Microhabitat use by larvae and females of a rare barrens butterfly, frosted elfin (Callophrys irus)

Albanese, Gene; Vickery, Peter D.; Sievert, Paul R.

doi:10.1007/s10841-007-9097-2

Cited by 29 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…Laying eggs in wet meadows and in fen grasslands could then be a strategy of risk spreading, as mentioned for other butterflies (e.g. Albanese et al 2008). CMR data provided some support for this hypothesis: 19% of females caught in fen grasslands and/or wet meadows at least on two different days were caught in both habitats.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Parasitism cost of living in a high quality habitat in the bog fritillary butterfly

et al. 2011

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Habitat quality and the impact of natural enemies might profoundly affect metapopulation dynamics and viability. However, their relative impact has usually been considered independently. Here we address the question of how caterpillar habitat quality and parasitism prevalence interact to shape habitat selection in the bog fritillary butterfly Boloria eunomia, parasitized at the caterpillar stage by a specialist wasp, Cotesia eunomiae. We first classified habitat quality by relating caterpillar density to descriptors of different microhabitat types. Second, we investigated parasitism prevalence in those different microhabitats. Our results show that caterpillars and parasitoids mapped onto the same microhabitats, mainly zones with high abundance of the host plant. Accordingly, we suggest that both egg-laying females and parasitoids use the same cues for habitat selection. As a consequence, there should be a fitness cost for B. eunomia females to lay their eggs in places where parasitism prevalence is high. We indeed detected that B. eunomia females frequently laid eggs in habitat types that presented suboptimal microhabitat conditions for caterpillars. This suggests that the lower parasitism prevalence in these suboptimal habitat types counterbalances lower caterpillar survival, leading to an overall similar survival in optimal and suboptimal habitat types. Spreading eggs in different habitat types is thus expected to be a safe strategy to mitigate the adverse possible effects of environmental stochasticity and parasitism prevalence on offspring survival unequal among microhabitat types. From a conservation viewpoint, the preservation of habitat heterogeneity, including optimal but also suboptimal habitat areas, is crucial to ensure persistence of both the host and its parasitoid. J. Choutt Á C. Turlure Á N. Schtickzelle (

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 66%

Parasitism cost of living in a high quality habitat in the bog fritillary butterfly

et al. 2011

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“…However, it has been found that the restricted distribution of many species of butterfly is related to microhabitat conditions (e.g. microclimate, quality of local vegetation) rather than the presence of host plants (Konvicka et al 2003;Albanese et al 2008). Lepidopteran larvae are usually relatively immobile and incapable of moving long distances searching for suitable host plants.…”

Section: Larval Resource Requirementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat utilization of the Glanville fritillary butterfly in the Tianshan Mountains, China, and its implication for conservation

et al. 2011

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In 2004 and 2005, we investigated the distribution of the Glanville fritillary butterfly (Melitaea cinxia) and its host plant in the Tianshan Mountains of China, in order to clarify its habitat utilization. Female butterflies were almost captured on dry meadows on slopes, where plenty of host plant (Veronica spicata) is distributed. Although there are host plants on meadows at higher altitude ([2,050 m), no butterfly was found there. Among the meadows with host plants, a patch of dry meadow (newlyfound meadow) was considered as a natal site because of the high density and freshness of butterflies. Unlike females, male butterflies were almost captured in valleys, where there are no host plants and fewer nectar plants. It might be related to specific mating system of M. cinxia in the study site, or specific environmental factors. Thus valleys are important habitat for males. Although the status of M. cinxia is yet unknown in China, we give some suggestions for conservation based on this study. First, dry meadows with host plants are the essential component for persistence of M. cinxia, among which the specific sites with more favourable conditions, such as natal site, are most important. Second, as a site with adult resource requirement, valleys should be included as part of the habitat of the butterfly. Finally, meadows at higher altitude are not utilized at present but they are potential habitats which need to be maintained for any shifts in altitudinal range in response to global warming in the future. Hence, the trade-off of present cost and future benefit should be taken into account when formulating a conservation strategy for M. cinxia in the Tianshan Mountains of China.

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“…; Fischer and Fiedler ; Albanese et al. ). Consequently, if the microclimate was to change across one of the habitat patches in which this butterfly currently exists, it could render that site unsuitable for the butterfly.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of thermal conditions on habitat use by a rare spring‐emerging butterfly Euphydryas editha taylori

Bennett

Betts

Smith

2014

J Applied Entomology

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We may expect butterflies as ectotherms to have particularly active lifehistory stages that occur in the warmest and lightest times of the year; however, there are temperate species that are active when climatic conditions seem unfavourable and photoperiod short, such as the Taylor's checkerspot (Euphydryas editha taylori). For such species, studies suggest that even subtle changes to microclimate can potentially impact populations. Thus, understanding how in situ variations in microclimate influence the Taylor's checkerspot butterfly could provide much needed insights into more effective management. We conducted a series of surveys that explored (i) adult habitat use, (ii) final instar larval distribution and (iii) adult movement up to and across site boundaries at two sites in Oregon, USA, in 2010 and 2011. We found that in situ habitat use by the Taylor's checkerspot butterfly was strongly influenced by microclimate. Both adult activities and final instar larvae distribution were clustered within the warmest areas of the sites. Moreover, adults did not use up to 59% and larva up to 90% of their sites, despite vegetation structure and composition being uniform. More specifically, butterfly habitat use increased with increasing ground temperatures, and we found that areas with the highest ground temperatures were more exposed to direct sunlight. Similarly, we found that butterflies tended to only move through sunlit site boundaries. We conclude that the Taylor's checkerspot is sensitive to changes in its thermal environment at fine spatial scales. Our results highlight the importance of microclimate as an indicator of habitat quality, and establishing the thermal criteria in which species of concern exists may provide valuable insights into the implications of climate change.

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Microhabitat use by larvae and females of a rare barrens butterfly, frosted elfin (Callophrys irus)

Cited by 29 publications

References 53 publications

Parasitism cost of living in a high quality habitat in the bog fritillary butterfly

Parasitism cost of living in a high quality habitat in the bog fritillary butterfly

Habitat utilization of the Glanville fritillary butterfly in the Tianshan Mountains, China, and its implication for conservation

Influence of thermal conditions on habitat use by a rare spring‐emerging butterfly Euphydryas editha taylori

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