Coexistence of predatory caddisfly species may be facilitated by variations in the morphology of feeding apparatus and diet

Abstract

1. The hypothesis of community‐wide character displacement (CWCD) predicts that coexisting species in the same guild should differ in morphological traits associated with resource acquisition, such that interspecific competition is unlikely. Hypothesis tests often focus on trophic structures involved in food acquisition, because variations in the morphology of foraging apparatus and diet composition may be directly related. Empirical evidence of such associations among sympatric guild members is, however, uncommon. 2. The predatory larvae of caddisflies in the family Hydrobiosidae are ideal for studies of CWCD because the morphology of the prehensile foreleg, used to capture prey, varies mar..