Measuring insect rarity: practical issues, pragmatic approaches
Journal Title: Journal of Insect Biodiversity - Year 2013, Vol 1, Issue 10
Abstract
Rarity is often considered an indication of species extinction risk, and rarity measures are used as important tools to predict species vulnerability and hence to establish conservation priorities. For these reasons, rarity is among the most important issues involved in conservation programs. A number of studies have attempted to investigate relationships between rarity and extinction risk in plants and vertebrates, whereas only few papers have investigated similar issues in invertebrate taxa. This has limited the use of standardized rarity measures in invertebrate conservation studies. Assessing rarity is especially important when other pieces of information are difficult, or even definitively impossible, to obtain, as commonly found for most insects. Four broad categories of rarity are commonly recognized: geographical, ecological, population and phylogenetic rarity. On the basis of this framework, we present here a short review of the rarity forms most frequently investigated in insect studies, and their relationships with the main species traits related to extinction risk (such as body size, mobility, trophic level, host specificity, larval and adult behaviours, etc.). We discuss what they mean, how they can be measured, which type of data (field collections, museum data, literature information) are needed and how to avoid the most common pitfalls associated with rarity studies, with indications for pragmatic approaches in data analysis.
Authors and Affiliations
Simone Fattorini, Andrea Di Giulio, Leonardo Dapporto
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP34179
- DOI -
- Views 405
- Downloads 0
Revised taxonomy of Temognatha duponti (Boisduval) and T. stevensii (Gehin) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae: Stigmoderini), with definition of the grandis and stevensii species-groups
The nominal species Temognatha duponti (Boisduval, 1835) and T. barbiventris (Carter, 1916) are considered conspecific. The specific name barbiventris (Carter, 1916) syn. nov. is a subjective synonym of the name dupont...
Biology and reproductive traits of Drymoea veliterna (Druce, 1885) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)
Despite the urban and landscape impact caused by Drymoea veliterna (Druce, 1885) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) larvae on trees of the genus Croton L. (Euphorbiaceae) in the Neotropics, there is no information about its bi...
Phenotypic variation of Thaumatomyia notate (Meigen, 1830) (Diptera; Chloropidae) in East Azerbaijan province - Iran
The phenotypic variation of Thaumatomyia notate (Meigen, 1830) (Chloropidae) collected from six different regions was studied in the East Azerbaijan province in northwestern Iran during 2009-2012. Eight populations of...
A new species Larinodontes freidbergi sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae) from India
A new species in the genus Larinodontes Faust, 1898 is described from India, in addition to two previously known species. Diagnostic features of this species are: femoral tooth small, ventral tibial tooth undeveloped,...
Ground-dwelling ant assemblages (Family: Formicidae) in six coconut (Cocos nucifera L. 1753) plantations in Sri Lanka
The contribution of six well-established coconut plantations to the conservation of biodiversity, specifically of ants, was investigated using soil sifting, timed hand collection and honey baiting along five, 100 m tra...