Mobility and oviposition site-selection in Zerynthia cassandra (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae): implications for its conservation

Vovlas, Alessio; Balletto, Emilio; Altini, Enrico; Clemente, Daniela; Bonelli, Simona

doi:10.1007/s10841-014-9662-4

Cited by 14 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…As found in continental populations of Z. cassandra (Vovlas et al 2014; Camerini et al 4 days median, Fig 3). These results have important implications for the conservation of Z. cassandra and the management of its habitat on Elba island.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

“…As found in previous studies, plants in half and full sun (irradiation 3 and 4) are preferred for oviposition (Vovlas et al 2014;Camerini et al 2018;Ghesini et al 2018), as well as plants in patches close to other patches and plants with more flowers (Ghesini et al 2018).…”

Section: Implication For Conservation In Situsupporting

confidence: 56%

“…According to (Vovlas et al 2014) the maximum adult lifespan recorded was 8 days (mean 5.14 2.16 s.d.). For Z. polyxena the maximum recorded life-span was 20 days but the mean lifespan was similar to that measured in our lab study 4.4 (3.4-6.0 95% confidence interval) (Celik, 2012).…”

Section: Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Whenever a patch of plant shoots was found, we measured, according to previous studies (Vovlas et al 2014;Ghesini et al 2018), the following parameters of the area of 1 m radius around the plants: i) number of host plants in the patch; ii) percentage of coverage of iia) herbaceous, iib) shrubby and iic) arboreal plants; iii) a variable describing irradiation (from completely shady (1) to fully irradiated (4)); iv) occurrence of other patches in the area of 10 m radius. Moreover, the following parameters of single host plants have been measured on an average of ten randomly chosen plants per patch representative of the size variation: i) number of Z. cassandra eggs laid on the plant; ii) plant height; iii) number of leaves; iv) number of blooming flowers.…”

Section: Field Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The proximity of nearby patches is another pivotal factor determining the preference of oviposition, in fact, due to its sedentary behaviour and the strong dependence on the hostplant (Vovlas et al 2014;Curtis et al 2015;Camerini et al 2018;Ghesini et al 2018), Z.…”

Section: Implication For Conservation In Situmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Host plant selection and differential survival on two Aristolochia L. species in an insular population of Zerynthia cassandra

et al. 2018

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Understanding host plant preference and the relative quality of resource provided by cooccurring host plants is a key step to predict butterfly species abundance and responses to environmental changes, and, consequently, to plan management measures. Zerynthia cassandra is an Italian endemic species strongly dependent on the availability of its host plants, Aristolochia rotunda and A. lutea. The insular population occurring on Elba island (Tuscan Archipelago) is highly threatened, because of limited host plant distribution, small population size and apparent lack of gene flow with the mainland. In 2017, we carried out field surveys and rearing experiments to i) identify the characteristics of the host plants (vegetative status) and the site characteristics (aspect, irradiation, distance from other patches) correlated with the number of eggs occurring on individual plants, ii) compare larval growth, food-conversions rate and larval and adult survivorship on the two host plants species. Egg occurrence depends on patch irradiation, the number of leaves and flowers occurring on individual plants and the occurrence of nearby patches. These findings allowed to identify the optimal Aristolochia patch features for egg laying and development.Laboratory rearing success was higher than 50% and although plant species did not show a significant effect on oviposition, we found that larval and adult survival was higher on A. rotunda. Our results suggest habitat management aimed at increasing resource availability for Z. cassandra and possible ex-situ conservation actions aimed at recovering the population in case of potential catastrophic events.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 63%

Section: Implication For Conservation In Situsupporting

confidence: 56%

Section: Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Field Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implication For Conservation In Situmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Host plant selection and differential survival on two Aristolochia L. species in an insular population of Zerynthia cassandra

et al. 2018

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New approach for butterfly conservation through local field‐based vegetational and entomological data

et al. 2022

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In mountain ecosystems, it is crucial to identify conservation strategies to avoid local extinctions mainly due to agropastoral abandonment. For this purpose, identifying appropriate system indicators is required, for example, butterflies, which respond precisely and quickly to environmental changes. Zerynthia polyxena is an ecotonal species of butterfly, and thus, through its conservation it could be possible to protect clearing and ecotonal species. To develop conservation measures, we set up a hierarchical investigation that characterizes the ecological preferences of the adult and larval Z. polyxena, and host plant—Aristolochia pallida—by collecting data on the butterfly abundance (adult and larvae), tree cover, and litter plant features and by phytosociological surveys. Adult preferences change along an altitudinal gradient; the highest butterfly presence is at sites with medium elevation (1100 m above sea level [asl]) with high presence of forest, but even sites at low elevation (975 m asl), a high presence of forest favors butterfly abundance. Larvae prefer partially shaded ecotone plots with abundant host plants and low management intensity (corresponding to abundant litter) and with heterogeneous tree cover. High tree cover (70%) at low altitude and low tree cover (<20%) at high altitude favor larval presence. Larvae prefer plants with large leaves. Host plants were more abundant at low elevation where tree cover was low (<20%). We found that the optimal ecological niches of host plant and larvae have a spatial mismatch. By analyzing vegetation dynamics and butterfly monitoring during one field season, we are able to describe current and past (about 10–50 years ago) management pressures, in order to identify butterfly ecological preferences in relation to local features and therefore to suggest local conservation actions that might support Z. polyxena, as well as other butterflies and insects. Specifically, management measures should prevent afforestation (e.g., through irregular mowing) and favor the presence of small clearings and of ecotonal habitats in relation to elevation. Our study suggests that a new multifunctional approach that combines local entomological and vegetational surveys could be applied to define species optimal habitat features and, thus, to address appropriate conservation measures.

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Beauty and the beast: multiple effects of wild boar rooting on butterfly microhabitat

Labadessa

Ancillotto

2023

Biodivers Conserv

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Wild boar is among the most abundant ungulates in Europe and its spread is locally creating concerns as a major threat to biodiversity. However, through their rooting activity, wild boars could play an effective role in the creation of specific microhabitat resources for plants and animals. Here, we tested the hypothesis that wild boar affects the habitat suitability to threatened butterflies, by evaluating the influence of rooting on multiple key aspects of the biology and ecology of the Mediterranean endemic Zerynthia cassandra. Namely, we used Z. cassandra as a model to test the effects of wild boar rooting on adult foraging opportunities, host plant occurrence, and oviposition site selection. We found that herbaceous communities disturbed by wild boar rooting have a higher proportion of plants representing nectar resources for early-flying butterflies. We also discovered that wild boar rooting positively influences the occurrence and abundance of the larval host plant of Z. cassandra, as well as the butterfly site selection for egg-laying. Our results indicate that wild boars may locally prove beneficial to endangered butterflies by favoring habitat quality and availability, and their role as ecosystem engineers should thus be further investigated to improve species and habitat management and conservation actions.

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Mobility and oviposition site-selection in Zerynthia cassandra (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae): implications for its conservation

Abstract: 29The adults' mobility and oviposition preferences of Zerynthia cassandra have been studied for the first

Cited by 14 publications

References 30 publications

Host plant selection and differential survival on two Aristolochia L. species in an insular population of Zerynthia cassandra

Host plant selection and differential survival on two Aristolochia L. species in an insular population of Zerynthia cassandra

New approach for butterfly conservation through local field‐based vegetational and entomological data

Beauty and the beast: multiple effects of wild boar rooting on butterfly microhabitat

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