Life Of Butterflies Research Articles

Fugitive gypsum dust deposition on a neighboring wildlife refuge, Antioch Dunes, California, USA

ABSTRACT Fugitive dust emissions play an important role in urban air quality. Much research on fugitive dust’s effects has focused on human health and societal impacts, with limited work investigating effects on other species. The endangered Apodemia mormo langei butterfly is endemic to the Antioch Dunes, a small area on the south bank of the San Joaquin River in northern California, largely protected as a National Wildlife Refuge. Between the two protected portions of the dunes is a gypsum processing facility. Deposition of gypsum dust may adversely affect endangered insects, especially in their vulnerable larval life stage. Persistent westerly winds blow from the western section of the refuge, across the industrial facility, to the eastern protected dune area. Ambient particulate matter (PM) was collected at 30 sites in both sections of the refuge using passive samplers deployed at times matching the butterfly life cycle. The prevailing wind maintained upwind-downwind sampling orientation throughout the study. PM samples were analyzed for total mass, and elemental composition via X-ray fluorescence. Downwind concentrations of gypsum-related elements were between 4 (strontium) and 12 (sulfur) times higher than upwind loadings, suggesting deposition of PM from the gypsum facility. The effect of fugitive emissions was strongest at the industrial facility’s fenceline, closest to a conveyor belt that loads gypsum. Combined with documented reductions in insect larval longevity when exposed to gypsum dust, the results suggest that gypsum deposition may be affecting the ecosystem and endangered species in the downwind unit of the Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge. Implications: Fugitive dust has impacts not only on humans, but on other organisms. The Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge (ADNWR) in California, set aside to protect the endangered Apodemia mormo langei butterfly, consists of two land units separated by a gypsum processing facility in between them. In this study, we demonstrate fugitive gypsum dust deposition on the downwind unit of the ADNWR, which may impact the endangered butterfly and its ecosystem.

Body size, not species identity, drives body heating in alpine Erebia butterflies

Efficient thermoregulation is crucial for animals living under fluctuating climatic and weather conditions. We studied the body heating of six butterfly species of the genus Erebia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) that co-occur in the European Alps. We tested whether butterfly physical characteristics (body size, wing loading) are responsible for the inter-specific differences in body temperatures recorded previously under natural conditions. We used a thermal camera to measure body heating of wild butterfly individuals in a laboratory experiment with artificial light and heating sources. We revealed that physical characteristics had a small effect on explaining inter-specific differences in mean body temperatures recorded in the field. Our results show that larger butterflies, with higher weight and wing loading, heated up more slowly but reached the same asymptotic body temperature as smaller butterflies. Altogether, our results suggest that differences in body temperatures among Erebia species observed in the field might be caused mainly by species-specific microhabitat use and point towards an important role of active behavioural thermoregulation in adult butterflies. We speculate that microclimate heterogeneity in mountain habitats facilitates behavioural thermoregulation of adults. Similarly, microclimate structuring might also increase survival of less mobile butterfly life stages, i.e., eggs, larvae and pupae. Thus, landscape heterogeneity in management practices may facilitate long term survival of montane invertebrates under increased anthropogenic pressures.

Struktur Komunitas Kupu-Kupu (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera) di KHDTK Wanadipa Undip Kabupaten Semarang, Jawa Tengah

Kawasan Hutan Dengan Tujuan Khusus (KHDTK) Wanadipa Undip is one part of the Penggaron forest that located in East Ungaran District, Semarang Regency. Part of the KHDTK Wanadipa Undip area has a variety of vegetation that has the potential as a habitat for butterflies. This study aims to analyze the community structure and identify the types of butterflies found in KHDTK Wanadipa Undip, Semarang Regency. Butterflies are one of the herbivores in terrestrial ecosystems that have several roles in the ecological and economic fields. The method used is roaming and point determination using a point count of 4 plots with a distance of 50 meters from each point and a time of ± 20 minutes. The results showed 31 types of butterflies belonging to 5 families. The highest relative abundance index value at 3 stations was found in the species Catopsilia pyranthe, while the lowest was at station 2, namely Euploea mulciber and Hypolimnas bolina species. The diversity index value is 1.43 – 3.12 which is classified as low to moderate. The evenness index value at all stations is classified as almost evenly, which is 0.74 – 0.93. The highest similarity index is found at stations 3 and 4 as well as environmental factor parameters at KHDTK Wanadipa Undip such as altitude, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and light intensity, which are sufficient for butterfly life.

R12 Metamorphosis Theory In Creation Of The Universe With Dyniviti Pradigm And Economic Covid Era

The purpose of this study is to analyze the creation of the universe with the Dynic Paradigm according to the R12 Metamorphosis Reproduction (Metamorep) Theory in the 6 stages of the Covid economic era. The theory of R12 metamorphosis is based on the formula R12 and the Metamorphosis pattern. R12 is the Roikhan-12 formula that develops the Initial Edge Concept. The Metamorphosis Pattern is found in the changes in the Butterfly from the beginning. The Dynic Paradigm refers to the content of the scriptures according to truth and facts. This research was conducted in a desk study by collecting sources from scriptures, journals, books, and electronic media. The methodology used is Reflective Qualitative. The method used is metaphor and similarity. The result obtained is the Theory R12 Metamorphosis in the creation of the universe consists of 6 stages. This stage is a combination of the butterfly life cycle plus the creature's breeding cycle. It starts with 1 dot like an egg which contains high-density matter. Then there was a separation which was called the Early Edge Concept. Similar to this concept is the meaning of the Quran Surah Hid 11.114 which is interpreted as a separation from 1 solid dot into 2 parts, namely the edge of the universe's matter has 2 parts, and at the beginning of the universe's matter, there is 1 part in the caterpillar metaphor. Followed by the transformation into a Nebula with smoke covering the galaxy with the metaphor of a cocoon with the reflexivity of the universe praying. The last stage of Metamorphosis is the Butterfly which is represented in the form of the universe starting to develop at the beginning of its perfection. Two additional stages are before the reproductive period with the maturity level of the young universe. The last is the reproduction phase of the universe with a more mature maturity. The Dynic Paradigm is a solution for the development of the theory of the creation of the universe that combines existing theories with the contents of the holy book of the Covid economic era.

Data Jenis-jenis Kupu-kupu Di Lingkungan Perumahan Bukit Kalibagor

Butterflies are part of the biological wealth that must be preserved. Butterflies have important values ??for humans and the environment, including: ecological, aesthetic, educational, endemic, conservation and cultural values. Butterflies are one type of insect that comes from the order Lepidotera, namely insects whose wings are covered by scales, and have a very important role in maintaining the ecosystem. Good geographical distribution and diversity of butterflies can provide good information in environmental studies as environmental indicators, as well as changes that may occur. Butterflies also make a very significant contribution in maintaining the balance of nature by acting as pollinators in flowers along with other pollinating animals. Butterflies are also insects whose existence is determined by their distributional ability and adaptation to environmental factors. Factors that play an important role in the existence of butterflies are plants. Plants are used by butterflies as host plants and food sources. Butterfly diversity is also influenced by abiotic factors. Several abiotic factors that affect the life of butterflies, among others: temperature, humidity, season, and wind speed. How the types of butterflies in the residential area of ??Bukit Kalibagor Indah have never been studied and published considering that currently the types of butterflies in each ecosystem have different species. This study aims to determine the types of butterflies in the Bukit Kalibagor Indah residential area. The parameters observed were the types of butterflies. Samples were taken from the Bukit Kalibagor Indah residential area. The research was conducted in April 2021 - June 2021 for 2 months. This research was conducted using the roaming method. The results of the study found 10 species with 6 genera from 48 individuals belonging to 2 families, namely Nympalidae (3 species) and Pieridae (7 species). Keywords: Types, Butterflies, Beautiful Kalibagor Hill Housing

Pre-service Elementary Science Teacher Preparation through Children’s Literature

We investigated pre-service elementary teachers’ engagement in science and English language arts (ELA) instruction integrated in the context of a children’s book. Teachers developed models and conducted a compare-and-contrast analysis after exposure to different accounts of the butterfly life cycle: a popular children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and a scientific account from National Geographic called “Butterfly: A Life.” The mixed-methods research was guided by the following question: What are the affordances and limitations of children’s literature toward engendering an understanding of the butterfly life cycle for pre-service elementary teachers? Content analysis indicated that pre-service elementary teachers’ abilities to compare and contrast the two accounts were not exceptional, as they failed to discriminate between ideas offered in the accounts and missed details of the key aspect of the butterfly life-cycle phenomenon: metamorphosis. However, the quality of participants’ butterfly life-cycle models significantly increased after exposure to the scientific account. We suggest the potential for an additional ELA standard, asking and answering such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text, as a means for enhancing compare-and-contrast skills following these activities.

Butterfly Life Cycle Algorithm for Measuring Company’s Growth Performance based on BSC and SWOT Perspectives

Butterfly Life Cycle Algorithm for Measuring Company’s Growth Performance based on BSC and SWOT Perspectives

Keanekaragaman Kupu-Kupu (Lepidoptera) di Sekitar Pinggiran Sungai Maslete Kabupaten Timor Tengah Utara

Research on butterfly diversity has been carried out, especially in Java, but not all regions in Indonesia have obtained data on butterfly diversity. One in the North Central Timor Regency is still not much done, especially around the banks of the river Maslete, North Central Timor Regency. The purpose of this study was to determine the types of butterflies, to know the diversity of butterflies, to determine environmental factors that affect the life of butterflies around the banks of the river Maslete, North Central Timor Regency and to determine the implementation of research results in learning biology in school. The method used in this study is the roaming method. Determination of sampling locations is done by purposive sampling method. Sampling was carried out by following a 500m transect line, the transect line was made on the transect line. The distance between subtransects is 250m. In each subtransect, 2 plots of 5x5 m2 were made. Butterflies are captured using nets and identification is based on the morphological characteristics of the butterfly. The data obtained were analyzed for diversity using the Shannon-wienner diversity index. The results of research around the banks of the river maslete found 7 types of butterflies belonging to 3 families namely Pieridae with 3 types, Nymphalidae with 2 types and Papilionidae with 2 types. The index of butterfly diversity around the banks of the Maslete River is relatively low with an H value of 0.9884. The results of measurements of environmental parameters around the Maslete riverbanks show that air temperatures range between 34.37-34.67o C and humidity ranges between 57-59%.

METAMORPOSER: REPRESENTASI VISUAL KEHIDUPAN DALAM MEDIA TEMBUS PANDANG

Butterflies are God's creatures that are considered beautiful and the final form of a changing process called metamorphosis. Humans and butterflies undergone phase of changes to reach maturity, both also have similar behaviors to maintain their existence. Relics from the beginning of the history show that humans in various parts of the world have observed the life of butterflies and depicted them in works of art. This final project of art creation took butterflies as a representation of life that experiences conflict between internal urgency and the desire to meet the external demand, this process is seen as the path to self totality. Butterfly as a metaphor not only appear in the picture; their characteristics also showed in the artwork. The characteristics of butterfly wings that can be seen from two sides, lightweight and thin presented in the artwork through the use of tracing paper as medium.

An exploration of the fungal assemblage in each life history stage of the butterfly, Lycaeides melissa (Lycaenidae), as well as its host plant Astragalus canadensis (Fabaceae)

Abstract Understanding the ecological role of symbiotic microbes is an area of increasing interest. With regard to mediating plant–insect interactions, it has become apparent that symbiotic microbes are of fundamental importance. However, elucidation of the roles of symbiotic microbes in these systems has been hampered by a lack of knowledge regarding microbial community structure; with fungi, in particular, being understudied components of symbiont assemblages. Here, we present one of the first studies to characterize fungi associated with each life history stage of a lepidopteran herbivore (egg, larva, pupa, and adult) and the leaves of its host plant. We used a culture-independent approach and explored the possibility that plant-associated fungi may colonize butterflies. The fungal assemblage recovered from each butterfly life history stage was a subset of the fungi that occurred on host plant leaves. The most diverse fungal assemblage recovered from a butterfly life history stage was associated with eggs of wild-caught females. Because fungi recovered from all butterfly life history stages were also found on host plant tissues, our study raises the possibility that butterflies could disperse fungi between individual plants. Additionally, we observed a marked reduction in fungal diversity during pupation. As one of the first studies examining the fungal microbiome of a holometabolous insect throughout its life history, our results highlight the diversity of fungi associated with insect herbivores and their hosts and suggest possibilities for further work examining plant–insect–fungal interactions.

A natural history of English gardening, 1650-1800

Inspired by the pioneering naturalist Gilbert White, who viewed natural history as the common study of cultural and natural communities, Mark Laird unearths forgotten historical data to reveal the complex visual cultures of early modern gardening. Ranging from climate studies to the study of a butterfly's life cycle, this original and fascinating book examines the scientific quest for order in nature as an offshoot of ordering the garden and field. Laird follows a broad series of chronological events-from the Little Ice Age winter of 1683 to the drought summer of the volcanic 1783-to probe the nature of gardening and husbandry, the role of amateurs in scientific disciplines, and the contribution of women as gardener-naturalists. Illustrated by a stunning wealth of visual and literary materials-paintings, engravings, poetry, essays, and letters, as well as prosaic household accounts and nursery bills-Laird fundamentally transforms our understanding of the English landscape garden as a powerful cultural expression.

CONSTRUCTING BALINESE ANALOGY AND PROVERB BASED ON BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA: THE INITIATIVE OF BALINESE BIODIVERSITY DOCUMENTATION

<p>The nature is real teacher for a person who wish to develop their intelligence. Intelli­gence is a natural quality of live. The universe intelligence are hidden everywhere, and if we have eyes to see, we can see it everywhere. We can learn from animals on how they sleep, they live and their interaction each others. Most people in every traditional culture learn based on their beliefs rather than their reason (Suryadarma, 2012). There are many different ways to look the uniqueness of biodiversity and the interrelationship between humans and their social and biophysical surroundings. <br />People in the past; i.e. hunting and gathering communities were heavily depended on their immediate natural resources to meet most of their basic needs. Therefore, they closely interacted with their environment and thereby, gained a sound knowledge and understand­ing the uniqueness of each species and its underlying ecological processes. Many events in daily life is interesting, in the sense that many phenomena and objects can be directly ob­served. The richness of biological pehenomena in the ecosystems can be directly observed. Some phenomena had recorded as a proverbs, analogy and song. <br />Balinese use the uniqueness of biodiversity resources and ecological phenomena in their daily life to find analogy, proverb and song to reflect their life. Yesudian (1989) declared; that man is the culminating point of the creation but in the man alone are animal, human and divine qualities alive and active together. Which aspects of our nature are to manifest? To manifest the humanity is the purpose of our earthly life (Suryadarma, 2010). This is the rea­son why the Balinese use proverbs, analogy, and song as part of learning process. Learning is processes of our escalation where it processes e.g. it can be analogized with the process of transformation on butterfly life cycle <br />Tsunami is a large ocean waves that washes everything in the shallow water of a shore­line where globalization can be analogized with tsunami process in which the world increas­ingly their activities. Globalization is the fact where the people have been two ways in look­ing at it impact on their life activities. It is the reason why each person use different ways looking of proverbs, analogy in our cultural activities. How develop its in deferent level and different site into better science for better life? How to explore and develop it as sources of biodiversity documentation information because these activities will be developed the fra­grance of ecological wisdom and enter in every one heart.</p>

How universal are reserve design rules? A test using butterflies and their life history traits

We used butterfly species lists available for a set of 125 Czech Republic National Nature Reserves and Monuments, the highest small‐sized conservation category in the country encompassing practically all biotope types existing in central Europe, to test the validity of generally agreed “reserve design rules” using multivariate ordination analyses. Further, we used ordination analysis of butterfly life history traits to seek for biological mechanisms responsible for butterfly community responses to essentially geometric reserves characteristics. Reserve area, relative perimeter, within reserve habitat heterogeneity, and surrounding landscape compositional and configurational heterogeneity all affected the composition of butterfly assemblages after controlling for effects of geographical position and prevailing biotope type. Species inclining towards large reserves displayed low mobility and high local population density, probably because they require large habitat areas to maintain self‐sustaining populations; such species tend to have restricted distribution in the country and threatened status. Reserves with relatively long boundaries hosted species with high mobility, broad trophic range and long adult period; faunas of such reserves contain high proportions of widespread generalists. Species with narrow trophic ranges inclined towards reserves containing diverse habitats, probably due to requirements for high floristic diversity. Species with short adult flight, low generations number and overwintering in early stages inclined towards reserves situated amidst diverse landscapes, perhaps because such species require finely‐grained mosaics for metapopulation dynamics. Commonly agreed reserve design rules thus hold for Central European butterflies, but different design characteristics are important for individual species, depending on their life histories.

Development of a virtual butterfly ecological system based on augmented reality and mobile learning technologies

A campus butterfly garden is a useful teaching resource for studying insect ecology because students can learn about a butterfly's life cycle and become familiar with its habitual behavior by breeding and observation activities. However, it requires professional construction and maintenance for sustainable development, so very few schools can afford to own a butterfly garden. In this study, the augmented reality and mobile learning technologies have been used to develop a virtual butterfly ecological system by combining with campus host plants and virtual breeding activities. Students can use smart phones or tablet PCs to breed virtual butterflies on host plants and observe their life cycles at different growing stages. Using the available space in campus, a virtual butterfly garden can also be created as a greenhouse where students are able to observe different species of butterflies using the tracking telescope and catch a butterfly to obtain its information by touch-screen control. The virtual butterfly ecological system can increase the learning motivation and interest of students through virtual breeding and observation activities, so it is a suitable assistant tool for science education. A teaching experiment has been conducted to investigate students' learning effectiveness and attitudes after using the system, and the results show that using the virtual butterfly ecological system can improve their learning effectively.

What prolongs a butterfly's life?: Trade-offs between dormancy, fecundity and body size.

In butterflies, life span often increases only at the expense of fecundity. Prolonged life span, on the other hand, provides more opportunities for oviposition. Here, we studied the association between life span and summer dormancy in two closely related species of Palearctic Meadow Brown butterflies, the endemic Maniola nurag and the widespread M. jurtina, from two climatic provenances, a Mediterranean and a Central European site, and tested the relationships between longevity, body size and fecundity. We experimentally induced summer dormancy and hence prolonged the butterflies’ life in order to study the effects of such a prolonged life. We were able to modulate longevity only in Mediterranean females by rearing them under summer photoperiodic conditions (light 16 h : dark 8 h), thereby more than doubling their natural life span, to up to 246 days. Central European individuals kept their natural average live span under all treatments, as did Mediterranean individuals under autumn treatment (light 11: dark 13). Body size only had a significant effect in the smaller species, M. nurag, where it affected the duration of dormancy and lifetime fecundity. In the larger species, M. jurtina, a prolonged adult life span did, surprisingly, not convey any fecundity loss. In M. nurag, which generally deposited fewer eggs, extended life had a fecundity cost. We conclude that Mediterranen M. jurtina butterflies have an extraordinary plasticity in aging which allows them to extend life span in response to adverse environmental conditions and relieve the time limitation on egg-laying while maintaining egg production at equal levels.

Characterizing a contentious management tool: the effects of a grass-specific herbicide on the silvery blue butterfly

Selective herbicides are a conservation tool employed to reduce invasive vegetation and improve habitat for native plants and animals. However, herbicides may negatively affect non-target organisms such as butterflies through direct chemical exposure or by altering plant community composition and structure. We evaluate the effect of the grass-specific herbicide fluazifop-p-butyl on behavior and demographic responses of the silvery blue butterfly (Glaucopsyche lygdamus) in the field and also quantify effects on reproductive behavior in the greenhouse. We find that in the first few months after an early spring application, herbicide decreases vertical grass structure but does not have a positive or negative net effect on adult behavior, egg deposition, larval density, pupal weight, or ant-tending association for the silvery blue. Our greenhouse oviposition choice trials corroborate field findings and indicate that females do not show preference for unsprayed host plants. Selective herbicides create a vegetative structure preferred by butterflies and do not negatively affect the silvery blue when applied in the early spring. Appropriate timing of herbicide application is likely the key to avoiding adverse effects on vulnerable butterfly life stages. Depending on the longevity of the vegetative reduction, strategic herbicide application may be useful for restoring prairie communities in concert with other restoration tools; however, further testing on additional butterfly species is an imperative precursor to large-scale spraying.

Butterflies of the high-altitude Atacama Desert: habitat use and conservation.

The butterfly fauna of the high-altitude desert of Northern Chile, though depauperate, shows high endemism, is poorly known and is of considerable conservation concern. This study surveys butterflies along the Andean slope between 2400 and 5000 m asl (prepuna, puna and Andean steppe habitats) as well as in high and low-altitude wetlands and in the neoriparian vegetation of agricultural sites. We also include historical sightings from museum records. We compare abundances between altitudes, between natural and impacted sites, as well as between two sampling years with different precipitation regimes. The results confirm high altitudinal turnover and show greatest similarity between wetland and slope faunas at similar altitudes. Results also underscore vulnerability to weather fluctuations, particularly in the more arid low-altitude sites, where abundances were much lower in the low precipitation sampling season and several species were not observed at all. Finally, we show that some species have shifted to the neoriparian vegetation of the agricultural landscape, whereas others were only observed in less impacted habitats dominated by native plants. These results suggest that acclimation to novel habitats depends on larval host plant use. The traditional agricultural environment can provide habitat for many, but not all, native butterfly species, but an estimation of the value of these habitats requires better understanding of butterfly life history strategies and relationships with host plants.

Owly & Wormy, Bright Lights and Starry Nights (review)

Reviewed by: Owly & Wormy, Bright Lights and Starry Nights Elizabeth Bush Owly & Wormy, Bright Lights and Starry Nights written and illustrated by Andy Runton How on earth do any of us ever learn to read? Just consider the daunting number of checkpoints en route to Independent Reading. Hold the book right side up. Check. Advance the story by pulling the right-hand page to the left. Got it. Follow the words from left to right, top to bottom. Right-o. Internalize the concept that letters stand for sounds that form words. Yup. Memorize letters and sounds. Uh-huh. Decipher letters in a variety of fonts. Yes. Depending on who's at the pedagogical helm, hone phonetic or sight-reading skills. Whew. And now, perhaps worst of all, accept that there's only one correct way to do this. No more head pats for parroting back what an adult has read and reread to you. No beaming smiles for supplying your own creative story to go with the pictures. Who thought this was a good idea? Happily, Andy Runton has entered the scene with an approach that eases the transition from passive picture book consumer to active pre-reader—a strategy that mitigates the discipline of reading with some welcome wiggle room for imagining your own script. With last year's Owly & Wormy, Friends All Aflutter (BCCB 3/11), Runton transformed his pocketbook-sized, black and white Owly graphic novels popular with upper elementary kids into full color, pint-sized adventures in picture-book trim suitable for an even younger audience. Not really wordless books in the tradition of David Wiesner or Arthur Geisert, whose ambiguities demand a fair amount of plot interpretation, Owly books adhere to an inarguable storyline and a set of broadly accepted textual conventions. Instead of words (save for a few onomatopoetic sound effects), Runton relies on comic-book-style word bubbles populated by pictures and symbols, most of which are part of our cognitive lexicon. A sudden idea is represented by the customary lightbulb (here wittily portrayed in the spiral shape of a compact fluorescent bulb); a red circle with a diagonal slash negates the picture it encompasses, and if accompanied by an exclamation mark, negates it emphatically indeed. The plot point is precise, but readers are at liberty to phrase the dialogue in a number of equally correct ways. A tearstained yellow frowny face with a question mark can reasonably be parsed as "What's wrong?" "Why are you sad?" or "What's making you cry?" None of this clever nudging would be worth a second look if not in the service of a great story. Fortunately, the game is fully worth the candle that figures here as a prominent motif. Owly is planning for a perfect evening of stargazing, with his telescope and tripod, a deep sky in full astral display, and of course a good friend to share it with. Scared of the dark, Wormy balks, but Owly brings out lanterns and candles to ease his fears. Then there's the problem of the leaf cover at [End Page 233] Owly's tree house, which impedes the view. Moving to a hilltop clearing should do the trick, but here comes the rain. The buddies take shelter in a cave, where weird sounds and spooky eyeballs send them scurrying back out into the night, losing the telescope in their rush. This dismal field trip finally turns around when amiable Owly musters the courage to retrieve his telescope and thereby meets the equally amiable bats who join them back on the hilltop. Wormy's not too keen on losing his comforting night lights, but with the candles snuffed, the whole crew of new friends are rewarded with a spectacular show of starlight. Although no mini-science lesson—e.g., the butterfly life cycle in Aflutter—is embedded in this title (unless "Douse the ambient light" counts as an astronomy tip), readers will be quite happy to join Owly's ever-expanding circle of friends. They may even miss the fact that there's plenty of covert learning going on, as they become fluent with several punctuation marks, a host of standard symbols, and the rigor...

The application of life history information to the conservation management of <i>Chrysoritis</i> butterflies (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) in South Africa

Due to their intricate life histories and the unique wing patterns and colouring the butterflies of the genus Chrysoritis are of significant conservation and aesthetic value. Thisoverview probes into practical examples of butterfly life history research applicable to environmental management of this relatively well-known invertebrate group in South Africa. Despite the pioneer work on life histories of Chrysoritis in the past, more should be done to understand the life history of the butterflies in the wild, especially their natural host plants and the behaviour of adults and larvae. A system of voucher specimens of host plants should be introduced in South Africa. Although various host plant species in nature are used by the members of Chrysoritis, including the Chrysoritis chrysaor group, the choice of these in nature by each species is significant for conservation management and in the case of Chrysoritis aureus perhaps even as a specific characteristic.A revision of the ant genus Crematogaster will benefit the conservation management of Chrysoritis species since some of these ant species may consist of a number of specieswith much more restricted distributions than previously thought. Rigorous quantified tudies of population dynamics of Chrysoritis butterflies are absent and the introductionof such studies will benefit conservation management of these localised butterflies extensively.

Butterfly Life in the Tropics of India

Butterfly Life in the Tropics of India