Dispersing maleParnassius smintheusbutterflies are more strongly affected by forest matrix than are females

Abstract

Dispersal is a central aspect of the ecology, evolution, and conservation of species. Predicting how species will respond to changing environmental conditions requires understanding factors that produce variation in dispersal. We explore one source of variation, differences between sexes within a spatial population network. Here, we compare the dispersal patterns of male and female Parnassius smintheus among 18 subpopulations over 8 years using the Virtual Migration Model. Estimated dispersal parameters differed between males and females, particularly with respect to movement through meadow and forest matrix habitat. The estimated dispersal distances of males through forest were much less than for females. Observations of female movement showed that, unlike males, females do not avoid forest nor does forest exert an edge effect. We explored whether further forest encroachment in this system would have different effects for males and females by fitting mean parameter estimates to the landscape configuration seen in 1993 and 2012. Despite differences in their dispersal due presumably to both habitat and physiological differences, males and females are predicted to respond in similar ways to reduced meadow area and increased forest isolation.

Occurrence of an endangered grassland butterfly is mainly driven by habitat heterogeneity, food availability, and microclimate

“…Habitat quality for butterflies is usually determined by host‐plant availability and microclimate (García‐Barros & Fartmann, 2009; Curtis et al ., 2015). Additionally, butterflies normally form metapopulations; hence, their distribution in cultivated landscapes also depends on the size and connectivity of habitat patches (WallisDeVries, 2004; Eichel & Fartmann, 2008; Goff et al ., 2019).…”

Biology of the oldest butterfly species in the world, Baronia brevicornis: food, abundance, polymorphism, and survival

“…Another hypothesis that does not exclude the former idea of sexual harassment, is that females may opt to stay in sites with food resources for them, and males may opt to stay on plants in which females mate and oviposit. Indeed, it has been suggested that female behavior might be responsible for skewed sex ratios (Vlasanek et al, 2009;Goff et al, 2019). Knowing if females depart from their place of emergence to avoid males or to feed on the flowers from plants other than those of the host plant, will help determine the cause of the operational sex ratio observed here.…”

Lost in Space: Preference and Performance of Parnassius smintheus Feeding on Sedum lanceolatum and Rhodiola integrifolia

“…Along Jumpingpound Ridge, the butterflies, both of their host plants, and their nectar flowers exist within 17 sub-alpine meadows. Meadows are surround by forest consisting of Abies lasiocarpa , Pinus contorta , and Picea engelmanii which acts as a barrier to their dispersal (Goff et al 2019, Matter et al 2020).…”