Characterization of arthropod assemblage supported by the Chinese Tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) in southeast Texas

Arthropod abundance, species richness and trophic structure were measured on the introduced species Chinese Tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb.) in southeast Texas. Samples were collected using sweep nets between June and October of 2001. A total of 811 individuals and 160 arthropod species were caught. Orders Diptera, Acari, and Araneida were abundant on Sapium, while orders such as Thysanoptera, Neuroptera, Orthoptera were present in much lower relative abundances. The order Hemiptera was markedly low in abundance and species richness. Compared to available data on native ecosystems, predators and detritivores were relatively abundant while herbivores and total arthropod diversity were relatively low on Sapium. These results suggest that Sapium has not yet acquired an insect fauna comparable to native plants in Texas.