Behaviour‐driven micro‐scale niche differentiation in carabid beetles. Issue 1 (14th February 2015)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Behaviour‐driven micro‐scale niche differentiation in carabid beetles. Issue 1 (14th February 2015)
- Main Title:
- Behaviour‐driven micro‐scale niche differentiation in carabid beetles
- Authors:
- Kamenova, S.
Tougeron, K.
Cateine, M.
Marie, A.
Plantegenest, M. - Abstract:
- <abstract abstract-type="main" id="eea12280-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Carabid beetles form rich and abundant communities in arable landscapes. Their generalist feeding behaviour and similar environmental requirements raise questions about the mechanisms allowing the coexistence of such species‐rich assemblages. We hypothesized that subtle niche partitioning comes into play on spatial, temporal, or trophic basis. To test this, we performed experiments and made observations on the behaviour of two sympatric carabid species of similar size and life cycle, <italic>Bembidion quadrimaculatum </italic>L. and <italic>Phyla obtusa </italic>Audinet‐Serville (both Coleoptera: Carabidae: Bembidiini). We compared plant climbing behaviour, daily activity patterns, and trophic preferences between the two carabid species under laboratory conditions. Whereas no clear difference in trophic preference was observed, our results suggest temporal niche differentiation at the nychthemeron scale (a period of 24 consecutive hours), with one of the species being more diurnal and the other more nocturnal, and spatial differentiation in their habitat use at the plant stratum scale. Intra‐specific variation suggests that micro‐scale spatio‐temporal niche differentiation could be mediated by behavioural plasticity in these two carabid species. We speculate that such behavioural plasticity may provide carabid beetles with a high adaptive potential in intensively managed agricultural areas.</p><abstract abstract-type="main" id="eea12280-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Carabid beetles form rich and abundant communities in arable landscapes. Their generalist feeding behaviour and similar environmental requirements raise questions about the mechanisms allowing the coexistence of such species‐rich assemblages. We hypothesized that subtle niche partitioning comes into play on spatial, temporal, or trophic basis. To test this, we performed experiments and made observations on the behaviour of two sympatric carabid species of similar size and life cycle, <italic>Bembidion quadrimaculatum </italic>L. and <italic>Phyla obtusa </italic>Audinet‐Serville (both Coleoptera: Carabidae: Bembidiini). We compared plant climbing behaviour, daily activity patterns, and trophic preferences between the two carabid species under laboratory conditions. Whereas no clear difference in trophic preference was observed, our results suggest temporal niche differentiation at the nychthemeron scale (a period of 24 consecutive hours), with one of the species being more diurnal and the other more nocturnal, and spatial differentiation in their habitat use at the plant stratum scale. Intra‐specific variation suggests that micro‐scale spatio‐temporal niche differentiation could be mediated by behavioural plasticity in these two carabid species. We speculate that such behavioural plasticity may provide carabid beetles with a high adaptive potential in intensively managed agricultural areas.</p> </abstract> … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Entomologia experimentalis et applicata. Volume 155:Issue 1(2015:Apr.)
- Journal:
- Entomologia experimentalis et applicata
- Issue:
- Volume 155:Issue 1(2015:Apr.)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 155, Issue 1 (2015)
- Year:
- 2015
- Volume:
- 155
- Issue:
- 1
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2015-0155-0001-0000
- Page Start:
- 39
- Page End:
- 46
- Publication Date:
- 2015-02-14
- Subjects:
- Entomology -- Periodicals
595.7 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/toc/eea ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1570-7458 ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1111/eea.12280 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0013-8703
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 3776.750000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 3159.xml