Extinction-Colonization Dynamics and Host-Plant Choice in Butterfly Metapopulations

Abstract

Species living in highly fragmented landscapes often occur as metapopulations with frequent population turnover. Turnover rate is known to depend on ecological factors, such as population size and connectivity, but it may also be influenced by the phenotypic and genotypic composition of populations. The Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) in Finland uses two host-plant species that vary in their relative abundances among distinct habitat patches (dry meadows) in a large network of ∼1,700 patches. We found no effect of host species use on local extinction. In contrast, population establishment was strongly influenced by the match between the host species composition of an empty habitat patch and the relative host use by larvae in previous years in the habitat patches that were well connected to the target patch. This "colonization effect" could be due to spatially variable plant acceptability or resistance or to spatially variable insect oviposition preference or larval performance. We show that spatial variation in adult oviposition preference occurs at the relevant spatial scale and that the other possible causes of the colonization effect can be discounted. We conclude that the colonization effect is generated by host preference influencing the movement patterns of ovipositing females. Migrant females with dissimilar host preferences have different perceptions of relative patch quality, which influences their likelihood of colonizing patches with particular host composition.Keywords: classical metapopulation, oviposition preference, colonization, spatial dynamics, Melitaea cinxia.Classical metapopulations persist in a balance between local extinctions and the establishment of new local populations at currently empty but suitable habitat patches

Host‐plant availability drives the spatiotemporal dynamics of interacting metapopulations across a fragmented landscape

“…Plantago lanceolata occurs throughout the Åland islands, and V. spicata is abundant only in habitat patches in the western part of the study area (Fig. 1; Hanski and Singer 2001).…”

“… References: [1] Kuussaari et al (2004), [2] Saastamoinen et al (2007), [3] Nieminen et al (2003), [4] Kahilainen et al (2018), [5] Hanski et al (1995), [6] Hanski and Singer (2001), [7] Kuussaari et al (2000), [8] Lei et al (1997), [9] Lei and Hanski (1997), [10] van Nouhuys and Hanski (2002), [11] van Nouhuys and Lei (2004), [12] Karlsson Green et al (in preparation), [13] Laine (2004 a ), [14] van Nouhuys and Laine (2008), [15] Harvey et al (2005), [16] Pinto‐Zevallos et al (2013), [17] van Nouhuys and Hanski (1999). …”

The genetic consequences of different dispersal behaviours in Lycaenid butterfly species

“…The theory of metapopuation ecology describes the presence of many organisms in a network of more or less interconnected local habitats (Hanski, 1991; Hanski & Gyllenberg, 1993). The survival probability of such a population network is determined by many factors like the ratio of habitat edge to interior (Chen et al , 1995; Radeloff et al , 2000), the isolation of habitat fragments (Collinge, 2000), patch area (Kruess & Tscharntke, 2000), patch quality (Dennis & Eales, 1997; Kuussaari et al , 2000; Hanski & Singer, 2001), microclimate (Braman et al , 2000) and the matrix between patches (Maes et al , 2004). All these factors contribute to determining the abundance of organisms in a landscape and, thus, influence a turnover equilibrium of colonisations, extinctions and recolonisations.…”

The Benefit of Additional Oviposition Targets for a Polyphagous Butterfly

“…Hence, if the net effect of adding additional targets for oviposition is to be positive, the increased encounter rates need to balance out not only the potentially lower larval performance on these additional plants, but also the effects of reduced accuracy and decision time. While it is clear that plant availability does affect host and patch preference on larger spatial scales ( Thomas and Singer 1987 ; Kuussaari et al 2000 ; Hanski and Singer 2001 ; Janz et al 2005 ), direct evidence for the advantage of incorporating a host into the repertoire is still lacking. Considering the important role that host expansions may play in the diversification of plant-feeding insects ( Janz et al 2006 ), this lack of knowledge is troublesome.…”