Morphological diversity of ground beetles (Coleoptera : Carabidae) in Scottish agricultural land

The morphospace defined by 87 species of ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabid ae) of Scottish non-forested habitats is described with multivariate method s, using 13 linear quantitative measurements of the body, hind legs, eyes a nd antennae, plus five qualitative characters concerned with body shape, co lour, wing development, and pubescence. Relationships between pairs of vari ables are studied with phylogenetic independent contrasts, using two differ ent taxonomic classifications as an approximation to the phylogeny of the g roup. The first ordination axis of-the morphospace was found mainly to refl ect the positive correlation between length of the antennae and length of t he hind legs, the second to reflect the width of the head, diameter of the eye and pronotum height, and the third the width of the pronotum and elytra , length of the metatrochanter and width of the metafemur. The principal re lationships involving qualitative characters were between colour of the bod y and legs and shape of the pronotum with ordination axes, wing development with width of the elytra, and pubescence with colour of the legs. Most cor relations between quantitative variables, in particular those most influenc ing the ordination axes of the morphospace, remained significant when measu red with phylogenetic independent contrasts using both classifications. Ind ependent contrasts comparing qualitative with quantitative variables or ord ination axes were only significant for the colour of the body with the seco nd axis for both classifications used, and length of the antennae with colo ur of the body and shape of the pronotum for only one of the classification s. The main morphological trends within the morphospace defined are related with published information on their performance, in particular running spe ed and pushing abilities, following previous work on the functional morphol ogy of the group. The morphospace defined by the species studied is a funda mental tool that will allow further investigations on the relationships bet ween their morphology and life traits, as well as on the relationships of t he functional diversity thus characterized with environmental correlates.