SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF CULISETA-LONGIAREOLATA (CULICIDAE, DIPTERA) AND BUFO-VIRIDIS (AMPHIBIA, BUFONIDAE) AMONG AND WITHIN DESERT POOLS

We examined whether certain factors could explain the distribution of immature mosquitoes, Culiseta longiareolata, and of green toad tadpoles, Bufo viridis, the two most abundant macrofaunal species inhabiting temporary rock pools of the central Negev Desert, Israel. Among pools, these two species were positively associated with each other and with filamentous algae. Water depth, surface area, water volume, and amount of sediment did not serve as reliable predictors of abundances of Culiseta and Bufo among pools. Within pools, Bufo and Culiseta distributions were highly clumped. Bufo tadpoles were concentrated along the pool edge. Early-stage Culiseta immatures (larval instars I, II) were concentrated in shallow areas of pools while late-stage Culiseta immatures (larval instars III and IV plus pupae) were found above the deeper areas of the pool, often forming three dimensional clusters. Because these two species frequently co-occur, the strong negative interactions (particularly competition) that we have found in other studies appear to be important in nature.