Population ecology of a California endemic: Speyeria adiaste clemencei

ORCID

Dr. Ryan Hill: 0000-0001-8513-6545

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Insect Conservation

Department

Biological Sciences

ISSN

1366-638X

Volume

19

Issue

4

DOI

10.1007/s10841-015-9797-y

First Page

753

Last Page

763

Publication Date

August 2015

Abstract

Effective management and recovery of threatened insect populations requires detailed ecological information. Here we combine count and mark recapture (MR) data to shed light on an understudied declining endemic butterfly species in California’s Southern Coast Ranges, Speyeria adiaste. Little is known about the number, size, and dynamics of S. adiaste populations, leaving few data on which to base conservation decisions. Our goal in this study was therefore to provide increased understanding of the population ecology of this species by studying a long-standing S. adiaste clemencei population. Our 2-year MR estimates were highly correlated with Pollard walk counts, and we observed declining population sizes from 2011 to 2014. Adult movements were well-described by a negative exponential function, indicating low probability of dispersal >5 km (probability < 1.8 × 10−7 for both sexes). Males had shorter lifespans than females. Coupled with lack of diapause in this species, the short life span and limited dispersal observed here indicate that S. adiaste clemencei does not have a strong capacity for re-colonization. Population declines in S. adiaste may lead to local extinctions, and together with low dispersal, may diminish connectivity among the apparently small and isolated remaining populations. Further research into the role of adult and larval resources for determining adult abundance, coupled with continued long-term monitoring is necessary in order to understand population dynamics in this declining endemic species.

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