Original paper
Adaptation oder Koevolution in Assoziationen endemischer phytophager Wanzen und Gefäßpflanzen auf den Kanarischen Inseln (Heteroptera)
[Adaptation or Coevolution in Associations of Phytophagous Endemic Bugs and Vascular Plants on the Canary Islands (Heteroptera)]
Heiss, Ernst; Remane, Reinhard
Entomologia Generalis Volume 19 Number 1-2 (1994), p. 65 - 78
16 references
published: Sep 1, 1994
DOI: 10.1127/entom.gen/19/1994/065
ArtNo. ESP146001901010, Price: 15.40 €
Abstract
A tentative analysis of the trophic behaviour of the 335 species of Heteroptera, hitherto known from the Canary Islands, leads to the conclusion that 247 species (nearly 74%) are predominantly phytophagous, 80 spp (24%) are carnivorous and 8 spp are ambivalent in their feeding habits. About 1/3 (105 spp) of these Heteroptera species are regarded as Canarian or Central-Macaronesian endemics (ie: also occurring on Madeira). 78% of these endemic ones (79 terrestrial spp, 3 aquatic spp) are herbivores and 22% (23 spp) are carnivores. There is a significant correlation between endemic herbivorous Heteroptera and endemic vascular plants: 22 spp only feed on endemic plants, 19 spp on endemic and non-endemic plants, although no clear association can yet be stated for the remaining ones. The question whether these insect-plant specialisations result from adaptive and/or coevolutionary processes is discussed, but cannot be decided unless more experimentally proved data are available.
Keywords
Canary Islands • Heteroptera • host-plant association • endemism • phytophagy