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Exploring the Southern Hemisphere: Plant Bug Planetary Biodiversity Inventory Field Work in Australia and South Africa presented by Randall T. Schuh Curator and Chair Division of Invertebrate Zoology American Museum of Natural History, New York

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Planetary Biodiversity Inventories Funding: US National Science Foundation, 2003 Criteria: Worldwide and monophyletic taxa Duration: 5 years Projects: Eumycetozoa (slime molds): 1000 species Solanum (Solanaceae): 1500 species Miridae (Heteroptera): 5000 species Siluriformes (cat fishes): 2500 species http://research.amnh.org/pbi

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PBI Participants

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7 infraorders 85 families 40,000 species described Heteroptera: True Bugs

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Infraorder: Cimicomorpha 1,350 valid genera 10,200 valid species mostly phytophagous high host specificity many myrmecomorphic some aposematic Miridae: Plant Bugs

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Status as of 2003 8 recognized tribes 485 described genera 3900 described species ~ 1400 published hosts ~ 90 new genera ~ 1200 new species in collections PBI Target Taxa: Orthotylinae and Phylinae

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Exemplar Orthotylinae and Phylinae

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Application of taxon focused techniques Maximize discovery of new taxa Extend geographic coverage Maximize host/biological information Maximize specimen quality Maximize specimen numbers Field Work Fundamentals

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Collecting Equipment

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Host Specificity in the Orthotylinae and Phylinae

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Host Collecting

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Processing host vouchers, Sept. 2004, Compton Herbarium, Cape Town Vouchers ready for drying

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Herbarium Quality Host Specimens

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Palearctic Australian Nearctic Neotropical Ethiopian Oriental Species Accumulation in the Orthotylinae and Phylinae

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550 described species 25 % of known world fauna >200,000 specimens in collections flora of ~ 9000 seed plant species ~ 500 published hosts North American Orthotylinae and Phylinae

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Asteraceae (Ambrosia, Artemisia, etc.) Chenopodiaceae (Atriplex, Sarcobatus, etc.) Fabaceae (Acacia, Prosopis, Psorothamnus, etc.) Fagaceae (Quercus) Pinaceae (Pinus, Abies, etc.) Rhamnaceae (Ceanothus, Rhamnus, Zizyphus) Rosaceae (Cercocarpus, Purshia, Rosa, etc.) Salicaceae (Populus, Salix) Major North American Host Groups

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Extreme plant diversity and endemism Unique biotic affinities Limited prior sampling Few publications and described taxa Unstudied by classical & modern authors No local specialists SOUTH AFRICAN FIELD WORK Western Cape as a PBI target area: NamaqualandLittle KarooFynbos

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1961 Carvalho, South African Animal Life 12 described species 0 documented hosts 250 specimens studied 1974 Schuh, Published Dissertation 100 described species: + 850% 50 documented hosts 2000 specimens studied: + 800% South African Orthotylinae and Phylinae: 1961, 1974

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South Africa: 2003, 2004 Localities >120 localities

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> 250 species: + 250% > 350 documented hosts: + 700% > 20,000 specimens: + 1000% South African Orthotylinae and Phylinae, 2005

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South African Museum and Table Mountain, Cape Town

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Bed and Breakfast, Vanrhynsdorp

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Tradouw Pass, East of Cape Town

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Look East, South of Clanwilliam

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Vanrhyns Pass, East of Vanrhynsdorp

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Looking west from Vanrhyns Pass Summit

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Northern Namaqualand, SE of Kamieskroon

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Collecting near Kamieskroon, northern Namaqualand

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Far Northern Cape, toward Lekkersing: Tom Henry

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Far Northern Cape, toward Lekkersing: Denise Wyniger

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Cupressaceae: Widdringtonia sp.Widdringtoniola sp.

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Solanaceae: Lycium sp.Karoocapsus sp.

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Geraniaceae: Pelargonium cucullatumundescribed

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Aizoaceae: Lampranthus sp.Eminoculus sp.

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Fabaceae: Lebeckia sericeaPseudosthenarus sp.

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Asteraceae: Leysera sp. undescribed

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High plant diversity and endemicity, especially in west and southwest Limited sampling Few publications and described taxa No local specialists historically Australia as a PBI target area AUSTRALIAN FIELD WORK

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180 described species (~ 75 Orthotylinae and Phylinae) 1.8% of known world fauna ~ 500 species in collections 25,000 specimens in collections Flora of ~ 18,000 seed plant species 35 published host records Australian Miridae, 1994

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Australia: 1995--2002 Localities > 400 localities

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210 described species: + 15% (90 Orthotylinae and Phylinae) > 1,500 spp. in collections: + 300% > 100,000 specimens: + 400% (80% Orthotylinae and Phylinae) 1,400 documented hosts: + 4000% Australian Miridae: 2002

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Long Distances, Few People

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Camping in the Bush, Southwestern Australia

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Heath lands, near Esperance, Western Australia

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Eucalypus forest, Margaret River, Western Australia

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Open Acacia woodland, South Australia

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Casuarina Woodland, Central Australia

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Casuarina Fruits

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Acacia with Loranthaceous Parasites, South Australia

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Lake Eyre Basin, South Australia

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Sand dune, north of Kalbarri Park, Western Australia

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Xanthorrhoeaceae: Lomandra sp.Kirkaldyella sp.

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Restionaceae: Hypolaena humilisundescribed

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Loranthaceae: Amyema sp.Hypseloecus sp.

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Proteaceae: Conospermum sp.undescribed

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Proteaceae: Grevillea sp.3 undescribed

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Proteaceae: Adenanthos cuneatusundescribed

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Myrtaceae: Melaleuca sp.undescribed

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Chenopodiaceae: Rhagodia sp.undescribed

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Casuarinaceae: Casuarina sp.Austromirini sp.

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Fabaceae: Acacia sp.Austromiris sp.

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Asteraceae: Waitzia acuminataWallabicoris sp.

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20% increase in available specimens 20% increase in known species diversity Continental-scale increase in geographic coverage ~ 100% increase in host-documented specimens ~ 1000% increase in host vouchers PBI Accomplishments Changes for World Orthotylinae and Phylinae

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Gerry Cassis Sheridan Hewson-Smith Jason Larimer Brenda Massie Ella Massie-Schuh Lorenzo Prendini Michael Schwartz Steve Thurston Christiane Weirauch Denise Wyniger National Science Foundation American Museum of Natural History Australian Museum http://research.amnh.org/pbi Acknowledgments