Habitat-specialist species may be restricted to a narrower range of microhabitats than habitat-generalist species. We addressed this hypothesis by comparing microhabitats of two pairs of congeners that differ in habitat specificity and co-occur in one distinct habitat type, Florida rosemary scrub. We characterized microhabitats of rosemary scrub specialists, Polygonella basiramia and Lechea cer...

A new species of Bent-toed Gecko Cyrtodactylus guakanthanensis sp. nov. of the C. sworderi complex is described from a limestone forest in Perak, Peninsular Malaysia whose karst formations at the type locality are within an active quarry. Cyrtodactylus guakanthanensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from all other Sundaland species by having the following suite of character states: adult SVL 77.7...

Camouflage is conferred by background matching and disruption, which are both affected by microhabitat. However, microhabitat selection that enhances camouflage has only been demonstrated in species with discrete phenotypic morphs. For most animals, phenotypic variation is continuous; here we explore whether such individuals can select microhabitats to best exploit camouflage. We use substrate ...

The variables in habitat studies are usually transformed in such a way that they become abstractions and intuition is lost. We tested a new method for the analysis of habitat using data collected in a grid laid at the “restinga de Maricá”, in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Thirty-seven microhabitat variables were measured at each trap station. We assume that these variables characterize the micr...

Egg hatching of the maple aphid, Periphyllus californiensis Shinji, was observed on saplings of Acer amoenum Carriere in two microhabitats, i.e., the understory of a maple stand (a shaded site) and an open area in a nursery (a sunny site), over a 2-year period. Buds of A. amoenum opened earlier at the shaded site than at the sunny site and eggs of P. californiensis also hatched a little earlier...

Spawning aggregations form when fishes migrate to a site from their normal feeding grounds and form temporary groupings for breeding. Spawning aggregation sites are spatially rare, and demonstrating differences between a spawning aggregation site and unselected sites nearby is the first step towards understanding the benefits provided by the aggregation site. Chromis hypsilepis (Pomacentridae) ...

We describe the abiotic factors affecting the distribution of black flies at a microhabitat scale, rather than at the regional scale usually present in the literature on the Neotropics. Black fly larvae were sampled from the Tocantins River and three tributaries, located in the Brazilian savanna (state of Tocantins, Brazil) during six bi-monthly sampling periods from October 2004-August 2005. A...

The genetic structure of a plant species is shaped by environmental adaptation and demographic factors, but their relative contributions are still unknown. To examine the environment- or geography-related differentiation, we quantified genetic variation among 41 populations of a temperate herb, Arabidopsis halleri subsp. gemmifera (Brassicaceae). We analysed 19 microsatellite loci, which showed...

OBJECTIVE Unravelling the determinants of parasite life-history traits in natural settings is complex. Here, we deciphered the relationships between biotic, abiotic factors and the variation in 4 life-history traits (body size, egg presence, egg number and egg size) in the fish ectoparasite Tracheliastes polycolpus. We then determined the factors affecting the strength of the trade-off between ...

It is widely recognised that microhabitats are important for a variety of marine organisms, yet this knowledge has rarely been applied in the construction of engineered structures as a means of enhancing biodiversity or populations of species at risk. Here we examined the influence of microhabitats on the distribution and survival of the exploited limpet Patella candei on natural shores before ...