Influence of Habitat Quality and Patch Size on Occupancy and Persistence in two Populations of the Apollo Butterfly (Parnassius apollo)

摘要: Recent studies on butterflies emphasize habitat characteristics together with metapopulation parameters (patch area and isolation) giving a more thorough understanding of processes influencing population persistence patch occupancy, than either them alone. We studied coastal an archipelago the Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) in SW Finland. Larvae were surveyed for four years both populations. Counting larvae three consecutive days temporarily removing tested survey accuracy. The removals showed times higher larval abundance coast. Survey methods reliable, provided that empty status was not based single visits only, if low. On coast, large patches, patches high host-plant often occupied. In archipelago, rich occupied whereas did affect occupancy. populations, probability being increased increasing area. Conservation P. apollo depends securing enough study systems. these systems, even crude measures prove useful ecological behind observed patterns.