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Substrate selection for pit making and oviposition in an antlion, Myrmeleon bore Tjeder, in terms of sand particle size
Author(s) -
MATSURA Toshiaki,
YAMAGA Yoshitaka,
ITOH Madoka
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
entomological science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1479-8298
pISSN - 1343-8786
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-8298.2005.00134.x
Subject(s) - larva , biology , substrate (aquarium) , predation , spatial distribution , ecology , habitat , burrow , particle (ecology) , floodplain , geology , remote sensing
The larvae of the pit‐making antlion Myrmeleon bore Tjeder live in open sand in riverbeds with a substratum consisting of various particle sizes. We analyzed the spatial distribution of their pits in a sandy floodplain to determine their larval and adult responses to the heterogeneous substrate. The spatial distribution pattern of their pits had an aggregated distribution, and there was a significant positive correlation between pit density and the ratio of medium‐size sand particles to total weight of sand. We examined the size of sand particles selected in the larval pit‐building behavior and the oviposition behavior of the adult. Both larvae and adults selected medium‐size sand particles. The larvae of M. bore are relatively sedentary predators and rarely move great distances. Thus, the present results suggest that habitat selection by adult females is a major factor causing the aggregative distribution of the pits.