Campus Units

Entomology

Document Type

Article

Publication Version

Published Version

Publication Date

12-2001

Journal or Book Title

Journal of the North American Benthological Society

Volume

20

Issue

4

First Page

564

Last Page

581

DOI

10.2307/1468088

Abstract

The southern Appalachian Mountains are home to the greatest diversity of Blephariceridae (Dipter ) in North America, with 13 Blepharicera Macquart species inhabiting the region. Sympatric Blepharicera species seem to occupy a common ecological niche, in contradiction to the competitive exclusion principle. Instar IV Blepharicera larvae were studied to determine whether dietary differences facilitate coexistence of sympatric species. Diatom assemblages of Blepharicera diets, total diatom biovolume ingested, and similarity between diatom assemblages of larval diets and the forage base were examined. Dietary characteristics were compared among Blepharicera species within and between discrete microhabitats at 3 sites in southern Appalachia. Data showed broad dietary overlap among species that co-occurred in the same microhabitat and strong microhabitat effects on larval dietary assemblages. In addition, several species ingested disproportionately greater biovolumes of small, adnate and prostrate diatom species compared to their availability on the substratum. Sym- patric Blepharicera species may not partition food resources where spatial overlap is most acute.

Comments

This article is published as Alverson, Andrew J., Gregory W. Courtney, and Mark R. Luttenton. "Niche overlap of sympatric Blepharicera larvae (Diptera: Blephariceridae) from the southern Appalachian Mountains." Journal of the North American Benthological Society 20, no. 4 (2001): 564-581. doi: 10.2307/1468088. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner

The North American Benthological Society

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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