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The faunal study on the butterflies of the south slope of Qinling Mountains

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Abstract

The scope of the fauna and geographical vertical distribution of the butterflies of the south slope of Qinling Mountains are studied. The investigators try to illustrate the conservation value of the Giant Pandas' habitat through the study which spans 8 years. 191 species are recorded, 3 of them are China's new records, and 44 of them are new records of Shanxi Province. The result of a serious of analysises shows that the percentages of Oriental species, Palearctic species and widely distributive species are 40.8%, 20.9% and 31.9% respectively. The fauna of butterflies of the south slope has the character of intergradation which is correlated to the geographic location of the Qinling Mountains. The obstruction of Qinling to Oriental species is more obvious to Palearctic species. The area in question has great conservation value as following aspects: (1) The population of butterfly shows great species abundance; (2) The heterogeneity of habitat revealed by the presence of multi-subspecies and multi-morphological species provides animals a steady habitat; (3) The faunal character and vertical distribution of butterflies show great value of ecological study; (4) The mid-mountain (800~2600m) that has better environmental condition and less human disturbance is a typical shelter for the wild animals.
... In contrast to the European and North American focus of research on butterfly ecology and conservation, the study of Chinese butterflies emphasizes taxonomy, phylogeny, morphology, species fauna and geographic distributions for some areas (Liu et al. 2007;Yang et al. 2008;Zhou et al. 2001;Cao et al. 2004;Hu et al. 2010). In general, research on butterfly conservation is just beginning in China. ...
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Bhutanitis thaidina Blanchard is a rare and endangered species in China. Based on 2 years of field surveys in the town of Houzhenzi on the south slope of Taibai Mountain, this paper presents documented knowledge of this butterfly’s life history and behaviors, and indicates for the first time the reasons this butterfly is endangered in the field. Life tables show that the L1–L3 larval periods experience a high mortality. Natural enemies (mainly spiders and ants) and unfavorable climatic conditions are mainly important threats for the larval stages. Interspecific competition is also a potential threat to B. thaidina. The host plant Aristolochia manshuriensis occurs from 1,755 to 2,280 m. The suitable habitats for B. thaidina are located at open glades with a canopy cover of 0.4–0.6 in the forests. On the basis of the low population density and scarce suitable habitats, we hypothesize that B. thaidina lives in small extinction-prone populations and survives in the isolated patches in the forests on the south slope of Taibai Mountain. The suggested conservation for long-term survival of B. thaidina is the specific habitat management such as cutting shrubs and preserving open glades in dense forest.
... Elevation is mainly between 1000 m and 2000 m, but at the southern edge it is only 700 m. The annual average precipitation is between 380 and 830 mm, annual average temperature between 7 and 12 • C (An 2002;Zhou et al. 2001). The Qinling Mountains are located quite centrally in China and form a transition zone between the more northerly semi-arid climate and the more southerly moist climate. ...
... In China, research on butterfly conservation is just at the commencement stage. This research particularly emphasizes on species inventories (catalogues), analysis of species composition [8] , observation of biology [9] , and assessment of anthropogenic influences on butterfly communities [10] . Further research is quite necessary in this direction. ...
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This article investigates the biology of Byasa impediens, presenting its life-table data and analyzing its habitat requirements and the key factors threatening the survival of this species. This study also aims to detect specific protection methods to guarantee the long-term survival of Byasa impediens in Baishuijiang Reserve. Byasa impediens is bivoltine in Baishuijiang Reserve. The pupae overwinter on shrubs or on branches of trees. The eclosion of the first generation starts in mid-April. The adults of the first generation emerge in large numbers in mid-late May, and the second generation emerges from late June to mid-July. The two generations overlap. The adult males emerge 7–10 days earlier than the adult females. Their flight behavior is determined by factors such as perching along small rivers and gullies, and visiting flowers. The males are strong fliers. On the contrary, the flying ability of the females is weak; therefore, they just visit flowers, mate, and lay eggs near the natal area. The ratio of female to male is 1:4.1. The maximum lifespan of the males is 26 days, with an average of 6.9 days, whereas the maximum lifespan of the females is 21 days, with an average of 7.6 days. The pregnant eggs per female are 31.5 on average. The incubation period of the first generation is 12–14 days, whereas that of the second generation is 7–9 days. The larvae feed mainly on Aristolochia heterophylla. The larval period of the first generation lasts for 30 days with five instars and that of the second generation lasts for 30–40 days with five or six instars. The pupal period of the first generation begins in early June and lasts for 20–26 days whereas for the second generation, it begins between late July and late September. The adults prefer the following nectar plants: Albizzia julibrissin, Bauhinia glauca, Clerodendrum bungei, and Sambucus chinensis. The plant Aristolochia heterophylla is distributed at an altitude of 900–1680 m, and the most suitable range is 1200–1500 m. The host plants grow mainly along the paths and along the borders of forests where the canopy is rather open and shrubby undergrowth is found. The plant can hardly be found when the canopy density of the forest is greater than 80%. The elevation range most suitable for the larvae is 1200–1500 m. The ideal habitat of host plants also seems to be the ideal habitat of Byasa impediens. The key factors that adversely affect the population of Byasa impediens are loss and deterioration of habitats. The loss and deterioration of the habitats result in a decrease in the numbers of host plants and a more restricted distribution of the potential habitats. The habitat is easily influenced by anthropogenic activities, such as herding, cultivating, and using pesticides, which in turn influences the growth of the host plant Aristolochia heterophylla and the larvae of butterflies. Abnormal climatic conditions and natural enemies are the key factors affecting population density. The hot and dry weather in summer and the heavy rain in autumn considerably reduce the survival rate of eggs and larvae. The ichneumon parasitoids reduce the survival rate of the over-wintering pupae. The primary natural enemies of the larvae include spiders, earwigs, wasps, bugs, and ichneumon parasitoids. Other natural enemies of pupae and adults are birds. The most important conservation measures are preservation and reconstruction of the natural habitat, which includes rebuilding forests, enhancing management, enforcing existing laws, and developing eco-tourism. Creating a core-patch near all patches at a central area is also an important measure for conservation. In the most ideal habitat, appropriate shrub cutting can increase the growth of host plants, thereby promoting expansion of the Byasa impediens population.
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This paper dealt with the diversity of butterflies collected from Lianhua Mountain Nature Reserve of Dongguan in April, June, September and December 2001. In this area, there were 50 species butterflies belonging to 9 families, 36 genera. Data analysis showed that the species richness and the highest diversity index were the highest in June, followed by in September, April and December, and the evenness index was the highest in April, then in September, June and December. The dominance index was the highest in December, then in September, June and April. At the level of families, Nymphalidae was the highest in richness, diversity [H'(GS), H'(G)] and evenness, the second was Papilionidae, and then was Hesperiidae. As for individual quantity, Danaidae was the most abundant, and the following were Pieridae and Papilionidea. For diversity index [H'G(S)], Papiliondae was the highest, and the next was Nymphalidae.
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