Effect of urbanization on the population density of aak weevil

Urbanization can lead to the emergence of discontinuities in the preferred habitat of a plant resource, which might affect the populations of its consumers via bottom-up effects. Decline in the population density of aak weevil (Paramecops farinosus), a specialized herbivore on Calotropis procera, wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current science (Bangalore) 2007-10, Vol.93 (8), p.1130-1134
Main Authors: Sharma, Santosh, Amritphale, Dilip
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Calotropis procera
Cocoons
Herbivores
Host plants
Phytophagous insects
Plants
Population density
RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
Rootstocks
Urban density
Vegetation canopies
Weevils
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Summary:Urbanization can lead to the emergence of discontinuities in the preferred habitat of a plant resource, which might affect the populations of its consumers via bottom-up effects. Decline in the population density of aak weevil (Paramecops farinosus), a specialized herbivore on Calotropis procera, was related to urbanizationinduced decrease in canopy cover and density of its host plant. Lower number of weevil-infested host plants in the urban matrix might be due to limited active dispersal capability of the weevil. Passive dispersal of buoyant cocoons might assist the weevil to disperse to relatively distant patches. The study suggests that decline in C. procera population might have serious implications for the associated fauna.
ISSN:0011-3891