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.
Copyright Owner
The North American Benthological Society
Copyright Date
2001
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Alverson, Andrew J. and Courtney, Gregory W., "Niche overlap of sympatric Blepharicera larvae (Diptera:Blephariceridae) from the southern Appalachian Mountains" (2001). Entomology Publications. 567.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/ent_pubs/567
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.