Fauna of Cerambycidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) in Komaba Campus of the University of Tokyo, a highly urbanised area in Japan

Abstract

Urban green spaces play an important role in maintaining urban biodiversity in the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. Plant-dependent insect assemblages such as Cerambycidae, in particular, are likely influenced by the existence of green spaces in Tokyo’s urbanised environments. This study is the first comprehensive inventory of the cerambycid fauna in the Komaba Campus of the University of Tokyo. A cerambycid assemblage composed of a total of 25 species was recorded within the Komaba Campus site and compared to cerambycid assemblages in nine other green spaces distributed throughout Tokyo. The results indicated that the species number in the campus was similar to that recoded in a similar-sized green space in coastal Tokyo. Fewer cerambycid species were, however, found at the campus site than in larger-sized green spaces within Tokyo. Moreover, species compositions in urbanised areas were markedly different from those in suburbanised parks, mountains and forests within Tokyo.

Keywords

• arthropods
• biodiversity information
• herbivore