Conservation efforts in terrestrial environments have focused on preserving patches of natural habitats and restoring disturbed habitats, with the main goal of transforming them into forests or habitats that resemble the original conditions. This approach tends to overlook the importance of conserving early successional vegetation (e.g., riverside vegetation, natural regeneration, young secondary forests), which often includes a large number of species (e.g., plants and animals) associated with or restricted to these habitats. In this paper we want to bring to attention the importance of preserving early successional vegetation, and to encourage scientists to investigate, e.g., the diversity, distribution, and species interactions occurring in these habitats. To address these goals, we focus on two main objectives: (1) to identify the common types of early successional vegetation in the Costa Rican Central Valley; and (2) to use some case studies to draw attention to the importance that such areas have as reservoirs of a large portion of the diversity unique to early successional stages. We first include an example to show the diversity of plants in small forest patches immersed in a large urbanized area. We provide general information on the insects that occur in early successional vegetation in urban areas, and in further detail examples of butterflies. Additionally, we provide examples of birds and mammals that are restricted to early successional vegetation, and how the reduction of this vegetation type affects species conservation. Finally, we encourage scientists to investigate these early successional habitats, particularly those species exclusive to early successional stages. Special attention should be paid to endemic species and those with a restricted distribution. Information of this type will make conservation of the diversity contained in these habitats possible.
ABSTRACT. Observations on U. fulgens behavior were done in Costa Rica during a mass migration in 2005; notes on the behavior of a non-migratory population are also documented. Tapantí National Park seems to be a possible destiny for the migrating butterflies. A new possible larval food plant is recorded.Durante años se ha observado la migración de la mariposa Urania fulgens (L.) en Costa Rica. Sin embargo, no todos los años es igual de evidente pues ocurre con diferentes intensidades.La distribución de las poblaciones está determinada por la presencia de su planta hospedera Omphalea spp. (Euphorbiaceae) (Smith 1983. Florida Entomol. 66(1)76-85
Dissections and scientific illustrations were done of the spiral organ located in the forewing subcostal vein of H. chloe, which was compared with other Hamadryas species that produce audible sound signals. Important differences were found; for example, in H. chloe, this organ is split into many independent pieces called membrane discs, whereas in the others species, it consists of just a single spiral. Implications for systematic analysis are discussed, with support from observations on ecology, chorology, and male genitalia.
A cladistic analysis of the genus Hamadryas was done in order to answer two questions: is the genus Hamadryas monophyletic and, what characters best define the different species groups of the genus? The computer programs WinClada ver. 1.00.08 and Nona ver. 2.8 for phylogenetic analysis were used. The 20 species of Hamadryas were analyzed together with Ectima erycinoides, Batesia hypochlora and Panacea procilla; these four genera together form the sub-tribe Ageronina of the subfamily Biblidinae. These 23 species with a total of 66 characters were included in the data matrix: 43 of external morphology, two from the fore wing spiral organ (responsible for sound production), and 20 of the male genitalia. Three different analyses, including all of the non-Hamadryas, using each species as the out-group, were done in order to compare results. A fourth analysis, using only Ectima erycinoides as an out group, was done in order to verify and compare the species groups of Hamadryas Also, three different phylogenetic attributes were mapped: biogeography, palatability and capacity to produce sound signals. An identification key to all the species of Hamadryas was prepared. All the analysis done combining Hamadryas with the other three genera suggests that Hamadryas as currently defined is polyphyletic.
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