The Ecology of Tijuana Estuary, California: An Estuarine Profile

The vegetation and soils of the upper marsh extended along the narrow leaves of cordgrass.
Support many insects, spiders, and m~tes, but few while the latter is abundant on algal mats
other Invertebrates (Figure 22) Tachys corax,
literally the swift raven, IS the most prevalent Intermediate elevations of the salt marsh are
Species of carabid beetle found at Tijuana Estuary much more frequently wetted by the tides Higher
This small insect (to 3 5 mm) occurs in all marsh inundation tolerance is required of both the plants
habitats and feeds primarily on other small and infauna The dominant plant IS the perennial
arthropods Another beetle. Eurynephala mar~t~ma, pickleweed (Sallcornia v~rginlca. Figure 231. which
IS found on the stems of pickleweed Two splders has the broadest elevational range of all the salt
that inhab~this zone are Tetragnafha labonosa and marsh species It is also a species of broad
Pardosa ramulosa The former is often found geographic range. occurring on the Pacific Coast
Figure 22. Selected insects and arachnids of the salt marsh. illustrated are two spiders, Tetragnatha Iaborrosa
(upper left, body 10 mm long) and Pardosa ramulosa (body 10 mm long; shown with eggs); the pseudoscorpion
(Halobrs~um occrdentale; Chelonethida), whtch ts found with pickleweed; the springtail (Coilernbola: tsotomidae.
lsotcrma sp,: bottom center), a very smart but abundant species, especially in plant detrttus; and two beetles, Tachys
corax ilower left) and fvryn@pphala maribma (lower right, body 6 rnm long). Mcintire collection, copyright 1986 by
Zedler.