Habitat-partitioning
Guides
Agonum ferruginosum
Agonum ferruginosum is a ground beetle in the subfamily Platyninae, described by Dejean in 1828. It occurs in North America with records from the United States, Canada, and Alaska. In central Alberta marshes, it is one of the most abundant carabid species in emergent vegetation of flooded zones, where it exhibits habitat partitioning with sympatric congeners. The species is nocturnal and shows earlier reproduction and teneral adult emergence compared to some co-occurring Agonum species.
Cicindela willistoni hirtifrons
Hairy-fronted Tiger Beetle
Cicindela willistoni hirtifrons is a subspecies of tiger beetle in the family Carabidae. The subspecies is known for its distinctive larval burrow architecture: larvae construct turreted burrow entrances on barren saline flats, a feature shared with other C. willistoni subspecies including estancia and sulfontis. Adults are associated with saline habitats in the southwestern United States.
Cicindela willistoni pseudosenilis
Owens Lake Tiger Beetle
Cicindela willistoni pseudosenilis is a subspecies of tiger beetle in the family Carabidae. It is known from western North America, particularly associated with saline lake habitats. Adult emergence is triggered by summer monsoonal rains. The subspecies is part of a complex of tiger beetles that exhibit fine-scale habitat partitioning in salt flat environments.
Cicindela willistoni sulphontis
Cicindela willistoni sulphontis is a subspecies of the Williston's tiger beetle, a member of the Cicindelidae family. This tiger beetle is associated with saline and alkali habitats in arid western North America. Adults are active during post-monsoonal periods following summer rains. The subspecies is part of a complex of tiger beetles that exhibit fine-scale habitat partitioning in salt flat environments.
Cicindela willistoni willistoni
Williston's Tiger Beetle
Cicindela willistoni willistoni is a subspecies of tiger beetle endemic to saline and alkali flats in the southwestern United States. Adults and larvae occupy distinct microhabitats within these systems, with adults typically found along the water's edge. Larvae construct unique chimney-like turrets extending 1–4 cm above their burrow entrances, which function primarily for thermoregulation and attracting prey rather than flood prevention. The subspecies exhibits highly specialized habitat requirements and is part of complex habitat partitioning systems where multiple tiger beetle species coexist by occupying different microhabitats.
Eunota circumpicta johnsonii
Johnson's Tiger Beetle
Eunota circumpicta johnsonii, commonly known as Johnson's Tiger Beetle, is a subspecies of tiger beetle in the family Carabidae (subfamily Cicindelinae). It is a saline habitat specialist found in the central and southern Great Plains of North America. The species is active during summer months and exhibits habitat partitioning with co-occurring tiger beetle species through temporal and microhabitat segregation. It has been observed in alkaline lake margins, saline flats, and salt-encrusted soils, often alongside other saline-adapted tiger beetles.
Eunota togata
White-cloaked Tiger Beetle
Eunota togata, the White-cloaked Tiger Beetle, is a species of tiger beetle in the family Cicindelidae. It was formerly classified under Cicindela but is now the sole species in the genus Eunota. The species is notable for its strong association with saline habitats, with different subspecies occupying distinct geographic regions and habitat types. Adults are small, measuring 10–13 mm in length, and exhibit variable white coloration on the elytra that gives the species its common name. The species demonstrates classic tiger beetle behaviors including rapid running, quick flight when disturbed, and visual predation.
Eunota togata togata
White-cloaked Tiger Beetle
Eunota togata togata is the nominate subspecies of the White-cloaked Tiger Beetle, occurring in salt marshes and tidal flats along the Gulf Coast of the United States and Mexico. Unlike the inland subspecies E. t. globicollis (Alkali Tiger Beetle) and E. t. fascinans (Salt Flat Tiger Beetle), this form shows the least expansion of the characteristic white elytral band that gives the species its name. The species epithet 'togata' derives from Latin 'toga,' referring to this cloaking white margin.
Ligia occidentalis
Western Sea Slater
Ligia occidentalis is a supralittoral isopod inhabiting rocky shorelines along the eastern Pacific coast. The species occupies the high intertidal zone, hiding in crevices above the high tide line during daytime to avoid desiccation and emerging nocturnally to feed. It is distinguished from the sympatric Ligia pallasii by longer uropods, larger eyes set closer together, and a sleeker body form. The species harbors mycoplasma-like bacteria as hepatopancreas symbionts and shows remarkable morphological stasis across highly genetically divergent allopatric lineages.
Panopeus
mud crabs
Panopeus is a genus of mud crabs in the family Panopeidae, distributed primarily in intertidal and estuarine environments of the Western Atlantic. Species within this genus exhibit sexual size dimorphism, with males typically larger than females, and show specialized habitat use patterns including vertical stratification within reef structures. Some species demonstrate extreme male-biased sexual size dimorphism driven by sexual antagonistic coevolution and coercive mating systems. Members of this genus are ecosystem engineers in mangrove and estuarine habitats, influencing sediment structure and energy flow.
Trissolcus euschisti
Trissolcus euschisti is a scelionid parasitoid wasp approximately 1.5 mm in length that attacks the eggs of stink bugs (Pentatomidae), particularly species in the genus Euschistus. The species exhibits habitat partitioning with the congeneric parasitoid Telenomus podisi, showing greater abundance on woody host plants while T. podisi dominates herbaceous vegetation. It has been investigated as a potential biological control agent for brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) and demonstrates flexible reproductive strategies, including the ability to develop in hosts where resources have been partially utilized by prior parasitoid activity.