Distribution, Population Structure and Habitat Use of the Endangered Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, Neonympha mitchellii francisci

lepidopteran — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 03:35:42 +0000

Distribution, Population Structure and Habitat Use of the Endangered Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, Neonympha mitchellii francisci lepidopteran Sat, 02/11/2023 - 22:35

Abstract: The endangered St. Francis Satyr (Neonympha mitchellii francisci) is a small sedentary butterfly and one of the rarest in North America. Our study examined various quantitative aspects of this butterfly’s biology, including the distributional range, habitat associations, population size and trends, demographic parameters and spatial aspects of population structure. The range of N.m. francisci distribution is restricted to DoD lands at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where the butterfly utilizes wetland habitats, predominantly those that have previously been impounded by beaver. In situ habitat associations and captive rearing experiments indicate that multiple sedges in the genus Carex, particularly C. mitchelliana, may be important larval food plants. Subpopulation estimates range between 49–739 individuals at any one site, while cumulative population estimates range between 700–1400 individuals for all accessible areas on Ft. Bragg. Habitats occupied by N.m. francisci are frequently subject to burning or flooding and thus butterfly subpopulations are extremely dynamic, fluctuating in response to these disturbances. This regular disturbance regime dictates that dispersal is necessary for population persistence. Several inter-colony movements were measured during capture-recapture studies and we observed both subpopulation extinctions and colonization of new habitat through the period of our studies. Conservation of N.m. francisci depends on accommodating unique aspects of its populations, including its dependence on beaver and its multi-tiered metapopulation structure.

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Daniel Kuefler, Nick Haddad, Stephen Hall, Brian Hudgens, Becky Bartel, Erich Hofmann

2008

Daniel Kuefler, Nick M. Haddad, Stephen Hall, Brian Hudgens, Becky Bartel, and Erich Hofmann. "Distribution, Population Structure and Habitat Use of the Endangered Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, Neonympha mitchellii francisci." The American Midland Naturalist 159(2), 298-320, (1 April 2008). https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(2008)159[298:DPSAHU]2.0.CO;2

Butterflies

NC Rare Animal Species

lepidopteran — Thu, 02 Feb 2023 08:41:34 +0000

NC Rare Animal Species lepidopteran Thu, 02/02/2023 - 03:41

A list of the rare species of animals in our state, as determined by the NC Natural Heritage Program.

Resource Link

https://www.ncnhp.org/references/publications/2022-rare-animal-list

Endangered Species

Distribution, Population Structure and Habitat Use of the Endangered Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, Neonympha mitchellii francisci

NC Rare Animal Species