Results
Foliar arthropod community. In total, 52,128 arthropod specimens
were collected from pasture foliage, representing 759 morphospecies from
four classes (Arachnida, Collembola, Insecta, and Symphyla) and 13
orders (Araneae, Coleoptera, Diptera, Entomobryomorpha, Hemiptera,
Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera, Odonata, Orthoptera, Psocoptera,
Symphypleona, Thysanoptera). A complete list of foliar arthropod
specimens and their abundance from this study can be found in the
Supporting Information accompanying this article. The five orders that
contained the highest number of morphospecies and specimen abundance are
listed in Table 1. Ecological guilds of the foliar arthropod community
consisted predominately of herbivores, parasitoids, and predators
(Figure 2A, B). Only 1.84% of the morphospecies and 1.01% of the
specimen abundance were pests (Figure 3A, B).
Soil arthropod community. A total of 224 soil cores were
extracted for this study to examine the soil dwelling arthropod
community. In sum 53,292 arthropod specimens were extracted from the
soil, representing 436 morphospecies from eight classes (Arachnida,
Chilopoda, Collembola, Diplopoda, Diplura, Insecta, Protura, and
Symphyla) and 18 orders (Araneae, Coleoptera, Dicellurata, Diptera,
Dermaptera, Entomobryomorpha, Geophilomorpha, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera,
Julida, Lepidoptera, Lithobiomorpha, Neuroptera, Opiliones, Orthoptera,
Psocoptera, Symphypleona, Thysanoptera). A complete list of soil
arthropod specimens and their abundance from this study can be found in
the Supporting Information accompanying this article. The five orders
containing the highest number of morphospecies and specimen abundance
are listed in Table 1. Examining the known functional guilds of
arthropod morphospecies shows predators comprised the largest portion of
the community followed by herbivores and parasitoids (Figure 2C).
Predators also comprised the largest functional guild of known arthropod
abundance followed by granivores and herbivores (Figure 2D). Pest
species constituted only 2.25% of the morphospecies and 0.34% of the
specimen abundance (Figure 3C, D).
Dung arthropod community. A total of 100 dung pats were subjected
to core sampling. In sum, 20,831 specimens, representing 234
morphospecies from six classes (Arachnida, Chilopoda, Collembola,
Diplura, Insecta, and Symphyla) and 12 orders (Araneae, Coleoptera,
Dermaptera, Dicellurata, Diptera, Entomobryomorpha, Hemiptera,
Hymeoptera, Orthroptera, Psocoptera, Symphypleona, Thysanoptera). A
complete list of dung arthropod specimens and their abundance from this
study can be found in the Supporting Information accompanying this
article. The five orders with the highest number of morphospecies and
specimen abundance are listed in Table 1. Predators were the most
speciose functional group, followed by parasitoids and herbivores
(Figure 2E). Predators were also the most abundant of the functional
guilds, followed by coprophages and granivores (Figure 2F). Only 2.47%
of the morphospecies and 0.46% of the specimen abundance were pests
(Figure 3E, F).