Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora L.) is widely distribution in forests from the coastal plains of North Carolina to eastern Texas, and is widely used as an ornamental tree from New York to southern California. Because of its value as both a veneer species, its use in furniture, and its popularity as a nursery tree, a study was conducted to assess the insect fauna associated with southern magnolia in forest and urban habitats. Insects were collected from six mature trees in forest and urban settings in eastern Tennessee from November of 2000 through June of 2002 using four collecting methods (pit fall traps, malaise/pan traps in the upper and lower canopy, floral collection, and canopy fogging). Some 5,780 specimens were collected representing 488 species in 11 orders. Of these, the highest numbers of species were collected in Coleoptera followed by Hymenoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera, respectively. The diversity and species richness were compared for those insects collected at the test sites.
Keywords: southern magnolia, biological diversity
Back to Display Presentations, Subsection Cd. Behavior and Ecology
Back to Posters
Back to The 2002 ESA Annual Meeting and Exhibition