Butterflies of the Great Lakes Region

Douglas, Matthew; Douglas, Jonathan

doi:10.3998/mpub.93474

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The study was conducted in an old field meadow (approximately 75 m by 200 m) in southwestern Ontario (42.97°N, 81.19°W) from May to August 2009 on two commonly occurring butterfly species: the cabbage white ( Pieris rapae ) and the common ringlet ( Coenonympha tullia ). Pieris rapae are abundant from spring to autumn, having up to five overlapping broods in the southern Great Lakes Region (Douglas & Douglas, 2005). The species uses crucifers as larval host plants and is found in a wide variety of habitats.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of different methods of non-lethal tissue sampling on butterflies

Koscinski

Crawford

Keller

et al. 2011

Ecological Entomology

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1. We investigated the effects of two methods of non-lethal tissue sampling on post-release flight behaviour (short-term response) and survival (longterm response) of two butterflies, Pieris rapae and Coenonympha tullia, within the same natural habitat. We applied three treatments: control (no tissue removal), wing clipping, and leg removal. Our study is the first to directly compare the effects of these common sampling methods.2. We monitored the flight behaviour of the butterflies by following individuals immediately after their release. In 99 behaviour trials of P. rapae and 101 of C. tullia we found no significant differences in proportion of time spent flying or displacement per unit time among treatment groups in either species.3. We used standard mark-recapture techniques continuously throughout the flight season to compare the survival of individuals. We marked a total of 687 P. rapae and 490 C. tullia butterflies. We found no significant differences in survival among treatments in either species. 4. We detected differences between the sexes in survival in P. rapae and flight behaviour in C. tullia. In addition to indicating differences in ecology between the sexes, these results also suggest that our analyses were sufficiently powerful to detect a significant effect of tissue removal had such an effect existed. 5. Our work is an important addition to the accumulating evidence that these methods of non-lethal tissue sampling are generally not detrimental. These sampling techniques closely mimic conditions in the wild, as wing wear and leg losses occur naturally.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The species uses crucifers as larval host plants and is found in a wide variety of habitats. Both sexes disperse easily (Douglas & Douglas, 2005). Coenonympha tullia is found in open fields, meadows, and woodland edges, and uses a variety of grasses as larval host plants (Layberry et al , 1998).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of different methods of non-lethal tissue sampling on butterflies

Koscinski

Crawford

Keller

et al. 2011

Ecological Entomology

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“…To evaluate the role of traits in mediating species' responses to urbanization, we collected data on six key traits (Table 1) for the 36 species we observed from several North American and Canadian field guides (Layberry et al, 1998, Douglas & Douglas, 2005, Wagner, 2005, Hall et al, 2014; Table S1). When it was available, we recorded data that was specific to our study region (i.e., mixed wood ecozone of southeastern Canada).…”

Section: Trait Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic and functional homogenization of butterfly communities along an urban gradient

Rivest,

Kharouba

2024

Insect Conserv Diversity

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Urbanization is a major cause of global insect declines, yet some species can persist, and even thrive, in cities. Research on butterflies frequently report reduced diversity in urban habitats compared to rural ones, but less is known about whether urbanization favours butterflies with specific functional traits. Further, few studies have evaluated whether urbanization leads to the biotic homogenization of butterfly communities, despite being frequently reported for other taxa. Here, we investigate how butterfly community composition changes along an urban gradient by surveying 44 sites around Montréal, Quebec, Canada. We test the hypothesis that urban butterfly communities are homogenized at the taxonomic and functional levels. We found clear differences in the structure of urban versus rural butterfly communities with urban areas favouring a few, highly abundant, non‐native species. These shifts were defined by losses of native species richness and abundance combined with increases in non‐native species abundance. For most of the butterfly community, species with longer flight periods were more common in urban areas. Finally, urban communities were homogenized at the taxonomic and functional levels as demonstrated by reductions in beta diversity and variation in several key functional traits (wingspan, larval diet breadth, oviposition style) in urban habitats compared to rural ones. Overall, urban habitats in this region support less diverse butterfly communities that are homogenized. Since urban areas are growing worldwide, a better understanding of how biotic homogenization arises and what its consequences are will be key to guiding future conservation efforts.

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