A comparison of two sampling methods for surveying mammalian herbivore impacts on beetle communities in the canopy of Acacia drepanolobium in Kenya
- Authors: Kuria, Simon K , Villet, Martin H , Palmer, T M , Stanton, M L
- Date: 2010
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: vital:6860 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011150
- Description: Even though several methods are used to sample and monitor canopy arthropods, there are no studies to indicate which of these methods is more effective.We compared the efficacy of the beating and canopy fogging methods in collecting beetles that inhabit Acacia drepanolobium (Harms) tree canopies at Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia district, Kenya. These trees grow naturally on the black cotton soils of the Laikipia ecosystem, accounting for more than 98%of the overstorey at the study site, and are important for local cattle and wildlife production. The ultimate objective of this study was to determine the effect of differential grazing and browsing pressure from large mammalian herbivores on the beetle communities of A. drepanolobium. Seven hundred and twenty trees 1.0–2.5 m tall were sampled using each method, making a total of 1440 trees. Sampling using the two methods was done concurrently and repeated quarterly over a period of 14 months. In total, 4320 individuals were collected, 1456 by beating and 2864 by fogging. The methods jointly yielded beetle specimens from 13 families and 55 morphospecies. Fogging collected significantly more beetle morphospecies than beating, and there was a significant interaction effect between method and sampling date. We found that numerically Anthicidae and Curculionidae responded positively to the presence of cattle.We also found that Anthicidae sp. A and Myllocerus sp. A numbers significantly increased in plots where livestock were grazed.
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- Date Issued: 2010
A Landscape of Insects and Other Invertebrates, D.N. MacFadyen: book review
- Authors: Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/451583 , vital:75061 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC32856
- Description: Despite their generally small sizes, southern African insects consistently attract public attention. Rarely is it positive attention, but when it is, it is often from notable champions. Let me explain.
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- Date Issued: 2010
A watershed study on genetic diversity phylogenetic analysis of the Platypleura plumosa (Hemiptera Cicadidae) complex reveals catchment-specific lineages
- Authors: Price, Benjamin W , Barker, Nigel P , Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/441711 , vital:73909 , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.10.011
- Description: Historical biogeography studies have at their disposal a small suite of vicariance models to explain genetic differentiation within and between species. One of these processes involves the role of river catchments and their associated watersheds, in driving diversification and is applicable to both aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Although the idea of catchments structuring the genetic history of aquatic organisms is reasonably well understood, their effect on terrestrial organisms has largely been overlooked, with relevant studies being limited in scope. South Africa presents a perfect test-bed for elucidating this mechanism of diversification due to its rich biodiversity, range of climatic environments and many large river catchments. Here we use the cicadas of the Platypleura plumosa complex to highlight the importance of catchments and their associated watersheds in driving diversification of terrestrial invertebrates that lack an aquatic life-stage. Population structure was found to correspond to primary and in some cases secondary catchments; highlighting the need to include information on catchment structure when formulating hypotheses of population diversification. Recognizing that climate change in the near future is likely to alter the environment, and particularly precipitation patterns, insight into recent patterns of population change related to catchments may be useful in a conservation context.
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- Date Issued: 2010
An accidental but safe and effective use of Lucilia cuprina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in maggot debridement therapy in Alexandria, Egypt
- Authors: Tantawi, Tarek I , Williams, Kirstin A , Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442454 , vital:73986 , https://doi.org/10.1093/jmedent/47.3.491
- Description: The calliphorid fly, Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann), is known to cause serious malign myiasis in animals, whereas its sibling species Lucilia sericata (Meigen) is commonly a carrion breeder and is used in maggot debridement therapy (MDT). The current study reports an accidental involvement of L. cuprina in MDT in Alexandria, Egypt, that has proved to be safe and effective. In November 2008, the laboratory colonies of L. sericata (the species regularly used in MDT) at the Faculty of Science, Alexandria University were renewed by Lucilia flies collected as third instar larvae on exposed rabbit carcasses. Flies from the new colonies were successfully used to heal the diabetic foot wounds of two patients at Alexandria Main University Hospital. Analysis of DNA sequences and adult and larval morphology then revealed that these flies were and still are L. cuprina. Breeding of this species in carrion in Alexandria is a new record. Despite the safety of this strain of L. cuprina in MDT, entomologists rearing blow flies for the purpose of wound debridement should regularly maintain high quality assurance of their species’ identity to avoid possible clinical complications that may result from the introduction of an unexpected and invasive species to their laboratory colonies.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Arthropod Fauna of the UAE Vol. 3, A. van Harten (Ed.): book review
- Authors: Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/451598 , vital:75062 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC32858
- Description: It has been a year since the second volume of the UAE Insect Project's Arthropod Fauna of the United Arab Emirates was published, and several more members of the team of over 160 scientists from 27 countries have visited the UAE. This has provided several of the chapters in the third volume of this series, which contains contributions from 51 taxonomists from 20 countries, including South Africa. Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Tahoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the leadership of the editor, the series is settling down to a very high standard, especially in terms of its lavish illustrations, exquisite production and, of course, taxonomic rigour.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Contemporary precision, bias and accuracy of minimum post-mortem intervals estimated using development of carrion-feeding insects
- Authors: Villet, Martin H , Richards, Cameron S , Midgley, John M
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442769 , vital:74032 , ISBN 978-1-4020-9684-6 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9684-6_7
- Description: Medicocriminal forensic entomology focuses primarily on providing evidence of the amount of time that a corpse or carcass has been exposed to colonization by insects, which helps to estimate the post mortem interval (PMI). Specifically, the estimate is of a minimum post mortem interval (PMImin), because death may occur a variable amount of time before colonization (Fig. 7.1); the maximum post mortem interval (PMImax) is estimated using the time that the person was last seen alive. Forensic entomology derives the bulk of its evidence from two sources: the ecological succession of carrion insect communities and the development of immature insects (Byrd and Castner 2001; Catts and Haskel 1990; Smith 1986). This chapter is concerned with assessing the confidence that can be placed in the accuracy of estimates derived from insect development. (Schoenly et al. 1996) dealt with this theme in succession-based estimates of PMImin.
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- Date Issued: 2010
Forensic Entomology: The Utility of Arthropods in Legal Investigations. 2nd Edition, J.H. Byrd and J.L. Castner (Eds.): book review
- Authors: Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/451705 , vital:75071 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC32854
- Description: In the last century, the primary texts on forensic entomology were those by Smith (1986) for reference, and Catts and Haskell (1990) for teaching and training. Between their publication and that of the first edition of Forensic Entomology: The Utility of Arthropods in Legal Investigations (Byrd and Castner 2000), about 16 research papers relevant to forensic entomology appeared each year; since then it has been over 40, and several more books (Greenberg and Kunish 2002; Wyss and Cherix 2006; Gennard 2007; Amendt et al. 2010) have appeared. With so much research accumulating, it was certainly time for an updated edition.
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- Date Issued: 2010
My First Book of Southern African Insects, C. Uys: book review
- Authors: Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/451749 , vital:75074 , https://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC32855
- Description: I concur with Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943): we are born with a strong appreciation of the world around us that most of us lose as we grow up. While few adults have much empathy with insects, they are a source of fascination for most children, at least until they start school. The problem facing professional entomology is how to sustain and encourage that early attitude so that we recruit passionate and well-prepared people into the profession, and sensitise the remainder of the population to the value of insects.
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- Date Issued: 2010
The utility of Coleoptera in forensic investigations
- Authors: Midgley, John M , Richards, Cameron S , Villet, Martin H
- Date: 2010
- Subjects: To be catalogued
- Language: English
- Type: text , book chapter
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442783 , vital:74033 , ISBN 978-1-4020-9684-6 , https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9684-6_4
- Description: Forensic entomology is a developing field of forensic science, so there are many avenues to investigate. These avenues include novel directions that have never been addressed, as well as more critical and rigorous research into areas which have already been explored. Most research in forensic entomology has focused on flies, and beetles (Coleoptera) have been at best under-emphasized. A good example of this is the review by Smith (1986), where 70 pages are dedicated to Diptera and only 12 to Coleoptera; this situation has changed little in the subsequent 20 years. To contextualize the neglect, throughout the world there are at least as many species of Coleoptera that may visit a particular carcass as Diptera (Braack 1986; Louw and van der Linde 1993; Bourel et al. 1999; Lopes de Carvalho et al. 2000; Pérez et al. 2005; Shea 2005; Watson and Carlton 2005a; Salazar 2006; Martinez et al. 2007). A common assumption underlying the neglect of Coleoptera is that Diptera locate corpses faster, and thus give a more accurate estimate of minimum Post Mortem Interval (PMImin). Recent observations (Midgley and Villet 2009b) have shown that Thanatophilus micans (Silphidae) can locate corpses and start breeding within 24 h of death, and thus the potential utility of estimates based on this species is equal to that of those based on flies.
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- Date Issued: 2010