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Movement Of Cicindela Hirticollis Say Larvae In Response To Moisture And Flooding, Mathew L. Brust, William Wyatt Hoback, Kerri Farnsworth Skinner, Charles Barry Knisley
Movement Of Cicindela Hirticollis Say Larvae In Response To Moisture And Flooding, Mathew L. Brust, William Wyatt Hoback, Kerri Farnsworth Skinner, Charles Barry Knisley
Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications
The larvae of the tiger beetle, Cicindela hirticollis Say, inhabit sandy shoreline areas that flood periodically. This species has declined over much of its range and at least one subspecies is near extinction, possibly as a result of human alteration of waterways. In addition to physiological tolerance for anoxia, the larvae have physical and behavioral adaptations to avoid drowning. We hypothesized that C. hirticollis larvae would exhibit behavioral responses to soil moisture change and flooding because, unlike most other tiger beetles, they frequently relocate their burrows. Our laboratory studies demonstrated that larvae select surface soil moisture levels of 7–50% saturation …