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Variation in capture height and trap persistence among three Costa Rican understorey butterfly species

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 November 2012

Laura G. Alexander  and
Philip J. DeVries
Laura G. Alexander*
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
Philip J. DeVries
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, 2000 Lakeshore Drive, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
*
1Corresponding author. Email: lgalexan@uno.edu
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Abstract:

Tropical forest insects are vertically stratified between the canopy and understorey. Using 60 traps set at two heights above the forest floor (30 at 15 cm and 30 at 1 m) we compared abundances in capture height, persistence in traps, and sex of three co-occurring understorey butterflies (Cithaerias pireta, Dulcedo polita and Pierella helvina) in Costa Rica. We captured, marked and released 283 individual butterflies (65 C. pireta, 79 D. polita, 139 P. helvina) and showed all three species were captured more often in low traps, and P. helvina was captured only in low traps. The probability of remaining in traps for 24 h did not differ significantly for D. polita and P. helvina, but was significantly lower for C. pireta. The odds of trapping either sex did not differ significantly for P. helvina and C. pireta, but they were significantly lower for D. polita males. We experimentally demonstrate that these co-occurring species fly and feed just above the forest floor, but differ with respect to their persistence in traps and attraction to traps by sex. Our study implies that closely related species can exhibit behavioural differences that may influence population abundance estimates in multi-species studies.

Keywords

abundanceCithaerias piretaDulcedo politaHaeterinimark–recaptureNymphalidaePierella helvinapopulation biologytropical rain forest
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 28 , Issue 6 , November 2012 , pp. 585 - 589
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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