An Ecological Study of the Insects and Mites in the Nests of certain Birds in Britain

1953 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 739-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Woodroffe
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Study ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Insect Fauna ◽  
Important Conclusion ◽  
Basic Composition ◽  
Preliminary Work ◽  
Nest Fauna ◽  
Interesting Species

The chief aims of the survey and an important conclusion reached during some preliminary work are briefly stated. This latter was the recognition of two distinct nest types—the wet nest, exposed to rain, and the dry nest, sheltered from rain.The methods used to examine materials and record results are described. They were closely similar to those described in a previous publication.The insect fauna is listed under three headings: (a) ectoparasites of birds, which includes 12 species; (b) scavengers, including 66 species; and (c) predators, comprising 14 species. Figures are given for the frequency of occurrence and the abundance of the more important nidicole species, abundance being given as an arbitrary estimate. The importance of each as a pest is also briefly stated, and detailed records are given for uncommon or particularly interesting species.The mite fauna is dealt with in a similar manner. It includes one ectoparasite, 10 scavengers and 11 predators.The basic composition of nests and the temperature and humidity conditions within them are described briefly and the possible influence of these factors upon the nest fauna is discussed.The species of the dry nest community are classified, according to their feeding habits, as ectoparasites of birds, scavengers and predators, and according to their status in the nest, as regular, occasional and incidental inhabitants. The distribution of the group of species which truly characterises this community is discussed.

Utilizing next-generation sequencing to identify prey DNA in western North Atlantic grey seal Halichoerus grypus diet

2020 ◽  
Vol 655 ◽  
pp. 227-240
Author(s):  
KR Flanders ◽  
ZH Olson ◽  
KA Ono
Keyword(s):  
Next Generation Sequencing ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Atlantic Menhaden ◽  
Halichoerus Grypus ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Grey Seal ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Generation Sequencing ◽  
Seal Diet

Increasing grey seal Halichoerus grypus abundance in coastal New England is leading to social, political, economic, and ecological controversies. Central to these issues is the foraging ecology and diet composition of the seals. We studied grey seal feeding habits through next-generation sequencing of prey DNA using 16S amplicons from seal scat (n = 74) collected from a breeding colony on Monomoy Island in Massachusetts, USA, and report frequency of occurrence and relative read abundance. We also assigned seal sex to scat samples using a revised PCR assay. In contrast to current understanding of grey seal diet from hard parts and fatty acid analysis, we found no significant difference between male and female diet measured by alpha and beta diversity. Overall, we detected 24 prey groups, 18 of which resolved to species. Sand lance Ammodytes spp. were the most frequently consumed prey group, with a frequency of occurrence (FO) of 97.3%, consistent with previous studies, but Atlantic menhaden Brevoortia tyrannus, the second most frequently consumed species (FO = 60.8%), has not previously been documented in US grey seal diet. Our results suggest that a metabarcoding approach to seal food habits can yield important new ecological insights, but that traditional hard parts analysis does not underestimate consumption of Atlantic cod Gadus morhua (FO = 6.7%, Gadidae spp.) and salmon Salmo salar (FO = 0%), 2 particularly valuable species of concern.

scholarly journals Feeding habits of Cocobolo Andinoacara pulcher in the cienaga Grande de Lorica, Colombia

2016 ◽  
pp. 5189-5197
Author(s):  
Charles W Olaya-Nieto ◽  
Liquey Camargo-Herrera ◽  
Vanessa Díaz-Sajonero ◽  
Fredys F Segura-Guevara
Keyword(s):  
River Basin ◽  
Stomach Content ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Total Length ◽  
Length Relationship ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Gut Length

ABSTRACTObjective. The feeding habits of Cocobolo (Andinoacara pulcher) in the cienaga Grande de Lorica, Sinu river basin, were studied. Materials and methods. The stomach content was analyzed using the Proportion of empty stomachs, Grade of digestion, Frequency of occurrence, numerical Frequency, Gravimetry, relative importance Index (RII) and the gut length-total length relationship. Results. 39.8% of stomachs were empty, 47.1% of preys were fresh and five food groups were identified. Vegetable remains was the most frequent group (63.8%) and the prey with greatest composition in weight (33.5%), while Rest of fishes was the most abundant group (34.7%). It was observed that in low and rising waters, fishes was the most consumed prey, while that in high and falling waters the most consumed prey was vegetable remains. Vegetable remains, detritus and fishes were food groups of secondary relative importance, while Insects and Others were circumstantial or incidental groups. Conclusions. The results achieved indicate that Cocobolo is a fish with omnivores feeding habits with a preference for fishes and vegetable remains. RESUMEN Objetivo. Se estudiaron los hábitos alimentarios de Cocobolo (Andinoacara pulcher) en la ciénaga Grande de Lorica, cuenca del río Sinú, Colombia. Materiales y Métodos. El contenido estomacal se evaluó con el Coeficiente de vacuidad, Grado de llenado, Grado de digestión, Frecuencia de ocurrencia, Frecuencia numérica, Gravimetría, Índice de importancia relativa y la relación longitud intestinal- longitud total. Resultados. El 39.8% de los estómagos se encontró vacío, el 47.1% de las presas en estado fresco y se identificaron cinco grupos alimentarios. Material vegetal fue el grupo más frecuente (63.8%) y con mayor composición por peso (33.5%), mientras que Restos de peces fue el más abundante (34.7%). Se observó que en aguas bajas y en aguas ascendentes, peces fue la presa más consumida, mientras que en aguas altas y aguas descendentes, fue material vegetal. Material vegetal, detritos y restos de peces fueron grupos alimentarios de importancia relativa secundaria, mientras que insectos y otros fueron circunstanciales o incidentales. Conclusiones. Los resultados alcanzados indican que Cocobolo es un pez de hábitos alimentarios omnívoros con preferencia por peces y material vegetal.

scholarly journals Studies on the Food and Feeding Habits of Swamp Deer (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) in Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve, Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India

ISRN Zoology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Tewari ◽  
G. S. Rawat
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Food Habits ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Feeding Habit ◽  
Major Objective ◽  
Quadrat Method ◽  
Food And Feeding ◽  
Swamp Deer ◽  
Land Use Practices

Food habits of the swamp deer (Rucervus duvaucelii duvaucelii) were studied in and around Jhilmil Jheel Conservation Reserve (JJCR), Uttarakhand, for two years. This population (320 in number) was recently rediscovered in the state (2005) and warranted an ecological study because the habitat around this study area is heavily fragmented due to expansion of agriculture, habitation, and various other land use practices. Therefore, this study was initiated by the major objective of studying seasonal variation in food habits of swamp deer. Proportionate food consumption was studied using feeding quadrat method. The study reveals that the overall diet of swamp deer consisted mainly of graminoids (grasses and sedges) and herbs (terrestrial and aquatic). In the protected areas studied earlier, the swamp deer habitat was dominated by grasses, and hence they were reported to be predominantly a grazer who occasionally fed on aquatic plants (Schaller 1967 and others). In contrast, at Jhilmil, the area also has equal presence of other plant types namely, sedges and terrestrial herbs. This resulted in polyphagous feeding habit of animal here.

scholarly journals II.—The Insect Association of a Local Environmental Complex in the District of Holmes Chapel, Cheshire

1918 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred E. Cameron
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Insect Fauna ◽  
The Social ◽  
Study And Teaching ◽  
Animal Activity ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Mind

That there is a decided need for the ecological study of insects and other animals was first brought home to the mind of the author whilst engaged upon the subject of a “General Survey of the Insect Fauna of the Soil” (vide Jour. Econ. Biol., vol. viii, part 3, 1913). Much information has been collected at various times by numerous authors, and especially those who have treated of the habits and behaviour of animals, but very little attempt has been made to systematise the data variously gathered, to explain the cause and effect of many obscure phenomena, or to make important observations accessible for the use of the animal ecologist. Thus, at present, we find ourselves on the threshold of practically a new and undisputed field, with opportunities for original and interesting research extending in innumerable directions. Dr C. C. Adams, now of Syracuse University, New York, who has written a most useful work, “the outgrowth of the effort as it has developed in the study and teaching of animal ecology,” in which is listed most of the literature applicable to the science, says (p. 10): “The associational is the phase of animal activity which may be considered as the form of animal behaviour which has developed into the human social relations,” and concludes that, because of the social character of human society, those interested in matters pertaining to the welfare of mankind, such as the sociologist, the physician, the sanitarian, and the agriculturist, will ultimately participate in a keener appreciation of the associational aspect.

scholarly journals Completing Linnaeus’s inventory of the Swedish insect fauna: only 5,000 species left?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fredrik Ronquist ◽  
Mattias Forshage ◽  
Sibylle Häggqvist ◽  
Dave Karlsson ◽  
Rasmus Hovmöller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Geographic Area ◽  
Latitudinal Gradients ◽  
Malaise Trap ◽  
Insect Fauna ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Biodiversity Inventories ◽  
Taxonomic Research

AbstractDespite more than 250 years of taxonomic research, we still have only a vague idea about the true size and composition of the faunas and floras of the planet. Many biodiversity inventories provide limited insight because they focus on a small taxonomic subsample or a tiny geographic area. Here, we report on the size and composition of the Swedish insect fauna, thought to represent roughly half of the diversity of multicellular life in one of the largest European countries. Our results are based on more than a decade of data from the Swedish Taxonomy Initiative and its massive inventory of the country’s insect fauna, the Swedish Malaise Trap Project The fauna is considered one of the best known in the world, but the initiative has nevertheless revealed a surprising amount of hidden diversity: more than 3,000 new species (301 new to science) have been documented so far. Here, we use three independent methods to analyze the true size and composition of the fauna at the family or subfamily level: (1) assessments by experts who have been working on the most poorly known groups in the fauna; (2) estimates based on the proportion of new species discovered in the Malaise trap inventory; and (3) extrapolations based on species abundance and incidence data from the inventory. For the last method, we develop a new estimator, the combined non-parametric estimator, which we show is less sensitive to poor coverage of the species pool than other popular estimators. The three methods converge on similar estimates of the size and composition of the fauna, suggesting that it comprises around 33,000 species. Of those, 8,600 (26%) were unknown at the start of the inventory and 5,000 (15%) still await discovery. We analyze the taxonomic and ecological composition of the estimated fauna, and show that most of the new species belong to Hymenoptera and Diptera groups that are decomposers or parasitoids. Thus, current knowledge of the Swedish insect fauna is strongly biased taxonomically and ecologically, and we show that similar but even stronger biases have distorted our understanding of the fauna in the past. We analyze latitudinal gradients in the size and composition of known European insect faunas and show that several of the patterns contradict the Swedish data, presumably due to similar knowledge biases. Addressing these biases is critical in understanding insect biomes and the ecosystem services they provide. Our results emphasize the need to broaden the taxonomic scope of current insect monitoring efforts, a task that is all the more urgent as recent studies indicate a possible worldwide decline in insect faunas.

scholarly journals Verification of the occurrence of some plant species as indicators of landfill impact on the environment

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1441-1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Vaverková ◽  
Dana Adamcová ◽  
František Toman
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Waste Disposal ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Population Abundance ◽  
Considerable Influence ◽  
The Subject

An ecological study was conducted on landfill site in Kuchyňky, Czech Republic. Our paper focuses on verification of research into the issue of waste disposal and the possibilities of using bioindicators to assess landfill impact on the surroundings. The subject of research was surface area of the landfill and its immediate surroundings. Sampling was carried out in 2010–2012 and compared with simple floristic list prepared in 2007. Floristic composition was explored in individual segments. Species abundance was established by valuating the simple presence of the species: 1 yes, 0 no, N not identified – irrespective of population abundance. During the floristic research conducted in 2010, we detected 88 plant species, in 2011 – 105 and in 2012 – 105 plant species, which were compared with 94 species listed in 2007. Based on repeated research we did not find any considerable influence of the landfill on the biotic composition of the environment.

scholarly journals Feeding habits of Aspitrigla cuculus (L., 1758) (red gurnard), Lepidotrigla cavillone (Lac., 1802) (large scale gurnard) and Trigloporus lastoviza (Brunn., 1768) (rock gurnard) around Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands (E. Mediterranean)

2000 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 91 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. TERRATS ◽  
G. PETRAKIS ◽  
C. PAPACONSTANTINOU
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Bottom Trawling ◽  
Percentage Frequency ◽  
Index Of Relative Importance

The feeding habits of the three most abundant gurnard species, red gurnard (Aspitrigla cuculus), large scale gurnard (Lepidotrigla cavillone) and rock gurnard (Trigloporus lastoviza) in the eastern Mediterranean (Dodecanese and Cyclades, Greece) are examined. The stomach contents of the gurnard specimens collected in April and September 1996 by bottom trawling were analyzed. The % frequency of occurrence, % number and % weight of prey types in the stomach contents were evaluated. By weight, Mysidacea and Decapoda dominated in the diet of the three species in both seasons, however the Index of Relative Importance, as well as the percentage frequency of occurrence varied. Rock gurnard presented the most diverse diet whereas the diet of large scale and red gurnard were more specialized. High overlap in terms of number was found between rock and large scale gurnard in May. Rock gurnard had the most divers diet in both seasons.

STOMACH CONTENT ANALYSIS OF SOME SELECTED FISH SPECIES FROM GILIMA RIVER, TAURA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, JIGAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-459
Author(s):  
Auwalu Haruna
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Stomach Content ◽  
Oreochromis Niloticus ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Content Analysis ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Plant Materials ◽  
Dietary Preference ◽  
Lates Niloticus ◽  
Food And Feeding

Four hundred (400) samples comprising eighty (80) samples each from five different species of Oreochromis niloticus, Bagrus bayad, Lates niloticus, Hydrocynus brevis and Synodontis vermiculatus were collected in batches using gill nets from 24th March -16th September, 2014; food and feeding habits were then assessed by analyzing the stomach content. The samples ranged in size from 525cm total length and 4.745g in weight. The stomach content analysis using frequency of occurrence method revealed that Oreochromis niloticus were herbivorous with dietary preference for plants and plant materials (47.27%), detritus (23.21%) and unidentifiable materials (6.06%), Bagrus bayad as carnivorous with dietary preference for fishes (52.17%), insects (23.57%), detritus (7.50%), Lates niloticus were also carnivorous with fishes (62.00%), fish parts (31.30%), insects (4.6%), Hydrocynus brevis proved carnivorous with dietary preference for fishes (42.16%), fish parts (17.83%), and Synodontis vermiculatus as an omnivore with dietary preference of plant materials (18.71%), fishes (12.69%), insect (12.19%) and detritus (17.48%).

scholarly journals FOOD AND FEEDING HABITS OF SOME FISH SPECIES IN OGUN STATE COASTAL ESTUARY, OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74
Author(s):  
W. O. ABDUL ◽  
I. T. OMONIYI ◽  
A. O. AGBON ◽  
F. I. ADEOSUN ◽  
O. S. OLOWE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fish Species ◽  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Diet Breadth ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Ogun State ◽  
Tilapia Zillii ◽  
Coastal Estuary ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Food And Feeding

The food and feeding habits of eight (8) fish species Elops lacerta, Chrysichthys auratus, Schilbe mys-tus, Sardinella maderensis, Synodontis schall, Hepsetus odoe, Tilapia zillii and Mugil cephalus in Ogun estuary, Ogun State, Nigeria were studied and estimated for six months, between February and July, 2014. A total of 470 fishes were randomly collected from the commercial fishermen during the study. Results from the stomach contents analysed using frequency of occurrence and numerical methods showed that S. mystus, E. lacerta, S. maderensis, H. odoe, S. schall, T. zillii, M. cephalus and C. auratus were predators, piscivores, herbivores, piscivores, omnivores, herbivores, herbivores and omnivores respectively while H. odoe and S.mystus partly fed on E. lacerta and T. zillii respec-tively. The Diet Breadth (D) ranged from 0.76 to 0.88 and the percentage Gut Repletion Index (GRI), a reflection of frequency of feeding, ranged between 60-100%.

scholarly journals ANALISIS DEL CONTENIDO ESTOMACAL DEL CAMARON TITI Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (HELLER) (CRUSTACEA: NATANTIA: PENAEIDAE)

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martha L. Cortés ◽  
María M. Críales
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Habits ◽  
Stomach Contents ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Frequency Of Occurrence ◽  
Food Items ◽  
Size Groups ◽  
Xiphopenaeus Kroyeri ◽  
Carbohydrate Levels ◽  
Bivalve Shells

Juveniles and adults of the seabob Xiphopenaeus kroyeri (Heller) were collected at monthly invervals between September 1988 and June 1988. The food items were determined in order of descending importance as: detritus and fragments of bivalve shells, polychaete worms, foraminiferans, and crustaceans. There was a difference in the feeding habits between the rainy seasson (September to December) and the dry season (January to June) with items like rotifers, sponges and radiolarians appearing only during the dry season. Analysis of the frequency of occurrence of different food items showed that groups like rotifers and bryozoans appear more frequently in juveniles. Measurements of protein and carbohydrate levels in the stomach contents revealed the highest peaks of proteins for adults in September (92.03 ug/mg dry weight of stomach contents) and for juveniles in December (81.27 ug/mg), and of carbohydrates for adults in October (45.81 ug/mg) and for juveniles in December (35.25 ug/mg). Quantitative differences in proteins and carbohydrates between the two size groups were not statistically significant.

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