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Character Divergence and Convergence Among Tiger Beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae)
Author(s) -
Pearson David L.,
Mury Elizabeth J.
Publication year - 1979
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.2307/1936076
Subject(s) - sympatric speciation , ecology , range (aeronautics) , biology , grassland , habitat , predation , tiger , sympatry , materials science , computer security , computer science , composite material
Mandible length was found to be correlated with median prey size captured by tiger beetle species in Sulphur Springs Valley, Arizona, USA. Base resource measurements of live arthropod prey showed a relatively narrow size range (1—10.4 mm) on pond edges and a broad size range (1—30.4 mm) in upland grassland habitat within the valley. Ten of 11 tiger beetle species sympatric on the pond edge habitat showed considerable convergence in mandible length, likely in response to the narrow prey size available. The 6 grassland species, however, fit into 3 distinct size classes, 2 species in each size class. On a given grassland site, normally no more than 1 species from each size class was present. The ratio of mandible lengths for sympatric species in the grassland habitat was consistently >1.35, which corresponds to Hutchinsonian ratios. Preliminary comparisons of sympatric tiger beetles from Canada and East Africa showed divergence but with a lower ratio (1.24—1.27).