Life Sciences Commons^™

The Impact Of Microclimate On Branch Colonization By Neotropical Cerambycid Beetles, Christina Lee

Dissertations and Theses

"Vertical stratification contributes to the great diversity of insects found in tropical rainforests. Due to differences in both biotic and abiotic factors, different strata of the forest provide different habitats for insects. A previous study in French Guiana revealed that wood-boring cerambycid beetles preferentially colonized branches at ground level in the dry season, but shifted to canopy level in the rainy season. The current beetle-rearing study was conducted to confirm the occurrence of this seasonal shift, explore possible causes, and to determine if similar microclimate conditions occurred at ground level in the dry season and the canopy level in the …