Predation of Acacia seeds by bruchid beetles and its relation to altitudinal gradient in south-western Saudi Arabia.
The distribution of the Acacia trees and their bruchid seed beetles in south-western Saudi Arabia revealed that each of the host-insect pair occupied a specific range along the altitudinal gradient from sea level to 2500 m. At low to intermediate altitudes, between sea level and 1750 m, at hot to worm environments, the following host-insect pairs were recorded: Acacia asak--Bruchidius. sp., A. ehrenbergiana--B.saudicus, A.hamulosa--B.sp., A.oerfota--B.sp., A.seyal--B. sp., A.tortilis--B. aurivilli and A.tortilis--B. sahelicus. At high altitudes between 1750 and 2500m, at cool environment the following host insect pairs were recorded: A.negrii--B.arabicus and A.gerrardii--B.arabicus. The rate of seed predation varied among Acacia spp., but the highest were recorded in A. tortilis and A. ehrenbergiana.
Abdullah
M A
MA
Department of Biology, College of Education, King Saud University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Abulfatih
H A
HA
D000045:Acacia / Q000469:parasitology*; D000531:Altitude; D000818:Animals; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D011891:Rain; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D012639:Seeds / Q000469:parasitology*; D013696:Temperature