Question

As you study two closely related predatory insect species, the two-spot and the three-spot avenger beetles, you notice that each species seeks prey at dawn in areas without the other species. However, where their ranges overlap, the two-spot avenger beetle hunts at night and the three-spot hunts in the morning. When you bring them into the laboratory and isolate the two different species, you discover that the offspring of both species are nocturnal. You have discovered an example of _____

Answer 1

Answer:

Character displacement

Explanation:

Character displacement refers to the ecological process wherein two species exhibit more differences when they coexist than where they are geographically isolated. These differences can be in their morphological, behavioral, physiological or in any other features.  

In the given examples, the two insect species are shown to be nocturnal when present separately while exhibit shift in their feeding niche when co-exist. By adopting different time for hunting, the two insect species minimize competition among them when present together. This represents an example of character displacement.