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Predation pressure on the arboreal epiphytic herbivores of larch trees in southern England
Author(s) -
TURNER B. D.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1984.tb00701.x
Subject(s) - arboreal locomotion , predation , biology , herbivore , larch , ecology , epiphyte , predator , arthropod , population , habitat , demography , sociology
. 1. Quantitative collections were made of arthropod predators from larch trees at Ranmore Common, Surrey, from August 1977 to September 1978. 2. Spiders were numerically the most important predators accounting for 64% of the total. 3. Antisera of the main larch dwelling, epiphyte herbivore orders, Collembola and Psocoptera, and the other common arboreal herbivore group at Ranmore, the Honioptera (principally Psyllidae) were prepared in rabbits. 4. Serological determinations of predator diets indicated that, with a few exceptions, the predators were taking approximately equal proportions of the three prey groups. 5. This apparent non‐specificity of the predators is analysed in relation to both the numerical abundance and biomass of the three prey types during the study period. 6. These arboreal arthropod predators are selecting for large but rare prey items in preference to small and common ones. 7. These findings are discussed in relation to the population dynamics of arboreal epiphytic herbivores.