Flight Dispersal in Supratidal Rockpool Beetles.

ABSTRACT: Flight dispersal is ecologically relevant for the survival of supratidal rockpool insects. Dispersal has important consequences for colonisation, gene flow, and evolutionary divergence. Here, we compared the flight dispersal capacity of two congeneric beetle species (Ochthebius quadricollis and Ochthebius lejolisii) that exclusively inhabit these temporary, fragmented, and extreme habitats. We estimated flight capacity and inferred dispersal in both species using different approaches: experimental flying assays, examination of wing morphology, and comparison of microsatellite markers between species. Our findings revealed that both species exhibited similar flight behaviour, with 60 to 80% of the individuals flying under water heating conditions. Notably, females of both spec

SUBMITTER: Plaza-Buendia J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10971659 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature