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Arthropods from ‘ōhi‘a lehua (Myrtaceae: Metrosideros polymorpha), with new records for the Hawaiian Islands
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Gruner, Daniel S. |
| Copyright Year | 2004 |
| Abstract | This paper presents new records, range extensions, and a checklist of arthropod species found associated with the most common and widespread native tree in the Hawaiian Islands, ‘ohi‘a lehua (Myrtaceae: Metrosideros polymorpha Gaudichaud-Beaupre). Metrosideros polymorpha is found on all the main islands, naturally occurs from sea level to tree line (>2000 m), in dry, mesic, and wet forests, and is the canopy dominant in old growth and the first woody colonist on recent basaltic lava flows (Dawson & Stemmerman, 1990). Numerous insect species use ‘ohi‘a lehua as a resource for either food or habitat space, and it may have the largest fauna of any native plant (Southwood, 1960; Stein, 1983). Metrosideros is an important, year-round nectar resource for native bees, moths, thrips and other insects, and for native nectarivorous birds, such as the ‘apapane (Himatione sanguinea), ‘i‘iwi (Vestiara coccinea), and ‘akohekohe (Palmeria dolei). Metrosideros also provides important habitat for birds that forage for arthropod prey in the foliage (e.g., ‘akepa [Loxops coccineus]) and bark (e.g., Hawai‘i creeper [Oreomystis mana]). It can be argued that M. polymorpha is the backbone of Hawaiian forests and one of the most important resources for the long-term stability of ecosystems and watersheds in the islands. There is a rich history of entomological work on Metrosideros polymorpha in the Hawaiian Islands. Wayne Gagne pioneered pyrethrum fogging as a method for sampling arthropods in forest canopies as part of the Island Ecosystems unit of the International Biological Program. Gagne studied Metrosideros polymorpha and Acacia koa along the Mauna Loa elevational gradient and provided the first detailed lists of arthropods associated with these trees (Gagne, 1976, 1979, 1981; Gagne & Howarth, 1981). Stein (1983) later compiled these lists with anecdotal host information reported by Swezey (1954) and others (e.g., Zimmerman, 1978). Since those descriptive studies, there have been several quantitative studies of Metrosideros arthropods to assess food resources for insectivorous birds at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge on Hawai‘i Island (Peck, 1993; Fretz, 2000). These studies focused on biomass and abundance of potential bird prey types without the taxonomic detail of earlier work. Additional studies have examined endemic psyllids (Homoptera: Triozidae), many of which are host-specific gall-formers on Metrosideros, and their herbivory (Nishida et al., 1980; Lee, 1981). Most recently, Swift & Goff (2001) assessed in detail the mite fauna sampled from Metrosideros and its various microhabitats at two sites on Kaua‘i. In this contribution, I report 9 new state records and range extensions for 43 additional taxa collected from Metrosideros. The Hawaiian terrestrial arthropod checklist (Nishida, 2002) was the primary reference used to assess known island distributions. I do not list collections by other investigators beyond the scope of this Metrosideros survey, |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/handle/1903/7109/Gruner2004BMOP.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://drum.lib.umd.edu/bitstream/handle/1903/7109/Gruner2004BMOP.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=1 |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
