Corresponding development of plant and phytophagous orthopteran communities during southeastern old-field succession

Data are summarized from several previous studies to show (1) that the median number of phytophagous orthopteran species increases through the early stages of old-field succession in South Carolina, and (2) that this increase is largely due to the addition of orthopterans with mandibular morphologies that indicate feeding on parallel-veined grass leaves. The later addition of graminivorous orthopterans to the community coincides with the later invasion of grasses.