Mandible length ratios as a mechanism for co-occurrence: evidence from a world-wide comparison of tiger beetle assemblages (Cicindelidae)

David Pearson, S. A. Juliano

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

Many tiger beetle populations are limited by food, and prey size is directly related to mandible length (chord). To determine if world-wide patterns of non-random species co-occurrence exist, mandible length ratios were measured for co-occurring species in 32 assemblages of tiger beetle species in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Latin America, North America, and Papua New Guinea. These assemblages were categorized as occurring in five distinct habitat types: rain forest floor, open forest floor, sand, desert grassland and pond edge. Real species assemblages were statistically compared to each of 4 randomly generated assemblages (based on different assumptions concerning mandible sizes). Open forest and pond edge showed mandible size ratios significantly different from random; in both cases the real mandible size ratios tended to be small. In none of the habitats was there a significant trend toward large size ratios. There were significant differences in mean mandible ratios for the five habitats after species numbers were taken into account. -from Authors

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)223-233
Number of pages11
JournalOikos
Volume61
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1991

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

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