A5000411901- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Plant and animal studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Biological Control of Invasive Species
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Allelopathy and phytotoxic interactions
- Spider Taxonomy and Behavior Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Cassava research and cyanide
- Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Studies
- Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Agricultural Innovations and Practices
- Plant Toxicity and Pharmacological Properties
University of KwaZulu-Natal
2016-2024
South African National Biodiversity Institute
2018-2024
University of Venda
2011-2019
Abstract In recent years the focus in ecology has shifted from species to a greater emphasis on functional traits. tandem with this shift, number of trait databases have been developed covering range taxa. Here, we introduce GlobalAnts database. Globally, ants are dominant, diverse and provide ecosystem functions. The database represents significant tool for that it (i) contributes global archive ant traits (morphology, life history) which complements existing (ii) promotes trait‐based...
ABSTRACT Aim In ectotherms, the colour of an individual's cuticle may have important thermoregulatory and protective consequences. cool environments, ectotherms should be darker, to maximize heat gain, larger, minimize loss. Dark colours also predominate under high UV‐B conditions because melanin offers protection. We test these predictions in ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) across space through time based on a new, spatially temporally explicit, global‐scale combination assemblage‐level...
Consumption of edible insects is an indigenous practice that has played essential role in human nutrition across Africa. The traditional use forms important part food culture Africa, and are consumed either as a delicacy, emergency, or staple source food. However, knowledge about insect consumption being lost because recent generations have adopted western methods paid less attention to practices. We conducted 500 questionnaires five local municipalities Kwazulu-Natal (KZN), 122 four Vhembe...
Many studies have focused on the impacts of climate change biological assemblages, yet little is known about how interacts with other major anthropogenic influences biodiversity, such as habitat disturbance. Using a unique global database 1128 local ant we examined whether mediates effects disturbance assemblage structure at scale. Species richness and evenness were associated positively temperature, negatively However, interaction among precipitation shaped species evenness. The effect was...
Abstract The relationship between levels of dominance and species richness is highly contentious, especially in ant communities. dominance‐impoverishment rule states that high only occur species‐poor communities, but there appear to be many cases diverse extent which dominant limit local through competitive exclusion remains unclear, such appears more apparent for non‐native rather than native species. Here we perform the first global analysis behavioral richness. We used data from 1,293...
What forces structure ecological assemblages? A key limitation to general insights about assemblage is the availability of data that are collected at a small spatial grain (local assemblages) and large extent (global coverage). Here, we present published unpublished from 51 ,388 ant abundance occurrence records more than 2,693 species 7,953 morphospecies local assemblages 4,212 locations around world. Ants were selected because they diverse abundant globally, comprise fraction animal biomass...
Factors that drive species richness over space and time are still poorly understood often context specific. Identifying these drivers for ant diversity has become particularly relevant within the of contemporary global change events. We report on a long-term bi-annual (wet dry seasons), standardized sampling epigeal ants five year period mesic arid aspects an inselberg (Soutpansberg Mountain Range) in tropics Africa. detail seasonal, annual trends density, test relative contribution...
Edible insects are an important natural commodity in rural areas that is used for household consumption and to generate income through trade. As a result, edible-insect trading profitable business provides employment improves the livelihoods of impoverished people. This study aimed at determining socioeconomic benefits reasons insects, assess if edible included economic development strategies Vhembe district Limpopo province, South Africa. We conducted 72 questionnaire interviews targeting...
The mopane worm (Gonimbrasia belina) is an edible insect distributed across southern Africa. As a culturally important source of food, the provides nutrition, livelihoods and improves wellbeing for rural communities its range. However, this strong evidence that populations are declining worldwide, climate change likely to cause many species shift in their distributions. For these reasons, we aimed model how ecosystem service benefits coming decades. We modelled distribution under two...
Human-dominated landscapes comprise the bulk of world's terrestrial surface and Africa is predicted to experience largest relative increase over next century. A multi-scale approach required identify processes that maintain diversity in these landscapes. Here we scales at which animal responds by partitioning regional a rural African agro-ecosystem between one temporal four spatial scales. Human land use practices are main driver all seven assemblages considered, with medium sized mammals...
Predicting and understanding the biological response to future climate change is a pressing challenge for humanity. In 21st century, many species will move into higher latitudes elevations as warms. addition, relative abundances of within local assemblages are likely change. Both effects have implications how ecosystems function. Few biodiversity forecasts, however, take account both shifting ranges changing abundances. We provide novel analysis predicting potential changes assemblage-level...
The distribution, abundance and sensitivity invertebrates to habitat change are largely unknown. Long-term monitoring of ecological gradients with standardised comparable protocols can form the basis a better understanding. Altitudinal particularly relevant within this context. Here we provide check list baseline data for ant species collected over 5-year period across Soutpansberg Mountain Range, South Africa. Standardised pitfall surveys 11 sites yielded total 133 in 38 genera 6...
Biodiversity patterns along elevational gradients are generally characterised by monotonic decreases or mid-elevational peaks in species richness, while zones may be distinct assemblages, higher subsets of lowland assemblages. Elevational diversity have been less studied the Afrotropical region. This study documents ant three forest types associated with tropical mountains Udzungwa; we hypothesise that: (1) and activity will show a decrease from mid-elevation increasing elevation (2) that...
Background: Active and passive arthropod sampling techniques have their specific limitations. Pitfall trapping is a commonly used method, bush beating, aerial hand collection above the knee, below knee cryptic non-cryptic are widely active techniques. Objective method: traps four were in Chromolaena odorata invaded site to compare methods arthropods Buffelsdraai Conservancy outside city of Durban, South Africa. Results: most efficient effective technique with high species richness for both...
As the need to better understand ecology of hotspots endemism intensifies, insurance hypothesis is drawing increasing attention from policy-makers and scenario-planners. The states that biodiversity increases ecosystem stability. When species numbers fluctuate, there potential for further perturbation, loss function increased opportunity invasive fill vacated niches. Southern Africa predicted be disproportionately impacted by global change, high altitude systems as foci are particularly...
Edible insects may be a sustainable source of protein and some other nutrients, especially for low economic status communities. The current study determined the influence insect type, geographic location cooking method on nutritional composition insects. investigation would contribute to maximal derivation benefits Dried samples four types, Gonimbrasia belina (mopani worm), Gynanisa caterpillar, termite soldiers/workers, alates, were procured from different street vendors across Vhembe...
Abstract In this study, we documented and compared similarities of the alien plant species richness between South Africa represented by three provinces: Free State (FS), Eastern Cape (EC), KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), Lesotho—an important water source area for southern Africa. We tested prediction that in Lesotho are a subset Africa’s partly because short geographical distances provinces Lesotho, environmental similarity. Overall, 7124 records containing 1040 individual belonging to 147 families...
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are amino alcohols, often esterified with mono- or dicarboxylic acids, found in several plant families, including the Asteraceae. used for defence against generalist invertebrate herbivores. However, specialist herbivores that able to sequester PAs from host species derive a number of benefits these compounds. This study investigated and leaves roots southern African biotype (SAB) Chromolaena odorata different regions habitats South Africa, without herbivore...