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Revista Brasileira de Entomologia xxx (2015) xxx–xxx
1 REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE
2 Entomologia
A Journal on Insect Diversity and Evolution
w ww.rbentomologia.com
Short Communication
3 Stichelia pelotensis (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae): conservation, notes, and
4 rediscovery of an endangered butterfly from southern Brazil
a,∗ b c c
5 Q1 Ricardo Russo Siewert , Gustavo Crizel Gomes , Mariana Centeno Gallo , Cristiano Agra Iserhard
a
6 Laboratório de Estudos de Lepidoptera Neotropical, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
b
7 Embrapa Clima Temperado/Programa de Pós Graduac¸ ão em Sistemas de Produc¸ ão Agrícola Familiar/Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Laboratório de Recursos Genéticos, Embrapa
8 Clima Temperado, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
c
9 Laboratório de Ecologia de Lepidoptera, Departamento de Ecologia, Zoologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
10
a b s t r a c t
11 a r t i c l e i n f o
12
13 Article history: Stichelia pelotensis (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) is an endemic and threatened butterfly from the Pampa
14 Received 16 July 2015
biome in southern Brazil, and has not been recorded in its type locality in the last 56 years. Recently,
15 Accepted 4 November 2015
a population was found in two sites from extreme south Brazil, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul state. These
16 Available online xxx
records are an important find given the conservation status of S. pelotensis, since all the information
17 Associate Editor: Hector A. Vargas
gathered is new and involve the natural history of this species. The information obtained is useful for
18
the management, monitoring and conservation priorities of this species and its associated habitats, since
19 Keywords:
its known distribution is restricted to a narrow area in the Rio Grande do Sul Coastal Plain inside this
20 Distribution
threatened biome in southern Brazil.
21 Pampa
© 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. This is an open
22 Red list
23 Symmachiini access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
24Q2 Riodinid butterflies (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae) are highly con- In Brazil, there is a great effort to better know the distribution, 47
25 centrated in the Neotropics (c.a. 95%), and occupy a wide range natural history and conservation of threatened butterflies, and dur- 48
26 of environments, usually restricted to some specific microhabitats ing the last few years efforts involving several threatened species 49
27 (Brown, 1993; DeVries, 1997). Stichelia Zikán, 1949 (Symmachiini) have been successful, including actions concerning, mainly, the 50
28 comprises five species distributed in southern and southeastern rediscovery of populations and an increase of the known geograph- 51
29 South America (Callaghan and Lamas, 2004; Dias et al., 2013). ical distribution of butterflies in different ecosystems within Brazil 52
30 In Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil, three (Freitas et al., 2011, 2014; Greve et al., 2013; Gomes et al., 2014). 53
31 Stichelia species have been recorded in areas including Atlantic For- Recently, the red list of the endangered fauna from Rio Grande 54
32 est and Pampa biomes: (1) Stichelia bocchoris (Hewitson, 1876), do Sul state was updated, and 18 butterfly species were categorized 55
33 widespread and occurring in forested habitats within the two as threatened (Federal law 51.797/14). Most of these species belong 56
34 biomes; (2) S. dukinfieldia (Schaus, 1902), with only one record in to the Atlantic Forest domain, and only a few species are associated 57
35 the São José dos Ausentes municipality (>900 m a.s.l.) in the high- with formations in the Pampa biome. This scenario is probably due 58
36 lands of the Atlantic Forest; and (3) Stichelia pelotensis Biezanko, to (1) the large sampling efforts to increase the knowledge of the 59
37 Mielke and Wedderhoff, [1979], present in a narrow area stretch- butterflies within the equally threatened Atlantic Forest habitats; 60
38 ing along the Rio Grande do Sul Coastal Plain (Siewert et al., 2014a), (2) the lack of recent and both optimized and specific inventories 61
39 between Pampa and Atlantic Forest biomes. The latter species was of butterflies in the Pampa; and (3) the small number of existing 62
40 described based on eight specimens collected during the 1950s projects and limited funding available to support conservation pro- 63
41 in the Pelotas municipality, and since then no other individuals grams aiming to increase the knowledge of the Pampa biodiversity. 64
42 have been observed in this same region (Krüger and Silva, 2003; S. pelotensis is an example of this alarming scenario, giving that its 65
43 Siewert et al., 2014a). The only additional record of a single female known distribution is based only on historical records, and due to 66
◦
44 came in April 2001 from the Parque Estadual de Itapuã (30 22 52 S, its restricted distribution linked with its supposed endemism and 67
◦
45 51 01 25 W), a protected area located in the Viamão municipality rarity, this species was evaluated as “Critically Endangered” within 68
46 (L.A. Kaminski, Pers. Comm.), about 250 km north of Pelotas. Rio Grande do Sul state (Federal law 51.797/14). 69
In this study, the rediscovery of S. pelotensis in south Brazil is 70
reported, including information in the natural history and behavior 71
∗ of adults, and of its current conservation. Seven adult individuals 72
Corresponding author.
73
E-mail: [email protected] (R.R. Siewert). of S. pelotensis, six males and one female, were observed in two
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2015.11.005
0085-5626/© 2015 Sociedade Brasileira de Entomologia. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Please cite this article in press as: Siewert, R.R., et al. Stichelia pelotensis (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae): conservation, notes, and rediscovery
of an endangered butterfly from southern Brazil. Rev. Brasil. Entomol. (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2015.11.005
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2 R.R. Siewert et al. / Revista Brasileira de Entomologia xxx (2015) xxx–xxx
feeding on the plant, the female was perching on grass also close 92
to the ground. After feeding, both specimens flew away in a rapid 93
and erratic flight and were not seen again. The climate was sunny, 94
humid and very warm. In subsequent days no additional individuals 95
were observed. Two males were collected and the voucher speci- 96
mens are deposited at the Museu Entomológico Ceslau Biezanko 97
(MECB), Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do 98
Sul, Brazil. 99
During the entire study period, no territorial (such as chasing 100
and aerial interactions with other butterflies and with different S. 101
pelotensis individuals) or courtship behavior was observed, as well 102
as any females attempting to lay eggs. 103
These records of S. pelotensis are the first in its type locality since 104
its original description (Biezanko et al., 1979). The lack of informa- 105
tion of the biology, natural history and occurrence of S. pelotensis 106
in the region of Pelotas is probably due to under sampling as well 107
as absence of specific inventories targeting this species. Although, 108
Krüger and Silva (2003) did carry out several collections in the 109
region of Pelotas about 12 years ago, the sites collected most likely 110
did do not include areas inhabited by S. pelotensis. Moreover, within 111
the description of the species, the authors do not provide detailed 112
information on sites or localities inside the Pelotas region (Biezanko 113
et al., 1979), so that the precise location in which to search for the 114
butterfly cannot be determined. 115
Like many riodinids, S. pelotensis probably occurs in low densi- 116
ties, and has small and erratic populations active during only a few 117
months of the year (Callaghan, 1978; Brown, 1993). All the results 118
presented herein are new information on the natural history of the 119
Figs. 1–2. General view of the habitat used by the individuals of Stichelia pelotensis,
species, including: (1) the duration of occurrence across the year 120
a stretched area of arboreal vegetation along Embrapa watercourses surrounded by
(November and January, in late spring and early summer), (2) the 121
grasslands (1); detailed site in which most individuals of Stichelia pelotensis were
122
observed, including a marshy environment with small trees and shrubs (2). feeding habits on two flowering plant species, (3) the period of
activity during the day, and (4) the probable type of habitat use. This 123
kind of information is useful for the management, monitoring and 124
74 sites near of Embrapa Clima Temperado Center (Empresa Brasileira
◦ ◦ conservation priorities concerning this butterfly and its associated 125
75 de Pesquisa Agropecuária) (31 40 53 S, 52 26 22 W), located in
habitats. 126
76 the Monte Bonito district, about 17 km from Pelotas municipality,
The records made in November and January may raise two 127
77 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The specimens were associated to areas
hypotheses: (1) the species is univoltine and the sampled Spring 128
78 of arboreal vegetation (Fig. 1), flying near the ground, and most of
and Summer are warmer and more humid than the usual allowing 129
79 them were observed near a marsh surrounded by grasslands (Fig. 2).
a temporal fluctuation of S. pelotensis; or (2) the species is bivol- 130
80 The first record was on November 21, 2014, in which a single male
tine with two peaks of adult occurrence (November to January 131
81 was observed at 12:30 h feeding on an inflorescence of Sapium glan-
and March and April). The monitoring of the Embrapa popula- 132
82 dulosum. On January 14, 2015, in another nearby place 250 m away
tion should help to elucidate this issue, indicating if this period 133
83 from the first one (these two sites are separated by an unpaved
of November 2014 and January 2015 is atypical and rare, resulting 134
84 road used for car access) four additional males were observed. One
in the increase in sightings of this butterfly. 135
85 male was recorded in the late morning, about 11:30 h, perching
The observations of S. pelotensis were made in a private area, 136
86 on Desmodium incanum DC (Fabaceae) (Fig. 3), and the other three
and some of its area is protected, thus, the maintenance of the arbo- 137
87 males were seen during the early afternoon from 14:30 h to 14:45 h.
real vegetation along the watercourses in Embrapa is crucial. The 138
88 The climate was cloudy and muggy, and all individuals were close
suggestion of management measures in the marsh environments 139
89 to each other perching under leaves of the same D. incanum. On
and their associated areas of trees and shrubs that delimit differ- 140
90 January 21, 2015 a male and a female were observed feeding on
ent grassland areas may ensure the protection and persistence of a 141
91 Eryngium elegans flowers (Fig. 4) from 12:40 h to 12:50 h. Before
viable population of this butterfly through time. Thus, the concen- 142
tration of optimized and specific inventories are needed to verify 143
the maintenance of this population, given that the continuous nar- 144
row areas of arboreal vegetation (Fig. 1) possibly serve as green 145
corridors for several species, including S. pelotensis. Moreover, the 146
known immatures of other species of Stichelia feed on Miconia spp. 147
(Melastomataceae) (Beccaloni et al., 2008) and in the study area 148
several individuals of Miconia were observed, indicating a possible 149
resource for females to lay their eggs. 150
S. pelotensis is one of a few species of butterflies that are con- 151
sidered endemic and very rare in Rio Grande do Sul, and despite 152
its records are in the Pampa biome (Fig. 5), these areas are associ- 153
ated with Atlantic Forest Domain, being composed by ‘Restinga’ 154
forest allied with lacustrine environments, ‘Butiazal’ formations 155
Figs. 3–4. (3) Male of Stichelia pelotensis perching in an individual of Desmodium
and dunes (Câmara, 2003). This environment is unique in south- 156
incanum in the study area; (4) female of Stichelia pelotensis feeding in the inflores-
cence of an individual of Eryngium elegans in the study area. ern Brazil, evolving throughout the Holocene and Pleistocene with 157
Please cite this article in press as: Siewert, R.R., et al. Stichelia pelotensis (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae): conservation, notes, and rediscovery
of an endangered butterfly from southern Brazil. Rev. Brasil. Entomol. (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2015.11.005
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R.R. Siewert et al. / Revista Brasileira de Entomologia xxx (2015) xxx–xxx 3 56ºW 52ºW
28ºS
Atlantic Forest Biome
Pampa Biome
32ºS
BRAZIL
0 150Km
Fig. 5. Knowing distribution of Stichelia pelotensis in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil.
158 contractions and ocean retractions (e.g. Muehe, 1983) and houses a Acknowledgements 187
159 distinct and threatened fauna (e.g. Rocha et al., 2009). The conser-
160 vation of this area has been threatened by anthropogenic pressure, Authors thank Olaf Mielke and Lucas Kaminski for sharing infor- 188
161 such as conversion of natural habitats to extensive areas of soy- mation about the species distribution; to Henrique Cunha for help 189
162 bean and rice, silviculture of exotic trees (like Eucalyptus spp.) for in the location of the study area, and to the employees of Embrapa 190
163 cellulose production, construction building, and livestock grazing Clima Temperado Sede for the permission of access in the study 191
164 (Pillar et al., 2009). Probably, the areas and sites of the first col- areas; to André Freitas and the two anonymous reviewers for crit- 192
165 lection of S. pelotensis in the 1950s were replaced by other types ical reading of the manuscript, and to Roger Hutchings for helping 193
166 of land use, hindering the search for this butterfly. It is impor- with grammar revision. RRS (140223/2013-4) and GCG thank the 194
167 tant to reinforce the search for other populations of S. pelotensis Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico 195
168 in the neighborhood of the Monte Bonito district, in Embrapa, and (CNPq) for the fellowship. The collections were made with IBAMA 196
169 in the Pelotas municipality as a whole and in other localities along license number 45673-1. This publication is part of the RedeLep 197
170 the Rio Grande do Sul Coastal Plain, to increase the knowledge on “Rede Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservac¸ ão de Lepidópteros”. 198
171 the real distribution of the species to fully characterize the pat-
172 terns of occurrence of Riodinidae in southern Brazil (Siewert et al., References 199
173 2014a,b).
174 Following the guidelines of the “Action Plan to the Conserva-
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Milenio. 202
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of an endangered butterfly from southern Brazil. Rev. Brasil. Entomol. (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2015.11.005
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Please cite this article in press as: Siewert, R.R., et al. Stichelia pelotensis (Lepidoptera, Riodinidae): conservation, notes, and rediscovery
of an endangered butterfly from southern Brazil. Rev. Brasil. Entomol. (2015). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rbe.2015.11.005