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Section Symposium

Systematics, Evolution, and Biodiversity

Insect Biodiversity in Urban Landscapes

Drivers of arthropod biodiversity in an urban ecosystem

Wednesday, November 12, 2025

9:35 AM - 9:55 AM Pacific

Location: Oregon Convention Center, C120-122, OCC

Presenting Author(s)

JL

Jayme Lewthwaite

Simon Fraser University
Burnaby, British Columbia, CAN

Co-Author(s)

TB

Teagan Baiotto

Marine and Environmental Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
BB

Brian Brown

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles, California
YC

Yan Yin Jenny Cheung

Cornell University
Freeport, New York
Austin Baker (he/him/his)

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles, California
CL

Charles Lehnen

Marine and Environmental Section, Department of Biological Sciences, Human Evolutionary Biology Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Terry McGlynn (he/him/his)

Professor of Biology
California State University
Pasadena, California
Vaughn Shirey

David H. Smith Postdoctoral Conservation Research Fellow
Florida Museum of Natural History
Gainesville, Florida
LG

Lisa Gonzalez

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles
EH

Emily Hartop

Center for Integrative Biodiversity Discovery, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, Germany
PK

Peter Kerr

California State Collection of Arthropods, CDFA Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, Sacramento, California
EW

Eric Wood

Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, California
LM

Laura Melissa Guzman

Marine and Environmental Section, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

Our world is becoming increasingly urbanized with a growing human population concentrated around cities. The expansion of urban areas has important consequences for biodiversity, yet the abiotic drivers of biodiversity in urban ecosystems have not been well characterized for the most diverse group of animals on the planet, arthropods. Given their great diversity, comparatively small home ranges, and ability to disperse, arthropods make an excellent model for studying which factors can most accurately predict urban biodiversity. We assessed the effects of (i) topography (distance to natural areas and to ocean) (ii) abiotic factors (mean annual temperature and diurnal range), and (iii) anthropogenic drivers (land value and amount of impervious surface) on the occurrence of six arthropod groups represented in Malaise trap collections run by the BioSCAN project across the Greater Los Angeles Area. We found striking heterogeneity in responses to all factors both within and between taxonomic groups. Diurnal temperature range had a consistently negative effect on occupancy but this effect was only significant in Phoridae. Anthropogenic drivers had mixed though mostly insignificant effects, as some groups and species were most diverse in highly urbanized areas, while other groups showed suppressed diversity. Only Phoridae was significantly affected by land value, where most species were more likely to occur in areas with lower land value. Los Angeles can support high regional arthropod diversity, but spatial community composition is highly dependent on the taxonomic group.