Oldal 123 [123]
§ Synphysiological characteristics | 121
The initial zoocoenosis contains only a corrumpent, syrmatophagous¬
intercalary, or sustinent coetus, and the connected obstant coetus. Most
catenae are of such types.
We can consider precedent zoocoenoses as the ones to which a zoophagous¬
intercalary coetus is attached as a third element. Some catenae can be included
here (for example, the catenarium of a beehive), and catenaria that can be
traced back to a host plant without an intermediary insect species (for example,
Oscinellaenarium frit).
In a full (plenary) zoocoenosis, all four coeti play a role. The presocia and
supersocia belong here, and catenaria that have base host plants that need
insect pollinators for their reproduction (for example, Cydiaenarium
pomonellae).
This three-way classification mirrors the development and growth of the
zoocoenosis, but also poses a question. This emerges as we trace the
development of the zoocoenosis from its origin; we end up at the first coetus,
that includes corrumpents, sustinents or intercalary elements. There can be
an oecus with several co-existing corrumpent or intercalary populations
without attached obstant elements. The question emerges: can we consider
these assemblages as a form of zoocoenosis? There is no doubt that this
assemblage displays important criteria of a zoocoenosis: it relies on the same
energy source and, thus, its elements can mutually influence each other. Can
such a coetus, relying on a plant as energy source, be considered a zoocoenosis?
The answer can only be affirmative, given that the concept of the coetus
includes a criterion of association. Given that all coeti include populations
that share the same energy source, and the three above named coeti are directly
attached to the plant cover, they need to be considered as a special category,
as they can come to existence and can survive. The initial, precedent
(intermediary) and complete (plenary) zoocoenoses are composite ones, the
corrumpent and intercalary (syrmatophagous) coeti, and in a few cases even
sustinent coeti, can be considered simple zoocoenoses, a kind of communitas
incompleta, in which a food chain could possibly have developed but does
not, breaking down after the first link that is directly connected to the plant¬
based energy source. Such is the case when, in a corrumpent or intercalary
coetus, we cannot find any parasite or predator (although not disproving their
presence) and, consequently, we have to assign the catenarium or presocium
category of this assemblage, because the food chain may be continued through
the obstant elements of the supersocion. The associative character of these
links can be rather intimate, either in reciprocal or non-reciprocal form (see
Jermy 1955), via commensalism or symbiosis (for example, the association
of the poppy seed head fly and the poppy seed weevil within the poppy head);
therefore, we cannot exclude these associations from being a zoocoenosis,
even if they were simple coeti utilising the same plant base.
The other classification can be designated using the coetus rank of the
constituent populations. We can only include catenae into this grouping,