Abstract

The Duke of Burgundy butterfly (Hamearis lucina) is known to have specific habitat requirements for its larval foodplants. However, no studies have yet investigated whether these preferences vary over time or in relation to climate, and there is a paucity of data on whether management on reserves can replicate preferred conditions. Here, we build upon existing research to confirm which characteristics Duke of Burgundy prefer for their larval foodplants, whether preferences remain consistent across years, and whether conservation management on reserves can replicate these conditions. Fieldwork was carried out at Totternhoe Quarry Reserve, a chalk grassland site in Bedfordshire, UK. Confirming previous research, we found that large Primula plants in dense patches were chosen for oviposition, but that once chosen there was no preference to lay eggs on a plant’s largest leaf. Chosen foodplants were also more sheltered and in closer proximity to scrub than their controls. However, at a finer scale, we found little evidence for any preference based on differences in microclimate, or vegetation height immediately surrounding the plants. This suggests features that alter microclimatic conditions at a larger scale are relatively more important for determining the suitability of oviposition sites. Nearly all preferences remained consistent over time and did not vary between years. Management of scrub on the reserve was able to reproduce some preferred habitat features (high plant density), but not others (large plant size).

Implications for insect conservation

The consistency of findings across years, despite inter-annual variation in temperature, rainfall and number of adults, indicates that the Duke of Burgundy is conservative in its foodplant choice, highlighting its need for specific habitat management. Targeted management for foodplants could form part of a tractable set of tools to support Duke of Burgundy numbers on reserves, but a careful balance is needed to avoid scrub clearance leaving plants in sub-optimal conditions.

中文翻译：

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勃艮第公爵蝴蝶在英国贝德福德郡的白垩草原保护区 14 年来一致的产卵偏好

摘要

众所周知，勃艮第公爵蝴蝶 ( Hamearis lucina ) 对其幼虫食用植物有特定的栖息地要求。然而，尚未有研究调查这些偏好是否随时间或与气候相关而变化，并且缺乏关于储备管理是否可以复制偏好条件的数据。在这里，我们建立在现有研究的基础上，以确认勃艮第公爵更喜欢其幼虫食用植物的哪些特征，偏好是否多年来保持一致，以及保护区的保护管理是否可以复制这些条件。在英国贝德福德郡的白垩草原遗址 Totternhoe Quarry Reserve 进行了实地考察。确认先前的研究，我们发现大报春花选择密集斑块的植物产卵，但一旦选择，就不会偏好在植物最大的叶子上产卵。与对照相比，选择的食用植物也更隐蔽，更靠近灌木丛。然而，在更精细的尺度上，我们几乎没有发现任何基于微气候差异或植物周围植被高度差异的偏好的证据。这表明在更大范围内改变小气候条件的特征对于确定产卵地点的适用性相对更重要。随着时间的推移，几乎所有的偏好都保持一致，并且在不同年份之间没有变化。保护区的灌木丛管理能够再现一些首选的栖息地特征（高植物密度），但不能再现其他栖息地特征（大植物尺寸）。

对昆虫保护的影响

尽管温度、降雨量和成虫数量存在年际变化，但多年来调查结果的一致性表明勃艮第公爵在其食用植物的选择上是保守的，突出了其对特定栖息地管理的需求。对食用植物进行有针对性的管理可以成为支持勃艮第公爵储备数量的一套易于处理的工具的一部分，但需要谨慎平衡以避免擦洗清除使植物处于次优条件。