A5021853678- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant and animal studies
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Forest ecology and management
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Mosquito-borne diseases and control
- Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Hemiptera Insect Studies
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Phytoplasmas and Hemiptera pathogens
- Fire effects on ecosystems
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
2013-2024
Institute of Entomology
2018-2024
Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre
2013-2024
Czech Academy of Sciences
2017-2024
New Guinea Binatang Research Center
2008-2024
University of Papua New Guinea
2008-2023
Australia and New Guinea (together referred to as Sahul) were linked by land for much of the late Tertiary share many biotic elements. However, is dominated rainforest, northern savannah. Resolving patterns interchange between these two regions critical understanding expansion contraction both habitat types. The green tree frog (Litoria caerulea) has a vast range across eastern Guinea. An assessment mitochondrial morphological diversity in this nominal taxon reveals taxa. True Litoria...
Abstract Aim Insects feeding on seeds and fruits represent interesting study systems, potentially able to lower the fitness of their host plants. In addition true seed eaters, a suite insects feed fleshy parts fruits. We examined likelihood community convergence in whole insect assemblages attacking seeds/fruits three tropical rain forests. Location Three Forest GEO permanent forest plots within different biogeographical regions: Barro Colorado Island (Panama), Khao Chong (Thailand) Wanang...
A long-term goal in evolutionary ecology is to explain the incredible diversity of insect herbivores and patterns host plant use speciose groups like tropical Lepidoptera. Here, we used standardized food-web data, multigene phylogenies both trophic levels chemistry data model interactions between Lepidoptera larvae (caterpillars) from two lineages (Geometridae Pyraloidea) plants a species-rich lowland rainforest New Guinea. Model parameters were make test blind predictions for hectares an...
We describe nine new species of microhylid frogs in the genera Austrochaperina, Cophixalus, Copiula, Hylophorbus, Oreophryne and Xenorhina from Muller Range western Papua New Guinea. Each differs congeners by a suite morphological acoustic characters. The discovery so many during survey short duration (three weeks) limited geographical coverage suggests that additional remain to be detected within this poorly known mountainous region.
In the tropics, antagonistic seed predation networks may have different properties than mutualistic pollination and dispersal networks, but former been considerably less studied. We tested whether structure of tripartite composed host plants, insects developing within seeds fruits, their insect parasitoids could be predicted from plant phylogenetic distance traits. considered subsets (‘subnetworks') at three rainforest locations (Panama, Thailand, Papua New Guinea), based on families,...
Abstract Aim To test the hypothesis that animal communities within environmentally relatively uniform lowland forests are characterized by low beta diversity, both in tropical and temperate areas. Location Lowland basins of Sepik Ramu rivers New Guinea, Amazon river Bolivia, Elbe Dyje Czech Republic. Methods A network 5–6 study sites spanning distances from 20–80 to 300–500 km each area was systematically surveyed for all frogs, using visual detection call tracking. The community data were...
Abstract Rainforests on high tropical mountains are globally important species diversity hotspots. We studied amphibians along an extensive rainforest elevation gradient Mt. Wilhelm (4509 m) in Papua New Guinea. established eight sites at 500 m increments between 200 and 3700 a.s.l. relate their community composition to the known pool of Guinea island. recorded 3390 frogs from 55 species, which is three times more than any local gradient. Species peaked 1700 for communities, 500–1100 broader...
In 1987, in the first issue of Conservation Biology, Edward O. Wilson wrote about "little things that run world" – importance and conservation insects (Wilson, 1987). Readers Insect Diversity will no doubt be very familiar with concept. Sadly, however, this perception is not as widely shared among rest scientific community it should be, are still comparatively neglected a prime focus investigations. For instance, if we look at Thompson-Reuter impact factors (IF) specialised journals for 2017...
A new arboreal species of the microhylid genus Cophixalus Boettger, 1892 is described from montane rainforest on Papua New Guinea’s central cordillera. With a male SUL exceeding 44.0 mm, among largest members genus; only other Papuan known to reach this size C. riparius Zweifel, 1962. The differs in small number mensural characters and by its distinct advertisement call, single explosive ‘bark’ uttered singly or rapid series. In contrast, calls recorded near type locality are series drawn...
Abstract: Major tropical rivers have been suggested to be important dispersal barriers that increase the beta diversity of animal communities in lowland rain forests. We tested this hypothesis using assemblages frogs floodplains Sepik River, a major river system Papua New Guinea. surveyed at five sites within continuous 150 × 500-km area forest bisected by Sepik, standardized visual and auditory survey techniques. documented 769 from 44 species. The similarity species composition decreased...
A significant proportion of the mortality rainforest trees occurs during early life stages (seeds and seedlings), but agents are often elusive. Our study investigated role herbivorous insects pathogens in regeneration dynamics Guazumaulmifolia (Malvaceae), an important tree species agroforestry Central America. We reared pre-dispersal insect seed predators from G.ulmifolia seeds Panama. also carried out experiment, controlling using insecticide and/or fungicide treatments, as well density,...
Abstract Papua New Guinea (PNG) has the greatest diversity of dacine fruit fly species (Diptera: Tephritidae: Dacinae) in world, many which are significant agricultural pests. Although their taxonomy is relatively well known, there limited research on geographical and elevational distribution. We undertook a survey PNG's fauna along complete gradient Mt Wilhelm (175–3700 m a.s.l.) to determine distribution turnover communities. Fruit flies were sampled using selection male parapheromone...
A new species of large green frog the hylid genus Litoria is described from northern New Guinea. The superficially similar to graminea and L. infrafrenata. It can be distinguished by possession a poorly defined white labial stripe that does not extend beyond ear, infrafrenata combination comparatively small adult size (males 57.9–60.4 mm), fully webbed fingers call long (0.7–0.9 s) deep guttural growl. known lowland forests around village Utai in north-western Papua
SummaryChoerophryne burtoni sp. nov. is described from lower-montane rainforest in the Kikori Integrated Conservation and Development Project area, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea. It distinguished congeners by a combination of moderately small size (three males 12.1–12.4 mm SV), reduced snout overhang its unique advertisement call. The call series 1–6 notes, each containing 9–15 pulses produced at rate 1.5 notes/s. dominant frequency 4590–4800 Hz. Males called hidden sites...
Abstract Insect seed predators are important agents of mortality for tropical trees, but little is known about the impact these herbivores in rainforests. During 3 years at Khao Chong (KHC) southern Thailand we reared 17,555 insects from 343.2 kg or 39,252 seeds/fruits representing 357 liana and tree species. A commented list 243 insect species identified provided, with details their host plants. We observed following. (i) Approximately 43% can be considered pests. Most were eaters,...
The majority of multi-cellular terrestrial life is found in tropical forests and either an invertebrate or a plant: for decades ecologists have sought to understand why. As global change erodes the list extant species on our planet quantifying what remain, along with their origins ecology, contributes ability preserve ecosystem functioning resilience. Here we study three feeding guilds caterpillars (Lepidoptera) seek drivers diet breadth across four diverse plant genera Papua New Guinea....
Abstract We propose a new classification of rain forest plants into eight fruit syndromes, based on morphology and other traits relevant to fruit‐feeding insects. This is compared with systems plant or vertebrate dispersers. Our syndromes are fruits sampled from 1,192 species at three Forest Global Earth Observatory plots: Barro Colorado Island (Panama), Khao Chong (Thailand), Wanang (Papua New Guinea). The plots differed widely in syndrome composition. Plant fleshy, indehiscent containing...