DOCSLIB.ORG

Robin Curtis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

The importance of resources in determining butterfly population abundance at multiple scales Robin Curtis This dissertation is submitted for a Research Degree at University College London 1 Declaration I, Robin Curtis confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis 2 Acknowledgements I would like to thank my supervisors, Chris Carbone, James Mallet and in particular Nick Isaac for useful advice and assistance throughout the duration of this research degree. I would also like to thank Roger Dennis and David Roy for constructive comments on draft manuscripts. For research undertaken on the Glanville fritillary on the Isle of Wight, I would like to thank members of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society, and in particular Andy Butler, for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm for this amazing butterfly. I would also like to thank David Simcox for ideas and advice for research. Finally, I would like to thank Wightlink Ferries for providing free transport to and from one of the best Islands in the U.K. For the chalk grassland multisite chapter I would like to thank Butterfly Conservation staff for advice and information on sites, and especially Tom Brereton. I would also like to thank the many transect walkers, and in particular Gail Jeffcoate, for assisting me in recording the various transect routes across some of Britain’s finest nature reserves. I would like to thank Mark Botham and John Redhead at CEH Wallingford for assisting with various GIS issues. I would also like to thank Gary Powney for opening the office windows and letting in some fresh air. Finally, I would particularly like to thank Jeremy Thomas for providing advice and inspiration for butterfly research since 1992, when I initially worked as a research assistant on various butterfly projects at Furzebrook Research Station, Dorset. It was under his guidance that I started research on the Glanville fritillary butterfly in 1996, and his encouragement motivated me to keep returning to collect data on the Isle of Wight, even after the end of my employment in 1997. His knowledge and support for my research has proved invaluable, both before I registered for a PhD in 2007 and during my doctoral research. 3 Abstract Long term monitoring has revealed that butterfly populations vary dramatically between years, among sites and across species. This PhD investigates the importance of biotic and abiotic resources in determining butterfly abundance at multiple scales, using long term data from intensive studies on the Glanville fritillary and from the extensive UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The most important resource at local scales is the ‘suitability’ of the larval hostplant: only plants within a certain temperature range are likely to be utilised for oviposition. Laying eggs on warmer plants maximises the probability of successful larval development within restricted seasonal temperature constraints. Analysis of Glanville fritillary population time-series reveals that populations are more abundant in those habitat types providing suitable microclimates for larval development, and in years following warm spring temperatures (i.e. during oviposition). These factors were also important when comparing abundance across sites, as were patch area and isolation. This landscape-scale analysis also revealed a significant negative interaction between habitat quality and temperature, suggesting that microsites for oviposition are less restricted in warm than cool years. Across regional scales (southeast England), the availability of both host and nectar plants are important in determining butterfly abundance, both across and within species. However, hostplant availability is a stronger predictor of abundance than nectar, and is most pronounced on sites with a northerly aspect. Trait analysis revealed that species with restricted diets, low mobility and habitat specialism are most sensitive to variation in foodplant availability. Taken together, the results suggest that many UK butterfly species are limited at small scales by the availability of hostplants in warm microclimates, but at large scales by dispersal limitation and climatic tolerance. Site management can therefore increase the abundance of key species of conservation concern by creating thermally diverse habitats and maximising the biomass of their hostplants. 4 Table of Contents Declaration .................................................................................................................................... 2 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 3 Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... 4 Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... 5 List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. 7 List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ 8 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 10 Insects and butterflies as study organisms ............................................................................. 12 The advent of landscape ecology ............................................................................................ 19 Thesis outline .......................................................................................................................... 25 Chapter 1) The Effects of Temperature, Microclimate and Habitat Quality on Abundance of the Glanville fritillary on the Isle of Wight. ....................................................................................... 28 Abstract ................................................................................................................................... 28 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 29 Methods .................................................................................................................................. 35 Statistical Analysis ................................................................................................................... 39 Results ..................................................................................................................................... 41 Discussion................................................................................................................................ 48 Recommendations for Site Management ............................................................................... 54 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 56 Chapter 2) The Effects of Area, Isolation, Habitat Quality and Temperature on the Abundance of the Glanville fritillary along the South Coast of the Isle of Wight. ......................................... 57 Abstract ................................................................................................................................... 57 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 58 Methods .................................................................................................................................. 62 Statistical Analysis ................................................................................................................... 66 Results ..................................................................................................................................... 68 Discussion................................................................................................................................ 71 Recommendations for Site Management ............................................................................... 76 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................. 79 5 Chapter 3) Defining the Principle Determinants of Butterfly Abundance on Chalk Grassland across Southeast England. .......................................................................................................... 80 Abstract ................................................................................................................................... 80 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 81 Methods .................................................................................................................................. 87 Statistical Analysis ................................................................................................................... 93 Results ..................................................................................................................................... 94 Discussion.............................................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • The Glanville Fritillary on Sand Point: a History and Appraisal [Online]

    The Glanville Fritillary on Sand Point: a History and Appraisal [Online]

    28 January 2015 © Matthew Oates Citation: Oates, M. (2015). The Glanville Fritillary on Sand Point: a History and Appraisal [Online]. Available from http://www.dispar.org/reference.php?id=95 [Accessed January 28, 2015]. The Glanville Fritillary on Sand Point: a History and Appraisal Matthew Oates Abstract: This article examines the nature conservation lessons learnt from unofficial attempts made over a thirty year period to establish the Glanville Fritillary, Melitaea cinxia, at Sand Point, a small limestone promontory on the north Somerset coast. Two colonies were established there in different eras. The first persisted from 1983 to 2000, the second from 2006 to 2013. These releases were conducted by persons unknown, who chose not to liaise with the National Trust, which owns the land, or with Butterfly Conservation or Natural England and its forerunners. Consequently, the details of these establishment attempts are not known. The two populations were, though, crudely monitored by the National Trust and Butterfly Conservation Somerset Branch, and details of habitat conditions, food plant availability and management events were recorded. Some conclusions can be derived, which may assist our understanding of the ecological requirements of this rare butterfly elsewhere, perhaps especially with regard to climate change. The ethics of clandestine butterfly introduction attempts are not discussed here. National Trust Heelis Kemble Drive Swindon SN2 2NA [email protected] Figure 1 - A male Glanville Fritillary, Melitaea cinxia Photo © Matthew Oates Sand Point is not sandy. It is a Carboniferous Limestone headland which juts out into the Bristol Channel just north of Weston Super Mare, where the Mendip Hills run into the Severn estuary.
  • Insights from the Genome of Melitaea Cinxia

    Insights from the Genome of Melitaea Cinxia

    Ann. Zool. Fennici 54: 275–291 ISSN 0003-455X (print), ISSN 1797-2450 (online) Helsinki 15 May 2017 © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2017 Ilkka Hanski: The legacy of a multifaceted ecologist Butterfly genomics: insights from the genome of Melitaea cinxia Virpi Ahola1, Niklas Wahlberg2 & Mikko J. Frilander3,* 1) Department of Biosciences, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland 2) Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden 3) Institute of Biotechnology, P.O. Box 56, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland (*corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected]) Received 2 Dec. 2016, final version received 9 Feb. 2017, accepted 9 Feb. 2017 Ahola, V., Wahlberg, N. & Frilander, M. J. 2017: Butterfly genomics: insights from the genome of Melitaea cinxia. — Ann. Zool. Fennici 54: 275–291. The first lepidopteran genome (Bombyx mori) was published in 2004. Ten years later the genome of Melitaea cinxia came out as the third butterfly genome published, and the first eukaryotic genome sequenced in Finland. Owing to Ilkka Hanski, theM. cinxia system in the Åland Islands has become a famous model for metapopulation biology. More than 20 years of research on this system provides a strong ecological basis upon which a genetic framework could be built. Genetic knowledge is an essential addition for understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics and the genetic basis of variability in life history traits. Here we review the process of the M. cinxia genome project, its implica- tions for lepidopteran genome evolution, and describe how the genome has been used for gene expression studies to identify genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation.
  • Proceedings of the Third Annual Northeastern Forest Insect Work Conference

    Proceedings of the Third Annual Northeastern Forest Insect Work Conference

    Proceedings of the Third Annual Northeastern Forest Insect Work Conference New Haven, Connecticut 17 -19 February 1970 U.S. D.A. FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH PAPER NE-194 1971 NORTHEASTERN FOREST EXPERIMENT STATION, UPPER DARBY, PA. FOREST SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WARREN T. DOOLITTLE, DIRECTOR Proceedings of the Third Annual Northeastern Forest Insect Work Conference CONTENTS INTRODUCTION-Robert W. Campbell ........................... 1 TOWARD INTEGRATED CONTROL- D. L,Collifis ...............................................................................2 POPULATION QUALITY- 7 David E. Leonard ................................................................... VERTEBRATE PREDATORS- C. H. Backner ............................................................................2 1 INVERTEBRATE PREDATORS- R. I. Sailer ..................................................................................32 PATHOGENS-Gordon R. Stairs ...........................................45 PARASITES- W.J. Tamock and I. A. Muldrew .......................................................................... 59 INSECTICIDES-Carroll Williams and Patrick Shea .............................................................................. 88 INTEGRATED CONTROL, PEST MANAGEMENT, OR PROTECTIVE POPULATION MANAGEMENT- R. W. Stark ..............................................................................1 10 INTRODUCTION by ROBERT W. CAMPBELL, USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Hamden, Connecticut. ANYPROGRAM of integrated control is
  • Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve (NNR) Management Plan

    Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve (NNR) Management Plan

    Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve (NNR) Management Plan 2018 - 2023 Site Description 1: Description 1.1: Location Notes Location Shapwick Heath NNR lies 12 km from M5 Junction 23 between the villages of Westhay and Shapwick. Its central entrance lies on Shapwick Road, which intersects the site, approx. 7 km west of the town of Glastonbury. County Somerset District Sedgemoor and Mendip District Councils Local Planning Somerset County Council: Authority Sedgemoor District Council and Mendip District Council National Grid ST430403 Centre of site Reference See Appenix 1: Map 1 Avalon Marshes 1.2: Land Tenure Area Notes (ha) Total Area of NNR 530.40 Freehold 421.93 Declared an NNR in 1961 and acquired in stages: 1964/ 1984/ 1995 / 2006. Leasehold 108.47 Leased from Wessex Water plc S 35 Agreement S16 Agreement Other Agreements 137.81 A 10 year grazing licence with Mrs E R Whitcombe is in place until 30th April 2021. This includes use of farm buildings and infrastructure. This land is also subject to a Higher Level Stewardship agreement expiring on the same date. Legal rights of See Map 2 – Shapwick Heath NNR Landholdings access Access rights granted to Natural England by the Environment Agency Other rights, Natural England own access, mineral, sporting and covenants, etc. timber rights over all freehold land Notes Copies of leases and conveyances are held at 14-16 The Crescent Taunton TA1 4EB See Appendix 2: Map 2 Shapwick Heath NNR Landholdings 1.3: Site Status Designation Area Date Notes (ha) Special Area of Conservation (SAC) Special Designation: 1995 Part of the Somerset Levels & protection Area Moors SPA (SPA) Ramsar Designation: 1995 Part of the Somerset Levels & Moors Ramsar site NNR 452.4 Declarations: NNR and SSSI boundaries are No.1 1961 similar but not the same.
  • Butterflies & Flowers of the Kackars

    Butterflies & Flowers of the Kackars

    Butterflies and Botany of the Kackars in Turkey Greenwings holiday report 14-22 July 2018 Led by Martin Warren, Yiannis Christofides and Yasemin Konuralp White-bordered Grayling © Alan Woodward Greenwings Wildlife Holidays Tel: 01473 254658 Web: www.greenwings.co.uk Email: [email protected] ©Greenwings 2018 Introduction This was the second year of a tour to see the wonderful array of butterflies and plants in the Kaçkar mountains of north-east Turkey. These rugged mountains rise steeply from Turkey’s Black Sea coast and are an extension of the Caucasus mountains which are considered by the World Wide Fund for Nature to be a global biodiversity hotspot. The Kaçkars are thought to be the richest area for butterflies in this range, a hotspot in a hotspot with over 160 resident species. The valley of the River Çoruh lies at the heart of the Kaçkar and the centre of the trip explored its upper reaches at altitudes of 1,300—2,300m. The area consists of steep-sided valleys with dry Mediterranean vegetation, typically with dense woodland and trees in the valley bottoms interspersed with small hay-meadows. In the upper reaches these merge into alpine meadows with wet flushes and few trees. The highest mountain in the range is Kaçkar Dağı with an elevation of 3,937 metres The tour was centred around the two charming little villages of Barhal and Olgunlar, the latter being at the fur- thest end of the valley that you can reach by car. The area is very remote and only accessed by a narrow road that winds its way up the valley providing extraordinary views that change with every turn.
  • Ecological and Genetic Basis of Metapopulation Persistence of the Glanville Fritillary Butterfly in Fragmented Landscapes

    Ecological and Genetic Basis of Metapopulation Persistence of the Glanville Fritillary Butterfly in Fragmented Landscapes

    ARTICLE Received 19 Dec 2015 | Accepted 27 Dec 2016 | Published 17 Feb 2017 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14504 OPEN Ecological and genetic basis of metapopulation persistence of the Glanville fritillary butterfly in fragmented landscapes Ilkka Hanski1,z, Torsti Schulz1, Swee Chong Wong1, Virpi Ahola1, Annukka Ruokolainen1 & Sami P. Ojanen1 Ecologists are challenged to construct models of the biological consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation. Here, we use a metapopulation model to predict the distribution of the Glanville fritillary butterfly during 22 years across a large heterogeneous landscape with 4,415 small dry meadows. The majority (74%) of the 125 networks into which the meadows were clustered are below the extinction threshold for long-term persistence. Among the 33 networks above the threshold, spatial configuration and habitat quality rather than the pooled habitat area predict metapopulation size and persistence, but additionally allelic variation in a SNP in the gene Phosphoglucose isomerase (Pgi) explains 30% of variation in metapopulation size. The Pgi genotypes are associated with dispersal rate and hence with colonizations and extinctions. Associations between Pgi genotypes, population turnover and metapopulation size reflect eco-evolutionary dynamics, which may be a common feature in species inhabiting patch networks with unstable local dynamics. 1 Metapopulation Research Centre, Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, PO Box 65, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to S.P.O. (email: sami.ojanen@helsinki.fi). zDeceased. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | 8:14504 | DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14504 | www.nature.com/naturecommunications 1 ARTICLE NATURE COMMUNICATIONS | DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14504 abitat loss and fragmentation are the main drivers of threshold can be predicted by spatial configuration, habitat ongoing loss of biodiversity1–3, but ecologists have made quality and Pgi genotypes.
  • Interspecific Variation in Competitor Avoidance and Foraging Success in Sap-Attracted Insects

    Interspecific Variation in Competitor Avoidance and Foraging Success in Sap-Attracted Insects

    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270496969 Interspecific variation in competitor avoidance and foraging success in sap- attracted insects Article in European Journal of Entomology · November 2009 DOI: 10.14411/eje.2009.066 CITATIONS READS 0 10 1 author: Jiichiro Yoshimoto University of the Valley of Guatemala 12 PUBLICATIONS 58 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Climate change effects on the biodiversity of the seasonally dry tropical forests of Motagua Valley in Guatemala View project All content following this page was uploaded by Jiichiro Yoshimoto on 28 January 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Eur. J. Entomol. 106: 529–533, 2009 http://www.eje.cz/scripts/viewabstract.php?abstract=1484 ISSN 1210-5759 (print), 1802-8829 (online) Interspecific variation in competitor avoidance and foraging success in sap-attracted insects JIICHIRO YOSHIMOTO* Laboratory of Insect Ecology, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan Key words. Aggressive interactions, community, foraging strategy, interference competition, resources, tree sap Abstract. Many insect species attracted to fermenting sap often fight for access to this resource, which results in the establishment of interspecific dominance hierarchies. In one such system, the hornet Vespa mandarinia (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) behaviourally dominates during the daytime and several subordinate species avoid aggressive interactions in various ways. In order to elucidate the interspecific variation in competitor-avoidance behaviour and its subsequent effect on foraging success, the behaviour of species of hornets, beetles and butterflies at patches (exudation spots) in Japan was recorded.
  • 1 1 Variation in Melitaea Cinxia Gut Microbiota Is Phylogenetically

    1 1 Variation in Melitaea Cinxia Gut Microbiota Is Phylogenetically

    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/510446; this version posted January 3, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. 1 2 Variation in Melitaea cinxia gut microbiota is phylogenetically highly structured but 3 only mildly driven by host plant microbiota, sex or parasitism. 4 Minard G.1,2 †, Tikhonov G1†, Ovaskainen O.1,3, Saastamoinen M.1 5 6 1Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, University of Helsinki, 7 Helsinki, Finland. 8 2Université de Lyon, Lyon, France ; Ecologie microbienne, UMR CNRS 5557, UMR INRA 9 1418, VetAgro Sup, Université Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France 10 3Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of 11 Science and Technology. N-7491 Trondheim, Norway. 12 13 †The authors contributed equally 14 15 Running title: Microbiota assembly in a specialist herbivore 16 17 18 19 Correspondence: Guillaume Minard, Laboratoire d’Ecologie Microbienne, Université Lyon 20 1, 10 rue Raphael Dubois, 69100 Villeurbanne, [email protected], 21 +33.472.431.143. 22 23 1 bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/510446; this version posted January 3, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission. 24 Originality-Significance Statement 25 The factors contributing to the assembly of microbiota in animals are extremely complex, 26 and thus a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms shaping host-associated 27 microbial communities in natural ecosystems requires extensive ecological studies and 28 appropriate statistical methods.
  • The Butterflies & Birds of Macedonia

    The Butterflies & Birds of Macedonia

    The Butterflies & Birds of Macedonia Naturetrek Tour Report 23 - 30 June 2015 Southern White Admiral Balkan Fritillary Little Tiger Blue Purple-shot Copper Report and images by Gerald Broddelez Naturetrek Mingledown Barn Wolf's Lane Chawton Alton Hampshire GU34 3HJ UK T: +44 (0)1962 733051 E: [email protected] W: www.naturetrek.co.uk Tour Report The Butterflies & Birds of Macedonia Tour participants: Gerald Broddelez (leader) & Martin Hrouzek (local) with seven Naturetrek clients Summary Although Macedonia is largely unknown to those of us in Western Europe with an interest in natural history, it is an extremely rich and exciting wildlife destination. The most southerly of the six republics that were previously a part of Yugoslavia, Macedonia boasts an impressive variety of habitats and scenery, from the high, forested peaks of the Baba Mountains to the hot, rolling plains of Pelagonia. This hidden jewel of the Balkans is also one of Europe’s very best destinations for butterflies. This was our pioneering tour, still we found over 110 species of Butterflies, including many Balkan specialities and Macedonian only endemic, the Macedonian Grayling. We also found an exciting diversity of birds like Dalmatian Pelican, Syrian Woodpecker, Sombre Tit, Roller, Long-legged Buzzard and Masked Shrike! Other wildlife did not disappoint with a good selection of Reptiles and Amphibians seen, many endemic to the Balkan! Day 1 Tuesday 23rd June Fly Thessaloniki & transfer to Kavadarci We departed London on a Jet Air flight to Thessaloniki, Greece. On arrival we met our local guides and transferred north to the border with Macedonia.
  • The Butterfly Handbook General Advice Note on Mitigating the Impacts of Roads on Butterfly Populations

    The Butterfly Handbook General Advice Note on Mitigating the Impacts of Roads on Butterfly Populations

    The butterfly handbook General advice note on mitigating the impacts of roads on butterfly populations working towards Natural England for people, places and nature The butterfly handbook General advice note on mitigating the impacts of roads on butterfly populations including a case study on mitigation for the Marsh Fritillary butterfly along the A30 Bodmin to Indian Queens road improvement scheme Adrian Spalding Spalding Associates (Environmental) Ltd Norfolk House 16-17 Lemon Street Truro TR1 2LS www.spaldingassociates.co.uk ISBN: 1 903798 25 6 This publication was jointly funded by English Nature and the Highways Agency Forward The second half of the last century saw dramatic changes in the countryside of Britain. Our native wildlife continues to be threatened as habitats are damaged or destroyed. Butterflies have probably never been as endangered as they are today following decades of loss of key semi-natural habitats such as flower-rich grasslands. This report is extremely valuable and timely as it concerns an increasingly important habitat for butterflies and other insects. Road verges can help conserve butterflies and other wildlife as they are an opportunity to provide suitable breeding habitats for many species, and provide crucial links between the patches of habitat that remain. Butterflies are highly sensitive indicators of the environment and we know that conservation measures for this group will help many other less well-known components of our biodiversity. Road verges already provide valuable habitats for a wide range of species but this report shows how they can be made even better and contribute an ever more important role in the future.
  • Landscape Message: Jun 12, 2020

    Landscape Message: Jun 12, 2020

    Visit The University of Massachusetts Amherst Apply Give Search UMass.edu (/) Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources from UMass Extension and the Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment: ag.umass.edu/coronavirus (/coronavirus) LNUF Home (/landscape) About (/landscape/about) Newsletters & Updates (/landscape/newsletters-updates) Publications & Resources (/landscape/publications-resources) Services (/landscape/services) Education & Events (/landscape/upcoming-events) Make a Gift (https://securelb.imodules.com/s/1640/alumni/index.aspx?sid=1640&gid=2&pgid=443&cid=1121&dids=2540) Landscape Message: Jun 12, 2020 Jun 12, 2020 Issue: 9 UMass Extension's Landscape Message is an educational newsletter intended to inform and guide Massachusetts Green Industry professionals in the management of our collective landscape. Detailed (/landscape) reports from scouts and Extension specialists on growing conditions, pest activity, and cultural practices for the management of woody ornamentals, trees, and turf are regular features. The Search CAFE following issue has been updated to provide timely management information and the latest regional Search this site news and environmental data. Search UMass Extension has developed a listing of resources for commercial horticulture operations in Massachusetts to help keep you informed and aware of relevant policies and best practices for landscapers, turf managers, arborists, nurseries, garden centers, and Newsletters & greenhouse producers. Updates For our COVID-19 Information and Support for Landscapers, Nurseries, Turf Managers, Garden Centers, Arborists, and Greenhouse Operations in Massachusetts, go Landscape Message to https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/news/covid-19-information-support-for-landscapers- (/landscape/landscape-message) nurseries-turf-managers-garden-centers (/landscape/news/covid-19-information-support- Archived Landscape Messages (/landscape/landscape- for-landscapers-nurseries-turf-managers-garden-centers).
  • Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

    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.