Habitat preference and functional traits influence responses of tropical butterflies to varied habitat disturbance

Attiwilli, Suman; Karmakar, Tarun; Isvaran, Kavita; Kunte, Krushnamegh

doi:10.1007/s42690-021-00609-1

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Where available, additional information on the distribution, commonness and abundance, habitat preference, and conservation values of butterflies were collected (Attiwilli et al, 2021;Kunte, 2008;Naik et al, 2022;Padhye et al, 2012). Similarly, information on the clade and habit of plants were collected from the literature (http://flora-peninsula-indica.ces.iisc.ac.in/; http://www.worldfloraonline.org/, accessed on December 08, 2021; Borsch et al, 2020;Rao et al, 2014).…”

Section: Data Curationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological interactions: Patterns of host utilization by tropical butterflies

Naik

Bhat

Ghate

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Structural complexity of ecological networks facilitate the functional robustness of natural ecosystems. Threatened by the human actions such as habitat destruction and climate change, species may be more or less prone to ecological perturbations depending on the nature of their interactions. We examined the host network of tropical butterflies from the Indian region to see their level of interconnectedness. We manually curated larval host utilization data for 1053 butterflies of India. About 98.8% of species that occur pan-India and 90.6% of species exclusive to the Western Ghats had known hosts whereas it was only 25.9% for species exclusive to north-east India. There were 2589 unique butterfly-host interactions comprising 519 butterfly species and their 1091 known hosts. However, nearly 30% of the species had only single hosts. The Fabaceae and Poaceae were the key host families that accounted for 32.8% of the interactions. There were clear host preferences and monocots hosted disproportionately more butterfly species and interactions. Vanessa cardui had at least 39 known hosts while Ochlandra travancorica supported 19 butterfly species. There were 2693 species-pairs and 4226 interactions among 469 butterflies due to shared hosts. Many butterfly species that have relatively few/unique hosts might be vulnerable in the context of habitat destruction and climate change. This work has great relevance to the ecology and conservation of butterflies in India.

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Section: Data Curationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological interactions: Patterns of host utilization by tropical butterflies

Naik

Bhat

Ghate

et al. 2021

Preprint

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“…Thus, less melanization in ectotherms is favoured in warmer environments because it enables slower heating rates and lower body temperatures. For insects, some studies indicate warmer environments select for reduced body size (Attiwilli et al., 2022; Brehm et al., 2019; Henriques et al., 2022; Leingärtner et al., 2014; Xing et al., 2016) and melanization (Brakefield & de Jong, 2011; Stelbrink et al., 2019; Xing et al., 2016; Zeuss et al., 2014), while others report the opposite (MacLean et al., 2018) or show no relationship (Brehm & Fiedler, 2004; Dufour et al., 2018). In short, general patterns of insect body size or melanization responses to climate change have not yet emerged.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temperature seasonality drives taxonomic and functional homogenization of tropical butterflies

Hulshof,

Ackerman,

Franqui

et al. 2024

Diversity and Distributions

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AimTo better understand the potential impact of climate change on butterfly assemblages across a tropical island, we model the potential for taxonomic and functional homogenization and determine climate‐ and trait‐mediated shifts in projected species distributions.LocationPuerto Rico.MethodsWe used thousands of museum records of diurnal Lepidoptera to model current (1970–2000) and forecast future (2061–2080) species distributions and combined these to test for taxonomic and functional homogenization. We then quantified climatic‐mediated effects on current and forecasted taxonomic and functional composition and, specifically, whether temperature was a primary driver, as predicted by the temperature–size rule and the thermal melanism hypotheses. Finally, we measured wing traits important in thermoregulation (size and colour) and determined trait‐mediated changes in forecasted species distributions over time.ResultsBased on ensemble model outputs, taxonomic and functional richness and turnover were predicted to vary across the island's complex topography. Our models projected an increase in taxonomic and functional richness over time, and a decrease in taxonomic and functional turnover – a signature of biotic homogenization. Under future climate scenarios, models projected a decrease in wing length and an increase in wing brightness at higher elevations. One variable, temperature seasonality, was the strongest predicted driver of both the current spatial distribution and the projected per cent change over time for not only wing traits but also taxonomic and functional richness and turnover.Main conclusionsThe species distribution models generated here identify several priority regions and species for future research and conservation efforts. Our work also highlights the role of seasonality and climatic variability on diverse tropical Lepidoptera assemblages, suggesting that climatic variability may be an important, albeit overlooked, driver of climate change responses.

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“…Fragmentation resulting from disturbance further diminishes the connectivity and size of suitable butterfly habitats (Attiwilli et al, 2022). Due to their sensitivity to environmental changes, butterflies are important bioindicators for ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Habitat disturbance poses a significant threat to butterfly diversity and conservation, altering forest ecosystems' structure, composition, and function, thereby affecting the availability and quality of resources and microclimates for butterflies (Habel et al, 2018).Fragmentation resulting from disturbance further diminishes the connectivity and size of suitable butterfly habitats (Attiwilli et al, 2022). Due to their sensitivity to environmental changes, butterflies are important bioindicators for ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation.

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mentioning

confidence: 99%

Inter‐habitat community variation of butterflies in an Afrotropical region

2023

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The impact of habitat disturbance on butterfly species assemblage in the Afrotropical region was studied by investigating inter‐habitat community variation of butterflies. Distinct butterfly species assemblages were found across surveyed habitat types, with 1554 adult butterflies of 126 species from five families recorded. The Primary forests had the highest species diversity and a higher dissimilarity between the Secondary and Plantation Forests. Of the 126 species recorded, 80 species were unique to one habitat. We provide new insights into butterfly ecology in the region, which can inform the development of conservation strategies to protect these ecosystems.

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Habitat preference and functional traits influence responses of tropical butterflies to varied habitat disturbance

Cited by 3 publications

References 66 publications

Ecological interactions: Patterns of host utilization by tropical butterflies

Ecological interactions: Patterns of host utilization by tropical butterflies

Temperature seasonality drives taxonomic and functional homogenization of tropical butterflies

Inter‐habitat community variation of butterflies in an Afrotropical region

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