Concordance of the spectral properties of dorsal wing scales with the phylogeographic structure of European male Polyommatus icarus butterflies

The males of more than 80% of the Lycaenidae species belonging to the tribe Polyommatini exhibit structural coloration on their dorsal wing surfaces. These colors have a role in reinforcement in prezygotic reproductive isolation. The species-specific colors are produced by the cellular self-assembly of chitin/air nanocomposites. The spectral position of the reflectance maximum of such photonic nanoarchitectures depends on the nanoscale geometric dimensions of the elements building up the nanostructure. Previous work showed that the coloration of male Polyommatus icarus butterflies in the Western and Eastern Palearctic exhibits a characteristic spectral difference (20 nm). We investigated the coloration and the de novo developed DNA microsatellites of 80 P. icarus specimens from Europe from four sampling locations, spanning a distance of 1621 km. Remarkably good concordance was found between the spectral properties of the blue sexual signaling color (coincident within 5 nm) and the population genetic structure as revealed by 10 microsatellites for the P. icarus species.

Anthropogenic disturbance promotes the abundance of a newly introduced butterfly, the European common blue (Polyommatus icarus; Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae), in Canada

The frequency of introductions of non-native species is increasing worldwide, but only a few introduced species undergo rapid population growth and range expansion, and even fewer become invasive, leading to negative impacts on native communities. Predicting which non-native species are likely to become widespread and abundant can be difficult when there is a lack of species’ information in the early stages of colonization. Here, we investigate the ecology of a newly introduced butterfly in Canada, the European common blue (Polyommatus icarus (Rottemberg, 1775)), by modelling its local- and landscape-scale habitat suitability in Montréal, Quebec, Canada, and the surrounding region, and by assessing its dispersal ability using a mark–release–recapture study. At a local scale, we found that P. icarus abundance was highest at sites with moderate levels of habitat disturbance (e.g., mowed every 2–3 years), the presence of their preferred larval host plant and low proportional cover of grasses. At a landscape scale, P. icarus abundance increased with an increasing proportion of urban area and decreasing proportion of forests. We also found that P. icarus is a low to moderate disperser relative to other butterflies. Our results suggest that P. icarus may become widespread in disturbed and urban areas across Canada, but that further investigation into additional potential range-constraining factors (e.g., microclimate), especially larval preferences, and modelling of the trajectory of P. icarus range expansion is needed.

Bläulinge im Palmengarten und Botanischen Garten

Der Palmengarten Frankfurt und der Botanische Garten Frankfurt weisen viele verschiedene Lebensräume auf. Zudem wird seit letztem Jahr die Blumenwiese durch ein angepasstes Mahdregime insektenfreundlicher gepflegt. In beiden Gärten gibt es einige Schmetterlings-Arten, darunter auch Bläulinge (Lycaenidae). Einige bei uns häufige Arten der Familie, der Hauhechelbäuling (Polyommatus icarus), Faulbaumbläuling (Celastrina argiolus), Kurzschwänzige Bläuling (Cupido argiades) und Kleine Feuerfalter (Lycaena phlaeas), sowie deren Ökologie werden hier kurz vorgestellt.

I Lepidotteri Ropaloceri della Riserva Statale di Popolamento Animale “Lago di Burano” (Capalbio, Grosseto)

Negli anni 2007-2009 è stata effettuata una ricerca sui Lepidotteri Ropaloceri della Riserva Statale di Popolamento animale “Lago di Burano” (Capalbio, GR). Le specie accertate sono 50 tra le quali otto (Thymelicus acteon, Gegenes nostrodamus, Zerynthia cassandra, Lycaena thersamon, Charaxes jasius, Libythea celtis, Hipparchia fagi, Hipparchia statilinus) di interesse conservazionistico. Le entità più diffuse sono Pieris brassicae, Colias crocea, Polyommatus icarus, Lasiommata megera, Pieris rapae, Gonepteryx cleopatra, Maniola jurtina, Coenonympha pamphilus, Papilio machaon, Limenitis reducta e Kanetisa circe, specie in grado di colonizzare diverse situazioni ambientali, quelle sporadiche Thymelicus sylvestris, Ochlodes venatus, Zerynthia cassandra, Euchloe ausonia, Favonius quercus, Satyrium ilicis, Cacyreus marshalli, Celastrina argiolus, Polyommatus thersites, Inachis io e Polygonia c-album, che non trovano nella riserva ambienti idonei alla loro sopravvivenza. Le principali minacce per i Ropaloceri di Burano sono rappresentate dalla gestione della vegetazione operata per fini agricoli e dalla regimazione delle acque. Per ridurre l’impatto di questa attività si suggeriscono: il mantenimento di una fascia di terreno incolto (ampia almeno 20 m) intorno al lago e di una striscia di vegetazione (larga tra 2 e 4 m) lungo i canali retrostanti; la conservazione di siepi e arbusti; l’effettuazione degli interventi di sfalcio della vegetazione erbacea tra dicembre e gennaio.