Search Results (3)

The accurate prediction of the niche and the potential distribution of a species is a fundamental and key content for biodiversity related research in ecology and biogeography, especially for protected species. Biotic interactions have a significant impact on species distribution but are often overlooked by SDMs. Therefore, it is crucial to incorporate biotic interaction factors into SDMs to improve their predictive performance. The Teinopalpus aureus Mell, 1923 is endemic to high altitudes in southern East Asia, renowned for its exceptional beauty and rarity. Despite the significant conservation value, its spatial distribution remains unclear. This study integrated climate data, host plants, and empirical expert maps to predict its potential distribution. The results indicated that utilizing the species richness of host plants as a surrogate for biotic interactions was a simple and effective way to significantly improve the predictive performance of the SDMs. The current suitable distribution of T. aureus and its host plants is highly fragmented, primarily concentrated in the Nanling and Wuyi Mountains, and consisting of numerous isolated small populations. Given climate change, their distribution is significantly shrinking, increasing the threatened level in the future. Especially for the population of T. aureus hainani Lee, the likelihood of extinction is extremely high. Abiotic factors not only directly affect the distribution of T. aureus but also indirectly impact it through the host plants. This was evident in the delayed response of T. aureus to climate change compared to its host plants, which is called the “hysteresis effect” caused by biotic interactions. Overall, we tentatively suggest regarding T. aureus as a vulnerable species. In the future, multiple measures could be taken to indirectly protect the feeding and habitat resources of T. aureus by conserving host plants, thereby enhancing its survival prospects. Full article

The Golden Kaiser-I-Hind (Teinopalpus aureus Mell, 1923) is the only butterfly among Class I national protected animals in China and is known as the national butterfly. In this study, by accurately predicting the suitable habitat in China under current and future climate scenarios, the potential distribution area of T. aureus was defined, providing a theoretical basis for conservation and management. Based on species distribution records, we utilized the Biomod2 platform to combine climate data from the BCC-CSM2-MR climate model, future shared socio-economic pathways, and altitude data. The potential distribution areas of T. aureus in the current (1970–2000s) and future SSP1_2.6 and SSP5_8.5 climate scenarios in China in 2041–2060 (2050s), 2061–2080 (2070s), and 2081–2100 (2090s) were predicted. The AUC and TSS values of the combined model based on five algorithms were greater than those of the single models, and the AUC value of the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.990, indicating that the model had high reliability and accuracy. The screening of environmental variables showed that the habitat area of T. aureus in China was mainly affected by annual precipitation, precipitation in the driest month, the lowest temperature in the coldest month, temperature seasonality, elevation, and other factors. Under the current circumstances, the habitat area of T. aureus was mainly located in southern China, including Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, Taiwan, and other provinces. The suitable area is approximately 138.95 × 10⁴ km²; among them, the highly suitable area of 34.43 × 10⁴ km² is a priority area in urgent need of protection. Under both SSP1_2.6 and SSP5_8.5, the population centroid tended to shift southward in the 2050s and 2070s, and began to migrate northeast in the 2090s. Temperature, rainfall, and altitude influenced the distribution of T. aureus. In the two climate scenarios, the habitat area of T. aureus declined to different degrees, and the reduction was most obvious in the SSP5_8.5 scenario; climate was the most likely environmental variable to cause a change in the geographical distribution. Climate change will significantly affect the evolution and potential distribution of T. aureus in China and will increase the risk of extinction. Accordingly, it is necessary to strengthen protection and to implement active and effective measures to reduce the negative impact of climate change on T. aureus. Full article

Hostplant limitation is a key focus of the spatial interaction between a phytophagous butterfly and a hostplant. The possible drivers related to the hostplants are species richness, abundance, or availability, but no consensus has been reached. In this study, we investigated the butterfly–hostplant interaction using the case of the forest canopy butterfly T. aureus in Asia, whose narrow distribution is assumed to be limited by its exclusive hostplant, Magnoliaceae, in tropic and subtropic regions. We recorded the Magnoliaceae species, as well as plant and butterfly individuals in transect, and we collected tree traits and topography variables. The results confirm that this butterfly is limited by the hostplants of their larval stage. The hostplants occurred exclusively in the middle-mountain region, with preference only for primeval forests. The hostplant resource was superior in the middle-mountain region, particularly concentrating in primeval forests. The hostplant’s abundance, together with altitude and habitat types, was critical to this butterfly’s occurrence, while those hostplant trees with an exposed crown, which are demanded by this butterfly in its oviposition, were the best drivers of positive butterfly–hostplant interactions. Therefore, the hostplant’s limitation was mainly determined by the availability of the hostplant. This case study supports the hypothesis that the limitation on this butterfly’s occurrence was driven by the hostplant’s availability, and it suggests that protecting high-quality forests is a valuable activity and essential in the conservation of canopy butterflies. Full article