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Current distribution, microhabitat requirements and vulnerability of the Keeled Plump Bush-cricket (Isophya costata) at the north-western periphery of its range

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Abstract

Edge populations are of conservation importance because they typically suffer an elevated risk of extinction, possess low genetic variation and can be genetically distinct from core populations. Peripheral populations are generally characterized as being less abundant and more vulnerable to habitat change. In this study, we investigated the current distribution and microhabitat requirements of the Keeled Plump Bush-cricket (Isophya costata), a threatened species, at the north-western periphery of its range (Austrian-Slovak trans-border area, Central Europe). To clarify the current distribution pattern in relation to microhabitat requirements, we employed a comprehensive combination of microhabitat assessment and microrelief topography in a flood-plain area, which was supplemented by photo documentation created using a drone. We found that the distribution of the bush-cricket follows isolated occurrences with low densities. Regarding microhabitat requirements, we discovered a link between the distribution pattern of the bush-cricket and micro-elevations connected to dicotyledonous broadleaf plants. We assume that the novel information on species ecology found in this study could be a first step in obtaining sufficient data for further systematic monitoring. To set these findings for species conservation, it is necessary to mitigate the most serious threats, which are represented by early mowing and habitat degradation. Therefore, further detailed analysis of major threats and determination of the genetic structure of the species will be crucial to ensure appropriate conservation measures for the threatened peripheral bush-cricket metapopulation.

Implications for Insect Conservation

This research provides the novel information about microhabitat requirements of the threatened bush-cricket at the north-western edge of its range. Current distribution data together with detailed knowledge of the microhabitat requirements provide important ecological information, which could have significant implications for the further systematic monitoring and species conservation.

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Acknowledgements

Our special thanks go to ÖGEF—Österreichische Gesellschaft für Entomofaunistik for the support of this study. We are grateful to F. Steiner (viadonau) for kindly providing the Digital Elevation Model used in our study. Our special thanks are addressed to Zoltán Kenyeres and Iveta Škodová for their valuable comments and manuscript improvements. Finally, we are grateful to the anonymous reviewers for their crucial improvements of this study and to our children, who patiently accompanied us in the field.

Funding

This study was funded by ÖGEF – Österreichische Gesellschaft für Entomofaunistik (Grant Number 2018/01).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Ecology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Soňa Nuhlíčková

  2. Staničná 318/19, Vysoká pri Morave, Slovakia

    Ján Svetlík

  3. Plant Science and Biodiversity Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Mária Šibíková & Ivan Jarolímek

  4. Lange Gasse 58/20, Vienna, Austria

    Thomas Zuna-Kratky

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  1. Soňa Nuhlíčková
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  4. Ivan Jarolímek
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  5. Thomas Zuna-Kratky
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Contributions

All the authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by [SN], [JS], [MŠ], [IJ] and [TZK]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [Soňa Nuhlíčková] and all the authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All the authors have read and approved the final manuscript. Conceptualization: [SN]; Methodology: [SN], [Mária Šibíková]; Formal analysis and investigation: [SN], [JS], [MŠ], [IJ] and [TZK]; Writing—original draft preparation: [SN]; Writing—review and editing: [MŠ], [IJ] and [TZK]. Funding acquisition: [SN]

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Correspondence to Soňa Nuhlíčková.

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All authors declare that we did not collect threatened arthropods from study areas.

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Electronic Supplementary Material

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10841_2020_280_MOESM1_ESM.xlsx

Online Resource 1 Abundance of males, females and the appropriate category of the Keeled Plump Bush-cricket in each study plot. Explanations: ID = identification code; LAT = latitude; LONG = longitude; ABUND_M = male abundance; ABUND_F = female abundance; VISUAL = visual detection; CALL = acoustic detection of calling males; VISUAL/CALL = both visual and acoustic detection. The ID of plots included in the study on habitat requirements are designated in bold (xlsx 13 kb)

10841_2020_280_MOESM2_ESM.xlsx

Online Resource 2 List of all plant species, syntaxon names and their respective cover (%) estimated by the extended 9-degree Braun-Blanquet cover-abundance scale in two representative plots. Explanations: black dot (.) = absence, (r) = rare occurrence, 1–3 individuals per plot, cross (+) = cover < 1%, (1) = cover 1–5%, 2a = cover 5–12.5%, 2b = cover 12.5–25%, 2m = widespread species with small habitus (juveniles), 3 = cover 25–50%, 4 = cover 50–75%, 5 = cover 75–100%. Abbreviations: sp. - species, ssp. - subspecies, agg. - aggregatum, sect. - section, s. str. - sensu stricto (xlsx 13 kb)

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Nuhlíčková, S., Svetlík, J., Šibíková, M. et al. Current distribution, microhabitat requirements and vulnerability of the Keeled Plump Bush-cricket (Isophya costata) at the north-western periphery of its range. J Insect Conserv 25, 65–76 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-020-00280-w

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