Page 89 [89]
§ The formation of a catenarium, a chain of catenae | 87
hilophagous populations represent the intercalary elements of the catena to
which the dead animal belonged. The fauna of a bird nest is not a catenarium,
either, although there are obstant and intercalary elements that parasitise
birds or live on debris produced by birds; there are also pro tempore and
peregrine elements that were unwillingly carried there with the nest material,
and have nothing to do with the bird or the oecus. From this, it also follows
that we do not consider the animal association in the last two examples as a
valid category, because these do not have an impact on the plant cover, without
which there is no permanent zoocoenosis. Before their presence, there must
be elements that create this link, and only with these can they form a complete
zoocoenosis. On the other hand, there can be a catenarium in a rotting log
or litter, where there can be active plant-based intercalary elements, attracting
obstant and their additional intercalary elements, thus forming starting points
of trophic chains or catenae. These catenae will constitute the catenarium of
the oecus (rotting logs or trunks).
Catenaria can be named adding the -narium end to the genitivus of the
genus name. The catenarium can logically be named after a genus of a plant¬
feeding population or species. Given that, in a catenarium, there can be
several catenae, the name cannot be decided haphazardly, and only one way
seems to be acceptable: to consider the role that the given population fulfils
in the oecus. We shall return to this question during the discussion of the
zoocoenological characteristics (see p. 119).
Catenaria can be horizontally linked by obstants needing an intermediary
host (or prey), or by intercalary elements. Some of the corrumpent elements
can occur on several host plants, i.e. in several oceuses. The larvae of Agrotis
segetum (segetis) can attack several crop plants in the arvideserta; most of
the grasshopper fauna of meadows and pastures cannot be forced into one
catenarium, and; the larvae of Aporia crategi can damage nearly all kinds of
orchard. All these populations point to the existence of a larger frame of
animal associations. Such a frame will also be composed of trophic chains,
but these will not be restricted to one oecus, but a group of those or whole
biotopes, and the populations are accordingly dispersed. Their corrumpent
elements are, consequently, polyphagous.
§ THE FORMATION OF THE PRESOCIUM,
THE HABITAT ASSOCIATION
It is only when we view catenae starting from corrumpents that are mono¬
or oligophagous (such as those living on poppies, small grains, oilseed rape,
mustard, cabbage, etc.) that the catenaria formed by them seem to be sharply
identifiable. The catenarium of the oak trees is different from that of wild
rose bushes or beech trees, and sugar beet has a catenarium different from
that of lucerne or small grains. The moth Lymantria dispar, however, is present