부산대학교 도서관

Ecologists have identified several correlates of biological rarity in animals. Among the various correlates identified so far, three are explored in this paper: (a) abundance is correlated with absolute body size in animals; (b) phylogenetically primitive taxa are overrepresented in samples of rare species; (c) more specialized species are rarer than less specialized species. Here we use Namibian blister beetles (Coleoptera: Meloidae) as a model system for exploring these issues. We used data from five field expeditions, which resulted in the identification of 891 beetles belonging to 76 species collected from 191 sites. 13% of the species accounted for over 50% of the individuals; 22% of all species were represented by singletons. Abundance patterns differed significantly among the different trophic categories, with non-pollinophagous (non-specialized) species being more abundant than weed-eaters and pollinophagous (specialized) species. Species of phylogenetically basal tribes were less abundant than those of more derived groups. Trophic category and phylogenesis did not have a synergic effect in determining the relative abundance of the species, and body size had no influence on their abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]