Abstract
Abstract Increasing altitude may influence insect communities, population sizes, life-histories, and morphology. Nicrophorus investigator Zetterstedt, a holarctic species, occurs over a range of elevations in the western Rocky Mountains of North America. This study examines changes in population density, seasonal activity periods, morphology, and reproduction at three sites over an elevational gradient in the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado. N. investigator population sizes varied yearly at both low (≈2,800 m) and high (≈3,200 m) elevations, but were always greater at the lower elevations. Adult activity at all sites began in late June, remained relatively constant throughout July, and declined by late August. Elytron length was highly correlated both with body mass and pronotum width. There was no difference in elytron length between males and females (within years, sites). However, elytron length was significantly greater in 5 out of 6 yr at the higher elevation site, and in 1999, at two additional...
Published Version
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