Amongst oviparous animals, the spatial distribution of individuals is often set initially by where females lay eggs, with potential implications for populations and species coexistence. Do the spatial arrangements of oviposition sites or female behaviours determine spatial patterns of eggs? The consequences of spatial patterns may be context independent if strong behaviours drive patterns; context dependent if the local environment dominates. We tested these ideas using a guild of stream-dwelling caddisflies that oviposit on emergent rocks, focussing on genera with contrasting behaviours. In naturally occurring oviposition landscapes (riffles with emergent rocks), we surveyed the spatial arrangement and environmental characteristics of all emergent rocks, identified and enumerated egg masses on each. Multiple riffles were surveyed to test for spatially invariant patterns and behaviours. In landscapes, we tested for spatial clumping of oviposition sites exploited by each species and for segregation of congeneric species. At oviposition sites, we characterised the frequency distributions of egg masses and tested for species associations. Genus-specific behaviours produced different spatial patterns of egg masses in the same landscapes. Congregative behaviour of Ulmerochorema spp. at landscape scales and an aggregative response at preferred oviposition sites led to clumped patterns, local aggregation and species overlap. In contrast, avoidance behaviours by congeners of Apsilochorema resulted in no or weak clumping, and species segregation in some landscapes. Spatial patterns were consistent across riffles that varied in area and oviposition site density. These results suggest that quite different oviposition behaviours may be context independent, and the consequences of spatial patterns may be spatially invariant also.

中文翻译：

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避免和聚集会在空间可变的产卵景观中创建一致的同属虫卵的卵分布模式。

在卵生动物中，个体的空间分布通常最初是由雌性产卵的位置决定的，这对种群和物种共存具有潜在的影响。产卵位点的空间排列或雌性行为是否会决定卵的空间格局？如果强烈的行为驱动模式，则空间模式的后果可能与上下文无关。如果本地环境占主导，则取决于上下文。我们使用居住在隐生岩石上的流栖类昆虫协会对这些想法进行了测试，重点放在具有相反行为的属上。在自然发生的产卵景观中（带有出没岩石的浅滩），我们调查了所有出没岩石的空间排列和环境特征，并在其中每个卵上进行了识别和枚举。调查了多个浅滩，以测试空间不变的模式和行为。在景观中，我们测试了每个物种开发的产卵位点的空间聚集性和同属物种的隔离情况。在产卵地点，我们表征了卵块的频率分布并测试了物种关联。属特定的行为在相同的景观中产生了不同的卵块空间格局。Ulmerochorema spp的会众行为。在景观尺度上，首选产卵地点的聚集反应导致丛生的模式，局部聚集和物种重叠。相比之下，按蚊的同类动物的回避行为导致没有聚集或弱聚集，并且在某些景观中存在物种隔离。浅滩的面积格局是一致的，这些浅滩的面积和产卵地点的密度各不相同。这些结果表明，完全不同的产卵行为可能与环境无关，并且空间模式的后果在空间上也可能是不变的。