Resource Utilization and Environmental and Spatio-Temporal Overlap of a Hilltopping Lycaenid Butterfly Community in the Colombian Andes

Abstract

Coexistence by a great number of species could reflect niche segregation at several resource axes. Differences in the use of a hilltop as mating site for a Eumaeini (Lycaenidae) community were measured to test whether niche segregation exists within this group. Specimens were collected throughout 21 samplings between July-October of 2004 and July-October of 2005. Two environmental variables and three temporal-spacial variables were analyzed utilizing null models with three randomization algorithms. Significant differences were found among the species with respect to utilization of vertical space, horizontal space, temporary distribution and environmental temperature. The species did not show significant differences with respect to light intensity. For all samplings, the niche overlap observed in the two environmental variables were higher or significantly higher than expected by chance, suggesting that niche segregation does not exist due to competition within these variables. Similar results were observed for temporal distribution. Some evidence of niche segregation was found in vertical space and horizontal space variables where some samples presented lower overlap than expected by chance. The results pointed out that community's assemblage could be mainly shaped in two ways. The first is that species with determined habitat requirements fit into unoccupied niche spaces. The second is by niche segregation in the vertical space distribution variable.

Adult feeding moths (Sphingidae) differ from non-adult feeding ones (Saturniidae) in activity-timing overlap and temporal niche width

“…In addition to biotic factors, mutable abiotic factors such as humidity, temperature, wind velocity, and vapor pressure are important and can influence moth and butterfly activity at the diel scale (e.g., Pitcairn et al 1990;Prieto and Dahners 2009). For example, an overlap was found in the response of butterfly species to environmental temperature due to the required optimal temperature for flight and mate searching (Prieto and Dahners 2009).…”

“…However, despite efforts to investigate this niche aspect in some organisms (especially vertebrates), relatively few studies have been conducted on temporal niche structuring, and insect assemblages seem to have been even less examined until the present (however, see Albrecht and Gotelli 2001;Prieto and Dahners 2009;Santos and Presley 2010).…”

Diversidade de membracídeos (Hemiptera, Membracidae) e sobreposição de recursos tróficos em área do semi-árido

“…Enquanto que E. minuta e M. binaria, que apresentaram o maior valor de sobreposição de nicho trófico, apresentaram baixa sobreposição temporal (0,630), considerando a maioria dos valores encontrados. Efeitos da sobreposição de nicho temporal também foram observados em outros grupos de insetos (prieto & DaHnerS, 2009;SantoS & preSLey, 2010;SantoS et al, 2012).…”

Natural history of the mistletoe-feeding Thereus lomalarga (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae, Eumaeini) in Colombia

“…The results in this paper show that female oviposition, larval feeding, and adult feeding are centered on the mistletoe plants. Male territorial behavior, which occurs widely in eumaeines (Prieto & Dahners 2009), has been recorded in T. lomalarga only at the top of a small tree (Robbins et al 2015). In other words, T. lomalarga does not obtain resources at ground level.…”