Transparency improves concealment in cryptically coloured moths

Predation is a ubiquitous and strong selective pressure on living organisms. Transparency is a predation defence widespread in water but rare on land. Some Lepidoptera display transparent patches combined with already cryptic opaque patches. A recent study showed that transparency reduced detectability of aposematic prey with conspicuous patches. However, whether transparency has any effect at reducing detectability of already cryptic prey is still unknown. We conducted field predation experiments with free avian predators where we monitored and compared survival of a fully opaque grey artificial form (cryptic), a form including transparent windows and a wingless artificial butterfly body. Survival of the transparent forms was similar to that of wingless bodies and higher than that of fully opaque forms, suggesting a reduction of detectability conferred by transparency. This is the first evidence that transparency decreases detectability in cryptic terrestrial prey. Future studies should explore the organization of transparent and opaque patches in animals and their interplay on survival, as well as the costs and other potential benefits associated with transparency on land.     

Deceptive pollination of Calanthe by skippers that commonly act as nectar thieves

Flowers have developed different strategies to attract pollinators through visual or olfactory signals. Most flowers offer pollinators a reward (e.g. nectar and pollen) for the pollination service. However, one‐third of Orchidaceae have been shown not to provide a reward. Calanthe are terrestrial orchids distributed throughout China, Nepal, Japan and tropical Asia. Despite its high diversity, the pollination biology of Calanthe remains largely unknown, even though it is an important aspect of plant conservation. In the study, through field surveying, there were three Hesperiidae butterflies pollinating two species of Calanthe and the pollination behavior differed between the two species of Calanthe, which might lead to different fruit setting rates. There was no nectar in the flowers of the two species, indicating deceptive pollination. Using a glass cylinder experiment, it was deduced that the two species of Calanthe were most likely to attract pollinators by generalized food deception. Interestingly, Hesperiidae butterflies were traditionally thought to be nectar thieves and generally do not transmit pollinia. However, our findings showed that, in this case, the thieves were deceived by the plants and pollinated them for free.     

兴隆山国家级自然保护区不同生境的蝴蝶群落结构与种-多度分布

为明确甘肃兴隆山国家级自然保护区内的蝴蝶种类, 以及不同生境的蝴蝶群落结构与种-多度分布的变化情况, 在全部5个林场选取6条样线, 于2015-2018年连续4年采用样线法对保护区的蝴蝶进行调查和采集, 并分析了其多样性指数及种-多度分布。4年共采集蝴蝶标本5,719号, 经鉴定隶属8科69属120种。眼蝶科(3,093号)是保护区的优势类群, 喙蝶科仅采集到1号标本(朴喙蝶, Libythea lepita), 为保护区的稀有种类。其中, 各样线的种数、个体数、多样性指数以及物种丰富度表现为: 样线I最高, 样线IV次之, 说明其生境结构稳定, 环境良好, 适合蝶类生存; 样线III蜜源植物丰富, 各项指数较高; 样线V海拔较高, 各项指数较低; 样线II植物群落结构单一, 各项指数最低。相似性系数分析结果表明: 样线I和VI、III和IV、III和VI均为中等相似; 其余各样线间为中等不相似。区系分析结果表明: 古北种有63种, 占总种数的52.5%; 东洋种2种, 占总种数的1.7%; 广布种55种, 占总种数的45.8%。说明古北种占绝对优势, 且明显高于东洋种, 具有很强的地区代表性。种-多度分布分析结果表明: 样线I和IV呈现出对数正态分布, 模型拟合效果较好; 样线II和VI为非典型的对数级数模型, 符合生态位优先占领假说。说明不同生境以及人为干扰因素与蝶类多样性关系密切, 表现出单一生态系统蝴蝶群落的多样性指数较低, 复杂生态系统其多样性指数较高的特点。     

新疆吉木萨尔县蝴蝶群落多样性

蝴蝶作为指示生物, 被广泛地应用于生物多样性监测及环境质量评估。探究新疆吉木萨尔县蝴蝶群落多样性, 可为当地蝴蝶多样性的保护及环境监测提供基础数据。本研究采用样线法在新疆吉木萨尔县选取山前荒漠、农田、山地草原、山地森林、亚高山草甸5种不同的生境类型, 对蝴蝶种类和群落多样性进行调查。共记录蝴蝶4,401号, 隶属于7科26属38种。其中蛱蝶科有9属12种, 为优势科; 粉蝶科的个体数最多, 占比55.01%; 绢蝶科、凤蝶科和弄蝶科的种类数和个体数最少, 均为单科种, 是该地区的稀有类群。对不同生境蝴蝶群落多样性和相似度分析比较的结果显示: 5种生境中多样性指数从高到低依次为亚高山草甸、山地森林、山地草原、农田及山前荒漠, 其中山地森林和亚高山草甸的相似性系数较高, 达到0.77, 山前荒漠和山地草原的相似性系数最低, 为0.37。蝴蝶物种数及多样性指数随海拔的增加呈上升趋势。蝴蝶群落随月份发生变化, 蝴蝶种类和数量在5月发生、7月达到峰值。蝶类个体数在3年内呈下降趋势。研究结果表明, 蝴蝶物种的组成和多样性与生境类型具有密切联系, 保护生态环境, 维持该地区植物群落的多样性、降低人为干扰程度是保护蝶类多样性的关键。     

湖南高望界国家级自然保护区及其周边蝶类多样性与影响因素

为了解湖南高望界国家级自然保护区蝶类多样性本底及其影响因素, 2016年5月至2018年10月, 我们采用样线法对保护区内外的6种生境(保护区内4种, 区外2种)开展了20次蝶类多样性调查。共记录蝴蝶个体13,956只, 依照五科分类系统, 隶属5科113属239种, 其中湖南省蝶类新记录17种。区系成分以东洋种为主(139种, 占58.1%), 广布种次之(97种, 占40.6%), 古北种最少(3种, 占1.3%)。对不同生境的蝶类群落多样性指数进行分析后发现, 人为干扰程度和生境异质性共同影响蝶类多样性。不同生境相似性分析结果表明, 蝶类群落的相似度与人为干扰程度和植被类型差异密切相关。3年间, 蝶类多样性指数月度变化基本一致, 蝶类物种数、多样性指数与月均温间呈显著正相关, 与月降水量无相关性。综上, 蝶类多样性受到人为干扰程度和气象因子的影响。为保护蝶类资源, 建议保护好蝶类栖息地, 减少人为干扰。     

Seasonal shifts in the assembly dynamics of benthic macroinvertebrate and diatom communities in a subtropical river

Identifying seasonal shifts in community assembly for multiple biological groups is important to help enhance our understanding of their ecological dynamics. However, such knowledge on lotic assemblages is still limited. In this study, we used biological traits and functional diversity indices in association with null model analyses to detect seasonal shifts in the community assembly mechanisms of lotic macroinvertebrates and diatoms in an unregulated subtropical river in China. We found that functional composition and functional diversity (FRic, FEve, FDis, MNN, and SDNN) showed seasonal variation for macroinvertebrate and diatom assemblages. Null models suggested that environmental filtering, competitive exclusion, and neutral process were all important community assembly mechanisms for both biological groups. However, environmental filtering had a stronger effect on spring macroinvertebrate assemblages than autumn assemblages, but the effect on diatom assemblages was the same in both seasons. Moreover, macroinvertebrate and diatom assemblages were shaped by different environmental factors. Macroinvertebrates were filtered mainly by substrate types, velocity, and COD_Mn, while diatoms were mainly shaped by altitude, substrate types, and water quality. Therefore, our study showed (a) that different biological assemblages in a river system presented similarities and differences in community assembly mechanisms, (b) that multiple processes play important roles in maintaining benthic community structure, and (c) that these patterns and underlying mechanisms are seasonally variable. Thus, we highlight the importance of exploring the community assembly mechanisms of multiple biological groups, especially in different seasons, as this is crucial to improve the understanding of river community changes and their responses to environmental degradation.     

云南高黎贡山地区蝴蝶群落多样性

位于滇西北的高黎贡山是全球生物多样性研究和保护的热点地区之一, 然而该地区昆虫多样性缺乏系统调查和总结。本研究聚焦蝴蝶类群, 考虑该区域高山峡谷特点, 结合海拔梯度、生境类型和季节变化, 采用样线法调查、分析蝴蝶物种多样性及群落结构变化。结果显示: 共观测记录到蝴蝶2,055只, 隶属于5科85属151种, 在历史记录上新增27种, 使该地区已知蝴蝶种类达488种; 其中蛱蝶科物种多样性最高, 灰蝶科次之, 凤蝶科最低。蝴蝶群落多样性分析结果表明: 中海拔1,000-2,000 m区域种类丰富、多样性指数最高; 低海拔区蝴蝶分布明显聚集, 并且与高海拔地区空间上分离, 少有重叠。该地区不同生境中蝴蝶的种类及数量差异也较大, 物种数及多样性指数在自然保护区最高、边缘交错带居中及农业种植区最低。此外, 蝴蝶的种类和数量也存在季节差异, 春季调查到的个体数少, 夏季观察到的物种数少, 两年秋季调查到的物种丰富度、多样性均高, 但存在季节内变化。总之, 高黎贡山地区不同海拔、生境、季节间和季节内蝴蝶群落组成有自身特点, 共存物种有限, 蝴蝶群落相似性低。综合评估分布于该地区的蝴蝶保护种类, 包括易危种17种、近危种50种, 有国家二级保护蝴蝶3种。本研究弄清了高黎贡山地区蝴蝶的物种本底, 并调查获得其多样性随海拔、生境和季节变化的模式, 为加强区域物种多样性监测、保护生物多样性提供了科学依据。     

The Tetrapod Ichnogenus Protochirotherium Fichter and Kunz 2004, a Characteristic Early Triassic Morphotype of Central Pangea

Early Triassic chirotherian footprint assemblages from Poland, Germany, and Morocco are important for understanding archosaur evolution in the aftermath of the Permian-Triassic crisis. However, their ichnotaxonomy is confusing because various authors have interpreted their diversity differently. After an analysis and ichnotaxonomic re-assessment, the presence of the ichnogenera Brachychirotherium, Isochirotherium, and Chirotherium in these assemblages is not supported. Distant similarities with these ichnotaxa are functions of extra morphological variation and substrate-related factors. Instead, Early Triassic chirotherian footprints described under these names are assigned here to the ichnogenus Protochirotherium and to a more slender morphotype identified as Synaptichnium. In particular, Protochirotherium appears to be more widely distributed in central Pangea as a characteristic morphotype reflecting a distinct stage in archosaur evolution. Trackmakers were nonarchosaurian archosauriforms or, alternatively, stem-group crocodylians. Morphologically and temporally these footprints match the hypothetical ancestor of the Chirotherium barthii trackmaker. Chirotherium barthii appears by the beginning of the Middle Triassic. Because of its restricted stratigraphic range, and its wider distribution in central Pangea, Protochirotherium also has biostratigraphic significance for this region and can be considered as an indicator of Early Triassic-aged strata.