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Should I stay or should I go? Modelling dispersal strategies in saproxylic insects based on pheromone capture and radio telemetry: a case study on the threatened hermit beetle Osmoderma eremita

Svensson, Glenn LU ; Sahlin, Ullrika ; Brage, Björn and Larsson, Mattias C LU (2011) In Biodiversity and Conservation 20(13). p.2883-2902
Abstract
To predict how organisms cope with habitat fragmentation we must understand

their dispersal biology, which can be notoriously difficult. We used a novel, multi-pronged

approach to study dispersal strategies in the endangered saproxylic hermit beetle Osmoderma eremita, exploiting its pheromone system to intercept high numbers of dispersing

individuals, which is not possible with other methods. Mark-release-recapture, using unbaited

pitfall traps inside oak hollows and pheromone-baited funnel traps suspended from

tree branches, was combined with radio telemetry (in females only) to record displacements.

Dispersal, modelled as a probability distribution of net displacement, did not... (More)
To predict how organisms cope with habitat fragmentation we must understand

their dispersal biology, which can be notoriously difficult. We used a novel, multi-pronged

approach to study dispersal strategies in the endangered saproxylic hermit beetle Osmoderma eremita, exploiting its pheromone system to intercept high numbers of dispersing

individuals, which is not possible with other methods. Mark-release-recapture, using unbaited

pitfall traps inside oak hollows and pheromone-baited funnel traps suspended from

tree branches, was combined with radio telemetry (in females only) to record displacements.

Dispersal, modelled as a probability distribution of net displacement, did not differ significantly

between sexes (males versus females recaptured), observation methods (females

recaptured versus radio-tracked), or sites of first capture (pitfall trap in tree versus pheromone

trap – distance from original dispersal point unknown). A model including all

observed individuals yielded a mean displacement of 82 m with 1% dispersing1 km.

Differences in body length were small between individuals captured in pitfall versus

pheromone traps, indicating that dispersal is rarely a condition-dependent response in

O. eremita. Individuals captured in pheromone traps were consistently lighter, indicating

that most dispersal events occur relatively late in life, which agrees with trap catch data. In

addition, most (79%) females captured in pheromone traps were mated, showing that

females typically mate before leaving their natal tree. Our data show that integrating odour

attractants into insect conservation biology provides a means to target dispersing individuals

and could greatly improve our knowledge of dispersal biology in threatened species. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Dispersal, Mark-release-recapture, Radio tracking, Pheromone traps, Modelling, Oviposition experiments, Conservation
in
Biodiversity and Conservation
volume
20
issue
13
pages
2883 - 2902
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000297170900003
  • scopus:81255197073
ISSN
0960-3115
DOI
10.1007/s10531-011-0150-9
project
The PheroBio project (Pheromone monitoring of Biodiversity)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
49b7fd60-6202-4394-87f1-eb20eec627ae (old id 2156774)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:15:50
date last changed
2022-04-05 01:23:50
@article{49b7fd60-6202-4394-87f1-eb20eec627ae,
  abstract     = {{To predict how organisms cope with habitat fragmentation we must understand<br/><br>
their dispersal biology, which can be notoriously difficult. We used a novel, multi-pronged<br/><br>
approach to study dispersal strategies in the endangered saproxylic hermit beetle <i>Osmoderma eremita</i>, exploiting its pheromone system to intercept high numbers of dispersing<br/><br>
individuals, which is not possible with other methods. Mark-release-recapture, using unbaited<br/><br>
pitfall traps inside oak hollows and pheromone-baited funnel traps suspended from<br/><br>
tree branches, was combined with radio telemetry (in females only) to record displacements.<br/><br>
Dispersal, modelled as a probability distribution of net displacement, did not differ significantly<br/><br>
between sexes (males versus females recaptured), observation methods (females<br/><br>
recaptured versus radio-tracked), or sites of first capture (pitfall trap in tree versus pheromone<br/><br>
trap – distance from original dispersal point unknown). A model including all<br/><br>
observed individuals yielded a mean displacement of 82 m with 1% dispersing1 km.<br/><br>
Differences in body length were small between individuals captured in pitfall versus<br/><br>
pheromone traps, indicating that dispersal is rarely a condition-dependent response in<br/><br>
O. eremita. Individuals captured in pheromone traps were consistently lighter, indicating<br/><br>
that most dispersal events occur relatively late in life, which agrees with trap catch data. In<br/><br>
addition, most (79%) females captured in pheromone traps were mated, showing that<br/><br>
females typically mate before leaving their natal tree. Our data show that integrating odour<br/><br>
attractants into insect conservation biology provides a means to target dispersing individuals<br/><br>
and could greatly improve our knowledge of dispersal biology in threatened species.}},
  author       = {{Svensson, Glenn and Sahlin, Ullrika and Brage, Björn and Larsson, Mattias C}},
  issn         = {{0960-3115}},
  keywords     = {{Dispersal; Mark-release-recapture; Radio tracking; Pheromone traps; Modelling; Oviposition experiments; Conservation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{13}},
  pages        = {{2883--2902}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Biodiversity and Conservation}},
  title        = {{Should I stay or should I go? Modelling dispersal strategies in saproxylic insects based on pheromone capture and radio telemetry: a case study on the threatened hermit beetle <i>Osmoderma eremita</i>}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0150-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10531-011-0150-9}},
  volume       = {{20}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}