On the Topologies of micro/macrohabitats in the Mollusca-Sciomyzidae Taxocene

Abstract A new perspective on habitat is presented, which considers the topological relationships among macrohabitats of adults and sub-set microhabitats eggs other juvenile stages. model seven topologies presented using snail-killing flies (Sciomyzidae: Diptera) as an exemplar; four these are drawn a hydrological continuum from aquatic through shoreline to terrestrial, three stand-alone specialized feeding groups. Colonisation-extinction dynamics discussed in relation first macrohabitat then microhabitat structure. The has wide application outside Mollusca-Sciomyzidae taxocene e.g. parasitoid wasp-host taxocenes, phytophagous insect-host communities, for freshwater macro-invertebrates even, context “landscape fear”, bird mammal populations. taken more “autecological” than traditional “biotope” or resource view habitats, yet broad enough encompass many different behavioural groups shown Sciomyzidae.