Insects and mites feeding on berries of Juniperus foetidissima Willd. on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus

Endemic forests with Juniperus spp. in the Mediterranean are listed as a priority habitat in the EU Habitats Directive, with the stinking juniper tree (Juniperus foetidissima Willd.) a key constituent. Within the EU, the island of Cyprus represents the southernmost range of distribution of J. foetidissima with clumps of the tree located mostly on the rocky and steep slopes of the Troodos National Forest Park (NFP) between 1.500–1.950 m above sea level. The reproductive potential of J. foetidissima may be at risk, partly because of berry attacks by arthropods. To identify the arthropod species that infest J. foetidissima berries we sampled trees biweekly for one year at three elevations (1.950 m, 1.800 m, and 1.650 m). We identified four microlepidoptera species attacking berries: Pammene mariana (Zerny), P. juniperana (Millière), P. blockiana (Herrich-Schäffer) (Lepidoptera: Torticidae) and Argyresthia aurulentella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae). Eriophyid mites were also recorded to feed on berries. All insect species are recorded for the first time in Cyprus. Infestation during the maturation period of berries collected by cutting varied from an average of 16% at the medium elevation (1.800 m) to 11% at the low elevation (1.650 m). Infestation of berries collected by beating remained above 30% during the berry maturation period

Insects and mites feeding on berries of Juniperus foetidissima Willd. on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus

Endemic forests with Juniperus spp. in the Mediterranean are listed as a priority habitat in the EU Habitats Directive, with the stinking juniper tree (Juniperus foetidissima Willd.) a key constituent. Within the EU, the island of Cyprus represents the southernmost range of distribution of J. foetidissima with clumps of the tree located mostly on the rocky and steep slopes of the Troodos National Forest Park (NFP) between 1.500–1.950 m above sea level. The reproductive potential of J. foetidissima may be at risk, partly because of berry attacks by arthropods. To identify the arthropod species that infest J. foetidissima berries we sampled trees biweekly for one year at three elevations (1.950 m, 1.800 m, and 1.650 m). We identified four microlepidoptera species attacking berries: Pammene mariana (Zerny), P. juniperana (Millière), P. blockiana (Herrich-Schäffer) (Lepidoptera: Torticidae) and Argyresthia aurulentella Stainton (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae). Eriophyid mites were also recorded to feed on berries. All insect species are recorded for the first time in Cyprus. Infestation during the maturation period of berries collected by cutting varied from an average of 16% at the medium elevation (1.800 m) to 11% at the low elevation (1.650 m). Infestation of berries collected by beating remained above 30% during the berry maturation period

Geographical variation in adult life-history traits of the European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae)

To understand the evolution of local adaptation, the interplay between natural selection and gene flow should be considered. Rhagoletis cerasi L. (Diptera: Tephritidae) is a patchily distributed, stenophagous species of the temperate zone, and the geographical structure of its populations reveals substantial variation in gene flow rates across its distribution range. We studied the demographic components of R. cerasi adults from Greek and German populations by estimating the variability in fitness traits among allopatric populations, as well as among geographically discrete populations, with gene flow. Assuming that body size may exert a profound effect on adult fitness, both thorax and head sizes were considered as covariates in our analyses. Our data demonstrated that females were larger than males in all populations, and adult size varied significantly among populations within groups. Significant differences in a suite of life-history traits of R. cerasi adults were detected among populations with gene flow, whereas there were no consistent differences among allopatric populations. Therefore, the genetic differences among R. cerasi populations, driven mainly by geographical isolation, are poor predictors of variation in the life-history traits of adults. (c) 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 107, 137-152