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Habitat Requirements of the Protected Southern Festoon (Zerynthia Polysena); Adult, Egg and Larval Distribution in a Highly Degraded Habitat Complex

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-117810
  • Habitat quality affects the presence and size of butterfly populations. Resources for all life stages must be found in a given or few habitat patches. Southern festoon (Zerynthia polyxena) is a vulnerable, but locally abundant species in Hungary. The larva requires birthwort (Aristolochia clematitis) as food plant. We examined the small scale habitat use of adults and distribution of eggs and larvae among different vegetation types to reveal the requirements of the species in all life stages. Transect counts were conducted in a tree plantationHabitat quality affects the presence and size of butterfly populations. Resources for all life stages must be found in a given or few habitat patches. Southern festoon (Zerynthia polyxena) is a vulnerable, but locally abundant species in Hungary. The larva requires birthwort (Aristolochia clematitis) as food plant. We examined the small scale habitat use of adults and distribution of eggs and larvae among different vegetation types to reveal the requirements of the species in all life stages. Transect counts were conducted in a tree plantation complex comprising four types of vegetation. Number (+/- SE) of adults, eggs and larvae were lowest in poplar plantation (adult 0.3 +/- 0.2, egg 1.1 +/- 1.1, larva 0.6 +/- 0.3). Medium amount of butterflies were observed in open (adult 8.3 +/- 2.9, egg 3.1 +/- 2.6, larva 3.1 +/- 1.9) and black-locust (adult 9.4 +/- 4.2, egg 12.7 +/- 4.9, larva 4.1 +/- 1.1) habitat. Number of butterflies was highest in hummocks (adult 13.5 +/- 1.5, egg 12.9 +/- 5.7, larva 8.4 +/- 2.1). Adults avoided bare ground. We encountered most eggs in dense food plant patches with high plants. Food plant height also positively influenced the occurrence of the larvae. Although distribution of adults and juvenile forms showed quite similar patterns, we could also reveal some differences that caused by different environmental conditions in distinct vegetation types. Our study stresses the importance of habitat quality, which affects population size of butterflies even in a highly degraded habitat complex.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Noemi Oervoessy, Adam Koroesi, Peter Batary, Agnes Vozar, Laszlo Peregovits
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-117810
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Fakultät für Biologie / Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften
Language:English
Parent Title (English):Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
Year of Completion:2014
Volume:60
Issue:4
Pagenumber:371-387
Source:Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 60(4), pp. 371–387, 2014
Dewey Decimal Classification:5 Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik / 57 Biowissenschaften; Biologie / 570 Biowissenschaften; Biologie
Tag:butterfly euphydryas-aurinia; conservation; ecology; fragmented landscapes; habitat patch; habitat quality; lepidoptera; life stage; management; metapopulation; nympahlidae; population; quality; resource use; tree plantations
Release Date:2015/08/29
Licence (German):License LogoDeutsches Urheberrecht