Co-occurrence of three -feeding papilionids (Archon apollinus, polyxena a Zeryntiha cerisy) in Thrace,

Jana Slancarova1,2, Martin Konvicka1,2, Pavel Vrba1,2, Michal Platek1,2, Michal Zapletal2, Lukas Spitzer1,3

1 Departement of Zoology, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, 370 05, Czech Republic 2 Biology Centre of the ASCR, v. v. i., Institute of Entomology, Ceske Budejovice, 370 05, Czech Republic 3 Region Museum Vsetin, Horni namesti 2, Vsetin, 755 01, Czech Republic Zerynthia polyxena Introduction

Zerynthia rumina

Zerynthia cerisy

© Simon Coombes

Zerynthia cretica

Archon apollinus

© Martin Semisch

 Host plants – Aristolochia spp. What allows the coexistence?

difference in: February March April May June A. apollinus Z. polyxena host plants? Z. cerisy habitat use? phenology?

Methods  Eggs distribution (4. 4. – 4. 5. 2010)  Mark-release-recapture (2. 4. 12. 5. 2011) Larvae

1st instar 2nd instar 3rd instar 4th instar

A. apollinus

Z. polyxena

Z. cerisy Extras

• Early larval stages inside the flower buds • Specific feeding marks and tents • Larvae of A. apollinus presented on A. clematitis • Presence of two species on one host plant • Toxicity to predators

Mark-release-recapture Archon apollinus 600 Captured M Population size Average Life Span 500 Captured F 400 Males 992 ± 48,38 Males 14,6 Estimated M 300 Females 707 ± 96,44 Females 5,7 200 Estimated F 100 Total 1699

0 Number of individuals Number 2.4. 7.4. 12.4. 17.4. 22.4. 27.4. 2.5. 7.5. 12.5. 1277 captured (522 M/184 F; 517 M/54 F recap.)

Zerynthia polyxena 250 Population size Average Life Span Captured M 200 Males 337 ± 78,55 Males 10,3 Captured F 150 Estimated M Females 252 ± 64,37 Females 3,6 100 Estimated F Celkem 589 50 0

Number of individuals Number 243 captured (93 M/65 F; 71 M/514 F recap.) 2.4 7.4 12.4 17.4 22.4 27.4 2.5 7.5 12.5

Zerynthia cerisy Population size Average Life Span 150 Captured M Captured F Males 373 ± 158,5 Males 8,2 100 Estimated M Females 75 ± 22,5 Females 4,5 Estimated F 50 Celkem 448

Number of individuals Number 0 174 captured (85 M/28 F; 48 M/13 F recapt) 2.4. 7.4. 12.4. 17.4. 22.4. 27.4. 2.5. 7.5. 12.5. Egg distribution

Total numbers of records

A. apollinus 195 Z. polyxena 116 Z. cerisy 61 Plant phenology priority

Host plant phenology (Chi-square = 115.8, df = 6, p < 0.00001) Unfolded leaves A. apollinus ~ host plant phenology * plant Z. cerisy ~ host plant phenology * plant height 500

AIC Null: 972,7 height AIC Model: 829,2 FoldedAIC leavesNull: 142,8 AIC Model: 127,70 FR 400 FR - Fruiting Flowering FR - Fruiting

300

FW 200 FW – Flowering FW – Flowering

Host plant Host Fruiting phenology FL – Folded leaves FL – Folded leaves 100

U – Unfolded leaves U – Unfolded leaves FL

Number of records Number 0

A. apollinus Z. polyxena Z. cerisy Negative 0,5

U

records

0 50 Plant Plant height (cm) height (cm) Host plant priority

A. pallida A. hirta Host plant priority Z. polyxena ~ plant height * host plant 500 Z. cerisy ~ plant(Chi-square height = 142.27, * df host = 6, p plant< 0.00001) species A. rotunda A. clematitis 450 A. hirta species 400 AIC Null: 142,8 AIC Model: 125,20 A. pallida AIC Null: 796,7 AIC Model: 742,9 350 March April May June 300 A. clematitis A. apollinus 250 C – A.. clematitis 200 A. rotunda C – A.. clematitis Z. polyxena counts Egg P – A. pallida 150 P – A. pallida Z. cerisy R – A. rotunda 100 R – A. rotunda A. rotunda H – A. hirta 50 0 H – A. hirta A. pallidaEarly spring, Whole spring, Whole spring, A. hirta A. apollinus Z. polyxena Z. cerisyLate spring,Negative tall, A. clematitisefemeral short, medium height, medium height, records sunny places edges woodlands edges A. pallida A. rotunda A. hirta A. clematitis Egg position

Egg position (Chi-square = 130.1, df = 6, p < 0.00001) Stem 400 Leaf underside 300 Leaf upperside

200 Elsewhere

Egg counts Egg 100

0 A. apollinus Z. polyxena Z. cerisy Heterogeneity requirements Biotope preferences (Chi-square=35.62, df= 9, p=0.00005) Eggs Arable field 120 Open woodland 100 Dense woodland 80 60 Scrubland 40 Host plant location Egg counts Egg 20 (Chi-square = 28.18, df = 4, p = 0.00001) 0 120 A. apollinus Z. polyxena Z.Sunny cerisy 100 80 Half-shaded 60 Shaded Biotope preferences 40 (Chi-square=25.56, df= 6, p=0.0003) Adults 20

Number of recordings Number 600 0 Arable field 500 A. apollinus Z. polyxenaOpen woodlandZ. cerisy 400 Dense woodland 300 Scrubland 200

100 Number of records Number 0 A. apollinus Z. polyxena Z. cerisy Conclusion

 Diverse system of Aristolochia-feeders and their host plants, matching those described from other continents

 All three use all four host plants, differences reflect their phenology

 The early flight of A. apollinus allows it to use plants in dense woodland

 Shaded host plants (near shrubs) are generally avoided

 Crucial role of landscape heterogeneity System under threat?

Mediterannean landscape - grazing - burning - „megaherbivores“

Greece • Currently forested: 29 % (3 752 000 ha) • 14% increment of new forest between 1990 and 2005 • Most of it are plantations or overgrowing macchia

• Probably never continously forested for entire Holocene (Blondel et al. 2010, Grove & Rackham, 2001) • High biodiversity in forest-grassland mosaics

Much more work in eastern Mediterrannean needed Thank you forAknowledgements your attention...

 Politistikos Kirkos  Petros Vatzias

 University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic (144/2010/P)  Ministry of Education (LC-6073, MSM 6007665801)  Czech Science Foundation (P505/10/2167)