MORPHOMETRIC FEATURES OF THE BEETLE ACINOPUS (ACINOPUS) LAEVIGATUS MENETRIES, 1832 (COLEOPTERA, CARABIDAE) IN THE MOUNTAIN ECOSYSTEMS OF UZBEKISTAN

Abstract

The morphometric parameters of Acinopus (Acinopus) laevigatus Ménétriés, 1832 (Coleoptera, Carabidae) were studied and their altitudinal variability was assessed. The length of head is the most variable, and the smallest value of the coefficient of variation is observed for the width of elytra. The length of body parts (head, pronotum, elytra) were more variable compared to their width. The correlation relationship between the morphometric parameters of different parts of the body was analyzed. A high correlation was found between the elytra length (EL) and the total body length (BL) (r=0.93), and the lowest correlation was found between the elytra width (EW) and the pronotum length (PL) (r=0.57). According to all measurement indicators, high-mountain representatives of beetles were inferior to middle-mountain individuals, and the variation in traits was also less. Only the width of the elytra turned out to be more variable in individuals of the highlands. Statistical analysis showed a rather high reliability of the influence of altitudinal belts on the morphometric parameters of beetles for all studied parameters. However, changes in body proportions in different altitudinal zones were not significant, except for the EW/BL index.