Microhabitat preferences of the Lake Huron locust (Orthoptera: Acrididae), a coastal dune species.

Abstract

The quality of the microhabitas in a given area influences the distribution of organisms, and this distribution reveals the preferences and perhaps the requirements of the organisms. The threatened Lake Huron locust (Trimerotropis huroniana) is endemic to the coastal dunes of the upper Great Lakes region. This study investigates the microhabitat preferences of a locust population at Sturgeon Bay in Emmet Co., Mi. I conducted strip transects to determine the distribution of locusts and to describe the microhabitat features associated with that distribution. Substrate choice, Ammophila breviligulata density, sand cover, dune aspect, and distance from shoreline were recorded. Locusts were observed most frequently in microhabitas with low A. breviligulata density, with a high proportion of sand cover, behind dunes, and between 20 and 79 m from the shoreline. I found locusts were not randomly distributed among microhabitats, locust distributions corresponded with certain microhabitat features, and locust distributions varied between day and night.