How Many Butterfly Species Are in Ghana?

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

How Many Butterfly Species Are in Ghana? HowHow manymany butterflybutterfly speciesspecies areare inin Ghana?Ghana? The Afrotropical Region is second only to KnownKnown ButterflyButterfly SpeciesSpecies inin thethe WorldWorld the Neotropics (i.e., Central and South byby BiogeographicBiogeographic RegionRegion America) in terms of the number of NeotropicalNeotropical 80008000 butterfly species that occur. Ghana has AfrotropicalAfrotropical 38003800 about 900 species. Over ⅓ of these OrientalOriental 27002700 described species are considered rare or PalearcticPalearctic 20002000 very rare. It is estimated that about 5% of Papuan/AustralianPapuan/Australian 10001000 Ghana’s butterfly species, those that are NearcticNearctic 700700 especially rare, have yet to be discovered. Ghana’s butterflies are overwhelmingly forest-dwelling species (~730 of 900). Most forest butterfly species generally do not venture far (if at all) into non-forested areas. Most savanna or open habitat butterfly species do not venture far (if at all) into forested areas. The butterflies you see around Bobiri guesthouse are a mixture of open habitat species and forest species. Salamis parhassus, the Forest Mother-of- Pearl. This is one of Ghana’s largest and Bobiri Forest Reserve is an example of the moist semi- most beautiful species. The upper wing surface is silvery-white and is cast with a purplish sheen. It is a generally common deciduous forest habitat subtype (the other subtypes species and can often be seen flying in are wet evergreen, moist evergreen, and dry semi- the forest. deciduous). Some of Ghana’s forest butterflies do not occur at Bobiri because they require wetter conditions. Nearly 500 butterfly species have . been documented in Bobiri forest. Additional species likely exist here and would be uncovered from more exhaustive surveys of the forest. WhyWhy createcreate aa butterflybutterfly sanctuary?sanctuary? Forest reserves in Ghana Ghana’s forests are among the most critically imperiled in the world and Bobiri also among the most biologically go To unique. It is estimated that 80-90% of original forest cover has been destroyed. Virtually no forest cover remains outside existing forest C o t e reserves. Some reserves no longer d Forest reserve condition ’ I v o 1 Excellent i r even have any forest left. As forest e 2 Good 3 Partly degraded habitat disappears, so too do forest 4 Mostly degraded 5 Poor dependent species, such as Bobiri’s From: Hawthorne & Abu-Juam (1995) Forest Protection in Ghana. IUCN Publ. No significant forest forest butterflies. Bobiri butterfly sanctuary was the brainchild of Dr. Joe Cobbinah, Director, Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, and Dr. Mike Wagner, Professor, Northern Arizona University, USA. This sanctuary was created to provide 1) protection for the species that live here, 2) an income source, which helps promote sustainable use of forest biodiversity, and 3) a place where Ghanaians and foreign nationals alike can learn about and enjoy the country’s unique and beautiful forest communities. WhatWhat dodo butterfliesbutterflies eat?eat? Most butterflies take in nourishment by sucking fluids through their proboscis or “tongue”. You are probably most familiar with the nectar feeders, that is, the butterflies that visit flowers. But many butterflies do not feed on nectar. About ¼ of Ghana’s butterfly species never visit flowers. These species feed, instead, on rotting or fermenting fruit. The large majority of fruit-feeding species in Ghana are forest dependent species. You will cause many of these to “startle up” as you walk along the forest trails. Did you know that some butterflies actually also feed on excrement and/or animal carcasses? Many butterflies also puddle on wet sand or mud, where they take up water, minerals, and amino Three forest species feeding on fruit that has fallen to the forest floor. Euphaedra perseis (top). Bebearia acids. Often large numbers will gather at a single mardania (bottom left) and Bebearia zonara (bottom right). spot and fly up en masse when disturbed. The two individuals below belong to the family, Lycaenidae. Members of this family are nectar feeders and are very small. The many types of tiny butterflies you see flying at Bobiri are Lycaenids. In fact there are more Lycaenids in the world then any other type of butterfly. Nearly ⅓ of Ghana’s butterflies are Lycaenids. Papilio nireus male puddling along the road to Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary. This is a common forest species that visits flowers. The wings on the upper side of this butterfly are black and traversed by The male of Nepheronia thalassina is a beautiful duck’s-egg-blue. bright green bands; hence, its common name, the These are common visitors to the flower gardens at Bobiri. Narrow-Banded Green Swallowtail. WhyWhy dodo unrelatedunrelated speciesspecies looklook alike?alike? Many butterfly species resemble each other in color and pattern. This is known as mimicry and results slowly over time from natural selection. Non toxic species mimic (resemble) species that are toxic or taste bad. Predators then avoid both species even though the mimetic species could be eaten without harmful results. Ghana has Some mimetic species many mimetic species. Papilio found in Ghana. ABOVE: Papilio dardanus male (top dardanus, a common visitor to flowers left) and P. dardanus female (top right). Amauris niavius (bottom left) and P. at Bobiri,is a spectacular example of dardanus female (bottom right). RIGHT: Left column, mimicry. P. dardanus males all look the top to bottom: Acraea vestalis male, Acraea same, but there are at least 14 different macaria male, Acraea alcinoe female, Acraea female forms in sub-Saharan Africa all epaea male, Acraea epaea female ... Right column: Five different mimetic forms of which resemble unrelated species! of Pseudacraea eurytus. ButterflyButterfly BehaviorsBehaviors Butterflies display a number of interesting behaviors, many of which are associated with finding and selecting a mate. Males locate females either by patrolling areas where females feed or lay eggs, or by perching along “flyways” in wait. Perching males will vigorously defend their space by “fighting” and actively chase other males away. Mating often involves a series of Euriphene barombina (above) is a common fruit-feeding forest butterfly at Bobiri. The male is easily recognizable because of behaviors in which the male “courts” the its distinctive blue color and set of white dots. Females are brown and orange with a white stripe across the forewing and female. Few females in nature are unmated look nothing like the males. Euphaedra medon (below) is another very common fruit-feeding forest species. There are approximately 75 Euphaedra species in West Africa. Both of because males will check out any butterfly these males are “perched” on plants in sunny spots along one that fits a basic image and attempt to mate of Bobiri’s trails. with any female of the right species. In some species males will even collect on the pupal case or chrysalis of a female and wait for her to become an adult and emerge. Only the most competitive male gains access to the female. You may see a butterfly flying from plant to plant after briefly alighting on leaves of each. Butterflies “taste” with their “feet” and this is a female searching for the appropriate host on which to lay an egg. ABOVE LEFT: Bebearia zonara male courting a B. zonara female. The male is hovering near the female, rapidly fluttering his wings. Intermittently, he will make physical contact by “shoving” the female. He is likely giving off pheromones (sex hormones) during the whole courting process. If she is receptive, they will mate. ABOVE CENTER: Kallimoides rumia, the African Leaf Butterfly, perched in typical position, i.e., head down on broad leaves about 2-3 meters above the ground. K. rumia is fond of palm wine and this particular individual is hanging out at one of the palm wine-tapper’s camps in the forest ABOVE RIGHT: Palla decius perched on a tree along the main Bobiri road. P. decius is a member of the Charaxinae subfamily. The Charaxinae are large, robust, strong flying butterflies that are especially attracted to excrement. CreditsCredits The current checklist of butterfly species at Bobiri was compiled by Dr. Torben Larsen (left) in conjunction with research for his book, Butterflies of West Africa (Apollo Books, Svenborg, Denmark, October 2005). Dr. Larsen also provided the plates depicting examples of mimicry. The photo of Nepheronia thalassina, was shot by Sky Stephens. The photographer of the Larsen photo is unknown. All other photos are by the author, J. L. Bossart, who also assumes responsibility for any factual errors. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute, IN, USA) graciously printed these posters free of charge..
Recommended publications
  • Phylogenetic Relationships and Historical Biogeography of Tribes and Genera in the Subfamily Nymphalinae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
    Blackwell Science, LtdOxford, UKBIJBiological Journal of the Linnean Society 0024-4066The Linnean Society of London, 2005? 2005 862 227251 Original Article PHYLOGENY OF NYMPHALINAE N. WAHLBERG ET AL Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 86, 227–251. With 5 figures . Phylogenetic relationships and historical biogeography of tribes and genera in the subfamily Nymphalinae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) NIKLAS WAHLBERG1*, ANDREW V. Z. BROWER2 and SÖREN NYLIN1 1Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden 2Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331–2907, USA Received 10 January 2004; accepted for publication 12 November 2004 We infer for the first time the phylogenetic relationships of genera and tribes in the ecologically and evolutionarily well-studied subfamily Nymphalinae using DNA sequence data from three genes: 1450 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) (in the mitochondrial genome), 1077 bp of elongation factor 1-alpha (EF1-a) and 400–403 bp of wing- less (both in the nuclear genome). We explore the influence of each gene region on the support given to each node of the most parsimonious tree derived from a combined analysis of all three genes using Partitioned Bremer Support. We also explore the influence of assuming equal weights for all characters in the combined analysis by investigating the stability of clades to different transition/transversion weighting schemes. We find many strongly supported and stable clades in the Nymphalinae. We are also able to identify ‘rogue’
    [Show full text]
  • A Time-Calibrated Phylogeny of the Butterfly Tribe Melitaeini
    UC Davis UC Davis Previously Published Works Title A time-calibrated phylogeny of the butterfly tribe Melitaeini. Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1h20r22z Journal Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 79(1) ISSN 1055-7903 Authors Long, Elizabeth C Thomson, Robert C Shapiro, Arthur M Publication Date 2014-10-01 DOI 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.06.010 Peer reviewed eScholarship.org Powered by the California Digital Library University of California Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 79 (2014) 69–81 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev A time-calibrated phylogeny of the butterfly tribe Melitaeini ⇑ Elizabeth C. Long a, , Robert C. Thomson b, Arthur M. Shapiro a a Center for Population Biology and Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA b Department of Biology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA article info abstract Article history: The butterfly tribe Melitaeini [Nymphalidae] contains numerous species that have been the subjects of a Received 10 March 2014 wide range of biological studies. Despite numerous taxonomic revisions, many of the evolutionary Revised 22 May 2014 relationships within the tribe remain unresolved. Utilizing mitochondrial and nuclear gene regions, we Accepted 11 June 2014 produced a time-calibrated phylogenetic hypothesis for 222 exemplars comprising at least 178 different Available online 18 June 2014 species and 21 of the 22 described genera, making this the most complete phylogeny of the tribe to date. Our results suggest that four well-supported clades corresponding to the subtribes Euphydryina, Keywords: Chlosynina, Melitaeina, and Phyciodina exist within the tribe.
    [Show full text]
  • 142 Genus Palla Huebner
    14th edition (2015). Genus Palla Hübner, 1819 In: Hübner, [1816-[1826]. Verzeichniss bekannter Schmettlinge 47 (432 + 72 pp.). Augsburg. Type-species: Papilio decius Cramer, by monotypy. = Philognoma Doubleday, 1844. List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum 1: 112 (150 pp.). London.). Type-species: Papilio decius Cramer, by subsequent designation (Hemming, 1943. Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London (B) 12: 29 (23-30).). Palla ussheri interposita. Image courtesy of Jeremy Dobson. An Afrotropical genus containing four species. The larvae and pupae resemble those of the Neotropical genus Prepona Boisduval, 1836 (Schultze, 1920). In West Africa all four species may be found sympatrically in some localities and are impossible to tell apart on the wing (Larsen, 2005a). *Palla publius Staudinger, 1892 Andromorph Palla Palla publius Staudinger, 1892. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, Iris 5: 267 (264-268). Type locality: Sierra Leone. Distribution: Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania. Habitat: Primary lowland evergreen forest. In Tanzania subspecies kigoma is found at altitudes of 800 to 950 m (Kielland, 1990d). Habits: Specimens are often found settling on exposed leaves (Kielland, 1990d) and males are occasionally seen mudpuddling (Larsen, 2005a). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Nothing published. Palla publius publius Staudinger, 1892 1 Palla publius Staudinger, 1892. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift, Iris 5: 267 (264-268). Type locality: Sierra Leone. Distribution: Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria (south and Cross River loop). Specific localities: Ghana – Bobiri Butterfly Sanctuary (Larsen et al., 2007). rectifascia Weymer, 1892 (as sp.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on the Systematic Status and Distribution of the Neotropical Butterfly Anaeomorpha Splendida Rothschild, 1894 (Lepidoptera: Charaxidae)*
    BOLETÍN CIENTÍFICO ISSN 0123 - 3068 bol.cient.mus.hist.nat. 15 (1): 188 - 205 CENTRO DE MUSEOS MUSEO DE HISTORIA NATURAL NOTES ON THE SYSTEMATIC STATUS AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE NEOTROPICAL BUTTERFLY ANAEOMORPHA SPLENDIDA ROTHSCHILD, 1894 (LEPIDOPTERA: CHARAXIDAE)* Julián A. Salazar-E1 Abstract The distribution, taxonomy and systematic status of the Charaxid Anaeomorpha splendida Rothschild, 1894 is reviewed. Data from specimens deposited in collections are reviewed. Key Words: Anaeini, female, Nomenclature, Palla, Preponini, Polygrapha (= Pseudocharaxes), Taxonomy, Systematic NOTAS SOBRE EL ESTADO SISTEMÁTICO Y LA DISTRIBUCIÓN DE LA MARIPOSA NEOTROPICAL ANAEOMORPHA SPLENDIDA ROTHSCHILD, 1894 (LEPIDOPTERA: CHARAXIDAE) Resumen La distribución, taxonomía y estatus sistemático de la especie Anaeomorpha splendida Rothschild es revisado y revela su relación más cercana a la tribu Anaeini que a Preponini. Se revisan datos de ejemplares depositados en colecciones. Palabras clave: Anaeini, hembra, Nomenclatura, Palla, Preponini, Polygrapha (= Pseudocharaxes), Taxonomía, Sistemática INTRODUCTION naeomorpha splendida (Fig. 1-2) was described by the Hon. Walter ROTHSCHILD in 1894 from a male caught by Maxwell Stuart, a English Anaturalist well known for his Lepidopteran material obtained between the area of Yurimaguas and Iquitos, Peru (LAMAS, 1980). The type locality is the Cachiyacu River, South of Yurimaguas, but erroneously misspelled by subsequent authors as the “Cachyaco River”(FRUHSTORFER, 1905, 1916; STICHEL, 1939; RACHELI & RACHELI, 2001). Two years later the type deposited in the Natural History Museum collection of London, England (NHMUK) was figured by ROTHSCHILD (1896). The genus and species were recognized as valid names by HEMMING (1967: 41) in his work on the generic names of the butterflies. In 1928 Wilhelm NIEPELT described the subspecies columbiana (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • Butterfly Species Abundances by Site
    Main Bait Line Trap Captures ‐ Species Abundances by Site TOTAL Bobiri Owabi Kajease Bonwire Asantemanso Gyakye Kona Total Specimens 8453 1292 2684 596 746 1059 752 1324 Total Species 116 67 82 37 50 60 47 62 Species List Amauris niavius 20100 0 01 Amauris tartarea 10100 0 00 Andronymus hero 11000 0 00 Anthene locuples 10000 1 00 Anthene rubricinctus 10000 0 10 Ariadne enotrea 42100 0 01 Aterica galene 213 25 96 14 17 35 9 17 Bebearia absolon 66 36 15 2 3 7 0 3 Bebearia barce 40000 4 00 Bebearia cocalia 140540 0 05 Bebearia demetra 11000 0 00 Bebearia lucayensis 52000 0 21 Bebearia mandinga 132512 2 01 Bebearia mardania 47 1 22 0 3 10 0 11 Bebearia oxione 101601 2 00 Bebearia paludicola 80220 3 01 Bebearia phantasina 77000 0 00 Bebearia sophus 270 16 143 9 6 60 11 25 Bebearia tentyris 182 127 19 0 1 1 11 23 Bebearia zonara 44 31 3 0 1 0 1 8 Bicyclus abnormis 667 237 287 0 28 4 0 111 Bicyclus dorothea 68 0 15 21 0 10 7 15 Bicyclus funebris 593 149 147 21 80 48 21 127 Bicyclus madetes 440 25 134 7 71 63 53 87 Bicyclus martius 448 33 70 3 87 47 42 166 Bicyclus procora 67 8 57 0 1 0 1 0 Bicyclus safitza 35 2 12 12 1 3 3 2 Bicyclus sandace 229 2 38 50 4 69 39 27 Bicyclus sangmelinae 40 5 34 0 0 1 0 0 Bicyclus taenias 166 17 47 1 10 30 39 22 Bicyclus vulgaris 504 62 75 87 24 106 84 66 Bicyclus xeneas 41 19 8 0 2 0 0 12 Bicyclus zinebi 154 4 43 6 47 3 3 48 Catuna crithea 20200 0 00 Celaenorrhinus galenus 20 0 1 0 16 1 2 0 Celaenorrhinus meditrina 20000 2 00 Charaxes ameliae 10000 0 01 Charaxes anticlea 41200 1 00 Charaxes bipunctatus 110011
    [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]
  • 233 Genus Bebearia Hemming
    AFROTROPICAL BUTTERFLIES 17th edition (2018). MARK C. WILLIAMS. http://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb Genus Bebearia Hemming, 1960 Annotationes lepidopterologicae (Part 1): 14 (12-17). Type-species: Euryphene iturina Karsch, by original designation. The genus Bebearia belongs to the Family Nymphalidae Rafinesque, 1815; Subfamily Limenitidinae Behr, 1864; Tribe Adoliadini Doubleday, 1845; Subtribe Bebearina Hemming, 1960. The other genera in the Subtribe Bebearina in the Afrotropical Region are Evena, Aterica, Pseudargynnis, Cynandra, Eutyphura, Euryphaedra, Euryphurana, Harmilla, Euphaedra, Euriphene, Euptera and Pseudathyma. Bebearia (Foresters) is an Afrotropical genus containing 111 species. Generic reviews by Hecq (1990, 2002). Relevant literature: Safian et al., 2016 [Two new species from Nigeria]. Vande weghe, 2007 [New species from Cameroon and Gabon]. Hecq, 2006a [Taxonomy]. Hecq, 2006c [Taxonomy of wilwerthi complex]. Hecq, 2005d [Taxonomic notes]. Amiet, 2004 [Diagnostic characters]. Amiet, 2003b [Early stages of nine species]. Hecq, 2002 [Generic review]. Hecq, 1990 [Generic review]. Subgenus Apectinaria Hecq, 1988 Lambillionea 88: 56 (53-58). Type-species: Euryphene tentyris Hewitson, by original designation. Tentyris species-group Tentyris subgroup *Bebearia (Apectinaria) tentyris (Hewitson, [1866]) Hewitson’s Forester 1 Hewitson’s Forester (Bebearia tentyris). Left – male upperside. Right – male underside. Ipassa, Gabon. Images courtesy Raimund Schutte. Euryphene tentyris Hewitson, [1866] in Hewitson, [1862-6]. Illustrations of new species of exotic butterflies 3: 50 (124 pp.). London. Bebearia tentyris. Male. Left – upperside; right – underside. Ipassa, Ivindo N.P., Gabon. 14 June 2016. J. Dobson. Images M.C. Williams ex Dobson Collection. Bebearia tentyris. Female. Left – upperside; right – underside. Ipassa, Ivindo N.P., Gabon. 16 June 2016. J. Dobson. Images M.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Butterfly Community Assemblages in Relation to Human Disturbance in a Tropical Upland Forest in Ghana, and Implications for Conservation
    Journal of Insect Biodiversity 3(6): 1-18, 2015 http://www.insectbiodiversity.org RESEARCH ARTICLE Butterfly community assemblages in relation to human disturbance in a tropical upland forest in Ghana, and implications for conservation Patrick Addo-Fordjour1* Benjamin A. Osei1 Elizabeth A. Kpontsu1 1 Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana *Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] / [email protected] Abstract: The present study determined butterfly diversity, species composition and abundance in different forests of varying human disturbance intensities in the Atewa Range Forest Reserve, Ghana (i.e. non-disturbed, moderately disturbed and heavily disturbed forests). Vegetation characteristics and butterflies were sampled within ten 50 m × 50 m plots in each forest type. The study revealed that butterfly Shannon diversity index was similar in the non-disturbed and moderately disturbed forests although it was significantly lower in the heavily disturbed forest. Butterfly abundance differed significantly among all the forest types. Significant relationships were detected between some vegetation characteristics, and butterfly diversity and abundance (P<0.001). Using Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and cluster analysis, three main butterfly assemblages were identified on the basis of species composition, with each one in a particular forest type. Furthermore, butterfly species composition differed significantly among the forest types (ANOSIM; P<0.0001). The intermediate form of human disturbance in the moderately disturbed forest maintained butterfly diversity, suggesting that management efforts aimed at butterfly conservation should be geared towards protecting forests from excessive human disturbance; selective logging is recommended.
    [Show full text]
  • Do Butterflies Use “Hearing Aids”? Investigating the Structure and Function of Inflated Wing Veins in Nymphalidae
    Do butterflies use “hearing aids”? Investigating the structure and function of inflated wing veins in Nymphalidae by Penghui (Carrie) Sun A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Biology in Biology Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2018 Penghui (Carrie) Sun Abstract Many butterfly species within the subfamily Satyrinae (Nymphalidae) have been informally reported to possess a conspicuous “inflated” or “swollen” subcostal vein on each forewing. However, the function and taxonomic diversity of these structures is unknown. This thesis comprises both experimental and comparative approaches to test hypotheses on the function and evolution of these inflated veins. A laser vibrometry study showed that ears in the common wood nymph, Cercyonis pegala, are tuned to sounds between 1-5 kHz and the inflated subcostal vein enhances sensitivity to these sounds. A comparative study showed that all species with inflated veins possess ears, but not all species with ears possess inflated veins. Further, inflated veins were better developed in smaller butterflies. This thesis provides the first evidence for the function of inflated wing veins in butterflies and supports the hypothesis that they function as aids to low frequency hearing. ii Acknowledgements I thank my supervisor Dr. Jayne Yack for the continued guidance and support, throughout my academic program and in beginning my career, as well as an inspired and newfound appreciation I never knew I could have for insects. I thank my committee members Dr. Jeff Dawson and Dr. Charles-Antoine Darveau for their guidance, advice, and support. I thank Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Tympanal Ears in Nymphalidae Butterflies: Morphological Diversity and Tests on the Function of Hearing
    Tympanal Ears in Nymphalidae Butterflies: Morphological Diversity and Tests on the Function of Hearing by Laura E. Hall A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biology Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario, Canada © 2014 Laura E. Hall i Abstract Several Nymphalidae butterflies possess a sensory structure called the Vogel’s organ (VO) that is proposed to function in hearing. However, little is known about the VO’s structure, taxonomic distribution or function. My first research objective was to examine VO morphology and its accessory structures across taxa. Criteria were established to categorize development levels of butterfly VOs and tholi. I observed that enlarged forewing veins are associated with the VOs of several species within two subfamilies of Nymphalidae. Further, I discovered a putative light/temperature-sensitive organ associated with the VOs of several Biblidinae species. The second objective was to test the hypothesis that insect ears function to detect bird flight sounds for predator avoidance. Neurophysiological recordings collected from moth ears show a clear response to flight sounds and chirps from a live bird in the laboratory. Finally, a portable electrophysiology rig was developed to further test this hypothesis in future field studies. ii Acknowledgements First and foremost I would like to thank David Hall who spent endless hours listening to my musings and ramblings regarding butterfly ears, sharing in the joy of my discoveries, and comforting me in times of frustration. Without him, this thesis would not have been possible. I thank Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Crossref Molecular systematics of the subfamily Limenitidinae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Bidur Dhungel1 and Niklas Wahlberg2 1 Southwestern Centre for Research and PhD Studies, Kathmandu, Nepal 2 Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden ABSTRACT We studied the systematics of the subfamily Limenitidinae (Lepidoptera: Nymphal- idae) using molecular methods to reconstruct a robust phylogenetic hypothesis. The molecular data matrix comprised 205 Limenitidinae species, four outgroups, and 11,327 aligned nucleotide sites using up to 18 genes per species of which seven genes (CycY, Exp1, Nex9, PolII, ProSup, PSb and UDPG6DH) have not previously been used in phylogenetic studies. We recovered the monophyly of the subfamily Limenitidinae and seven higher clades corresponding to four traditional tribes Parthenini, Adoliadini, Neptini, Limenitidini as well as three additional independent lineages. One contains the genera Harma C Cymothoe and likely a third, Bhagadatta, and the other two indepen- dent lineages lead to Pseudoneptis and to Pseudacraea. These independent lineages are circumscribed as new tribes. Parthenini was recovered as sister to rest of Limenitidinae, but the relationships of the remaining six lineages were ambiguous. A number of genera were found to be non-monophyletic, with Pantoporia, Euthalia, Athyma, and Parasarpa being polyphyletic, whereas Limenitis, Neptis, Bebearia, Euryphura, and Adelpha were paraphyletic. Subjects Biodiversity, Entomology, Taxonomy Keywords Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Systematics, New tribe, Classification, Limenitidinae Submitted 22 November 2017 Accepted 11 January 2018 Published 2 February 2018 INTRODUCTION Corresponding author Niklas Wahlberg, The butterfly family Nymphalidae has been the subject of intensive research in many fields [email protected] of biology over the decades.
    [Show full text]
  • Morphological and Genetic Diversity of Two Individual Forms Of
    African InvertebratesMorphological 60(2): 195–213 and (2019) genetic diversity of two individual forms of Euphaedra eberti 195 doi: 10.3897/AfrInvertebr.60.35262 RESEARCH ARTICLE http://africaninvertebrates.pensoft.net Morphological and genetic diversity of two individual forms of Euphaedra eberti (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) Milan Zúbrik1, Sandrine Picq2, Philippe Oremans3, Audrey Nisole2, Sophie Tremblay2, Michel Cusson2, Ľubomír Panigaj4, Barbora Mikitová4, Maurizio Bollino5 1 National Forest Centre, Forest Protection Service, Lesnícka 11, 969 01 Banská Štiavnica, Slovak Republic 2 Laurentian Forestry Centre, Natural Resources Canada, 1055 du P.E.P.S., P.O. Box 10380, Stn. Ste. Foy, Que- bec City, G1V 4C7, Canada 3 35, rue des Jacinthes, 6110 Montigny le Tilleul, Belgium 4 Pavol Jozef Šafárik University, Šrobárova 2, Košice, Slovak Republic 5 Museo di Storia Naturale del Salento, 73021 Calimera, Italy Corresponding author: Milan Zúbrik ([email protected]) Academic editor: John Midgley | Received 8 April 2019 | Accepted 18 June 2019 | Published 17 September 2019 http://zoobank.org/24A271CD-B533-4511-ADFC-FC5C2CE96769 Citation: Zúbrik M, Picq S, Oremans P, Nisole A, Tremblay S, Cusson M, Panigaj Ľ, Mikitová B, Bollino M (2019) Morphological and genetic diversity of two individual forms of Euphaedra eberti (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). African Invertebrates 60(2): 195–213. https://doi.org/10.3897/AfrInvertebr.60.35262 Abstract A total of 385 Euphaedra eberti Aurivillius, 1898, adults collected between 2012 and 2018 in the vicinity of Bangui, Central African Republic, were examined for intraspecific morphological variability, genetic diversity and genitalia structure. The species shows significant wing pattern variability. Two main mor- photypes were identified in the set: the nominate formeberti , and the one comprising specimens with a red patch, form rubromaculata.
    [Show full text]