Phosphorus Contents in Desert Riparian Spiders and Insects Vary among Taxa and between Flight Capabilities
Keywords:
Araneae, Insecta, nutrients, predators, flight muscles, insectivorous birdsAbstract
Phosphorus occurs in a variety of biological molecules including DNA and RNA, ATP and other adenine nucleotides, phosphorylated metabolites, and phospholipids. Variation in phosphorus content among spiders and insects would influence the element’s uptake by insectivorous birds. I measured amounts of phosphorus in 3 families of spiders and 7 orders and 24 families of insects collected in riparian habitat next to the Colorado River in western Arizona. Relation between phosphorus mass and body dry-mass, P μg = 9.6 (body mg), in spiders and insects was not allometric. Phosphorus concentration, as a mean percentage of body dry-mass, was higher in spiders (1.33%) than in insects (0.96%). Phosphorus contents varied most among families but also among orders and genera. Insect predators contained higher phosphorus concentrations (1.01%) than insect herbivores (0.90%). Strongflying insects, Odonata, Neuroptera, Diptera, and Hymenoptera except Formicidae, also contained higher phosphorus concentrations (1.04%) than weak flying or wingless insects (0.89%), Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera, and Formicidae. Larger flight-muscles with higher concentrations of phosphorylated metabolites likely increase phosphorus contents in strong-flying insects. Birds that eat aerial insects may benefit from higher phosphorus contents in their prey.
El fósforo occure en una variedad de moléculas biológicas, incluyendo ADN, ARN, ATP y otros nucleótidos de adenina, metabolitos fosforilados y fosfolípidos. La variación en el contenido de fósforo entre las arañas y los insectos pueden influir en el forrajeo de las aves insectívoras. Se midíó la cantidad de fósforo en 3 familias de arañas y 24 familias pertenecientes a 7 órdenes de insectos recolectados en el hábitat ribereño junto al río Colorado en el oeste de Arizona. La relación entre la masa de fósforo y la masa corporal en seco, P μg = 9.6 (mg cuerpo), en las arañas y los insectos no fue alométrica. La concentración de fósforo, como un porcentaje medio de masa corporal en seco, fue mayor en las arañas (1.33%) que en los insectos (0.96%). El contenido de fósforo varió más entre las familias, pero también entre los órdenes y géneros. Los insectos depredadores tenian una mayor concentración de fósforo (1.01%) que en los insectos herbívoros (0.90%). Los insectos que son voladores fuertes, Odonata, Neuroptera, Diptera, y Hymenoptera menos la familia Formicidae, también tenian una alta concentración de fósforo (1.04%) que en insectos que son voladores débiles o sin alas (0.89%), Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Coleoptera y Formicidae. Los músculos de vuelo mas grandes con mayores concentraciones de metabolitos fosforilados probablemente aumentan el contenido de fósforo en los insectos que son voladores fuertes. Las aves que se alimentan de insectos aéreos pueden beneficiarse del contenido mayor de fósforo en sus presas.
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