Abstract
1. A positive relationship between the local abundances and regional distributions of species in an assemblage has been observed for a wide variety of taxa, but its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.2. Taxonomically controlled analyses of a group of the British macrolepidoptera (moths) find a strong, abundance–range size relationship.3. Degree of polyphagy and habitat generalism explain significant within‐taxon variation in both range size and abundance, with polyphages and habitat generalists having larger ranges and greater local abundances than specialists.4. Taxa that feed in niches considered to be associated with a high diversity of parasitoids have significantly smaller range sizes than other taxa.5. With the possible exception of body size, none of the life history variables examined explain significant variation around the range size–abundance relationship.
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