ИСТИНА

In ecological studies, the isotopic signatures of individual tissues or body parts, but not of the whole beetle, are to be preferred. Sampling for isotope analyses is to be performed regularly during the entire vegetation season. In studies on food webs or community structure, the formal estimate of a “trophic level” must be used with due care, because individual variation in isotopic signatures may two or three times exceed this level of 2‰ to 4‰. Differences in isotope composition of metabolic inert (elytra) and metabolic active (gonads, muscles or fat-body) tissues or body parts could potentially be used as a criterion for detecting the migrants and/or a recent change in diet.