05 Şub 2025 Çarşamba
Distribution of trophic resources among camel spiders genus Galeodes Olivier, 1791 (Solifugae: Galeodidae) in the lesser Caucasus
Abstract : The feeding spectra of solifuges Galeodes araneoides (Pallas, 1772), Galeodes armeniacus Birula, 1928, Galeodes nachitschevanicus Aliev, 1985 were compared. The taxonomic composition and number of eaten objects were established from chitin fragments of arthropods collected in shelters and by visual detection of prey on predator chelicerae. The preference of certain prey taxa was determined by comparing their percentages in the diet and in biotopes (electivity index). The food spectrum of G. araneoides was more taxonomically representative than that of G. armeniacus and G. nachitschevanicus. The width of the trophic niche in the nutritional spectrum of G. araneoides prevails over G. armeniacus and G. nachitschevanicus. Feeding spectra in pairs of G. araneoides – G. armeniacus and G. armeniacus – G. nachitschevanicus overlap less than in the pair G. araneoides – G. nachitschevanicus. Differences in the feeding spectra of solifuges was associated with varying degrees of electivity of predators to certain food groups and a heterogeneous ratio of arthropods in biotopes. Of the three studied species of solifuge, G. araneoides showed the highest, and G. nachitschevanicus, the lowest ecological plasticity in terms of topical and trophic parameters, which partly explains the cosmopolitan distribution of the first species and narrow-range of the second. G. armeniacus occupied the middle position according to the same indicators.