Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Habitat requirements for the conservation of wood cricket (Nemobius sylvestris) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) on the Isle of Wight, UK

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Insect Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the UK, wood cricket (Nemobius sylvestris) is a ‘Species of Conservation Concern’, being restricted to only three areas in southern England. Little information is available on the specific habitat requirements of this species. In 2006, a field investigation within three woodlands on the Isle of Wight was undertaken to identify its habitat preferences. Factors positively influencing wood cricket presence within woodlands included the presence of a well-developed leaf litter layer, relatively low ground vegetation cover and height, low canopy cover and relatively short distances between individual populations. Regression models identified the degree of isolation and variables describing vegetation structure as the main predictors for wood cricket presence within woodland fragments. The results of this study indicate the preference of wood cricket for open wooded edges. Conservation efforts for this species should focus on continuation of regular management activities aimed at providing permanent open edge habitat within woodlands, to maintain viable populations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beugnon G (1980) Daily migrations of the wood cricket Nemobius sylvestris. Environ Entomol 9(6):801–805

    Google Scholar 

  • Beyer HL (2004) Hawth’s Analysis Tools for ArcGIS. Available via http://www.spatialecology.com/htools/. Accessed July 2005

  • Binzenhofer B, Schroder B, Strauss B et al (2005) Habitat models and habitat connectivity analysis for butterflies and burnet moths: the example of Zygaena carniolica and Coenonympha arcania. Biol Conserv 126(2):247–259. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.05.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bratton J, Andrews J (1991) Invertebrate conservation: principles and their application to broad-leaved woodland. Br Wildl 2(6):335–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Brouwers NC, Newton AC (2008) The influence of habitat availability and landscape structure on the distribution of wood cricket (Nemobius sylvestris) on the Isle of Wight, UK. Landscape Ecol. doi:10.1007/s10980-008-9298-4

  • Brouwers NC, Newton AC (in press) Movement rates of woodland invertebrates: a systematic review of empirical evidence. Insect Conserv Divers

  • Brown VK (1978) Variations in voltinism and diapause intensity in Nemobius sylvestris Orthoptera Gryllidae. J Nat Hist 12(4):461–472. doi:10.1080/00222937800770321

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buse J, Schroder B, Assmann T (2007) Modelling habitat and spatial distribution of an endangered longhorn beetle: a case study for saproxylic insect conservation. Biol Conserv 137(3):372–381. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2007.02.025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen J (1988) Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Crooks KR, Sanjayan M (eds) (2006) Connectivity conservation. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Defra (2005) Keepers of time: a statement of policy for England’s ancient & native woodland. Defra/Forestry Commission, UK

    Google Scholar 

  • Engler R, Guisan A, Rechsteiner L (2004) An improved approach for predicting the distribution of rare and endangered species from occurrence and pseudo-absence data. J Appl Ecol 41(2):263–274. doi:10.1111/j.0021-8901.2004.00881.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • English Nature (1998–2006) Ancient Woodland Inventory (Provisional) for England—Digital Boundaries. English Nature, Great Britain. Available via http://www.english-nature.org.uk/pubs/gis/tech_aw.htm. Accessed June 2006

  • Field A (2005) Discovering statistics using SPSS. SAGE Publications Ltd, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleishman E, Murphy DD, Sjogren-Gulve P (2002) Modeling species richness and habitat suitability for taxa of conservation interest. In: Scott JM et al (eds) Predicting species occurrences: issues of accuracy and scale. Island, Washington, DC, pp 507–517

    Google Scholar 

  • Forestry Commission (2006) Isle of Wight forest design plan—South East England Forest District 2006–2042. Forestry Commission, UK (draft)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gabbutt PD (1959) The bionomics of the wood cricket, Nemobius sylvestris (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). J Anim Ecol 28(1):15–42. doi:10.2307/2011

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greatorex-Davies JN, Sparks TH, Hall ML (1994) The response of heteroptera and coleoptera species to shade and aspect in rides of coniferised lowland woods in Southern England. Biol Conserv 67(3):255–273. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(94)90617-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutzwiller KJ (ed) (2002) Applying landscape ecology in biological conservation. Springer Verlag, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanski IA, Gilpin ME (eds) (1997) Metapopulation biology. Ecology, genetics, and evolution. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Harrison S, Taylor AD (1997) Empirical evidence for metapopulation dynamics. In: Hanski IA, Gilpin ME (eds) Metapopulation biology. Ecology, genetics, and evolution. Academic Press, New York, pp 27–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Heller NE, Gordon DM (2006) Seasonal spatial dynamics and causes of nest movement in colonies of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile). Ecol Entomol 31(5):499–510. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.2006.00806.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Koehler G, Samietz J (2006) Semivoltine entwicklung der waldgrille, Nemobius sylvestris (Bosc.), an ihrem mitteldeutschen Arealrand (Semivoltine development of the cricket, Nemobius sylvestris (Bosc.) in the central Germany border region). Articulata 21(2):183–194

    Google Scholar 

  • Konvicka M, Novak J, Benes J et al. (2008) The last population of the woodland brown butterfly (Lopinga achine) in the Czech Republic: habitat use, demography and site management. J Insect Conserv 12(5):549–560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matern A, Drees C, Kleinwachter M et al (2007) Habitat modelling for the conservation of the rare ground beetle species Carabus variolosus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the riparian zones of headwaters. Biol Conserv 136(4):618–627

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morvan R, Campan R (1976) Displacement of ground crickets: conditions of acquisition and maintenance of a dominant orientation (Les deplacements du grillon des bois: conditions d’acquisition et de maintien d’une orientation dominante). Terre Vie 30(2):276–294

    Google Scholar 

  • NBN Gateway (2007) National Biodiversity Network developed by CEH and JNCC, 2004. Available via http://www.searchnbn.net/. Accessed November 2007

  • Pallant J (2007) SPSS survival manual. Open University Press, Berkshire

    Google Scholar 

  • Proess R, Baden R (2000) Survey of the orthopteran species Barbitistes serricauda (Fabricius, 1798), Leptophyes punctatissima (Bosc, 1972), Meconema thalassinum (De Geer, 1773) and Nemobius sylvestris (Bosc, 1792) in Luxembourg (Insecta, Saltatoria). Bull Soc Nat Luxemb 100:159–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Ranius T (2000) Minimum viable metapopulation size of a beetle, Osmoderma eremita, living in tree hollows. Anim Conserv 3(1):37–43. doi:10.1111/j.1469-1795.2000.tb00085.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards TJ (1952) Nemobius sylvestris in S.E. Devon. Entomologist 85:83–87 108–111; 136–141; 161–166

    Google Scholar 

  • Rieske LK, Buss LJ (2001) Influence of site on diversity and abundance of ground- and litter-dwelling Coleoptera in Appalachian oak-hickory forests. Environ Entomol 30(3):484–494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rukke BA (2000) Effects of habitat fragmentation: increased isolation and reduced habitat size reduces the incidence of dead wood fungi beetles in a fragmented forest landscape. Ecography 23(4):492–502. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0587.2000.230411.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rukke BA, Midtgaard F (1998) The importance of scale and spatial variables for the fungivorous beetle Bolitophagus reticulatus (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) in a fragmented forest landscape. Ecography 21(6):561–572. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.1998.tb00548.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siitonen J, Saaristo L (2000) Habitat requirements and conservation of Pytho kolwensis, a beetle species of old-growth boreal forest. Biol Conserv 94(2):211–220. doi:10.1016/S0006-3207(99)00174-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith S, Gilbert J (2003) National inventory of woodland and trees—Great Britain. Forestry Commission, Edinburgh, pp 1–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorvari J, Hakkarainen H (2007) Wood ants are wood ants: deforestation causes population declines in the polydomous wood ant Formica aquilonia. Ecol Entomol 32(6):707–711. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2311.2007.00921.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spencer JW, Kirby KJ (1992) An inventory of ancient woodland for England and Wales. Biol Conserv 62:77–93. doi:10.1016/0006-3207(92)90929-H

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sroka K, Finch O-D (2006) Ground beetle diversity in ancient woodland remnants in north-western Germany (Coleoptera, Carabidae). J Insect Conserv 10(4):335–350. doi:10.1007/s10841-006-9008-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strauss B, Biedermann R (2005) The use of habitat models in conservation of rare and endangered leafhopper species (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha). J Insect Conserv 9(4):245–259. doi:10.1007/s10841-005-8818-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick BG, Fidell LS (2001) Using multivariate statistics. Allyn & Bacon, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas CD (1994) Extinction, colonization, and metapopulations: environmental tracking by rare species. Conserv Biol 8(2):373–378. doi:10.1046/j.1523-1739.1994.08020373.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas CD, Thomas JA, Warren MS (1992) Distributions of occupied and vacant butterfly habitats in fragmented landscapes. Oecologia 92(4):563–567. doi:10.1007/BF00317850

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren MS, Key RS (1991) Woodlands: past, present and potential for insects. In: Collins NM, Thomas JA (eds) The conservation of insects and their habitats. Academic Press, London, pp 155–211

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We like to thank Sallie Bailey, Timothy New and two anonymous referees for their thoughtful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. We also like to thank the Forestry Commission and the Scottish Forestry Trust for funding this research. Furthermore, we like to thank the Forestry Commission (South East England Forest District), The National Trust (Mottistone, Isle of Wight) and the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) (London, UK) for working in their woodlands on the Isle of Wight.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK

    Niels C. Brouwers & Adrian C. Newton

Authors
  1. Niels C. Brouwers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Adrian C. Newton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Niels C. Brouwers.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Brouwers, N.C., Newton, A.C. Habitat requirements for the conservation of wood cricket (Nemobius sylvestris) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) on the Isle of Wight, UK. J Insect Conserv 13, 529–541 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-008-9199-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-008-9199-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation