Tephritid Fly Occurrence, Abundance, and Seed Damage Data from Cirsium funkiae Flower Heads across Three Alpine Microhabitats, Sangre de Cristo Range, Colorado, USA, 2025
Year: 2026
Type: dataset
Abstract: This dataset contains flower head dissection data collected from Cirsium funkiae (Asteraceae), a rare alpine thistle endemic to the southcentral Rocky Mountains, USA, along the South Crestone Lake Trail in the Sangre de Cristo Range, Colorado. Data were collected in August 2025 across three microhabitat sites — an open talus slope above treeline (High Site, 3,597 m), a wet drainage meadow (Meadow Site, 3,414 m), and a forest edge ecotone (Forest Edge Site, 3,231 m) — representing the primary habitat types in which this species occurs.A total of 317 flower heads from nine plants were dissected to quantify tephritid fly occurrence, species identity, and abundance, as well as insect feeding damage and seed reproductive success. Three tephritid fly species were identified and counted: Chaetostomella undosa, Paracantha gentilis, and Terellia occidentalis. Variables recorded for each flower head include phenological stage, head diameter, fly counts by species, presence of tunneling and surface damage, proportion of seed damage, stem junction damage, surface damage, aborted seed counts, and viable seed estimates.
Source: Figshare
Language: English
Topic: Plant and animal studies
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Zero hunger, Life on land
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204451181