Assessing the Indicator Properties of Species Assemblages for Natural Areas Monitoring Author(S): Claire Kremen Source: Ecological Applications, Vol

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Assessing the Indicator Properties of Species Assemblages for Natural Areas Monitoring Author(S): Claire Kremen Source: Ecological Applications, Vol Assessing the Indicator Properties of Species Assemblages for Natural Areas Monitoring Author(s): Claire Kremen Source: Ecological Applications, Vol. 2, No. 2 (May, 1992), pp. 203-217 Published by: Ecological Society of America Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1941776 . Accessed: 07/02/2014 15:50 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. Ecological Society of America is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Ecological Applications. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 128.32.85.74 on Fri, 7 Feb 2014 15:50:07 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Ecological Applications,2(2), 1992, pp. 203-217 ? 1992 by the Ecological Society of America ASSESSING THE INDICATOR PROPERTIES OF SPECIES ASSEMBLAGES FOR NATURAL AREAS MONITORING' CLAIRE KREMEN Centerfor Conservation Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305 USA Abstract. The diversityof organismsand complexityof ecosystemsprevent thorough inventoryand monitoringof protectedareas, yet sound databases are needed to manage ecosystems for long-termpersistence. One strategyis thereforeto focus monitoringon indicatororganisms, but guidelinesare lackingfor selecting appropriate species or groups. This paper presentsa simple protocolbased on ordinationtechniques for establishing the indicatorproperties of a group of organismsand forselecting an indicatorspecies subset formore intensivemonitoring. Use of ordinationallows inclusionof many more taxa than have been traditionallyused fornatural areas monitoring,and need not relyon detailed knowledgeof species biology.As an example,I studiedthe indicator properties of a butterfly taxocene in a rain forestin Madagascar. Butterflieshave been suggestedas particularly good environmentalindicators due to their sensitivityto micro-climateand light level changes,and theirinteractions as larvae and adults with differentsets of host plants. The indicatorproperties of butterflyassemblages were evaluated in this studywith respectto a known patternof environmentalheterogeneity along topographic/moistureand distur- bance gradients.Butterfly assemblages were found to be excellentindicators of heterogeneity due to the topographic/moisturegradient, limited indicatorsof heterogeneitydue to an- thropogenicdisturbance, and poor indicatorsof plant diversity.The protocol definedin this studyis widely applicable to othergroups of organisms,spatial scales, and environ- mentalgradients. By examiningthe environmentalcorrelates of the distributionof species assemblages, this protocol can assess the indicatorproperties of targetspecies groups. Keywords: diversity;dominance; ecological monitoring; indicator species assemblage; Madagas- car; naturalareas conservation;ordination; rarity; Satyrinae; tropical butterflies. INTRODUCrION lation trendsor habitat quality (Landres et al. 1988). Most ecosystemstoday are subject to one or more Given the difficultiesinherent in using one or a few formsof anthropogenicdisturbance, especially pollu- species as indirectassays of complex ecosystemstruc- tion and acidification,habitat modificationand frag- tureand function(Ward 1978, Kimball and Levin 1985, mentation,and invasions by introducedspecies (Soule Cairns 1986, Soule 1987, Landres et al. 1988, Noss needed to establishand testcri- and Wilcox 1980, Burgessand Sharpe 1981, Petersand 1990), furtherwork is Darling 1985,Soule 1986, Schreiberand Newman 1988, teria forselecting indicators. Carleton 1989, Fajer 1989, Fajer et al. 1989, Klein Much previous workinvolving indicators has relied 1989). Given the pervasive spatial and rapid temporal on utilizingone or a few species (e.g., Management scale of currentanthropogenic environmental changes, Indicator Species of the Forest Service, Landres et al. methods are needed forchoosing appropriatespecies 1988). The failingof thisapproach is its narrowfocus, or species assemblages for establishingconservation which can resultin protectionof one organismat the prioritiesand monitoringbiotic responsesto local and expense of others(Kushlan 1979, Landres et al. 1988). global environmentalchange (Kimball and Levin 1985, By contrast,use of a greatervariety of indicatorspecies Soule 1990). could provide more fine-grainedinformation (Noss Outside of a substantialliterature on singleor multi- 1990): thedegree of detail gainedwould in turndepend species indicatorsof specificenvironmental contami- on variation in microhabitatuse, niche breadth,eco- nants (Cairns 1985, 1986), few practical guidelines logical function,and responseto environmentalchange currentlyexist forselecting indicators for monitoring among membersof the indicatorassemblage. By using naturalareas. A recentreview criticallyevaluated se- ordinationtechniques, one can easily examine the dis- lectionof vertebrate indicators, concluding that no sin- tributionsof many species simultaneouslyand their gle traditionalcriterion (e.g., highsensitivity to habitat relationship to environmental parameters (Gauch modification,large size, habitat specialization, low 1982a, Ter Braak 1987, Peet et al. 1988). These pow- population or species turnoverrates, or large area re- erfulmultivariate tools allow assessment of the indi- quirements)can be safelyused for monitoringpopu- cator propertiesof a much wider array of organisms, and could be used to broaden monitoringconcepts to I Manuscriptreceived 7 January1991; revised and accepted include detectionof environmentalpatterns based on 15 August1991. the response of a group of species. This content downloaded from 128.32.85.74 on Fri, 7 Feb 2014 15:50:07 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 204 CLAIRE KREMEN Ecological Applications Vol. 2, No. 2 This paper presentsan analyticalmethod based on time for adult courtshipand oviposition, Watt et al. ordinationtechniques for assessing the indicatorprop- 1968, Kingsolver 1983a, b; severe climate and popu- ertiesof a given species assemblage (guild,taxon, tax- lation extinction,Ehrlich et al. 1972). Since butterfly ocene, or community).The method firsttests whether populations respondto habitatmodifications affecting the distributionaldata fromthe chosen species assem- local climates and light levels, it has been suggested blage indicateenvironmental patterns at thegeograph- that changes in butterflypopulations could serve to ic scale of interest.It then determineswhich environ- herald local or global climate change (Murphy et al. mental parametersthe species assemblage serves to 1990). indicate. Finally,it providesa frameworkfor selecting While studiesof butterflieshave contributedto con- the most importantindicator species fromwithin the servationbiology in both a populationand community originalspecies assemblage. context(e.g., Brown 1982, Ehrlichand Murphy 1987, Murphyet al. 1990, Singletonand Courtney1991), no Butterfliesas indicators studiesto date have evaluated the indicatorproperties The taxon Rhopalocera (butterfliesand skippers)was of butterflyspecies or assemblages. This studyexam- the group chosen forthis studyof a rain foresthabitat ines the abilityof butterflycommunity data to reveal in Madagascar. Littleecological informationexists on patternsof habitat heterogeneitydue to topography these species or theirhabitat, and some of the taxa are and anthropogenicdisturbance. Variation related to poorlydefined at the species level. This studytherefore thesetwo parametersstrongly influences micro-climate requireda method forchoosing indicatorspecies that and plant community composition (Swanson et al. did not depend on detailed knowledgeof theirbiology. 1988), and thusprovides one appropriateassay ofsome This propertyof the method developed below makes of the proposed indicatorproperties of butterflies. it particularlyimportant for use in testingand selecting METHODS indicatorsin regionswhere the ecological information- base is poor. Fieldsite In addition, the choice of the Rhopalocera allowed The fieldsite was located in the southeasternmon- a test of the claim, advanced by several authors,that tane rain forestof Madagascar, 7 km southwestof Ra- butterflieshave a particularvalue as ecological indi- nomafanaon route45 in the provinceof Fianarantsoa. cators (Gilbert 1980, 1984, Pyle 1980, Brown 1982, The area is topographicallydiverse, with steeply wood- Murphy et al. 1990). On a practical basis, butterflies ed hills, dissected by numerous streamsdraining into (in comparisonto otherinsect taxa) have a manageable the Namorona River. The site had a treespecies rich- level of diversity,are betterknown taxonomically, and ness on the order of 95 species/0.2 ha (D. Overdorff, can in many areas be reliably identifiedin the field unpublisheddata) includingFicus spp. (Moraceae), Eu- (Pollard 1977, Thomas 1983, Thomas and Mallorie genia spp. (Myrtaceae), Weinmannia spp. (Cunoni- 1985, Murphy and Wilcox 1986). On biological aceae), Symphonia spp. (Guttiferae),Ravensara and grounds,it has been suggestedthat butterflydiversity Ocotea spp. (Lauraceae), Pittosporumspp. (Pittospora- could be used as an index ofplant diversity (Pyle 1980), ceae), and many others. Common understoryplants
Recommended publications
  • Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) Q ⇑ Marianne Espeland A,B, , Jason P.W
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 93 (2015) 296–306 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Ancient Neotropical origin and recent recolonisation: Phylogeny, biogeography and diversification of the Riodinidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) q ⇑ Marianne Espeland a,b, , Jason P.W. Hall c, Philip J. DeVries d, David C. Lees e, Mark Cornwall a, Yu-Feng Hsu f, Li-Wei Wu g, Dana L. Campbell a,h, Gerard Talavera a,i,j, Roger Vila i, Shayla Salzman a, Sophie Ruehr k, David J. Lohman l, Naomi E. Pierce a a Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA b McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Powell Hall, 2315 Hull Road, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA c Department of Systematic Biology-Entomology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-127, USA d Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lake Shore Drive, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA e Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK f Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan g The Experimental Forest, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Nantou, Taiwan h Division of Biological Sciences, School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, University of Washington Bothell, Box 358500, 18115 Campus Way NE, Bothell, WA 98011-8246, USA i Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (CSIC-UPF), Pg. Marítim de la Barceloneta 37, 08003 Barcelona, Spain j Faculty of Biology & Soil Science, St.
    [Show full text]
  • Species Composition and Diversity of Insects of the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve in Ghana
    Open Journal of Ecology, 2014, 4, 1061-1079 Published Online December 2014 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/oje http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oje.2014.417087 Species Composition and Diversity of Insects of the Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve in Ghana Rosina Kyerematen1,2*, Erasmus Henaku Owusu1, Daniel Acquah-Lamptey1, Roger Sigismund Anderson2, Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu1,3 1Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana 2African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana 3Centre for African Wetlands, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana Email: *[email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Received 6 September 2014; revised 9 November 2014; accepted 21 November 2014 Copyright © 2014 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Abstract Kogyae Strict Nature Reserve, the only one in Ghana, was established to promote scientific re- search, particularly on how nature revitalizes itself after major disasters, and also to check the southward drift of the savannah grassland. This study presents the first comprehensive inventory of species composition and diversity of insects of the Reserve. Insects were surveyed between September 2011 and June 2012 to capture the end of the rainy season, the dry season and the peak of the wet season. Samples were taken from two sites within the Reserve, Dagomba and Oku using various sampling techniques including pitfall traps, malaise traps and sweep nets. Insect com- munities were characterized in terms of, 1) species richness estimators, 2) species richness, 3) Shannon-Weiner Index of Diversity, 4) Pielou’s evenness and 5) Bray-Curtis similarity.
    [Show full text]
  • Title Lorem Ipsum Dolor Sit Amet, Consectetur Adipiscing Elit
    Volume 26: 102–108 METAMORPHOSIS www.metamorphosis.org.za ISSN 1018–6490 (PRINT) LEPIDOPTERISTS’ SOCIETY OF AFRICA ISSN 2307–5031 (ONLINE) Classification of the Afrotropical butterflies to generic level Published online: 25 December 2015 Mark C. Williams 183 van der Merwe Street, Rietondale, Pretoria, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa Abstract: This paper applies the findings of phylogenetic studies on butterflies (Papilionoidea) in order to present an up to date classification of the Afrotropical butterflies to genus level. The classification for Afrotropical butterflies is placed within a worldwide context to subtribal level. Taxa that still require interrogation are highlighted. Hopefully this classification will provide a stable context for researchers working on Afrotropical butterflies. Key words: Lepidoptera, Papilionoidea, Afrotropical butterflies, classification. Citation: Williams, M.C. (2015). Classification of the Afrotropical butterflies to generic level. Metamorphosis 26: 102–108. INTRODUCTION Suborder Glossata Fabricius, 1775 (6 infraorders) Infraorder Heteroneura Tillyard, 1918 (34 Natural classifications of biological organisms, based superfamilies) on robust phylogenetic hypotheses, are needed before Clade Obtectomera Minet, 1986 (12 superfamilies) meaningful studies can be conducted in regard to their Superfamily Papilionoidea Latreille, 1802 (7 evolution, biogeography, ecology and conservation. families) Classifications, dating from the time of Linnaeus in the Family Papilionidae Latreille, 1802 (32 genera, 570 mid seventeen hundreds, were based on morphology species) for nearly two hundred and fifty years. Classifications Family Hedylidae Guenée, 1858 (1 genus, 36 species) based on phylogenies derived from an interrogation of Family Hesperiidae Latreille, 1809 (570 genera, 4113 the genome of individual organisms began in the late species) 20th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecological Archives Christopher N. Kaiser-Bunbury, Diego P. Vázquez
    1 Ecological Archives 2 3Christopher N. Kaiser-Bunbury, Diego P. Vázquez, Martina Stang, and Jaboury Ghazoul. 2014. 4Determinants of the microstructure of plant-pollinator networks. Ecology. 5 6Appendix A: Detailed supplementary information on the methods, including tables and figures 7 8 A.1 Plant–pollinator networks 9In total, 97 flower visitor taxa were recorded, of which 14 taxa, belonging to the groups of 10spiders, crickets, true bugs (hemiptera) and ants, were excluded from the networks as they were 11not considered pollinators of the inselberg plants. Pollinators were identified to species level for 1228 taxa (34%) and to morpho-species level for the remaining 55 taxa (66%; hereafter all 13pollinator taxa are referred to as ‘pollinator species’). Morpho-species were not pooled based on 14morphological traits such as size, but they were distinguished at the smallest possible level 15without taxonomic determination and assigned a species code. Flower visitors were recorded as 16pollinators when they touched the sexual parts of flowers. Sampling of interactions was 17conducted by the same three observers throughout the 8-month flowering season and sampling 18was standardized between observers fortnightly. We used equal observation periods for all plant 19species to reduce sampling bias and to collect data on interaction frequency independent of size 20constraints and flower abundance (Ollerton and Cranmer 2002). 21 To assess the effect of sampling on network dissimilarities we conducted a rarefaction 22analysis (Hurlbert 1971, Heck et al. 1975). We calculated Bray-Curtis dissimilarities (see Section 23D below for a detailed description on dissimilarity matrices) between rarefied interaction 24matrices sampled at four different proportions (0.8, 0.6, 0.4 and 0.2) and compared the resulting 25mean ± 95% CI dissimilarities of the rarefied matrices to the dissimilarity between the original 26matrices.
    [Show full text]
  • Check-List of the Butterflies of the Kakamega Forest Nature Reserve in Western Kenya (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea, Papilionoidea)
    Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, N. F. 25 (4): 161–174 (2004) 161 Check-list of the butterflies of the Kakamega Forest Nature Reserve in western Kenya (Lepidoptera: Hesperioidea, Papilionoidea) Lars Kühne, Steve C. Collins and Wanja Kinuthia1 Lars Kühne, Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 43, D-10115 Berlin, Germany; email: [email protected] Steve C. Collins, African Butterfly Research Institute, P.O. Box 14308, Nairobi, Kenya Dr. Wanja Kinuthia, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi, Kenya Abstract: All species of butterflies recorded from the Kaka- list it was clear that thorough investigation of scientific mega Forest N.R. in western Kenya are listed for the first collections can produce a very sound list of the occur- time. The check-list is based mainly on the collection of ring species in a relatively short time. The information A.B.R.I. (African Butterfly Research Institute, Nairobi). Furthermore records from the collection of the National density is frequently underestimated and collection data Museum of Kenya (Nairobi), the BIOTA-project and from offers a description of species diversity within a local literature were included in this list. In total 491 species or area, in particular with reference to rapid measurement 55 % of approximately 900 Kenyan species could be veri- of biodiversity (Trueman & Cranston 1997, Danks 1998, fied for the area. 31 species were not recorded before from Trojan 2000). Kenyan territory, 9 of them were described as new since the appearance of the book by Larsen (1996). The kind of list being produced here represents an information source for the total species diversity of the Checkliste der Tagfalter des Kakamega-Waldschutzge- Kakamega forest.
    [Show full text]
  • Addenda to the Insect Fauna of Al-Baha Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with Zoogeographical Notes Magdi S
    JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 2016 VOL. 50, NOS. 19–20, 1209–1236 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2015.1103913 Addenda to the insect fauna of Al-Baha Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with zoogeographical notes Magdi S. El-Hawagrya,c, Mostafa R. Sharafb, Hathal M. Al Dhaferb, Hassan H. Fadlb and Abdulrahman S. Aldawoodb aEntomology Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt; bPlant Protection Department, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; cSurvey and Classification of Agricultural and Medical Insects in Al-Baha Province, Al-Baha University, Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY The first list of insects (Arthropoda: Hexapoda) of Al-Baha Received 1 April 2015 Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was published in 2013 Accepted 30 September 2015 and contained a total of 582 species. In the present study, 142 Online 9 December 2015 species belonging to 51 families and representing seven orders KEYWORDS are added to the fauna of Al-Baha Province, bringing the total Palaearctic; Afrotropical; number of species now recorded from the province to 724. The Eremic; insect species; reported species are assigned to recognized regional zoogeogra- Arabian Peninsula; Tihama; phical regions. Seventeen of the species are recorded for the first Al-Sarah; Al-Sarawat time for KSA, namely: Platypleura arabica Myers [Cicadidae, Mountains Hemiptera]; Cletomorpha sp.; Gonocerus juniperi Herrich-Schäffer [Coreidae, Hemiptera]; Coranus lateritius (Stål); Rhynocoris bipus- tulatus (Fieber) [Reduviidae, Hemiptera]; Cantacader iranicus Lis; Dictyla poecilla Drake & Hill [Tingidae, Hemiptera]; Mantispa scab- ricollis McLachlan [Mantispidae, Neuroptera]; Cerocoma schreberi Fabricius [Meloidae, Coleoptera]; Platypus parallelus (Fabricius) [Curculionidae, Coleoptera]; Zodion cinereum (Fabricius) [Conopidae, Diptera]; Ulidia ?ruficeps Becker [Ulidiidae, Diptera]; Atherigona reversura Villeneuve [Muscidae, Diptera]; Aplomya metallica (Wiedemann); Cylindromyia sp.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Full-Text
    Research in Zoology 2015, 5(2): 32-37 DOI: 10.5923/j.zoology.20150502.02 First Records of Butterfly Diversity on Two Remote Islands on the Volta Lake of Ghana, the Largest Reservoir by Total Surface Area in the World Daniel Opoku Agyemang1, Daniel Acquah-Lamptey1,*, Roger Sigismond Anderson2, Rosina Kyerematen1,2 1Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana 2African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana Abstract The construction of the Akosombo Dam in Ghana for hydroelectric energy led to the creation of many islands on the Volta Lake. The biological diversity on these islands is unknown and so a rapid assessment was conducted in January 2014 as part as a region wide assessment to determine the butterfly diversity on two of these islands, Biobio and Agbasiagba. Diversity indices were computed for both islands using the Shannon-Weiner index, Margalef’s index for richness and Whittaker’s index for comparison of diversity between the two islands. A total of eight hundred and eighty-one (881) individual butterflies representing forty-five (45) species belonging to eight (8) families were recorded during the study. Thirty-nine (39) species of butterflies were recorded on Biobio island whiles twenty-eight (28) species were recorded on Agbasiagba. This was expected as the larger islands are expected to support more species than smaller ones, with Biobio island being relatively bigger than Agbasiagba. The shared species of butterflies on both islands were twenty-two (22) representing 48.9% of the total species accumulated. Indicator species like Junonia oenone, Danaus chrysippus and Papilio demodocus were also recorded indicating the degraded floral quality of the Islands.
    [Show full text]
  • R Eprod U Ced by Sabin Et G Atew Ay Und Er Licen Ce Gran Ted
    LEPTOSIA; I-IYLOTHR1S 213 f. nuptilla Aur . \urlvillius, 1910 in Seitz, .\lucre/c p. XIII: 31, pI. 10, b (RuwensoriJ. A peculiar form lacking the postdiscal spot ; the apical band is prescnt but is narro\ver than in the f. alcesla Stoll. Recorded from the Cameroons by Strand, and therefore not confined to the type-locality. As some specimens from Southern Africa show a consider­ able reduction of the postdiscal spot, there is a possibility of the form occurring within our limits. f. nupta (Btl.). Yrc/' itollct uUpl(t Hull r, 1873, Ci.<I. E 'l!. III: 175 (An!{ola). An extreme albinistic form in which all the dark markings of the upper::iide are absent. Described from Bembc, ?\orth-\\"estern Angola, and may be an extreme dry climatic form . No Southern African records arc apparently known. Expanse: 30-45 mm. Antenna-'u.·int; ralio: 0·4 (3), () ·39 (:;: ). Genitalia.- Male (fig. 113).- Tegul11en and unclIs broad, the lattcr not uistinctly sepa­ ratecl from the former, acute at tip; valve ear-shaped, witlt a rathcr blunt apical margin. costa concave in thc basal half, arched in the distal half, about as lon u as the base, \'entral margin conw'x in the \' cntral half, straight e1scwhere; there is a sclerotized narrow ridge arising from costa ncar the dorsal base and extending along the inner edge, but not reaching the sacculus; sacwills small and elongate; aedoeat;lIs as long as the length of the \"ah'e from the , entral base to apex, almost straight, widened and bilobate at base, \vithont basal prong; jllxta almost entirely membranous, with a narrow median sclero­ tiz d bar; saccus half the length of aedoeaglls, widened and laterally compressed ant riorly, with a rounued tip.
    [Show full text]
  • Metamorphosis Issn 1018–6490 (Print) Issn 2307–5031 (Online) Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa
    Volume 31(1): 99–103 METAMORPHOSIS ISSN 1018–6490 (PRINT) ISSN 2307–5031 (ONLINE) LEPIDOPTERISTS’ SOCIETY OF AFRICA Development and early stages of Mylothris rhodope (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) Published online: 27 November 2020 Szabolcs Sáfián Institute of Silviculture and Forest Protection, University of Sopron, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út 4. H9400 Sopron, Hungary. E-mail: [email protected] Copyright © Lepidopterists’ Society of Africa Abstract: In this paper, the full life-history of Mylothris rhodope is discussed with a morphological description of its early stages including multiple photo illustrations, as documented in Liberia, West Africa. Key words: Pre-imaginal stages, life-cycle, Loranthaceae. Citation: Sáfián, Sz. 2020. Development and early stages of Mylothris rhodope (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae). Metamorphosis 31(1): 99‒103. INTRODUCTION THE LIFE-HISTORY OF M. RHODOPE Information on the development of the early stages of species in the genus Mylothris is scarce (Braby, 2005; A cluster of approximately 104 whitish-green Mylothris Larsen, 2005; Williams, 2020), probably because most eggs were observed on the 4th August 2020, during the species actually breed in the canopy of forest trees which collection of fresh shoots from an unidentified are usually inaccessible to lepidopterists. The Loranthaceae plant for larvae (caterpillars) of Mylothris development of the most common open habitat species are chloris chloris (Fabricius, 1775) (Sáfián, 2020), and were usually known, however, proper description and collected two days later. The eggs were laid on the upper photographic documentation of the early stages are rarely surface of a younger leaf hanging in the shade of the plant. available. Not even the most common and widespread All larvae hatched eight days after collection on the 14th Mylothris chloris was comprehensively documented until August.
    [Show full text]
  • FINAL REPORT Biodiversity Assessment, and Strategic
    FINAL REPORT Biodiversity assessment, and strategic conservation planning, for the riparian forests of the Spiny Forest Ecoregion of Madagascar. By: Alison Cameron (PhD student, Leeds University, UK) and Maminarina Dutel Ravoninjatovo (DEA student, University of Tulear, Madagascar) Introduction Madagascar has been called the highest biodiversity priority in the world but biodiversity conservation priorities within Madagascar are only now being identified. Recent research, biodiversity planning and conservation action have focused on east coast rainforest areas, while other areas of potentially very high biological interest have largely been ignored. The WWF Spiney Forests Ecoregion action plan indicates that West coast dry forests and riparian forests are under-represented in Madagascar’s reserve system, and are being degraded and fragmented at very high rates. This project is therefore addressing deficiencies in biodiversity data for this region in collaboration with The University of Tulear, WWF, and Frontier. Project Aims and Objectives To provide an opportunity for transfer of entomological survey skills from Alison Cameron (PhD student) to a Malagasy DEA student (Maminarina Dutel Ravoninjatovo). To provide the DEA student with experience of project decision making processes and meeting project by providing opportunities to integrate with project teams from WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) and Frontier Madagascar. The production of a DEA thesis, co-supervised by the University of Tulear and WWF staff in Tulear. To make field survey data publically available through the national biodiversity data base, known as the “Platforme D’Analyse” (PDA)*. Training Initial training was conducted in Beza Mahafaly Special Reserve, between the 29th - 31st Oct 2002. Alison spent 3 days in the field training Dutel (Photo 1 right) and also Edidy (Photo 1, left) who runs the small natural history museum at Beza Mahafaly.
    [Show full text]
  • Addition of Colias Fieldii Ménétriés, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Coliadinae) to the Checklist of Lepidoptera of Bangladesh
    www.biotaxa.org/rce. ISSN 0718-8994 (online) Revista Chilena de Entomología (2021) 47 (2): 433-436. Scientific Note Addition of Colias fieldii Ménétriés, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Coliadinae) to the checklist of Lepidoptera of Bangladesh Adición de Colias fieldii Ménétriés, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae: Coliadinae) a la lista de Lepidoptera de Bangladesh Ripon Chandra Roy1 , Dipto Biswas2 and Rajib Dey3* 1Dept. of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka – 1000, Bangladesh. E-mail: [email protected]. 2Dept. of Zoology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka – 1000, Bangladesh. E-mail: [email protected]. 3Amarabati Road, Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas, Kolkata 700 019, West Bengal, India. *[email protected] ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9AAD4CE3-EAA9-463E-8F56-5B7A80E4BB78 https://doi.org/10.35249/rche.47.2.21.26 Abstract. Colias fieldii, commonly known as Dark Clouded Yellow, is under genus Colias Fabricius, 1807. This paper reports new addition of a genus as well as species, Colias fieldii to the existing list of the Lepidoptera of Bangladesh with photographic records from Mahadebpur (25°55’21” N, 88°37’29” E), in Birganj upazila, Dinajpur district. Key words: Biodiversity; Dark Clouded Yellow; new genus; Northwestern Bangladesh. Resumen. Colias fieldii, comúnmente conocida como Amarillo Oscuro Nublado, pertenece al género Colias Fabricius, 1807. Esta nota informa sobre la nueva incorporación de un género y una especie, Colias fieldii, a la lista de lepidópteros de Bangladesh con registros fotográficos capturados en Mahadebpur (25°55’21 “N, 88°37’29” E), en Birganj upazila, distrito de Dinajpur. Palabras clave: Amarillo oscuro nublado; biodiversidad; noroeste de Bangladesh; nuevo género. Bangladesh is composed of diverse biogeography and rich in biodiversity.
    [Show full text]
  • Mt Mabu, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation
    Darwin Initiative Award 15/036: Monitoring and Managing Biodiversity Loss in South-East Africa's Montane Ecosystems MT MABU, MOZAMBIQUE: BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION November 2012 Jonathan Timberlake, Julian Bayliss, Françoise Dowsett-Lemaire, Colin Congdon, Bill Branch, Steve Collins, Michael Curran, Robert J. Dowsett, Lincoln Fishpool, Jorge Francisco, Tim Harris, Mirjam Kopp & Camila de Sousa ABRI african butterfly research in Forestry Research Institute of Malawi Biodiversity of Mt Mabu, Mozambique, page 2 Front cover: Main camp in lower forest area on Mt Mabu (JB). Frontispiece: View over Mabu forest to north (TT, top); Hermenegildo Matimele plant collecting (TT, middle L); view of Mt Mabu from abandoned tea estate (JT, middle R); butterflies (Lachnoptera ayresii) mating (JB, bottom L); Atheris mabuensis (JB, bottom R). Photo credits: JB – Julian Bayliss CS ‒ Camila de Sousa JT – Jonathan Timberlake TT – Tom Timberlake TH – Tim Harris Suggested citation: Timberlake, J.R., Bayliss, J., Dowsett-Lemaire, F., Congdon, C., Branch, W.R., Collins, S., Curran, M., Dowsett, R.J., Fishpool, L., Francisco, J., Harris, T., Kopp, M. & de Sousa, C. (2012). Mt Mabu, Mozambique: Biodiversity and Conservation. Report produced under the Darwin Initiative Award 15/036. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London. 94 pp. Biodiversity of Mt Mabu, Mozambique, page 3 LIST OF CONTENTS List of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 3 List of Tables .............................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]