Comparative Ecology of Uncommon and Rare Galling and Free-Feeding Sawflies

为了促进对罕见和稀有昆虫食草动物的了解，将在亚利桑那州里约热内卢旗帜分水岭定义的景观中研究八种锯蝇。这些锯蝇是特别有价值的研究对象，因为它们都留下了可以被发现和记录的特征损伤，甚至可以通过它们的损伤来发现神秘的物种。这些物种在空间和时间上的分布和丰度将在景观、寄主植物种群和寄主个体的尺度上在自然种群中进行为期三年的研究。实验将检查雌蜂的行为，以确定地点偏好(植物种类、年龄和生长速度)及其对幼虫性能的影响。这些实验将为田间锯蝇的分布和丰富程度提供机械解释，因为植物质量对雌性行为和幼虫存活的自下而上的影响是重要的。食肉动物对锯蝇分布和丰度的自上而下的影响也将在自然种群和实验中进行检验。%通过对罕见和稀有昆虫食草性动物的研究，PI可以发展出一种理论，解释为什么像这些锯蝇这样的物种仍然不常见，并最终了解为什么一些昆虫食草性动物物种变得非常丰富，并爆发达到害虫状态的物种。

To contribute to the knowledge on uncommon and rare insect herbivores, which are poorly understood, eight species of sawflies will be studies in a landscape defined by the watershed of Rio de Flag, Arizona. These sawflies are particularly valuable subjects for study because they all leave characteristic damage which can be found and recorded, and even cryptic species can be discovered by their damage. The distribution and abundance of these species in space and time will be studied for three years in natural populations on scales of the landscape, host plant populations, and host individuals. Experiments will examine female sawfly behavior to determine site preference (plant species, age, and growth rate) and its impact on larval performance. These experiments will provide mechanistic explanation for the distribution and abundance of sawflies in the field to the extent that the bottom-up forces through plant quality, to female behavior and larval survival, are important. Top-down effects from carnivores on the distribution and abundance of sawflies will also be examined in natural populations and experiments. %%% With the understanding gained from this research on uncommon and rare insect herbivores, the PI can develop a theory on why species such as these sawflies remain uncommon, and ultimately to gain understanding on why some insect herbivore species become very abundance and outbreak species that reach the status of pests.