Kleckova Irena, Konvicka Martin, Klecka Jan
Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Institute of Entomology, Branišovská 31, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
J Therm Biol. 2014 Apr;41:50-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2014.02.002. Epub 2014 Feb 10.
Mountain butterflies have evolved efficient thermoregulation strategies enabling their survival in marginal conditions with short flight season and unstable weather. Understanding the importance of their behavioural thermoregulation by habitat use can provide novel information for predicting the fate of alpine Lepidoptera and other insects under ongoing climate change. We studied the link between microhabitat use and thermoregulation in adults of seven species of a butterfly genus Erebia co-occurring in the Austrian Alps. We captured individuals in the field and measured their body temperature in relation to microhabitat and air temperature. We asked whether closely related species regulate their body temperature differently, and if so, what is the effect of behaviour, species traits and individual traits on body to air and body to microhabitat temperature differences. Co-occurring species differed in mean body temperature. These differences were driven by active microhabitat selection by individuals and also by species-specific habitat preferences. Species inhabiting grasslands and rocks utilised warmer microclimates to maintain higher body temperature than woodland species. Under low air temperatures, species of rocky habitats heated up more effectively than species of grasslands and woodlands which allowed them to stay active in colder weather. Species morphology and individual traits play rather minor roles in the thermoregulatory differences; although large species and young individuals maintained higher body temperature. We conclude that diverse microhabitat conditions at small spatial scales probably contribute to sympatric occurrence of closely related species with different thermal demands and that preserving heterogeneous conditions in alpine landscapes might mitigate detrimental consequences of predicted climate change.
高山蝴蝶已经进化出高效的体温调节策略，使其能够在飞行季节短暂且天气不稳定的边缘环境中生存。通过了解它们利用栖息地进行行为体温调节的重要性，可以为预测高山鳞翅目昆虫和其他昆虫在当前气候变化下的命运提供新的信息。我们研究了奥地利阿尔卑斯山共栖的七种厄勒布蝶属蝴蝶成虫的微栖息地利用与体温调节之间的联系。我们在野外捕获个体，并测量它们相对于微栖息地和气温的体温。我们询问亲缘关系密切的物种是否以不同方式调节体温，如果是，行为、物种特征和个体特征对体温与气温以及体温与微栖息地温度差异有何影响。共栖物种的平均体温存在差异。这些差异是由个体对微栖息地的主动选择以及物种特定的栖息地偏好驱动的。栖息在草原和岩石上的物种利用更温暖的微气候来维持比林地物种更高的体温。在气温较低时，岩石栖息地的物种比草原和林地的物种升温更有效，这使它们能够在更寒冷的天气中保持活跃。物种形态和个体特征在体温调节差异中作用较小；尽管大型物种和年轻个体维持着较高的体温。我们得出结论，小空间尺度上多样的微栖息地条件可能有助于具有不同热需求的亲缘关系密切的物种同域共存，并且在高山景观中保持异质条件可能减轻预测的气候变化带来的有害后果。
