Conservation ecological studies on the large-bodied diving beetle species based on species comparisons

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25830152
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Conservation of biological resources
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: OHBA Shin-ya 長崎大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (20638481)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 絶滅危惧種 / 水生甲虫 / 移動分散 / 系統地理 / 地球温暖化 / ゲンゴロウ科

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Most Cybister species are listed as endangered. In recent years, although the population size of C. chinensis and C. brevis decreased in southwestern Japan, that of C. tripunctatus lateralis increased. In the present study, I tried to reveal the fundamental ecology of Cybister species based on a comparison of the different species. In comparison to C. chinensis and C. brevis, C. tripunctatus lateralis showed higher survival and a shorter developmental period under high water temperatures, higher flight dispersal rate of adults, and some genetic differences from Honshu to Nansei Islands. These results indicate that C. tripunctatus lateralis populations could increase at elevated temperatures due to global warming, and adults could disperse to wider geographic regions where this species was previously extinct or near extinct.

Free Research Field

昆虫生態学