THE MONTH WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF RAINY DAYS, AVERAGE AND WARMEST TEMPERATURES, DAILY HOURS OF SUNSHINE, AND RAINFALL ACROSS THE DISTRIBUTION OF PILL MILLIPEDES SPHAEROTHERIUM BRANDT, 1833

Author Name: M. I. Cooper

Volume/Issue: 03/01

Country: South Africa

DOI NO.: 08.2020-25662434 DOI Link: https://www.doi-ds.org/doilink/06.2022-62322612/UIJIR

Affiliation:

University of Stellenbosch, South Africa

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to determine what happened when Sexual Size Dimorphism (SSD) and body size changed with eco-geographical factors. The month with the highest number of rainy days, average and warmest temperature, daily hours of sunshine, and rainfall was correlated in the forest millipede genus Sphaerotherium. There were correlations between month with the highest number of rainy days and rainfall (r=0.89, Z score=2.82, n=7, p<0.01), warmest temperature and highest number of rainy days (r=0.59, Z score=1.35, n=7, p=0.09), warmest temperature and rainfall (r=0.72, Z score=1.81, n=7, p=0.04), and coolest temperature and highest number of rainy days (r=0.65, Z score=1.54, n=7, p=0.06). There was a correlation between average temperature and daily hours of sunshine (r=-0.72, Z score=-1.83, n=7, p=0.03), average temperature and rainfall (r=0.73, Z score=1.85, n=7, p=0.03) and daily hours of sunshine and rainfall (r=-0.76, Z score=-2.00, n=7, p=0.02) . There was a correlation between warmest temperature and lowest temperature (r=0.87, Z score=2.70, n=7, p<0.01), warmest temperature and hours of sunshine (r=-0.88, Z score=-2.78, n=7, p<0.01), warmest temperature and rainfall (r=0.71, Z score=1.79, n=7, p=0.04), lowest hours of sunshine and rainfall (r=0.89, Z score=2.82, n=7, p<0.01), lowest hours of sunshine and coolest average temperature (r=-0.72, Z score=-1.83, n=7, p=0.03) and month with the highest number of rainy days and precipitation during the wettest month (r=0.69, Z score=1.72, n=7, p=0.04). Eco-geographical variance in the polygynandrous reproductive systems occurs with larger females and higher SSD co-occurring with cooler and warmer average temperatures, a higher number of rainy days, and rainfall.

Key words: Dimorphic, eco-geography, gradient, temperature, size, species