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Use of the single rope access technique reveals habitat use patterns for the elusive Erebia christi (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

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Abstract

In this study we apply a new monitoring technique for butterflies in order to get more insights into the habitat use patterns of Erebia christi Rätzer 1890 (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae). This European endemic is a rare and very localized butterfly species, found alongside steep slopes in a restricted area in the Alps, at the border between Italy and Switzerland. Even though it was discovered almost 140 years ago, captivating the interest of many lepidopterists, there are still several aspects about the biology of E. christi that are not fully known. We selected two monitoring sites in Veglia–Devero Natural Park, Italy and tested whether E. christi was more likely to use rocky, almost vertical slopes than other types of habitat. Since this habitat was almost inaccessible to humans, we used the single rope access technique, in which field operators rappelled down the slopes to explore the rock faces. We demonstrate that the main characteristics of the typical habitat of E. christi are indeed very steep rock faces with grassy ledges where Festuca sp. plants are present. We also show that, E. christi is more abundant than it was previously thought, with populations that could probably be structured in a metapopulation system. Long-term monitoring with the rope access technique could represent an optimal method to provide key insights into the biology and ecology not only of E. christi but of other butterflies that use similar habitats. Finally, we propose the upgrading of its IUCN category from Vulnerable to Endangered at European level.

Implications for insect conservation

Our findings demonstrate how appropriate, long-term monitoring can contribute to improve the scarce knowledge of the ecology of an elusive species, and to devise informed proposals regarding the management and protection of populations, especially for species of conservation concern.

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Change history

  • 13 January 2021

    In the Abstract section the year 1890 incorrectly appeared on the first line of the Abstract and it should be appeared after the author "Rätzer"

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Acknowledgements

We thank “Ente Aree Protette dell’Ossola”, Varzo, Italy and Pro Natura, Switzerland for funding the monitoring and data collection. We are grateful to the director and president of “Ente Aree Protette dell’Ossola”, Ivano De Negri and Paolo Crosa Lenz, for their full support. We thank our colleagues Remo Wenger and Manuel Freiburghaus for providing information regarding E. christi in Wallis, and Guido Teppa and Debora Barolin for providing information regarding the herbaceous plant species. We also thank Vlad Dincă for useful comments to the original manuscript.

Funding

This study was funded by “Ente Aree Protette dell’Ossola”, Varzo, Italy and Pro Natura, Switzerland.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aree Protette Dell’Ossola, Viale Pieri no 11, 28868, Varzo, VB, Italy

    Andrea Battisti, Matteo Gabaglio, Marco Rughetti & Radames Bionda

  2. Pro Natura, Postfach, 4018, Basel, Switzerland

    René Amstutz

  3. Swiss Butterfly Conservation, Käsereistrasse 18, 8919, Rottenschwil, Switzerland

    Goran Dusej

  4. Turin, Italy

    Raluca Vodă

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  1. Andrea Battisti
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  2. Matteo Gabaglio
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Correspondence to Raluca Vodă.

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List of the butterfly species recorded along the monitored transects. Electronic supplementary material 1 (XLSX 11 kb)

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Battisti, A., Gabaglio, M., Rughetti, M. et al. Use of the single rope access technique reveals habitat use patterns for the elusive Erebia christi (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). J Insect Conserv 25, 77–87 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-020-00284-6

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