Diversity in Cycas (Cycadales: Cycadaceae) Species Offered as Larval Food Influences Fecundity of Chilades pandava (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) Adults

Abstract

Chilades pandava (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) larval food quality was studied to determine its influence on adult life history traits. A wild population from Cycas nongnoochiae (Cycadales: Cycadaceae) endemic habitat behaved similarly to the population collected from a garden setting. Cycas micronesica, Cycas revoluta, and Cycas seemannii leaves were used as high-quality food, whereas C nongnoochiae, Cycas taitungensis, and Cycas condaoensis leaves were used as low-quality food. The daily oviposition rate was not influenced by food quality, but longevity and lifetime fecundity of females were increased by high-quality larval food. These results indicate that in situ Cycas species impose a physiological constraint on the genetic capacity to produce offspring by C pandava. The removal of that constraint by high-quality novel Cycas species may be one reason this butterfly can increase in population rapidly after an invasion event and express greater herbivory of Cycas species within invaded regions.

New hosts for the cycad blue butterfly, Luthrodes pandava, Horsfield (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in an island ecosystem

“…Luthrodes pandava herbivory pose a grave threat to cycad population (Marler & Muniappan 2006; Wu et al 2009, 2010; Marler et al 2012a,b, 2017; Fric et al 2014; Tennent, 2014; Whitaker & Salzman 2020). Insect herbivores such as Luthrodes pandava (previously Chilade s pandava ) present one of the primary threats to cycads.…”

Life history traits of cycad blue butterfly, Luthrodes pandava Horsfield (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) on cycad hosts in an Island ecosystem

“…The cycads are facing threats posed by L. pandava such as deforestation, land transformation and shifting cultivation, etc., leading to habitat loss in ANI (Marler et al, 2012a(Marler et al, ,b, 2017. Marler et al (2017) reported that life history traits such as life span and fecundity play an important role in applied ecology and function of natural systems. More knowledge about life history traits of all trophic levels may be significant in conservation management of endangered host plant species.…”

“…Several cycads have been recorded as larval host plants for Luthrodes pandava (Amany et al, 2014; Chang, 1989; Chemnick & Gregory, 2010; Deloso et al, 2020; Feulner et al, 2014; Fric et al, 2014; Gao et al, 2004; Joo et al, 2008; Liu et al, 2003; Marler et al, 2012a,b, 2017; Marler & Muniappan 2006; Purti et al, 2022; Tennent, 2014; Whitaker & Salzman, 2020; Wu et al, 2009, 2010). Recently we had reported two endemic species of the genus Cycas viz.…”

“…These cycads offer food to larvae and influence fecundity of cycad blue butterfly, L. pandava . The cycads are facing threats posed by L. pandava such as deforestation, land transformation and shifting cultivation, etc., leading to habitat loss in ANI (Marler et al, 2012a,b, 2017; Singh, Ranjan, et al, 2021).…”

“…Marler et al (2017) reported that life history traits such as life span and fecundity play an important role in applied ecology and function of natural systems. More knowledge about life history traits of all trophic levels may be significant in conservation management of endangered host plant species.…”