Adult movements between populations in the specialist butterfly Proclossiana eunomia (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) |
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Authors: | MICHEL BAGUETTE GABRIEL NÈVE |
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Institution: | Unitéd'Écologie et Biogéographie, UniversitéCatholique de Louvain |
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Abstract: | Abstract. - 1 The structure of local populations of a monophagous butterfly, the bog fritillary Proclossiana eunomia, was studied in a complex of suitable habitat patches separated by spruce plantations or fertilized pasture.
- 2 An unexpected high level of adult movements between habitat patches was detected by a mark—release—recapture technique. Local populations were connected by adult movements across unsuitable habitats, leading to a meta-population structure.
- 3 This evidence of the metapopulation structure of a specialist butterfly challenges the supposed relationship between habitat specialization and closed, isolated populations.
- 4 Males and females of P.eunomia exhibited different spatial behaviours; females were more likely to emigrate and dispersed further than males. These differences in spatial behaviour are related to the mating system.
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Keywords: | Conservation protandry dispersal movements metapopulation butterflies mark—release-recapture Proclossiana eunomia |
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