| Issue № 2 |
Original research |
pdf-version |
Size differentiation and organization of the multispecies community of coccinellids (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Middle Urals
| Timchenko Aleksei Igorevich | Institute of plant and animal ecology UB RAS, Russia, Sverdlovsk Region, Yekaterinburg, 8 Marta St., 202, pentagram6696@gmail.com |
| Gilev Aleksei Valerevich | DSc, Institute of plant and animal ecology UB RAS, Russia, Sverdlovsk Region, Yekaterinburg, 8 Marta St., 202, gilev-ural@yandex.ru |
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Keywords: coccinellids ladybirds Hutchinson |
Summary: Ladybirds have been well studied at the species level, but their multi-species communities have been studied only in fragments. It is interesting to determine how the dimensional structure of a local community of coccinellids(ladybird) is organized, and whether there is a dimensional differentiation of species in it. This paper presents the results of a study of the dimensional structure of a local community of coccinellidae beetles. The community is considered as a taxocene - ecological guild, represented by closely related species that perform a similar function in resource utilization (aphidophagy). The aim of the study was to analyze the distribution of morphometric traits in mass species living together in the same territory. The material was collected in 2021 on the territory of the biological station of the Ural Federal University in the vicinity of the village of Dvurechensk. For the six dominant species (Adonia variegata, Coccinella quinquepunctata, Coccinella septempunctata, Coccinula quatuordecimpustulata, Hippodamia tredecimpunctata, and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata), the total body length and pronotal width were measured (n = 515 individuals). Statistical analysis was performed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with STATISTICA 8.0. Analysis of the material revealed two clearly defined clouds with well-defined hiatus: one species (Coccinella septempunctata) forms a large cloud, while the other five form a small one. The range of variability for the large species is comparable to the total range of five small species. The calculation of the mean values confirmed that ladybirds differ clearly from each other, and species that are similar in one dimensional characteristic differ in another one. The obtained data indicate the internal structure of the coccinella community, which may reflect the mechanisms of ecological differentiation that reduce interspecies competition within this guild of aphidophages. © Petrozavodsk State University |
Received on: 03 April 2026 Published on: 17 June 2026 | |
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