Snowmelt timing determines the distribution of two size morphs in the arctic-alpine beetle Amara alpina (Paykull, 1790)

Snowmelt timing determines the distribution of two size morphs in the arctic-alpine beetle Amara alpina (Paykull, 1790) | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecology and Evolution This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 18 May 2026 V1 Latest version Share on Snowmelt timing determines the distribution of two size morphs in the arctic-alpine beetle Amara alpina (Paykull, 1790) Authors : Niklas Beckers 0009-0000-5531-0127 [email protected] , Nils Hein [email protected] , Kim Vanselow [email protected] , and Jörg Löffler 0000-0002-9320-6168 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003448/v1 Under Review Ecology and Evolution Peer review timeline 22 views 22 downloads Contents Abstract Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Physiological responses to environmental changes are often observed in ectotherms. Recent results suggest that the common alpine tundra arthropod Amara alpina (Coleoptera, Carabidae) occurs in two distinct size morphs: a large ‘persistent’ mode and a smaller ‘pioneer’ mode. The environmental drivers of this dichotomy are unclear. We studied how the distribution of body sizes in A. alpina across Northern Europe relates to the environment. Our aim was to confirm the existence of these two distinct phenotypes of the species and identify environmental drivers to explain their distribution. Our hypothesis was that the differentiation of the species is driven by patterns of snowmelt. We tested this by using a machine learning approach to model body sizes against environmental variables of a dataset with 1x1 km spatial and daily average temporal resolution. Our models show that indeed the timing of snowmelt explains the distribution of these phenotypes across spatio-temporal scales. Possible causes are a switch in voltinism and/or different dietary consumption during development in harsher environments. The existence of two climatically determined size morphs facilitates a use of fossil remains of A. alpina as a climate proxy. Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 18 May 2026 Peer review timeline Under Review Ecology and Evolution 18 May 2026 Submission Checks Completed 22 May 2026 Under Review Collection Ecology and Evolution Authors Affiliations Niklas Beckers 0009-0000-5531-0127 [email protected] Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn, Bonn, Germany, 53115 View all articles by this author Nils Hein [email protected] Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn, Bonn, Germany, 53115 View all articles by this author Kim Vanselow [email protected] Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn, Bonn, Germany, 53115 View all articles by this author Jörg Löffler 0000-0002-9320-6168 [email protected] Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat Bonn, Bonn, Germany, 53115 View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 22 views 22 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Niklas Beckers, Nils Hein, Kim Vanselow, et al. Snowmelt timing determines the distribution of two size morphs in the arctic-alpine beetle Amara alpina (Paykull, 1790). Authorea . 18 May 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003448/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . 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