Fruit-Feeding Butterfly Assemblages in a Neotropical Savanna: Assessing Phenological Patterns Using Baited Traps

Abstract

The cerrado savanna is currently one of the most endangered Neotropical biomes, yet while information for many butterfly groups are available from forested habitats, data from savannas and other non-forested habitats remain deficient. The present study assesses the species composition and phenology of fruit-feeding, nymphalid butterfly assemblages in a cerrado reserve at the southern limit of the Brazilian savanna distribution. Butterfly collections were carried out with 20 baited traps organized in four lines of five traps each, from November 2009 to October 2010. In total, 597 individuals from 39 species belonging to all fruit-feeding Nymphalidae clades were captured. Total butterfly abundance peaked at the middle of the wet season, and lowest abundances were recorded in mid dry season. Temperature and precipitation were good predictors of total community abundance and richness, but the most common species showed distinct relationship to these parameters. Species richness in the study site was equivalent or higher to those reported for other cerrado areas, and lower compared to forested habitats. Although interesting patterns emerged from comparative data of fruit-feeding butterfly assemblages, further investigation in diverse Neotropical habitats is needed to produce a more precise picture about the geographical ecology of this insect guild..