Distribution patterns of charaxinae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Yucatan Península, Mexico

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The objectives of this work were to ascertain which environmental, anthropogenic or geographic factors influence the present distribution of Charaxinae in Yucatan Peninsula and to identify distribution patterns which might be linked to biological conservation in the region. We obtained records from collections, literature and field, and analyzed the data with DCA and CCA. We analyzed both matrices, species data (17 species, 151 sites) and environmental data (11 independent variables, 151 sites). Six environmental, physiographic and anthropic descriptors, namely latitude, distance to Caribbean coast, mean annual temperature, distance to present-day urban settlements, altitude, and humidity were statistically significant. Distribution abundance of Charaxinae was higher towards north and south and lower in mid-latitude of the Yucatan Peninsula. We discerned five distribution patterns of Charaxinae in Yucatan Peninsula; each one formed by different species and with different optima along those six variables, confirming that seven species are indicative of conserved environments. We obtained distributional limits for some species according to latitude and humidity (Anaea troglodyta aidea). Key words: Biodiversity, butterflies, conservation, ecological biogeography, humidity gradient, indicator species, latitude, multivariate analysis.Maya-Martínez, A., C. Pozo y J. J. Schmitter-Soto. 2009. Patrones de distribución de Charaxinae (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) en la Península de Yucatán, México. Acta Zoológica Mexicana (n. s.), 25(2): 283-301. RESUMEN. El objetivo de este trabajo fue reconocer qué factores ecológicos, antrópicos o geográficos determinan la distribución actual de los Charaxinae en la península de Yucatán e identificar los patrones de distribución que sean útiles para la conservación biológica del la región. Se obtuvieron registros de colecciones biológicas, literatura y campo y se analizaron los datos por medio de DCA y CCA, a partir matrices de datos de especies (17 especies por 151 sitios) y de datos ambientales (11 variables 283 ISSN 0065-1737 Acta Zoológica Mexicana (n.s.) 25(2): 283-301 (2009) Recibido: 30/11/2007 aceptado: 24/03/2009 independientes por 151 sitios). Seis descriptores ecológicos, fisiográficos y antrópicos, denominados latitud, distancia a la costa del Caribe, temperatura, distancia a los centros urbanos actuales, altitud y humedad fueron estadísticamente significativos. La abundancia general de Charaxinae presentó una relación con la latitud de la Península, teniendo valores mayores hacía las latitudes extremas y una disminución hacia el centro. Se obtuvieron cinco patrones de distribución de los Charaxinae en la península de Yucatán, cada uno formado por diferentes especies y con diferentes óptimos a lo largo de las seis variables independientes seleccionadas, se confirmó que siete especies son indicadoras de ambientes conservados. Se obtuvieron límites de distribución para algunas de las especies según la latitud y la humedad, en particular para Anaea troglodyta aidea.

Effect of Climatic Conditions and Land Cover on Genetic Structure and Diversity of Eunica tatila (Lepidoptera) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

“…Our results clearly show the positive effect of undisturbed areas on the genetic diversity of E. tatila, confirming this species as a bio-indicator of undisturbed tropical forest. Interestingly, the same positive effect of undisturbed areas has been demonstrated on the diversity of Charaxinae butterflies in the Yucatan Peninsula [21]. An interesting framework (Figure 4) of polymorphism in relation to the percentage of forest cover, showed an exponential increase in values when forest cover exceeded 80%.…”

“…It is not surprising that temperature shows a significant effect, considering that it has an important influence on all ecological aspects of butterflies, such as distribution, abundance, habitat use, and oviposition site selection among others ( [22] for a review). Maya-Martínez et al (2009) [21] studied the relationship between Charaxinae butterfly population density and climatic and ecological conditions. These authors showed that the key factors for the presence and abundance of different butterfly genera are high humidity and low temperature, as suggested by our results.…”

“…This may be due to the low number of sample points representing diverse types of land cover across the large area of our study. If the number of representative sample points close to the coast and areas subject to human perturbation were increased, we could determine the negative effects of this kind of perturbations on genetic diversity, as suggested by the study of Maya-Martínez et al (2009) [21] that showed the impact of proximity to coastal areas (vulnerability due to the impact of hurricanes) and urban settlements, on the distribution and abundance of Charaxinae butterfly species in the Yucatan Peninsula.…”

“…Álvarez et al (2005) [20] emphasize the importance of butterfly dispersal, showing that species with a lower dispersal capacity present less gene flow; therefore, natural and anthropogenic barriers represent an important barrier for such species. Butterfly abundance and population size are, in part, related to environmental and climatic conditions (humidity, temperature, rainfall, plant density, patch size, and nectar abundance among others) [21,22] and could determine the level of genetic diversity of a population [23].…”

“…According to Pozo et al (2011) [31], 550 species of butterflies have been recorded and widely studied in the Yucatan Peninsula, attaining a significant amount of knowledge regarding their taxonomy, ecology, and distribution [21,[31][32][33][34][35][36]. In the Yucatan Peninsula, one of the most abundant butterfly species in undisturbed areas is Eunica tatila Herrich-Schäffer, 1855 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).…”