DYNAMICS AND STRUCTURE OF A NATIVE PIERIS POPULATION IN THE PRESENCE OF A NON-NATIVE, TOXIC LARVAL HOST PLANT

作者:Nakajima Mifuyu*; Boggs Carol L; Chew Frances S; Cummings Alice; Bowsher Julia H
来源:Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 2014, 68(3): 175-184.
DOI:10.18473/lepi.v68i3.a4

摘要

There have been reports of butterflies that oviposit on non-native plants that do not support the development of the larvae, and the fitness cost of this behavior has been estimated in one such case. However, the long-term consequences of this fitness cost for the population dynamics of such butterflies have not been studied. Here we report changes over 40 years in a population of Pies-is macdunnoughii (Lepidoptera, Pieridae; formerly Pieris napi macdunnoughii Remington), which oviposits on a lethal, non-native plant, Thlaspi arvense (Brassicaceae), as well as on suitable native hosts. Mark-release-recapture (MRR) studies conducted at four intervals over 40 years showed no significant trends across years in population structure or dynamics, including estimated population density and temporal changes in the number of newly emerged individuals within a year. The estimated daily residence rate differed between the sexes. However, male estimated daily residence rate showed no significant change across years. Female residence rate was higher in the 2000s than in 1971; data were insufficient to calculate a residence rate in 1972. The average flight distance of female dispersants changed across years, but not as expected based on potential flight distance and with no clear pattern. Our detailed observations on female flights at a local scale showed that flight segments varied among different habitat types defined by aridity. Thus, although we see habitat effects on behavior, we did not detect any significant changes in P. macdunnoughii population dynamics and large-scale structure across four decades, a century after the plant%26apos;s introduction.

  • 出版日期2014-9-2