High invasive ant activity drives predation of a native butterfly larva

Yellow crazy ants (Anoplolepis gracilipes) threaten invertebrates on many tropical islands, but little work has been done in continental ecosystems. We found 4.4–16.0 times more cruiser butterfly caterpillars were attacked in Australian rain forest sites with A. gracilipes than in native ant sites, and extrafloral nectar had little influence.     

Larval food limitation in butterflies: effects on adult resource allocation and fitness

Allocation of larval food resources affects adult morphology and fitness in holometabolous insects. Here we explore the effects on adult morphology and female fitness of larval semi-starvation in the butterfly Speyeria mormonia. Using a split-brood design, food intake was reduced by approximately half during the last half of the last larval instar. Body mass and forewing length of resulting adults were smaller than those of control animals. Feeding treatment significantly altered the allometric relationship between mass and wing length for females but not males, such that body mass increased more steeply with wing length in stressed insects as compared to control insects. This may result in changes in female flight performance and cost. With regard to adult life history traits, male feeding treatment or mating number had no effect on female fecundity or survival, in agreement with expectations for this species. Potential fecundity decreased with decreasing body mass and relative fat content, but there was no independent effect of larval feeding treatment. Realized fecundity decreased with decreasing adult survival, and was not affected by body mass or larval feeding treatment. Adult survival was lower in insects subjected to larval semi-starvation, with no effect of body mass. In contrast, previous laboratory studies on adult nectar restriction showed that adult survival was not affected by such stress, whereas fecundity was reduced in direct 11 proportion to the reduction of adult food. We thus see a direct impact of larval dietary restriction on survival, whereas fecundity is affected by adult dietary restriction, a pattern reminiscent of a survival/reproduction trade-off, but across a developmental boundary. The data, in combination with previous work, thus provide a picture of the intra-specific response of a suite of traits to ecological stress.     

Species diversity in vertical, horizontal, and temporal dimensions of a fruit-feeding butterfly community in an Ecuadorian rainforest

To test the hypotheses that fruit-feeding nymphalid butterflies are randomly distributed in space and time, a community of fruit-feeding nymphalid butterflies was sampled at monthly intervals for one year by trapping 6690 individuals of 130 species in the canopy and understory of four forest habitats: primary, higraded, secondary, and edge. The overall species abundance distribution was well described by a lognormal distribution. Total species diversity (γ-diversity) was partitioned into additive components within and among community subdivisions (α-diversity and β-diversity) in vertical, horizontal and temporal dimensions. Although community subdivisions showed high similarity (1 —β-diversity/γ-diversity), significant β-diversity existed in each dimension. Individual abundance and observed species richness was lower in the canopy than in the understory. However, rarefaction analysis and species accumulation curves revealed that canopy had higher species richness than understory. Observed species richness was roughly equal in all habitats, but individual abundance was much greater in edge, largely due to a single, specialist species. Rarefaction analysis and species accumulation curves showed that edge had significantly lower species richness than all other habitats. Samples from a single habitat, height and time contained only a small fraction of the total community species richness. This study demonstrates the feasibility, and necessity, of large-scale, long-term sampling in multiple dimensions for accurately measuring species richness and diversity in tropical forest communities. We discuss the importance of such studies in conservation biology.     

Genetic differentiation of the marbled white butterfly, Melanargia galathea, accounts for glacial distribution patterns and postglacial range expansion in southeastern Europe

Isolation of Mediterranean species in the southern European peninsulas during the cold glacial phases often resulted in differentiation of several genetic lineages confined to the respective peninsulas. However, whilst there is good genetic evidence for multiple refugia in Iberia, there are only limited data available for the Balkans. Therefore, we wish to examine the hypothesis of a strong genetic structuring within southeastern Europe for the existence of multiple Balkan differentiation centres and/or several leading edges. As a model we use the marbled white butterfly, Melanargia galathea. We studied 18 allozyme loci of 564 individuals from 16 populations distributed over a large part of southeastern Europe. The single populations showed moderately high genetic diversity and no northward decline of genetic diversity was detected. The overall genetic differentiation between populations was considerable (F(ST) 7.0%). Cluster analysis discriminated three genetic groups: (i) a western flank in the former Yugoslavia, parts of eastern Austria and Hungary; (ii) an eastern flank with populations from Bulgaria and Romania (south of the southern Carpathians and eastern Carpathians); and (iii) the eastern Carpathian Basin. Hierarchical variance analysis distributed 53% of the variance among populations between these three groups. One sample from the Greek-Bulgarian border clustered within the eastern flank, but showed some tendency towards the eastern Carpathian Basin populations. Two populations from Carinthia clustered together with the eastern Carpathian Basin ones and a population from Styria showed an intermediate genetic composition between the three groups. Most probably, the eastern and the western flank groups are due to postglacial range expansion from the northeastern and the northwestern edges of the glacial differentiation centre (so-called leading edges). The eastern Carpathian Basin group may have resulted from postglacial expansion from northern Greece through valley systems of the central Balkan peninsula, maybe even expanding westwards north of the Balkan mountains reaching some parts of eastern Austria (e.g. Carinthia). Therefore, the Balkanic refugium of M. galathea may or may not have been continuous along the coastal areas of the Mediterranean, but must have been strongly genetically structured.     

Ecological differentiation between the Sardinian endemic Maniola nurag and the pan-European M. jurtina

Recently refined evolutionary theories have highlighted that ecological interactions and environmental gradients can play a major role in speciation. This paper reports on a 3‐year field study, in which the ecology of two congeneric butterfly species was used to explore and compare the environmental factors determining their spatial distribution. These data are discussed in the context of possible speciation scenarios between the Sardinian populations of Maniola nurag and M. jurtina. M. nurag is endemic to the island of Sardinia, while M. jurtina is widespread over Europe. In Sardinia, the two species are locally sympatric. Mark–release–recapture experiments were combined with measures of environmental variables in 15 1‐ha plots, established in areas of potential habitat for the butterflies. Constrained linear models were parameterized from mark–recapture data to estimate both individual (survival and capture probabilities) and population (population size and recruitment) parameters. The two species had similar demography, movement patterns, life history, and behaviour. Population sizes developed in a parabolic fashion from beginning to end of the flight season. Differences included local population size, adult phenology, and habitat requirements. Long‐distance movements larger than 1.5 km were observed, suggesting a substantial amount of gene‐flow between populations of the endemic as well as the widespread species. Multivariate analyses revealed four main environmental gradients responsible for the abundance of the butterflies in an area. Both species responded similarly to environmental variables. However, each species’s abundance was correlated with a different environmental gradient determined by vegetation cover and structure. When sympatric, the two species responded to subtle differences in microhabitat structure. This might originally have induced their divergence. This study is an example of how empirical field data on population dynamics, dispersal, and habitat characteristics of two sympatric congeners can further our understanding of how species differentiate despite existing gene‐flow. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2006, 89 , 561–574.     

Effects of weight loading on flight performance and survival of palatable Neotropical Anartia fatima butterflies

Previous studies show that the position of centre of body mass ( cm_body ) and the ratio of flight muscle to total body mass (flight muscle ratio, FMR) are good predictors of flight speed and manoeuvrability in butterflies. However, cm_body , FMR, and related morphometric traits are strongly correlated phcnotypically, making it difficult to identify the causal determinants of flight performance. By experimentally gluing weights that amounted to 15% body weight to a palatable Neotropical butterfly species (Anartia fatima) , we tested the effects of altering FMR and repositioning cm_body on two measures of flight performance: flight speed and the ability to evade capture. We then tested their effects on survival in a natural setting. Flight performance studies detected no significant differences in airspeed or evasive flight ability among unweighted controls, weighted-loaded butterflies (WL), and those with cm_body positioned further posterior (CM). In two mark-release-recapture experiments, survival of treatment groups did not differ, but males survived longer than females. In one experiment, WL and CM butterflies were recaptured more frequently than controls, whereas the probability of recapture for females was higher than that for males in the second experiment. When significant, results for recapture were consistent with a causal relationship between FMR and flight speed. Presumably, a decrease in flight speed was due to a reduction in muscle mass-specific power output in the weighted butterflies. However, the results did not support a relationship between manoeuvrability and cm_body     

Temporal shift between daily sperm movement and mating (sperm reflux) in the Asian comma butterfly,Polygonia c-aureum

Temporal changes in mating behavior and daily sperm movement were examined in adult males of the butterfly Polygonia c-aureum L. (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), reared under L15:D9 photoperiod at 21 °C. In this butterfly, when extra sperm is present in the duplex (storage organ) at mating, sperm reflux occurs: extra sperm are moved from the duplex to the lower and middle portions of the vasa deferentia by peristaltic movement of the lower portion of the vasa deferentia. It is known in several moth species that daily sperm movement from the testis to the upper portion of the vasa deferentia and from the upper vasa deferentia to the duplex occurs in a circadian manner. If sperm reflux and daily sperm movement occur at the same time, it could create confusion, because these sperm movements are directed oppositely. In this study, we examined the temporal changes of sperm movement and mating behavior in P. c-aureum in order to clarify whether the two sperm movements are separated in time. Our results showed that most matings occurred during the second half of the photophase, whereas daily eupyrene (nucleate) sperm movement from the upper to the middle portion of the vasa deferentia occurred immediately after light on (early photophase), indicating the presence of a time lag between mating and daily sperm movement. As sperm reflux occurs during mating, these two oppositely directed sperm movements could be performed without conflict.     

Prenuptial agreements: mating frequency predicts gift-giving in Heliconius species

Theory predicts that when males provision females with nuptial gifts that include nutrients, the degree of polyandry should be positively correlated with the size or quality of the gift. This is because larger and more nutritious gifts tend to increase female refractory period, reducing the chances the female will remate soon. This decreases the likelihood of sperm competiton and consequently increases the donor male fitness. Butterflies in the genus Heliconius Kluk (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconini) exhibit variable mating systems that include monandry and polyandry. In addition to protein in the spermatophore, males increase gift quality by providing females with cyanide, which may contribute to protection of the female or her eggs. We tested whether degree of polyandry and gift quality (spermatophore weight and cyanide content) were correlated in nine Heliconius species from greenhouse populations. As predicted, both spermatophore weight and cyanide content were correlated with mating frequency. This is the first report to show that degree of polyandry correlates with allocation of defensive chemical as part of a nuptial gift.     

利用线粒体CO II基因序列对中国尾蛱蝶属系统分化的研究

利用线粒体COII基因序列分析法,研究了我国尾蛱蝶属5种蝴蝶的系统分化。结果表明,在尾蛱蝶属5个种的12个样品中,405 bp长的COII片段有11.4%的位点为多态性位点,大部分的碱基改变是转换。各物种内不同个体间的差异明显小于不同物种间的差异,种内个体间的差异一般为0.5%～1.5%,各物种间的差异绝大多数在4%以上。利用最大似然性法构建的尾蛱蝶属聚类关系图显示,尾蛱蝶属蝴蝶分为两大分支,一支包括大二尾蛱蝶、二尾蛱蝶和忘忧尾蛱蝶,另外一个分支包括窄斑凤尾蛱蝶和黑凤尾蛱蝶聚在一起。在大二尾蛱蝶、二尾蛱蝶和忘忧尾蛱蝶这一分支中,大二尾蛱蝶和忘忧尾蛱蝶的亲缘关系较近,而二尾蛱蝶较远。这些分子系统学的结果均与形态学的结果相一致,是对形态分类的有力支持。     

Additive partitioning of butterfly diversity in a fragmented landscape: importance of scale and implications for conservation

Aim Most of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil occurs in fragments of various sizes. Previous studies indicate that forest fragmentation affects fruit‐feeding butterflies. Conservation strategies that seek to preserve organisms that are distributed in high‐fragmented biomes need to understand the spatial distribution of these organisms across the landscape. In view of the importance of understanding the fauna of these forest remnants, the objective of the present work is to investigate the extent to which the diversity of this group varies across spatial scales ranging from within‐forest patches to between landscapes. Location South America, south‐eastern Brazil, São Paulo State. Methods We used bait traps to sample fruit feeding butterflies at 50 points in 10 fragments in two different landscapes during a period of 12 months. Total species richness and Shannon index were partitioned additively in diversity at trap level, and beta diversity was calculated among traps, among forest patches, and between landscapes. We used permutation tests to compare these values to the expected ones under the null hypothesis that beta diversity is only a random sampling effect. Results There was significant beta diversity at the smallest scale examined; however, the significance at higher scales depends on the diversity measurement used. Beta diversity with Shannon index was smaller than expected by chance among fragments, whereas species richness was not. Among landscapes, only beta diversity in richness was higher than expected by chance. Main conclusions The results observed occur because there is great variability in species composition among forest patches in the same landscape, changing this diversity even though the communities are formed from the same pool of species. At the largest scale evaluated (between landscapes), these pattern changes and differences in beta diversity in richness were detectable. This difference is probably caused by the presence of rare species. Thus, a conservation strategy that seeks to preserve as many species as possible per unit of area in high‐fragmented biomes should give priority to protecting fragments in different landscapes, rather than more fragments in the same landscape.