Data sources:
QUESTIONS
QUERY #1: Bug species A-us (genus, taxon) feeds on what plants?
The following criteria will allow for transformation of specimen level data from Associate to Associate:Consumer:Herbivore if the specimen level data is greater than singleton and doubleton records, such that: (i) multiple specimen records (>3 specimens; <3 if both sexes; >2 if females only -- females are indicative of breeding host as well); (ii) larval and adult specimen records (>3 specimens, incl. of minimum singleton larva); (iii) multiple locations (>1 location); (iv) second plant species in the same genus or family with >2 specimens. The meeting of at least one of these criteria is regarded as sufficient, with more than one providing a higher confidence rating to designate as Consumer:Heribvore. In the case of singleton or doubleton records designations will remain as Associate or transformed provisionally to "putative" Associate:Consumer:Herbivore if supported by literature-based supporting information (viz. from AFD or other bibliographic sources) that is independent of the specimen level data. Confidence ratings are to be considered based on these ratings.
Literature or bibliographic records can also be transformed where >2 independent records are found, although perpetuation through cataloguing of original data is not permitted to fulfill the >2 criterion. In addition additional extrinsic information exists that will make it admissible to transfer Associate to Associate:Consumer designation based on what we known of feeding and food preferences within the suborder Heteroptera. Most heteropterans are plant-feeding, although there are significant taxon numbers of predaceous, omnivorous and fungal feeding species. These later taxa are assumed based on background knowledge of the non-herbivore species, and omnivorous designations do not necessarily dismiss "plant feeding", but is additional to it. Fungal feeding is far less common and is restricted to a fewer higher taxa, more or less obligately (families Aradidae and Termitaphididae, Miridae: Cylapinae partim), and is largely data free in the heteropteran case study.
The genus Inoma and sister-genus Lasiacantha are primarily known from species belonging to the plant genera Eremophila (emu bush, family Scrophulariaceae), and in the former the labiate genera Dicrastylis and Newcastleia (Lamiaceae). The host plant records of Inoma arrernte with aster genera (Asteraceae), is indicative of host switching, which is not dismissed, because both males and females of this bug species is found on Anemocarpa saxatilis, thus meeting the minimum specimen number criterion (>5) and both sexes. The records are derived from the PBI database, and abstracted to the AFD, processed through the NSL and SIAD.
QUERY #2: What heteropteran species (sp. or spp.) feed on plant species X-us?
QUERY #3: Heteropteran genus A has what host plant associations?
PBI: 1095 specimen level records of Inoma spp. with host plant associations as follows:
This is an extension of Query #1 (plant associations of Inoma arrernte) and allows us to make a comparison of its associations with nearest and not-nearest phylogenetic neighbours. This allows for the following follow up types of queries: (i) are there any coevolutionary trends, likelihoods, patterns, etc.; (ii) are the associations host plant specific, oligophagous or polyphagous; (iii) are the plants or bugs spatially overlapping; (iv) what is the phylogenetic spread of the plant associations for a bug genus; (v) are there any trends at the genus-group or suprageneric group levels, viz. does Inoma favour any particular genus, in this case Eremophila or Dicrastylis; (vi) are there are any plant attributes that are found across the plant range of the genus that may have an ecological or phylogenetic signal, viz. glandular hairs, soil type; (vii) are there any correlated geographic patterns of the interacting taxa.
QUERY #4: What heteropteran species are associated with plant genus X?
The definitions and rules for entities and schema are as in QUERY #2. Permissible terms vary.
Entity 2: (i) Common names, non-formal for species of plant genus X (e.g., emu bush); (iii) Formal species names (binomial) for species of plant genus X and associated hierarchy(e.g., Eremophila freelingii, Scrophulariaceae, family Scrophulariaceae). These can also be modified adjectively through plant attributes, either as (i) Vernacular, plant attributes (e.g., flowers, pollen, stems, leaves, fruits, seeds, roots, bark, etc.); or (ii) Anatomical, technical (e.g., parenchyma, xylem, phloem). For example, fruit of Eremophila freelingii.
PBI: 1664 specimen level records of heteropterans associated with species of the genus Eremophila as follows:
Multiple species of heteropteran species were found both for the literature/bibliographic records (21 species of bugs x 13 species of Eremophila [excl. of 1 undetermined species]) and 1664 records for the specimen database (22 species of bugs x 10 species of Eremophila [excl. undetermined species]). There is significant overlap between the data sources, but both data sources have unique records. Most Eremophila species have multiple bug species associated with them.
This outcome indicates an assemblage of true bugs that are found for Eremophila across Australia, such that Eremophila can be interpreted as being a hub of bug diversification, inclusive of: (i) six species of Pentatomidae; (ii) at least 11 species of Miridae; and, (iii) at least 16 species of Tingidae. Such species interactions across Australia are on a scale that have been rarely demonstrated in Australia, and meets an original objective of SIAD.
This has the important outcome that the result can be analysed in terms of degree of host specificity. For example, Inoma fuscata is found on two species of Eremophila, and cannot be interpreted as being host plant specific, where multiple specimen records have been reported above the >5 criterion established above for both Eremophila freelingii and E. gilesi.
QUERY #5: Heteropteran family A-idae has what host plant associations?
QUERY #6: What heteropteran species are associated with plant family X-ceae?
QUERY #7: What stage of heteropteran species A-us are feeding/associated with plant species X-us?
All feeding life stages of Inoma arrernte were found on Anemocarpa saxatilis, with multiple specimens, which would allow us to transform, the association to a Associate:Consumer:Herbivore category.
This query could be modified by the following:
1) geographic location as well, to determine if these individuals of both heteropteran and plant
were co-located, which, if so, would increase our confidence in designating Inoma arrernte as a herbivore;
2) what life stages of the plant were they associated with; e.g., flowers of Anemocarpa saxatilis.
QUERY #8: Where is the species interaction of heteropteran species X-us-plant species Y-us found