The African copper connection de Jong, R; van Dorp, K
Entomologische berichten,
08/2006, Letnik:
66, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Apart from their colourful appearance, Copper butterflies are intriguing because of their highly disjunct distribution. Almost all species occur in the Holarctic region, but a few are found isolated ...in the Southern Hemisphere. To learn more about the interrelationship of the southern taxa and their distribution history, an analysis of the phylogeny of the group was carried out. Although morphological characters are sufficient to diagnose the species, they proved insufficient to build a phylogeny on. Therefore, we had recourse to molecules, using two genes. Here we report on the results with regard to the African representatives.
The life history traits (egg, larva, and pupa stage) of the Lycaenidae butterfly, Luthrodes pandava Horsfield (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) observed and trapped on cycad plants are described from the ...Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI), India. The diversity of cycad host plants offered as larval food influences fecundity and conservation status. Zamia furfuracea is recorded for the first time as a cycad host plant and seasonal polyphenism in the ANI, India.
Many butterfly populations respond negatively to land-use intensification in human-dominated landscapes. Networks of protected sites have been established with the aim to halt species loss. We ...undertook annual surveys of all occurrence sites of 22 uncommon butterfly species in eastern Denmark during the period 2014–2019 and compared to a systematic atlas survey done 1989–1993, in order to assess trends in regional occupancy of species. Three out of 22 species went regionally extinct between 1993 and 2015. One species sustained a single population through the study period. Logistic regression for the remaining 18 species showed 10 to be in strong decline from 1993 to 2015, two showed a declining trend and six had stable trends. For all species except one, the declining trend continued 2015–2019. For five species, a sustained strong decline was evident. In 1993, the total count of occurrence sites for all 22 butterfly species was 565, which by 2019 had declined to 158 sites (a 72 % loss over 26 years). From 2015 to 2019 alone, the total count of occurrence sites shrank from 200 to 158 (a 21 % decline over just four years). Legal protection of areas (Natura 2000 and Danish Nature Protection Act §3) was, unexpectedly, not associated with lower probability of local extinction for butterfly population. The observed sustained decline across species suggests an overall low efficiency of the network of protected sites, probably due to a combination of misguided management regimes and payment of extinction debts from the past.
Herbivores possess many counteradaptations to plant defenses, and a growing body of research describes the role of symbiotic gut bacteria in mediating herbivorous diets among insects. However, ...persistent bacterial symbioses have not been found in Lepidoptera, despite the fact that perhaps 99% of the species in this order are herbivorous. We surveyed bacterial communities in the guts of larvae from 31 species of lycaenid butterflies whose caterpillars had diets ranging from obligate carnivory to strict herbivory. Contrary to our expectations, we found that the bacterial communities of carnivorous and herbivorous caterpillars do not differ in richness, diversity, or composition. Many of the observed bacterial genera are commonly found in soil and plant surfaces, and we detected known homopteran endosymbionts in the guts of homopterophagous species, suggesting that larvae acquire gut bacteria from their food and environment. These results indicate that lycaenid butterflies do not rely on specific bacterial symbioses to mediate their diverse diets, and provide further evidence of taxonomically depauperate bacterial communities among Lepidoptera.
Приводится 2 вида Erebidae (Catocala adultera Men., C. pacta L.) и 15 видов Noctuidae (Autographa gamma L., Sympistis senica Ev., Amphipyra erebina Btl., Oligia leuconephra Hmps., Brachylomia ...viminalis F., Parastichtis suspecta Hb., Chasminodes aino Sugi, Actebia praecox L., A. praecurrens Stgr., Dichagyris stentzi Ld., Euxoa nigricans L., E. sibirica Bsdv., Xestia albuncula Ev., X. subgrisea Stgr., Pseudohermonassa melancholica Ld.), впервые собранных в Ботчинском заповеднике в конце лета 2019 года.
We report two species of hairstreak butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Theclinae) collected in Guatemala. Atlides gaumeri (Godman 1901) was recorded for the first time in the country, and Chalybs ...hassan (Stoll 1790) has been rediscovered for the first time since the late 1800s or early 1900s.
Most taxonomists agree on the need to adapt current classifications to recognize monophyletic units. However, delineations between higher taxonomic units can be based on the relative ages of ...different lineages and/or the level of morphological differentiation. In this paper, we address these issues in considering the species‐rich Polyommatus section, a group of butterflies whose taxonomy has been highly controversial. We propose a taxonomy‐friendly, flexible temporal scheme for higher‐level classification. Using molecular data from nine markers (6666 bp) for 104 representatives of the Polyommatus section, representing all but two of the 81 described genera/subgenera and five outgroups, we obtained a complete and well resolved phylogeny for this clade. We use this to revise the systematics of the Polyommatus blues, and to define criteria that best accommodate the described genera within a phylogenetic framework. First, we normalize the concept of section (Polyommatus) and propose the use of subtribe (Polyommatina) instead. To preserve taxonomic stability and traditionally recognized taxa, we designate an age interval (4–5 Myr) instead of a fixed minimum age to define genera. The application of these criteria results in the retention of 31 genera of the 81 formally described generic names, and necessitates the description of one new genus (Rueckbeilia gen. nov.). We note that while classifications should be based on phylogenetic data, applying a rigid universal scheme is rarely feasible. Ideally, taxon age limits should be applied according to the particularities and pre‐existing taxonomy of each group. We demonstrate that the concept of a morphological gap may be misleading at the genus level and can produce polyphyletic genera, and we propose that recognition of the existence of cryptic genera may be useful in taxonomy.
Luthrodes pandava Horsfield (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) has been reported as a pest of cycad plants in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India for the first time. Its impact on host species is assessed. ...Compared to introduced species, endemic cycads appear to be most susceptible to damage by its larvae, feeding on the plant and affecting growth. Larvae damage all above‐ground plant parts. C. dharmrajii L. J. Singh and C. pschannae R.C. Srivast. & L. J. Singh, endemic to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, are recorded here for the first time as new host plants.
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