Everyone,
I am interested in studying how the diversity of herbivorous insects
differs with latitude on a particular species of host tree, between
the northern and southern ends of its range. My hypothesis would be
that a tree would be attacked by more species in the warmer end of the
range. It might also have a greater total biomass of insects per unit
area of leaves.
I'd like to test this by sampling low-hanging sun branches on forest
edges at a range of sites i've identified in northern Florida, vs New
Jersey/New York State. I have two questions
1) Does my rough and ready method for harvesting insects sound any good: i
want to spray insecticide over several low branches, holding a sheet
underneath and catching the insects that drop off
2) Is there anyone in northern Florida (or a similar latitude)who might be
interested in visiting my sites (which are marked out on maps and
accessible along roadsides) to harvest the insects, while I do the same at
a phenologically equivalent time of year here in the north-east?
Jonathan Adams
