Habitat restoration alters adult butterfly morphology and potential fecundity through effects on host plant quality

Abstract

Abstract. Conservation strategies for threatened species frequently include habitat restoration, but the success of such recovery efforts has been mixed. When the target is an insect herbivore, restoration efforts have traditionally attempted to increase the abundance of its host plant, but these actions' impact on host plant quality has largely been ignored. Here, we test the impact of two forms of habitat restoration, tree removal and stream damming, on the physical and chemical properties of a wetland sedge and on the adult traits of its larval consumer, a wetland butterfly. Tree removal altered plant physical and chemical traits in a manner largely consistent with reduced host plant quality. Females emerging from these plots had fewer mature oocytes in their ovaries upon emergence, suggesting that tree removal has a negative effect on butterfly potential fecundity. Stream damming did not affect plant traits but forewing length increased more steeply with body mass for females from these plots, indicating that small females from dammed plots have a relatively higher wing loading ratio that likely increases the energetic cost of flight. This idea was supported by results from our subsequent capture-mark-recapture study, where both female and male butterflies were less likely to emigrate from dammed plots. Male dispersal was also affected by restoration, but individual body mass rather than wing allometry mediated this effect. Our results highlight the need to consider restoration's impact on host plant quality, in addition to other aspects of habitat quality, when undertaking habitat restoration for threatened herbivores.

Elevated temperatures translate into reduced dispersal abilities in a natural population of an aquatic insect

“…Individuals from the spring generation preferentially remain close to the site at which they emerged, whereas the summer generation shows more dispersal (Fric & Konvicka, ; Gibbs, Wiklund, & Van Dyck, ). Those findings are congruent with the results of a mark–recapture study, demonstrating that butterflies with higher wing loading are less likely to leave the sites at which they emerged (Sivakoff, Morris, Aschehoug, Hudgens, & Haddad, ). Correlational evidence for the adaptive significance of a reduced wing loading comes from studies on latitudinal variation in fruit flies ( Drosophila spp.)…”

Butterfly diversity and abundance in a sub-tropical wetland environment of Shyamlatal, Western Himalaya

“…Loss of wetland area and surrounding forest could be detrimental for the butterflies on the highest conservation priority in the study area. Many butterflies with a narrow range of host specialization and habitat utilization show extreme vulnerability towards changes that affect their host plants (Aschehoug et al, 2015;Sivakoff et al, 2016;Chettri et al, 2018;Sharma et al, 2020). The availability of food plants in non-inundated areas during seasonal flooding is crucial for the conservation of wetland butterflies (Severns et al, 2006).…”

“…Wetlands butterflies often exist in a fine balance between the benefits of ample moisture required for good quality host plants and the high costs of egg mortality on plants inundated during seasonal flooding (Severns et al, 2006). Wetland butterflies also show extreme sensitivity towards nonscientific restoration and management practices (Aschehoug et al, 2015;Sivakoff et al, 2016). Therefore, any disturbance or damage to such native habitats could result in a rapid loss and extinction of butterflies (van Swaay et al, 2006).…”

Environmental stress in Parnassius apollo reflected through wing geometric morphometrics in a historical collection with a possible connection to habitat degradation

“…February may be of high importance in the ontogeny of P. apollo as the eggs usually hatch at the end of February and the beginning of March (Žltková and Havranová 2017). Lower temperatures generally show positive effects on the overwintering eggs, although the overwintering larvae may be threatened by sudden temperature increases (Radchuk et al 2013). Interestingly, Yu et al (2012) found higher winter temperatures, especially in February, to have the highest negative correlation coefficient for the numbers of collected mountain Apollo specimens.…”