Differences in Life History Traits in Rural vs. Urban Populations of a Specialist Ground Beetle, Carabus convexus.

ABSTRACT: Urbanization is increasing worldwide and causes substantial changes in environmental parameters, generating various kinds of stress on arthropods, with several harmful consequences. We examined a forest specialist ground beetle, Carabus convexus, in forested habitats to evaluate the changes in four important life history traits between rural and urban populations. Analyzing beetles from the overwintered cohort in their first breeding season, we found no significant differences in body length or body mass between the rural and urban individuals. Body condition, judged by fat reserve scores, was similarly poor in both habitats, indicating that beetles were not able to accumulate substantial fat reserves at either habitat. Females with ripe eggs in their ovaries were first captured at the sam

SUBMITTER: Magura T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8230416 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature