Abstract
The Duke of Burgundy butterfly (Hamearis lucina) is known to have specific habitat requirements for its larval foodplants. However, no studies have yet investigated whether these preferences vary over time or in relation to climate, and there is a paucity of data on whether management on reserves can replicate preferred conditions. Here, we build upon existing research to confirm which characteristics Duke of Burgundy prefer for their larval foodplants, whether preferences remain consistent across years, and whether conservation management on reserves can replicate these conditions. Fieldwork was carried out at Totternhoe Quarry Reserve, a chalk grassland site in Bedfordshire, UK. Confirming previous research, we found that large Primula plants in dense patches were chosen for oviposition, but that once chosen there was no preference to lay eggs on a plant’s largest leaf. Chosen foodplants were also more sheltered and in closer proximity to scrub than their controls. However, at a finer scale, we found little evidence for any preference based on differences in microclimate, or vegetation height immediately surrounding the plants. This suggests features that alter microclimatic conditions at a larger scale are relatively more important for determining the suitability of oviposition sites. Nearly all preferences remained consistent over time and did not vary between years. Management of scrub on the reserve was able to reproduce some preferred habitat features (high plant density), but not others (large plant size).Implications for insect conservationThe consistency of findings across years, despite inter-annual variation in temperature, rainfall and number of adults, indicates that the Duke of Burgundy is conservative in its foodplant choice, highlighting its need for specific habitat management. Targeted management for foodplants could form part of a tractable set of tools to support Duke of Burgundy numbers on reserves, but a careful balance is needed to avoid scrub clearance leaving plants in sub-optimal conditions.
Highlights
The choice of oviposition location by adult female butterflies can be subject to strong selection pressure, as their relatively immobile larvae rely almost completely on female site selection to determine their chances of survival (Chew 1977; García-Barros and Fartmann 2009; Beyer and Schultz 2010) and butterflies commonly have distributions closely linked to that of their larval foodplants (Dennis et al 2004)
110 Primula foodplants with Duke of Burgundy larval damage were located at Totternhoe Quarry Reserve in 2016 (87 plants) and 2020 (23 plants)
Larval damaged foodplants were significantly larger than control plants (Table 2A; Fig. 1A), and damaged foodplants were surrounded by more Primula plants than undamaged controls (Table 2A; Fig. 1B)
Summary
The choice of oviposition location by adult female butterflies can be subject to strong selection pressure, as their relatively immobile larvae rely almost completely on female site selection to determine their chances of survival (Chew 1977; García-Barros and Fartmann 2009; Beyer and Schultz 2010) and butterflies commonly have distributions closely linked to that of their larval foodplants (Dennis et al 2004). Many butterfly populations have become extinct in locations where their foodplants are still abundant (Butterflies Under Threat Team 1986). This may be linked to fine scale habitat differences associated with foodplants, which can reduce larval survival or the chance that butterflies oviposit (Elmes and Wardlaw 1982a, 1982b). Factors found to determine foodplant suitability for butterfly oviposition include, but are not limited to: plant size, accessibility (Anthes et al 2008) and phenology (Leon-Cortes et al 2004); surrounding vegetation structure, degree of shelter and associated microclimate (Fartmann 2006; Loffler et al. Vol.:(0123456789)
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