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Detection of transoceanic migration of insects to a remote island in the Coral Sea, Willis Island
Author(s) -
FARROW R. A.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
australian journal of ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 0307-692X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.1984.tb01362.x
Subject(s) - coral , ecology , range (aeronautics) , geography , colonization , archipelago , abundance (ecology) , shore , biology , emigration , disturbance (geology) , immigration , fishery , paleontology , materials science , composite material , archaeology
Potential insect migrants were sampled by light‐trap at a remote island in the Coral Sea from 15 December 1977 to 30 November 1978 (351 nights). Breeding requirements, seasonal abundance and frequency, wind trajectory relationships, and known migratory tendencies of the 115 taxa collected, were analysed to detect those species migrating overseas from distant land sources. Thirteen influxes were detected from Queensland (minimum crossing 450 km) and one possible influx from Papua (600 km), involving 24 species (83 individuals) unable to reproduce on the island, and up to a further 27 species (73 individuals) among which there was a strong circumstantial evidence of immigration and little or no local reproduction. Sixty seven species (including three of the above putative immigrants) bred on the island and 45 of these were very abundant (99.7% of the total catch of 105480). Long‐range migration is known to occur in most of the latter 45 species, but could not be detected in this study because of the extent of local flight activity. Such activity probably led to a substantial emigration of insects from the island. To sustain the observed rates of colonization, large numbers of migrants, representing most insect orders, must be leaving potential source areas in northern Australia and New Guinea during periods of off‐shore winds.