Neotropical Entomology ISSN: 1519-566X journal homepage: www.scielo.br/ne ECOLOGY, BEHAVIOR AND BIONOMICS The Endangered Butterfly Charonias theano (Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae): Current Status, Threats and its Rediscovery in the State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil AVL Freitas1, LA Kaminski1, CA Iserhard1, EP Barbosa1, OJ Marini Filho2 1 Depto de Biologia Animal & Museu de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Univ Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil 2Centro de Pesquisa e Conservação do Cerrado e Caatinga – CECAT, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade, Brasília, DF, Brasil Keywords Abstract Aporiina, Atlantic Forest, endangered species, Pierini, Serra do Japi The pierid Charonias theano Correspondence (Boisduval), an endangered butterfly André V L Freitas, Depto de Biologia Animal & species, has been rarely observed in nature, and has not been recorded Museu de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Univ in the state of CSão. theano Paulo in the last 50 years despite numerous efforts Estadual de Campinas, CP6109, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brasil; [email protected] to locate extant colonies. Based on museum specimens and personal information, was known from 26 sites in southeastern Edited by Kleber Del Claro – UFU and southern Brazil. Recently, an apparently viable population was recorded in a new locality, at Serra do Japi, Jundiaí, São Paulo, with Received 26 May 2011 and accepted 03 severalsince this individuals site represents observed one of during the few two large weeks forested in April, protected 2011. areas The August 2011 existence of this population at Serra do Japi is an important finding, São Paulo, but within its entire historical distribution. where the species could potentially persist not only in the state of Introduction In the last Brazilian red list of endangered fauna (Machado intensively sampled from 1987 to 1991, resulting in a list et al of 652 species (Brown 1992). However, even considering Tithoreathe high harmoniaspecies richness, caissara only three endangered 2008), 55 species of butterflies were categorizedet al as Xenandrabutterflies heliodeshave been dibapha recorded (Stichel) in the area (Riodinidae) so far, namely and threatened, with most of them (51 species) inhabiting the Olafia roscius iphimedia Zikán (Nymphalidae), Atlantic Forest biome (see also Lewinsohn 2005). The pierid Charonias theano (Boisduval) (Fig Three possible reasons for this pattern are: 1) the high (Plötz) (Hesperiidae). endemism of this region, 2) the high degree of conversion of most natural habitats in Atlantic Forest (Brown & 1b-c) is an endangered butterfly species knownC. theano from is Brown 1992, Dean 1996), and 3) the considerable southeastern and southern Brazil (Casagrande & Mielke amount of accumulated knowledge of butterflies in this 2008). Although widespread in the past, biome (Brown & Freitas 2000a,b). In fact, the majority of apparently losing habitats due to anthropic disturbance the published butterfly inventories in Brazil come from (Casagrande & Mielke 2008), and very few individuals the Atlantic Forestet al region, includinget some al of the most have been observed in recent years. complete species lists for the country (Brown & Freitas severalFrom forested 1988 to 2007,areas the in firstthe Atlanticauthor together Forest. withThese K. 2000a,b, Santos 2008, Francini 2011). S. Brown Jr. and other researchers intensively surveyed stateOne of Sãoof these Paulo well in southeastern surveyed Atlantic Brazil. Forest The area sites was is et al “Serra do Japi”, a large remnant of montane forest in the surveys resulted in the location of several endangered Neotrop Entomol 40(6): 669-676 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasilbutterfly colonies (see Francini 2005, Freitas669 & Natural History and Conservation of Charonias theano Freitas et al a b 1 cm c Charonias theano SãoFig 1 Paulo, Habitat Brazil. and adults a) General of view in Serra do Japi, Jundiai, of the habitat where theEupatorium first male gaudichaudianumwas observed on April 2011; b) Adult male feeding on showing the wing (Asteraceae);pattern (dorsal c) 1 cm left,Museum ventral specimen right). of an adult male et al C. theano were in the recognition and description of several new species (FranciniBrown 2005, et al Freitas 2009, Freitas 2010), and etalso al collectionsData from are: BMNHmuseum - specimens of obtained from nineCEIOC collections. - The acronyms for the 2004, Freitas 2004, 2007, Freitas British Museum (Natural History), 2010, 2011). From 1999 to 2007, during the research BrazilLondon,; CGCM England; - Coleção Entomológica do project “Borboletas do Estado de São Paulo” (Biota- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz,DZUP Rio -de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Fapesp Research Program) many different habitats were Carlos Guilherme Costa Mielke Collection, intensively sampled in this state, aiming to produce FLMNHCuritiba, - Paraná, Brazil; Departamento de Zoologia, Clists. theano of species in poorly known areas and to search for Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; endangered and long unseen butterfly species, including McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, . Despite all these efforts, the species remained Florida Museum of Natural History,MNHN University - of Florida, unrecordedThis paper until reports the presentthese new observation observations in ofApril C. theano 2011 Gainesville, FL, USA (contains theMNRJ former - Museu Allyn NacionalMuseum in the Serra do Japi. of Entomology collection); Muséum National d´Histoire Naturelle,MZSP Paris, - Museu France; de Zoologia, Universidade aboutin the theSerra current do Japi status and of includes this species a description in Brazil. of the da Universidade Federal do Rio deUSNM Janeiro, - Rio de Janeiro, Rio natural history and behavior of adults, and a discussion de Janeiro, Brazil; de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; National Museum Material and Methods of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, ObservationsUSA. Additional of Cdata. theano of sightings of the species in the Study site field were provided by Carlos GC Mielke. at Serra do Japi were made from April 10-27, 2011, in four places near the Research Station (centered on 23°13’S 46°55’W). Behavioral© digital The “Reserva Municipal Biológica da Serra do Japi” is observations were made withC the. theano aid of was binoculars, present were and an area of semi-deciduous mesophytic forest in the photographs were taken with a Canon EOS 20D municipalities of Jundiaí and Cabreúva, in the state of São camera. All three areas where forestsPaulo in in Southeastern diverse stages Brazil. of succession, The area inincludes altitudes nearly that visited from 09:00h to 16:00h by AVLF, LAK, EPB and OJM-F 28,000 ha of a mosaic of primary and, mainly, secondary to record notes on behavior and natural history of adults. Results varies from 700 m to 1,300 m a.s.l. A complete and detailed description of the area can be found in Morellato (1992). Natural history and adult behavior of Charonias The entire area of Serra do Japi was intensively theano at Serra do Japi sampled in the last 25 years (see Brown & Freitas 1999, 2000b for general sampling methods), including surveys C. in March and April when butterfly richness in the area peaks (Brown 1992). From 10 to 27 April 2011, approximately 11 adults of 670 Neotrop Entomol 40(6): 669-676 © 2011 Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil Freitas et al Natural History and Conservation of Charonias theano theano (10 males and one female) were observed in four of study, and no females were observed attempting to places near the Research Station at Serra do Japi. The lay eggs. first sighting was on April 10, when a single male was Discussion observed flyingBidens high segetum (about four to five meters high at approximately 10:00h, apparently patrolling an area with Natural history flowers of (Asteraceae) (exact locality observed.in Fig 1a). This same area was intensively searched in The record of C. theano the following six days with no additional individuals in Serra do Japi is quite surprising, EupatoriumOn April gaudichaudianum15, five additional individuals (four males given that this area has previously been intensively and one female) were observed feeding on flowers of surveyed for butterflies. In particular, the region near sighting. All individuals were observed(Asteraceae) on a single (Fig. 1b)plant, at the Research Station has been visited in the last six years the edge of an unpaved road about E1. kmgaudichaudianum NE of the first every April for butterfly surveys.et al unpublished These recent data), visitsbut C. theanoresulted in 31 new records of species to the previous list despite the fact that other flowering interestingof Serra do Japi to note (AVL that Freitas C. theano bushes were present nearby. Adults fed on the flowers was never observed in the region until 2011. It is until 15:30h, when they dispersed after the plant was was relatively common shaded. The same area was visited on April 16 at 09:15h, and conspicuous in the area from April 10-16, 2011, and and three males were observed flying and patrolling the was easily observed on flowers or patrolling territories area near the flowers in a typical territorial behavior. every day during this period. Given that of SerraC. theano do Japi in On the same day, five additional males were observed is isolated from the network of large forested areas of the patrolling two adjacent areas close to the Research Station region, it is less likely that the presence of high in the canopy. These observations