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Lookup NU author(s): Callum Macgregor
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2017 The Author(s)Understanding the environmental factors that affect the distribution and abundance of rare and threatened species can help identify priority sites for conservation action such as habitat management. The moth Cucullia lychnitis is identified in UK legislation as a priority species for conservation. Its conspicuous larvae feed on a patchily distributed host plant Verbascum nigrum, but are entirely absent from some host plant patches within the species’ range. Environmental variability among patches was investigated to understand factors affecting (i) patch occupancy by C. lychnitis and (ii) abundance of C. lychnitis, where present. Occupancy of individual V. nigrum plants within occupied patches was also investigated. The likelihood of patch occupancy increased with patch size, and decreased with patch isolation. Abundance of C. lychnitis was negatively correlated with patch isolation and with abundance of the weevil Cionus nigritarsis, which exploits the same host plant and may be a competitor. Within occupied patches, larvae of C. lychnitis were significantly more likely to be found on taller plants with more flower spikes; such plants are typical of established rather than newly-created patches. These results may help to guide efforts to conserve C. lychnitis, highlighting the importance of habitat connectivity and indicating potential management actions to promote features positively associated with larval incidence and abundance.
Author(s): Macgregor CJ, Hoare DJ, Parsons MS, Lewis OT
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Insect Conservation
Year: 2017
Volume: 21
Issue: 1
Pages: 137-146
Print publication date: 01/02/2017
Online publication date: 28/02/2017
Acceptance date: 15/02/2017
Date deposited: 21/04/2017
ISSN (print): 1366-638X
ISSN (electronic): 1572-9753
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-017-9963-5
DOI: 10.1007/s10841-017-9963-5
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