Wood-wide web: spatial ecology of webspinners (Insecta:Embioptera) on selected trees within the UP [University of the Philippines] Los Baños lower campus, Laguna
2015
Lucañas, C.C. | Lit, I.L.Jr.
The distribution and spatial patterns of domiciles of oligotomid webspinners (Embioptera:Oligotomidae) on selected tree species within the UPLB Lower Campus were observed. Fifteen trees belonging to five species, with 522 domiciles (340 occupied and 182 empty), were sampled destructively. Statistical analysis revealed a moderately negative correlation between the tree diameter at breast height and percent occupancy of domiciles. Interspecific distribution of domiciles does not vary with height interval. Territoriality and species interactions were measured using first and second order point distribution analysis of completely mapped domiciles. Results of first-order nearest neighbor analysis revealed a random distribution among webspinner species. This implies the absence of territoriality and competition for space at a local scale. In contrast, second-order Ripley's K revealed an intraspecific random distribution of each species present on each sampled tree. This would suggest that intraspecific construction of domiciles is independent of one another and that aggressive behavior for territoriality is probably absent within the group. This is the first study on the ecology of Philippine webspinners. The impressive results from the study, albeit limited in geographical scope and time, suggest that more species and bio-ecological information await discovery. Therefore, further studies on a wider and longer scale should be conducted.
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