Quantifying Herbivorous Insects Related by Juniperus Phoenicea and Pistacia Atlantica Bushes in Cyrenaica, Libya

Abstract

This research was managed in selected locations of - Cyrenaica, Libya to discover the herbivorous insects related via the Juniperus phoenicea also the Pistacia atlantica. Compressing chosen to converge of the two main species of three study locations, J. phoenicea and P. atlantica, nine plots were mapped in feature and the insect herbivores modelled from central plants, and next from every plants. The set of insect herbivores composed from plants in the plots were documented to species by the expertise of the employees of the Natural History Museum in London. Several insects evidenced are new to Libya, and there are a number of species not before recorded as feeding on either of the two plant species studied. The commonest species on Juniperus in both years of modelling was Xylomeira sp. (Bostrichidae), a species that attacks live and dead wood. This strengthen important herbivore that could influence the survival and life-history of juniper in Al Jabal Al Akhdar. In reality, almost all the commonest species on juniper were beetles, counting many wood-boring species, such as Agrilus (Xeragrilus) sp. (Buprestidae) and Purpuricenus desfontainii (Cerambycidae). Obviously juniper is a main supply for beetles in this region. On Pistacia, on the previous offer, the commonest species diverse between years, with Orthoptera heading the catalogue in the first sampling year: Paracinipe (Acinipe) orientalis, Oedopodacae rulescens and Scintharista notabilis. A set of wood-boring beetles were commonest in the second year of sampling, some of which were the same as those on juniper. This variability may indicate that the quality of Pistacia as a host varies among years, but we do not really have any real indication as to its basis. Geography is clearly one of the major influences on the distribution of the insect herbivore fauna of Al Jabal Al Akhdar in the Mediterranean ecosystem. The number of recorded species broadly increases with elevation, while middle elevations had the greatest overall insect abundances. Insect damage to plants also increased with elevation. In contrast, the two commonest species had their greatest abundances at the highest (Xylomeira) and the lowest (Oedopoda) elevations. Herbivore pressure has usually been found to be higher at lower elevations. Herbivorous insect diversity is also impacted by plant architecture, the size, growth form and diversity of feeding niches on the plant. Therefore, area for area, trees have more herbivores species than bushes, which in turn have more than herbs. Several other plant traits are known to affect the diversity of insect herbivores: for example, plant biochemistry, taxonomic affinity and local richness. If herbivore pressure really does increase with elevation in Al Jabal Al Akhdar, then we might predict that defence levels might mirror it. Thus we might predict increasing levels of tannin with elevation.