Abstract
In this report we analyze patterns of size-assortative mating in an insect genus by (1) describing the consistency and strength of assortative mating among populations of a species and among species of a genus, and (2) determining the role of sampling artifacts in generating this nonrandom pattern of mating. Our data consist of 18 samples of soldier beetles (8 species of the genus Chauliognathus) from 17 sites within the southwestern United States. Of the 18 samples, just 6 exhibited significant correlations between elytron lengths of mating pairs. We show how these and other significant correlations are generated by 3 kinds of sampling artifacts: mixed-species samples, mixed-population samples, and mixed-microsite samples.
Recommended Citation
Bernstein, Ruth and Bernstein, Stephen
(2003)
"Assortative mating in insects: sexual selection vs. sampling artifact,"
Western North American Naturalist: Vol. 63:
No.
3, Article 12.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/wnan/vol63/iss3/12