TY - GEN A1 - Schnerch, Benjamin A1 - Bucher, Roman A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Hossain, Mohammad A1 - Bapfubusa Niyibizi, Ingrid Aline A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Growth stage, management and habitat influence the taxonomic and functional composition of arthropod communities in apple orchards T2 - Agriculture, ecosystems & environment N2 - Apples are the most cultivated fruits in temperate regions, and their production relies on heavy use of synthetic pesticides, causing major environmental problems and the loss of biodiversity. Pests in tree canopies are commonly controlled by the use of synthetic pesticides, but habitat manipulations in orchard alleys are an alternative practice to promote natural pest control services. Integrated pest management (IPM) and organic production methods are considered to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly than conventional production, but the knowledge of the differences between arthropod communities in IPM and organic apple orchards differ from each other is limited. Therefore, we sampled alley and canopy arthropod communities in eight orchards under IPM and eight organic apple orchards, respectively, during three sampling dates in the apple growing season. Our results show that seasonal effects predominantly shape the taxonomic composition and abundance of arthropod community, especially within canopy habitats, while management effects are context-dependent for several taxonomic groups. The species composition of spider communities in canopy habitats differed significantly between management systems depending on dates, with some common species being more abundant in IPM than in organic orchards later in the season. The functional diversity of spider communities was significantly lower in the orchard alleys than in tree canopies, and increased in alley, but decreased in canopy habitats over time. Communities in IPM orchards had a higher proportion of spiders with ballooning ability, indicating that aerial dispersal is more common for spiders in IPM compared to organic orchards. The results of this study highlight the context dependency of management effects on the taxonomic and functional composition of arthropod communities, as these are likely to be most pronounced at certain times of the growing season and in certain habitats. Functional diversity and trait composition were more sensitive to management differences than taxonomic composition. Our results therefore emphasise the need to consider both taxonomic and functional metrics, and to incorporate seasonal and habitat considerations, when assessing the effects of sustainable management practices on arthropod communities in the future KW - Community composition KW - Insects KW - Integrated pest management (IPM) KW - Organic farming KW - Spiders KW - Functional traits KW - Araneae Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.109901 VL - 394 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Bapfubusa Niyibizi, Ingrid Aline A1 - Schnerch, Benjamin A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Aphid proliferation in orchard alleys and canopy predator aggregation in eastern German apple orchards T2 - Agricultural and forest entomology N2 - 1. European apple (Malus domestica) orchards face persistent threats from aphid infestations, which can severely compromise fruit yields. 2. In this study, we compared aphid communities in two microhabitats (tree canopy and orchard alley) in commercial apple orchards under organic and integrated pest management (IPM), in relation to aphidophagous predator abundance at three stages of the growing season: early fruit development, fruit maturity and post-harvest. 3. We sampled eight organic and eight IPM apple orchards in eastern Germany using standardised canopy beating of apple trees and suction sampling in the orchard alleys. 4. Our results indicate no significant differences in aphid infestation between organic and IPM orchards, regardless of the sampled microhabitat. However, aphid communities in the tree canopy of organic orchards exhibited greater evenness across species than those of IPM orchards. Eriosoma lanigerum consistently dominated canopy aphid communities across both management systems, highlighting the need for targeted management practices for this pest. Additionally, aphidophagous predator abundance in the tree canopy increased over time and showed a positive association with aphid abundance. Aphid community structure varied significantly across sampling periods and microhabitats. Differences between organic and IPM orchards were observed during the early fruit development phase in orchard alleys, with higher levels of infestation in organic orchards. Aphid taxa such as Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Dysaphis spp., Aphis spiraecola and Rhopalosiphum insertum contributed to these differences. 5. Our findings provide a better understanding of the temporal dynamics of aphid communities in apple orchards in eastern Germany, highlighting the importance of microhabitats and host plant phenology. KW - Aphidoidea KW - Agricultural pest KW - IPM KW - Organic KW - Phenology KW - Species composition Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/afe.12699 SN - 1461-9563 VL - 27 IS - 4 SP - 742 EP - 754 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken, NJ ER - TY - GEN A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Ekroos, Johan A1 - Mader, Viktoria A1 - Tschumi, Matthias A1 - Wu, Ai-ping A1 - Smith, Henrik G. T1 - Taxonomy, habitat and conservation status explain the diet composition of insectivorous birds in Europe T2 - Biological conservation N2 - Populations of European birds and insects are declining, with consequences for trophic interactions. Insectivorous birds are particularly vulnerable to losses of arthropods, yet the factors shaping their diet composition remain insufficiently understood. We conducted a quantitative review of the arthropod diets of 94 European insectivorous bird species and assessed how diet richness and composition relate to taxonomy, developmental stage, climate, conservation status, habitat, migration status, sampling intensity, and methodological approach. Taxonomy, habitat and conservation status (both population trend over time and current status) were the primary predictors of diet richness and composition. Species of population concern in Europe relied more on Coleoptera and Orthoptera prey, while species with declining population trends and species in agricultural, artificial and semi-natural habitats showed strong dependence on Coleoptera prey. Species in forests and of global population concern had a higher percentage of Arachnida prey, while birds in inland water habitats relied on Diptera prey. Anthropogenic activities such as the use of insecticides and changes in land use in agricultural and forest habitats negatively impact the abundance and diversity of arthropods, including Coleoptera and Arachnida. These declines will cascade up the food chain, ultimately diminishing both common and threatened bird species by limiting their prey. Species of global conservation concern may be particularly at risk, as they exhibit the lowest prey taxonomic richness. It is therefore crucial that future legislation and policy interventions consider these indirect impacts on bird diets, as these vulnerable species are at high risk of further losses in arthropod prey. KW - Foraging KW - Arthropod KW - Biodiversity loss KW - Prey KW - Insect Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111566 SN - 0006-3207 VL - 313 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Arvidsson, Fredrik A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - The value of public databases for our knowledge of national spider biodiversity compared to a long-term scientific monitoring project. T2 - Insect conservation and diversity N2 - Citizen science can be a valuable tool for monitoring changes in biodiversity, especially for less frequently studied taxonomic groups such as spiders. These collaborative projects between scientists and private citizens can provide a cost‐effective means of collecting large data sets, while also raising awareness of environmental and sustainability issues. A comparison of two public databases ( iNaturalist and the Swedish biodiversity database Artportalen ) with a national scientific study using malaise traps (Swedish Malaise Trap Project, SMTP) sheds light on their individual and combined contribution to our understanding of spider biodiversity and geographical distribution in Sweden. iNaturalist is an important global platform for mobilising public participation in biodiversity research. While widely used internationally, its coverage in Sweden is relatively limited and tends to over‐represent species that are easy to spot and often observed in densely populated areas. Artportalen includes a large body of observations contributed through citizen science. It offers wide species coverage, supported by higher expert input. Nevertheless, it exhibits sampling bias towards species that are diurnal and common in more populated areas. Projects based on large‐scale sampling schemes such as SMTP therefore make essential contributions to our understanding of the occurrence of species, especially for rare and uncommon species or species with cryptic life histories. Records are, however, limited in distribution to the pre‐defined sample locations. Given the more resource‐intensive nature of traditional scientific surveys, a combined approach that integrates citizen science data with scientific sampling offers the most robust and comprehensive means of assessing biodiversity. KW - Araneae KW - Artportalen KW - Citizen science KW - Completeness KW - iNaturalist KW - Malaise trap KW - Recognition KW - SMTP KW - Species distribution KW - Schweden Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.70024 SN - 1752-4598 VL - 19 IS - 1 SP - 228 EP - 239 PB - Wiley ER - TY - GEN A1 - Alfeus, Martha A1 - Hering, Robert A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Angombe, Simon A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus T1 - Encroaching shrub species alter arthropod community composition and trophic structure in southern African rangeland ecosystems T2 - Agriculture, ecosystems & environment N2 - Bush encroachment is rapidly transforming savannah and grassland ecosystems in southern Africa, altering vegetation structure and ecosystem functioning, while reducing rangeland productivity. Despite these shifts, its effects on local biodiversity, particularly arthropod communities remain understudied. This study evaluated the arthropod communities within areas dominated by three major encroaching shrub species in southern Africa: Dichrostachys cinerea, Senegalia mellifera and Terminalia sericea. Arthropods were sampled in northcentral Namibia using pitfall traps (ground-dwelling), pan traps (flying), and shrub beating (canopy-dwelling) during both wet and dry seasons. Arthropod community composition differed significantly among encroaching species, primarily driven by canopy-dwelling arthropods. Senegalia mellifera supported distinct communities distinguished by the exclusive presence of woodlice (Isopoda), while, D. cinerea and T. sericea plots hosted distinct taxa, including Caelifera, Mantodea and Strepsiptera. Also the trophic composition differed among shrubs, with omnivores dominating S. mellifera and phytophagous arthropods dominating D. cinerea plots. Formicidae and Collembola were numerically dominant across all plots. Brachycera, Curculionidae and Collembola were highly sensitive to local environmental variation, indicating their potential as bio-indicators for monitoring shrub encroachment and effectiveness of management interventions. Overall arthropod abundance positively correlated with ground cover, while taxonomic diversity showed a negative relationship. Therefore, conservation efforts in bush encroached areas should promote vegetation management strategies that enhance structural heterogeneity to support greater arthropod diversity. Our findings provide a key baseline on how encroaching shrub species affect arthropods, highlighting the need to consider invertebrate biodiversity in de-bushing efforts in southern Africa, which have traditionally focused on rangeland productivity over ecological impacts. KW - Biodiversity KW - Bush encroachment KW - Rangeland ecosystems KW - Insect communities Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2025.110016 SN - 1873-2305 VL - 396 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier BV CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - GEN A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Wätzold, Frank A1 - Remelgado, Ruben A1 - Addison, Pia A1 - Aigbedion-Atalor, Pascal A1 - Cord, Anna F. A1 - Ekesi, Sunday A1 - Mutamiswa, Reyard A1 - Rwomushana, Ivan T1 - A framework for multidimensional management of invasive alien insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa T2 - Journal of applied entomology N2 - Invasive alien insect pests pose a significant threat to achieving sustainable food systems in sub-Saharan Africa, where reliance on synthetic pesticides has led to unsustainable practices due to high costs and health and environmental risks. This article presents a multidimensional framework for managing invasive alien insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically directed at researchers, policymakers, non-governmental organisations and other institutions responsible for invasive pest management as well as extension services for farmers. Invasive pests, such as the Oriental fruit fly and the fall armyworm, and a highly damaging native species for comparison are central to the framework. The framework considers the environmental, socio-economic, and regulatory dimensions of pest management decisions. It reviews different control strategies used against invasive alien pests, highlighting their limitations and environmental impacts. By considering farmer characteristics, institutional support, market demands, and regulatory policies, the article emphasises the need for integrated pest management approaches. The aim is to contribute to the development of sustainable, effective pest management strategies that will ensure long-term agricultural productivity and food security in sub-Saharan Africa. KW - Agriculture KW - Biological control KW - Ecosystem health KW - Food security KW - Socio-economy Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.70060 SN - 0931-2048 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Wiley-VCH CY - Weinheim ER - TY - GEN A1 - Djoudi, El Aziz A1 - Amossé, Ewen A1 - Aviron, Stéphanie A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Libereau, Benjamin A1 - Plantegenest, Manuel A1 - Pétillon, Julien T1 - Multi‑trophic arthropod communities modulated by local farming system and landscape heterogeneity T2 - Landscape ecology N2 - Context Organic farming is increasingly used worldwide in recent decades, but the role of this farming system in shaping the trophic structure of arthropod communities remains poorly understood, especially at different spatial scales. Therefore, the contribution of landscape heterogeneity in shaping arthropod’s trophic guilds remain understudied. Objectives In this study, we assessed how the evenness, the abundance and the taxonomic richness of arthropod trophic groups were shaped by the local farming system, landscape heterogeneity (including the percentage of semi-natural habitats and organic fields), and their interaction. Methods Arthropod’s trophic guilds (ground and vegetation-dwelling) were sampled in 20 spatial independent pairs of conventional (CF) and organic (OF) fields located in Brittany (Western France) by using pitfall traps and sweep nets replicated in time and space. Results A total of 95,822 arthropods belonging to 197 taxonomic groups were sampled. Farming system has a strong overall positive effect on the community structure of both ground- and vegetation-dwelling arthropods. Landscape heterogeneity, alone and in interaction with farming systems, affected positively the diversity and abundance of most trophic groups for both ground- and vegetation-dwelling arthropods. Organic farming therefore affected the trophic composition of arthropod communities not only locally, but also at the landscape scale. Conclusions Our study highlights the strong positive effect of farming system and the landscape heterogeneity on arthropod communities and more importantly the interconnection between different spatial scales in this process. Taking these aspects into account is therefore crucial in understanding arthropod community dynamics in agroecosystems. KW - Trophic guilds KW - Winter wheat KW - Western France KW - Pitfall trap KW - Sweep net Y1 - 2026 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-026-02298-y SN - 1572-9761 VL - 41 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Springer Nature CY - Dordrecht ER -