English epilogue

The past 30 years have witnessed great progress in the study of wetlands and its insects.The speed of research development and the number of published papers continue to increase.The Dongting Lake wetland ecological monograph has been described up to the early 21st Century(Xie Yonghong,2014).Given that the Dongting Lake is important as ecological reserve,and for food and water supply of Hunan Province,we are attempting to convert Dongting Lake wetland and its nearby cities into China's most important agricultural demonstration zone.During 2011—2014,the Hunan University Press published the“Study on Ecological Economic Zone of Dongting Lake”series.This series included Zhao Yunlin's monograph(2014),which discusses the ecological issues on Dongting Lake wetland.Zhao Yunlin(1971)proposed a treatment from the perspective of ecology and based on the International Wetland Convention.

Wetland insect(I)(2018)gives a discussion on the population,community ecology,and ecosystems of wetland insects in the Dongting Lake area in Hunan and Hubei provinces,including the interactions between the insect and the physical environment,plants,parasitoids,and predators.We reviewed the recent publications on pests of amur silvergrass(Miscanthus sacchariflorus(Maxim.)Benth.et Hook.f.,reeds(Phragmites communis Trin.),and their accompanying plants(e.g.,Carex dimorpholepis and Carex rugulosa)and their natural enemies.We introduce the morphological structure and physiology of silvergrass,reed,Carex sp.,etc.and combine it with morphological and biological features of the ecological adaption of important wetland insects during the succession processes of wetland vegetation in Dongting Lake wetland ecosystem.

The biodiversity of the plants and insects of the Dongting Lake wetland was presented,stressing the urgency for the administration of ecosystem services function to restore the Dongting Lake area.This monograph summarized the vegetation succession progress in relation to the insect communities in wetland ecosystems.The application of vegetation and insects for water quality control in wetland was reviewed.The geographic distribution of wetland insect species in six zoogeographic regions of the world was discussed.Special features of Wallace's(1876)six zoogeographic regions of the world are briefly introduced,and adapt the theory of Wallace's(1876)to the distribution of wetland insects.The knowledge of the distribution of wetland insects might provide essential information for wetland restoration.

Wetland insects(II)(2020)describes the findings of an investigation of amur silvergrass and reed insects in Dongting Wetland,reed insects in Yancheng Coast Wetland,and Wei Shan Lake Wetland,respectively.Specimens of the insects and their natural enemies were collected from three wetlands(Hunan,Jiangsu,and Shandong),reared,and preserved for study.This monograph summarizes the biological invasions in the Dongting Lake wetland and in the US wetlands.The establishment of non-native species is commonly described as occurring in three phases:arrival,establishment,and dispersal.Both the arrival and dispersal of Phloeobius lutosus Jordan,an anthribid weevil invasive species native to Java,Laos and Vietnam,has been documented in the Dongting Lake wetland,Hunan.Rice fields(rice wetlands)can be considered a type of wetland in a broad sense.This is an important report on the invasive rice pest,rice water weevil(Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel)in Hunan.Adult specimens were collected in the rice field region of Zhuzhou,east of Hunan,during July 2001.Morphological identifications were made at the Institute Zoology Academia Sinica.This semi-aquatic insect is considered a pest of wetland rice in Hunan,and its presence in the rice region of Hunan might result in yield and economic losses in rice production.Considering the highly invasive nature of this species,it may have spread to neighboring rice wetlands,for example,in southern China.The bionomics of its mating,reproductive capacity,the survival of overwintering,diapause,and population occurrence in Hunan were presented.There were several examples of invasive species from Asia,including China,that are now found in US wetlands.

(1)The purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria is a species native to Eurasia.The invasion of L.salicaria into US freshwater wetlands has altered the decomposition rate and nutrient cycling.These changes have led to a reduction in wetland plant diversity,reduced pollination and seed output of the native Lythrum alatum,and reduced habitat suitability for specialized wetland bird species.In this monograph,we describe the conventional methods that have been used to curb the spread of Lythrum salicaria and to provide satisfactory control methods(Blossey,et al.,2001;Benvenuti at al.,2016;Wiebe et al.,2004;Goodell et al.,2017;Matos et al.,2007;Anderson,1995;Nützolt,1998;Denoth,et al.,2005;Blossey,1995).

(2)Globally,plant invasions of coastal wetlands are rapidly changing the structure and function of these systems.Changes to the litter dynamics represent a fundamental impact of an invasive plant on salt marsh ecosystems.Tamarisk species(Tamarix spp.),which have extensively invaded terrestrial and riparian habitats,have been shown to enter food webs in these ecosystems.However,the trophic impacts of the relatively new invasion of tamarisk into the marine ecosystem have not been assessed.Tamarix sp.is an invasive plant of the ecosystem restoration process in coastal wetlands in Yancheng,Jiangsu province.Utilization of invasive tamarisk species Tamarix sp.by salt marsh consumers is a great success.

Whiteraft(2008)evaluated the trophic consequences of invasion by tamarisk for detrital food chains in the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve salt marsh using litter dynamics techniques and stable isotope enrichment experiments(Whiteraft,2008).Whiteraft's findings support the hypothesis that invasive species can alter the trophic structure of the environment through the detritus.(https://www.daowen.com)

(3)Anoplophora glabripennis Motschulsky is one of the world's worst invasive alien species.A.glabripennis is native to China and the Korean peninsula,but has been documented at multiple locations in both North America and Europe.Hull-Sanderd(2017)described the dynamics of an established event for the Asian longhorned beetle in a small,isolated population with a regulated quarantine zone near Worcester,Massachusetts,USA.Hull-Sanderd suggests that this population might have achieved long-distance dispersal(similar to 1400 m),and that the dispersal events occurred before the beetle fully exploited the originally-infested host trees.Dispersal needs at these larger spatial scales when beetle move beyond the closed canopy of the stand,the direction of dispersal may be linked to prevailing winds(Hull-Sanders,2017).

This chapter focuses on the research processes applied to wetland insects.We describe ten research processes applied to investigate Chinese wetland insects,we review for the mangrove management at home and abroad.Chinese tallow tree Triadica sebifera,and black ash Fraxinus nigra are two species native to China,that invaded into the US,the threat of both species to ecological function in the wetland and management was summarized.

Mediterranean element within Holarctic of wetland insects in west Southern Europe(Spain)are also briefly discussed.

In general,the study of wetlands and wetland insects has a long way to go.We acknowledge Dr.C.van Achterberg,Dr.H.C.Valentine,Dr.H.C.Christopher,Dr.Fang Chenglai,Prof.Li Can,Dr.Winson Tsang,Dr.Xie Yonghong,Prof.Zhou Shanyi,Prof.Zhao Yunlin,and Prof.Wan Chuanxing for their help.The research materials needed for the study of wetland insects are widely dispersed,and it is different from collecting all of them composing a monography.As this is a preliminary attempt,and given our limited experience and knowledge of the domestic and international research,please share any errors or omissions that might be identified.

Authors

June,2021 in Changsha.