Habitat types in the Atlantic Forest differently influence community structure and species interaction of cavity-nesting Hymenoptera and their natural enemies

Author(s)

Alves de Deus, Jean Pablo ; Araujo, Gui ; Tunes Buschini, Maria Luisa ; Moura, Rafael Rios

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: JOURNAL OF INSECT CONSERVATION; v. 27, n. 1, p. 12-pg., 2022-11-07.

Abstract

Insect communities can be modulated by habitat types within a biome because they offer different resources that may influence community structure and food webs. The Araucaria Forest in the Atlantic Forest is a habitat composed of many trees compared to more open environments, such as grasslands and swamps. It can provide more numerous and diversified cavities than the other habitats for cavity-nesting insects and affect the probability of natural enemies finding hosts; thus, affecting both communities. Assessing measures of community structure and food webs of cavity-nesting insects and their natural enemies in different habitat types can improve our knowledge of which components change and how they respond to habitat heterogeneity. We investigated communities of solitary bees and wasps and their natural enemies using trap-nests in three types of habitats in a conservation area of the Atlantic Forest. The Araucaria Forest housed the most abundant host community and a particular composition of hosts and natural enemies. Species richness did not change between habitats for both groups, while diversity differed between habitats. The spatial turnover component of beta-diversity was greater than the nestedness and showed higher values between the forest and other habitat types. The forest and grassland presented the highest values of specialization. Robustness indexes were similar across all theoretical scenarios, in which the extinction of the communities of natural enemies can be more affected by the extinction of the most connected hosts. We discuss environmental distinctions between habitat types that may explain differences in the structure of insect communities and the patterns of interactions between species. Implications for insect conservation The Araucaria Forest was a fundamental component of habitat heterogeneity for cavity-nesting insect communities, which also influenced their natural enemies. Our study emphasizes the importance of preserving the high heterogeneity of habitats and of identifying which habitat types can maximize conservation goals for preserving insect communities and their ecosystem services. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/14196-5 - Interpopulational variation in mating system and reproductive success of Manogea porracea (Araneae, Araneidae), a spider with amphisexual care
• Grantee: Rafael Rios Moura
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral