Biology of the oldest butterfly species in the world, Baronia brevicornis: Food, abundance, polymorphism, and survival
Por:
Galicia-Mendoza I., Pineda-García F., Oyama K., Cordero-Rivera A., Osorio-Beristain M., Contreras-Garduño J.
Publicada:
1 ene 2021
Resumen:
The study of the basic biology of panchronic species could help understand their persistence through geological time. One of the least studied panchronic species is Baronia brevicornis Salvin (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), the oldest known butterfly species endemic to Mexico. Here we report on our findings from studying a population of B. brevicornis in Sierra de Huautla, Morelos, for 3 years. In this population we identified 3 male and 3 female color morphs, making it perhaps the most complex polymorphism described yet for a panchronic species. We found a balanced sex ratio in newly emerged adults but a sex ratio biased to males at reproductive sites. Significantly, we found adults of the butterfly only on patches of the host plant Vachellia campechiana (Mill.) Seigler & Ebinger (Fabaceae) that also offered feeding sources for adults and report for the first-time adults feeding on 5 plant species. Additionally, differences in water use in trees of V. campechiana in zones with or without B. brevicornis suggest a relationship between butterfly food sources and plant water expenditure. Our findings on B. brevicornis could be used to develop conservation plans for this species. © 2021 Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. All rights reserved.
Filiaciones:
Galicia-Mendoza I.:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro # 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Michoacán, Morelia, 58190, Mexico
Pineda-García F.:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro # 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Michoacán, Morelia, 58190, Mexico
Oyama K.:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro # 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Michoacán, Morelia, 58190, Mexico
Cordero-Rivera A.:
Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Laboratorio ECOEVO, Campus Universitario, E.E. Forestal, Galicia, Pontevedra, 36005, Spain
Osorio-Beristain M.:
Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Conservación, Av. Universidad # 1001, Col. Chamilpa, Morelos, Cuernavaca, 62209, Mexico
Contreras-Garduño J.:
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, Campus Morelia, Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro # 8701, Col. Ex-Hacienda San José de la Huerta, Michoacán, Morelia, 58190, Mexico
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