Host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, Lycaena dispar batavus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) II. Larval survival on alternative host plants in the field
The Large Copper butterfly, Lycaena dispar batavus, is extinct in Britain and rapidly declining in Europe, due predominantly to loss of its wetland habitats. Northern populations have more specialised foodplant and habitat requirements than their more southerly counterparts and rely solely on Rumex...
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Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science
2004-03-01
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doaj-95f706f78e3c455c9fe28e2d687bb93d2021-04-16T20:33:40ZengInstitute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of ScienceEuropean Journal of Entomology1210-57591802-88292004-03-011011576210.14411/eje.2004.013eje-200401-0013Host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, Lycaena dispar batavus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) II. Larval survival on alternative host plants in the fieldLynn A. MARTIN0Andrew S. PULLIN1Department of Life Sciences, Keele University, Staffs ST5 5BG, UKSchool of Biosciences, The University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UKThe Large Copper butterfly, Lycaena dispar batavus, is extinct in Britain and rapidly declining in Europe, due predominantly to loss of its wetland habitats. Northern populations have more specialised foodplant and habitat requirements than their more southerly counterparts and rely solely on Rumex hydrolapathum, the Great Water Dock, as their hostplants. Southern colonies use a greater range of Rumex. Previous work has shown that specialisation is not due to foodplant chemistry and in this paper we investigate the ability of different Rumex species to support the larval stages of L. d. batavus in a natural environment. Comparisons were also made between a captive colony at Woodwalton Fen, Cambridgeshire, UK and native larvae at De Weerribben, Netherlands. Field experiments using a captive colony revealed that other Rumex hosts can successfully support larvae throughout each of their larval stages in wet grassland and fenland habitats with no significant differences in survival rates compared with their natural hostplant R. hydrolapathum. An overwintering experiment using a native wild population of both butterfly and Rumex species in De Weerribben found 25% of larvae survived on the natural hostplant R. hydrolapathum and no survivors on alternative Rumex hosts. It is suggested that R. crispus and R. obtusifolius growing in their natural habitat may harbour significant competitors to L. d. batavus leading to its specialisation on R. hydrolapathum in fenland habitats.https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-200401-0013_Host-plant_specialisation_and_habitat_restriction_in_an_endangered_insect_Lycaena_dispar_batavus_Lepidoptera.phpbutterfly ecologylarval survivalrumexfenlandcompetitive exclusion |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Lynn A. MARTIN Andrew S. PULLIN |
spellingShingle |
Lynn A. MARTIN Andrew S. PULLIN Host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, Lycaena dispar batavus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) II. Larval survival on alternative host plants in the field European Journal of Entomology butterfly ecology larval survival rumex fenland competitive exclusion |
author_facet |
Lynn A. MARTIN Andrew S. PULLIN |
author_sort |
Lynn A. MARTIN |
title |
Host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, Lycaena dispar batavus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) II. Larval survival on alternative host plants in the field |
title_short |
Host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, Lycaena dispar batavus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) II. Larval survival on alternative host plants in the field |
title_full |
Host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, Lycaena dispar batavus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) II. Larval survival on alternative host plants in the field |
title_fullStr |
Host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, Lycaena dispar batavus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) II. Larval survival on alternative host plants in the field |
title_full_unstemmed |
Host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, Lycaena dispar batavus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) II. Larval survival on alternative host plants in the field |
title_sort |
host-plant specialisation and habitat restriction in an endangered insect, lycaena dispar batavus (lepidoptera: lycaenidae) ii. larval survival on alternative host plants in the field |
publisher |
Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Science |
series |
European Journal of Entomology |
issn |
1210-5759 1802-8829 |
publishDate |
2004-03-01 |
description |
The Large Copper butterfly, Lycaena dispar batavus, is extinct in Britain and rapidly declining in Europe, due predominantly to loss of its wetland habitats. Northern populations have more specialised foodplant and habitat requirements than their more southerly counterparts and rely solely on Rumex hydrolapathum, the Great Water Dock, as their hostplants. Southern colonies use a greater range of Rumex. Previous work has shown that specialisation is not due to foodplant chemistry and in this paper we investigate the ability of different Rumex species to support the larval stages of L. d. batavus in a natural environment. Comparisons were also made between a captive colony at Woodwalton Fen, Cambridgeshire, UK and native larvae at De Weerribben, Netherlands. Field experiments using a captive colony revealed that other Rumex hosts can successfully support larvae throughout each of their larval stages in wet grassland and fenland habitats with no significant differences in survival rates compared with their natural hostplant R. hydrolapathum. An overwintering experiment using a native wild population of both butterfly and Rumex species in De Weerribben found 25% of larvae survived on the natural hostplant R. hydrolapathum and no survivors on alternative Rumex hosts. It is suggested that R. crispus and R. obtusifolius growing in their natural habitat may harbour significant competitors to L. d. batavus leading to its specialisation on R. hydrolapathum in fenland habitats. |
topic |
butterfly ecology larval survival rumex fenland competitive exclusion |
url |
https://www.eje.cz/artkey/eje-200401-0013_Host-plant_specialisation_and_habitat_restriction_in_an_endangered_insect_Lycaena_dispar_batavus_Lepidoptera.php |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT lynnamartin hostplantspecialisationandhabitatrestrictioninanendangeredinsectlycaenadisparbatavuslepidopteralycaenidaeiilarvalsurvivalonalternativehostplantsinthefield AT andrewspullin hostplantspecialisationandhabitatrestrictioninanendangeredinsectlycaenadisparbatavuslepidopteralycaenidaeiilarvalsurvivalonalternativehostplantsinthefield |
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1721524932929650688 |