Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that masting of a beech species, Fagus crenata, leads to satiation of a nut predator, the dominant micromoth, Pseudopammene fagivora, in a beech forest near the Pacific Ocean, Japan. We used three indices that could reflect the annual variation in P. fagivora: number of P. fagivora larvae per pre-dispersal fruit, proportion of pre-dispersal fruits infested by P. fagivora larvae, and proportion of annual fallen nuts infested by insects. The number of P. fagivora larvae and proportion of pre-dispersal fruits infested by P. fagivora larvae were obtained from pre-dispersal fruits collected from tree crowns over five years (2008-2012). Masting data and the proportion of annual fallen nuts infested by insects were obtained by using seed traps placed in the forest. Annual variation in the three indices was similar, and these indices were negatively correlated with the ratio of the numbers of annual fallen nuts produced in the current year to the previous year. These results indicate that masting of the beech species resulted in P. fagivora satiation.
