the data presented in this paper, since the low diversity allowed a relatively precise identification of this life-stage in Azores.

Method steps

At the laboratory, specimen sorting and arthropod identification followed standard procedures. A combination of morphological and anatomical characters and reproductive structures was used for species identification. A reference collection was made for all collected specimens by assigning them a morphospecies code number and depositing them at the Dalberto Teixeira Pombo Insect Collection, University of Azores.

Taxonomic Coverages

The following Classes and Orders are covered: Arachnida: Araneae; Opiliones; Pseudoscorpiones Chilopoda: Geophilomorpha; Lithobiomorpha; Scolopendromorpha; Scutigeromorpha Diplopoda: Julida; Polydesmida Insecta: Archaeognatha; Blattodea; Coleoptera; Dermaptera; Hemiptera; Hymenoptera; Isoptera; Neuroptera; Orthoptera; Phasmatodea; Psocodea; Thysanoptera; Trichoptera.

Arthropoda
common name: Arthropods rank: phylum

Geographic Coverages

Corvo, Flores, Terceira and Santa Maria islands, in the Azores archipelago (Portugal). Coordinates: Corvo: 39°42'6.75''N Latitude; 31°6'6''W Longitude Flores: 39°26'37''N Latitude; 31°11'57''W Longitude Terceira: 38°38'16.8''N and 38°48'50.4''N Latitude; 27°23'38.4''W and 27°0'54''W Longitude Santa Maria: 36°58'29''N Latitude; 25°05'41''W Longitude

Bibliographic Citations

Borges, P.A.V., Pimentel, R., Carvalho, R., Nunes, R., Wallon, S. & Ros Prieto, A. (2017). Seasonal dynamics of arthropods in the humid native forests of Terceira Island (Azores). Arquipelago Life and Marine Sciences, 34: 105-122. -
Borges, P.A.V., Rigal, F., Ros-Prieto, A., & Cardoso, P. (2020). Increase of insular exotic arthropod diversity is a fundamental dimension of the current biodiversity crisis. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 13: 508-518. - DOI: 10.1111/icad.12431
Costa, R. & Borges, P.A.V. (2021). SLAM Project - Long term ecological study of the impacts of climate change in the natural forest of Azores: I - the spiders from native forests of Terceira and Pico Islands (2012-2019). Biodiversity Data Journal, 9: e69924. - DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.9.e69924
Matthews, T., Sadler, J.P., Carvalho, R., Nunes, R. & Borges, P.A.V. (2019). Differential turnover rates and temporal beta-diversity patterns of native and non-native arthropod species in a fragmented native forest landscape. Ecography, 42: 45–54 . - DOI: 10.1111/ecog.03812
Tsafack, N., Fattorini, S., Boieiro, M., Rigal, F., Ros-Prieto, A., Ferreira, M.T. & Borges, P.A.V. (2021). The role of small lowland patches of exotic forests as refuges of rare endemic Azorean arthropods. Diversity, 13(9): 443. - Doi: 10.3390/d13090443

Contacts

Paulo A. V. Borges
originator
position: Aggregate Professor
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
Angra do Heroismo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623

Lucas Lamelas-López
originator
position: Student
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
Angra do Heroismo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: lucaslamelaslopez@gmail.com
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/lucas-lamelas-loacutepez

Alejandra Ros-Prieto
originator
position: Student
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
Angra do Heroismo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: alejandrarosprieto@gmail.com

Paulo A. V. Borges
metadata author
position: Aggregate Professor
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
Angra do Heroismo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623

Paulo A. V. Borges
content provider
position: Aggregate Professor
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
Angra do Heroismo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623

Paulo A. V. Borges
administrative point of contact
position: Aggregate Professor
Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE – Global Change and Sustainability Institute
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze
Angra Do Heroismo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623