Ecology and body size of the parthenogenetic Megabunus diadema (Fabricius, 1779) (Opiliones: Phalangiidae) at Karmøy, Western Norway
Main Article Content
Abstract
The presently known distribution of Megabunus diadema is summarized and presented as a map. The species is known from Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Western Norway, Great Britain, Western France by the English Channel and Northern Spain. M. diadema was studied in 9 localities at the island of RY Karmøy, Ryfylke (EIS 13) in Western Norway from 3 different biotopes during the period of 15 June - 10 July 1997. During this period, 261 females and 3 males were collected by hand-picking. M. diadema is mainly a parthenogenetic species, and these males are the first reported from Norway. Regarding morphological characters the body length, movable cheliceral finger, pedipalpal tarsus and 1. eye spine were measured. Both the smallest and largest body length were found in specimens from coniferous wood. Compared to Western Europe and Great Britain no geographical differences were detected regarding body length. Regarding movable cheliceral finger length specimens from different coniferous woods were both smallest and largest in size. The length of pedipalpal tarsus was smallest in mixed wood and greatest in coniferous wood. 1. eye spine length was smallest in mixed wood and largest in coniferous wood. The southern distribution limit of M. diadema was found to lie close to the county border of VAY Vest-Agder. The biotope preference of the species was found to be mixed wood, and the density maximum was in the last week of June.
Downloads
Article Details
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).