Competitive Interaction and Niche Differentiation among Burying Beetles (Silphidae, Nicrophorus) in Northern Japan

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Interaction and niche differentiation among burying beetles (Nicrophorus : Silphidae) were investigated in the forest of Hokkaido, northern Japan. Collecting by pitfall traps and field experiments of carcass utilization were conducted from May to September in 1990 and 1995. In the study site, there occur five Nicrophorus species, of which three were dominant : N. maculifrons, N. quadripunctatus and N. vespilloides. Based on collections from pitfall traps, habitat preference, seasonal activity and diurnal activity were compared among the three dominant Nicrophorus species. The activity of N. maculifrons peaked in late spring, being earlier than those of other two species. The active season of N. quadripunctatus and N. vespilloides overlapped, though the diurnal activities and habitat preference were somewhat different. In the experiments of placing mouse and rat carcasses in the field, N. maculifrons utilized carcasses early in the season, corresponding to its seasonal activity as measured by pitfall trapping. N. quadripunctatus and N. vespilloides, on the other hand, both utilized carcasses in mid-summer, suggesting competitive interaction between them. Furthermore the size of carcasses preferred by each Nicrophorus species was examined. The size of occupied carcasses was not different among three dominant species.
日本昆虫学会の論文
1998-12-25