Evolutionary trade-offs between male secondary sexual traits revealed by a phylogeny of the hyperdiverse tribe Eumaeini (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae).

Male butterflies in the hyperdiverse tribe Eumaeini possess an unusually complex and diverse repertoire of secondary sexual characteristics involved in pheromone production and dissemination. Maintaining multiple sexually selected traits is likely to be metabolically costly, potentially resulting in trade-offs in the evolution of male signals. However, a phylogenetic framework to test hypotheses regarding the evolution and maintenance of male sexual traits in Eumaeini has been lacking. Here, we infer a comprehensive, time-calibrated phylogeny from 379 loci for 187 species representing 91% of the 87 described genera. Eumaeini is a monophyletic group that originated in the late Oligocene and underwent rapid radiation in the Neotropics. We examined specimens of 818 of the 1096 described species (75%) and found that secondary sexual traits are present in males of 91% of the surveyed species. Scent pads and scent patches on the wings and brush organs associated with the genitalia were probably present in the common ancestor of Eumaeini and are widespread throughout the tribe. Brush organs and scent pads are negatively correlated across the phylogeny, exhibiting a trade-off in which lineages with brush organs are unlikely to regain scent pads and vice versa. In contrast, scent patches seem to facilitate the evolution of scent pads, although they are readily lost once scent pads have evolved. Our results illustrate the complex interplay between natural and sexual selection in the origin and maintenance of multiple male secondary sexual characteristics and highlight the potential role of sexual selection spurring diversification in this lineage.

Atlantic butterflies: a data set of fruit-feeding butterfly communities from the Atlantic forests.

Butterflies are one of the best-known insect groups, and they have been the subject of numerous studies in ecology and evolution, especially in the tropics. Much attention has been given to the fruit-feeding butterfly guild in biodiversity conservation studies, due to the relative ease with which taxa may be identified and specimens sampled using bait traps. However, there remain many uncertainties about the macroecological and biogeographical patterns of butterflies in tropical ecosystems. In the present study, we gathered information about fruit-feeding butterfly species in local communities from the Atlantic Forests of South America. The ATLANTIC BUTTERFLIES data set, which is part of ATLANTIC SERIES data papers, results from a compilation of 145 unpublished inventories and 64 other references, including articles, theses, and book chapters published from 1949 to 2018. In total, the data set contains 7,062 records (presence) of 279 species of fruit-feeding butterflies identified with taxonomic certainty, from 122 study locations. The Satyrini is the tribe with highest number of species (45%) and records (30%), followed by Brassolini, with 13% of species and 12.5% of records. The 10 most common species correspond to 14.2% of all records. This data set represents a major effort to compile inventories of fruit-feeding butterfly communities, filling a knowledge gap about the diversity and distribution of these butterflies in the Atlantic Forest. We hope that the present data set can provide guidelines for future studies and planning of new inventories of fruit-feeding butterflies in this biome. The information presented here also has potential use in studies across a great variety of spatial scales, from local and landscape levels to macroecological research and biogeographical research. We expect that such studies be very important for the better implementation of conservation initiatives, and for understanding the multiple ecological processes that involve fruit-feeding butterflies as biological indicators. No copyright restrictions apply to the use of this data set. Please cite this Data paper when using the current data in publications or teaching events.

Monitoring Temporal Variation to Assess Changes in the Structure of Subtropical Atlantic Forest Butterfly Communities.

The study of fauna through long-term surveys is important in unveiling how temporal patterns shape the structure of communities in tropical habitats. The butterfly assemblage of the subtropical Atlantic Forest may be considered highly diverse and shows changes in diversity and composition over time, highlighting the importance of long-term inventories. This work assessed temporal diversity patterns in the distribution and composition of butterfly assemblages in an Atlantic Forest site in southern Brazil using combined data from three years of standardized sampling with entomological nets, increasing the knowledge on this group in the Neotropics for monitoring and conservation. The butterfly fauna was analyzed in terms of richness, abundance, and composition. The inventories reached 401 species, with 14,442 butterfly individuals sampled. All the diversity parameters evaluated show significant differences between the first year of sampling compared to the second and third years. The latter had higher values of richness and abundance, followed by the first and second years. Hesperiidae was the richest family, followed by Nymphalidae and Lycaenidae, indicating a good representation of the assemblage as a whole. The results of this work are important for developing conservation programs in the Atlantic Forest and other forested environments in the neotropics, especially concerning reliable diversity assessments for the monitoring and management of protected areas. Decision making and public policy might also benefit from knowledge on temporal patterns of diversity regarding the maintenance of native habitats and integrity of biomes and their associated fauna.

Winter is coming: Diapause in the subtropical swallowtail butterfly Euryades corethrus (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) is triggered by the shortening of day length and reinforced by low temperatures.

Diapause is modulated by genetic responses to some environmental cues. The most common stimulus to trigger diapause is photoperiod, but temperature and humidity can also be important. Subtropical grasslands insects are overexposed to seasonality and can use diapause as strategy to overcome harsh conditions, avoiding freezing winter temperatures and drought summer conditions. Here, we investigate if photoperiod, temperature, and humidity can induce and terminate dormancy using the model Euryades corethrus, a butterfly from Pampa that diapause as pupae. We hypothesize that photoperiod, temperature, and humidity can induce dormancy; to test the hypothesis, individuals from a stock population were subjected to experiments controlling these three factors. Photoperiod and temperature interactions were also tested. To evaluate if the removal of the harsh factor that induced diapause trigger diapause termination, 50% of dormant pupae in each experiment were exposed to amenable conditions. The results indicated that diapause is mainly induced by short photophases, while temperature and humidity separately do not increase dormancy frequency. Short photoperiods and low temperatures interact with each other, increasing dormancy in experimental populations. The evidences suggest that diapause is trigger by short-day lengths and boosted by low temperatures as winter approaches. The incidence of obligatory summer diapause was not supported, but the occurrence of dormant pupae in high-temperature treatments suggests that high temperatures produce facultative diapause. Regarding diapause termination, the softening of harsh conditions that induced diapause was not sufficient to reverse the dormancy state, suggesting that diapause termination is more complex than previously thought, probably involving internal clocks.

Borboletas (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea e Hesperioidea) de Matas Paludosas e Matas de Restinga da Planície Costeira da região Sul do Brasil / Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea) from Swamp forests and Restinga forests at the southern Brazilian Coastal Plain

Este trabalho teve como objetivo elaborar uma lista de espécies de borboletas de Matas Paludosas e de Restingas da Planície Costeira do Rio Grande do Sul e de Santa Catarina contribuindo para o conhecimento da fauna de borboletas da Mata Atlântica. Foram compilados dados obtidos com amostragens realizadas através de duas técnicas de coleta (armadilha com isca atrativa e rede entomológica) nos anos de 2005 e 2011. Com um esforço amostral de 10.920 horas com armadilhas e de 360 horas-rede foram encontradas 225 espécies de borboletas nos dois ambientes, distribuídas em seis famílias e 19 subfamílias. Vinte e cinco espécies são registros novos ainda não publicados para o Rio Grande do Sul e 35 espécies são novos registros para a Mata Atlântica do Rio Grande do Sul, sendo seis Nymphalidae, dez Hesperiidae, doze Lycaenidae e sete Riodinidae. Os resultados gerados no presente estudo são fundamentais para o conhecimento e conservação dos táxons estudados bem como dos ambientes aos quais estão associados.

This paper presents a butterfly species list of Swamp and Resting forests in the Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina States aiming to contribute to the knowledge of butterflies for these environments in the Atlantic Forest. Data compilation was obtained through inventories carried out in the years 2005 and 2011 with two sampling protocols (bait traps and butterfly nets). After 10.920 trap-hours and 360 net-hours 225 species of butterflies were recorded belonging to six families and 19 subfamilies. Twenty-five species are new records for the Rio Grande do Sul State and 35 species are new records for the Atlantic Forest in Rio Grande do Sul, with six Nymphalidae, ten Hesperiidae, twelve Lycaenidae and seven Riodinidae. The results obtained in the present study are fundamental for the knowledge and conservation of the taxa studied and to their associated habitats.

Fruit-feeding butterflies guide of subtropical Atlantic Forest and Araucaria Moist Forest in State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil / Guia de borboletas frugívoras das Florestas Ombrófilas Densa e Mista do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

This study presents a compilation of fruit-feeding butterflies species for Rio Grande do Sul Atlantic Forest aiming to be a tool for identification of these lepidopterans from two phytophysiognomies of this biome. Samples were carried out for more than four years with entomological nets and bait traps techniques in areas of Subtropical Atlantic Forest (SAF) and Araucaria Moist Forest (AMF). Seventy-six butterfly species were recorded in this region of Atlantic Forest, 60 species for SAF and 53 for AMF. Fruit-feeding butterflies represent about 50 percent of the total species richness of the Nymphalidae recorded for the region, a value of the same order of those found for similar studies in tropical forests regions. Dasyophthalma rusina is a new record for Rio Grande do Sul.

Este estudo é uma compilação de dados sobre a fauna de borboletas frugívoras na Mata Atlântica no Rio Grande do Sul, e tem como objetivo possibilitar a identificação das espécies ocorrentes em duas formações vegetais deste bioma. Foram realizadas amostragens com as técnicas de rede entomológica e armadilhas de iscas atrativas em áreas de Floresta Ombrófila Densa (FOD) e Floresta Ombrófila Mista (FOM), ao longo de mais de quatro anos. Foram registradas 76 espécies para a Mata Atlântica, sendo 60 espécies para a FOD e 53 para a FOM. As borboletas frugívoras representaram cerca de 50 por cento da riqueza total de espécies da família Nymphalidae já registradas para a mesma área, valor semelhante foi encontrado para outras regiões de florestas tropicais. Dasyophthalma rusina constitui-se em um novo registro para o Rio Grande do Sul.

Borboletas frugívoras (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) ocorrentes em um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / Occurrence of fruit-feeding butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in a fragment of Araucaria Moist Forest in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

O presente estudo tem como objetivo contribuir para o conhecimento das borboletas frugívoras em diferentes ambientes de um fragmento de Floresta Ombrófila Mista no município de São Francisco de Paula, região Nordeste do Rio Grande do Sul. As amostragens foram realizadas mensalmente entre março de 2008 e fevereiro de 2009 em duas transecções. Em cada transecção foram colocadas oito armadilhas atrativas fermentadas com banana e caldo de cana ao longo de três dias por ocasião amostral. Após um total de 5760 horas de amostragem foram registradas 30 espécies pertencentes a três subfamílias e seis tribos de borboletas frugívoras. Três espécies são novos registros para a Floresta Ombrófila Mista do Rio Grande do Sul: Prepona pylene pylene, Narope cyllastros e Opoptera sulcius, tendo esta última registro publicado para a região sudeste do estado.

This study aimed to contribute to the knowledge of fruit-feeding butterflies in different habitats in a fragment of Araucaria Moist Forest, located in São Francisco de Paula municipality, in the Northeast region of Rio Grande do Sul State. The samples were carried out monthly between March 2008 and February 2009 in two transects. Eight bait traps with fermented banana and sugar cane juice were placed in each transect per sample occasion. After a total of 5760 sampling hours 30 fruit-feeding butterfly species were recorded belonging to three subfamilies and six tribes. Three species are new records for Araucaria Moist Forest in Rio Grande do Sul: Prepona pylene pylene, Narope cyllastros and Opoptera sulcius, the latter being recorded previously in the southeast region in this state.

Borboletas (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea e Hesperioidea) ocorrentes em diferentes ambientes na Floresta Ombrófila Mista e nos Campos de Cima da Serra do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / Occurrence of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea) in different habitats at the Araucaria Moist Forest and the Grasslands in the Basaltic Highlands in Southern Brazil

Com o intuito de contribuir para o conhecimento das borboletas da Floresta Ombrófila Mista e Campos de Cima da Serra do Rio Grande do Sul foi elaborada uma listagem de espécies da assembléia de borboletas da Floresta Nacional de São Francisco de Paula e entorno. Foram realizadas saídas bimestrais de março de 2006 a maio de 2008 sendo selecionados seis ambientes: (i) mata nativa de Araucaria angustifolia, (ii) mata nativa mesclada com reflorestamento de Araucaria angustifolia, (iii) reflorestamento de Araucaria angustifolia de mata aberta, (iv) reflorestamento de Araucaria angustifolia de mata fechada, (v) reflorestamento de Pinus e (vi) campo de altitude nativo. Após 674 horas-rede de amostragem foram registradas 277 espécies e subespécies de borboletas, distribuídas em 9661 indivíduos, pertencentes a seis famílias, sendo destas 139 novos registros para esta região dos Campos de Cima da Serra, 13 novas ocorrências para o estado e seis espécies raras ou indicadoras de ambiente preservado.

Aiming to contribute to the knowledge of Araucaria Moist Forest butterflies in Rio Grande do Sul, a butterfly species list of the São Francisco National Forest and surroundings was compiled. Field expeditions were carried out bimonthly between March 2006 to May 2008 in six types of environments: (i) Araucaria angustifolia native forest, (ii) native forest mixed with Araucaria angustifolia plantation, (iii) Araucaria angustifolia plantation in open forest, (iv) Araucaria angustifolia plantation in closed forest, (v) Pinus plantation and (vi) grasslands in the basaltic highlands. After 674 net-hours of sampling effort 277 species and subspecies distributed in 9661 individuals, belonging to six families of butterflies were registered. One hundred thirty-nine species are new records for this region of Atlantic Forest and 13 species are new registers for Rio Grande do Sul State. Six species are rare and/or healthy environment indicators.

Nymphalidae, Papilionidae e Pieridae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) da Serra do Sudeste do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / Nymphalidae, Papilionidae and Pieridae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of the Serra do Sudeste, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Visando contribuir para conhecimento sistematizado da composição e distribuição da fauna de borboletas da região Sudeste do Rio Grande do Sul, entre abril de 2003 e janeiro de 2004, foram realizadas expedições para cinco locais na Serra do Sudeste. A composição de espécies de Nymphalidae, Papilionidae e Pieridae foi comparada aos registros existentes para as áreas adjacentes, na Encosta Sudeste e Litoral Sul, em Pelotas e seus arredores. No total de 289 horas-rede de amostragem, foram registrados 2.326 indivíduos e 81 espécies: 59 Nymphalidae, 12 Papilionidae e 10 Pieridae. Para a região adjacente, os trabalhos anteriores listam 138 espécies. Compilando-se ambas as fontes, obtém-se para a região Sudeste do Estado, 152 espécies: 110 Nymphalidae, 14 Papilionidae e 28 Pieridae. Do total de espécies, 14 (9 por cento) ocorreram apenas na Serra do Sudeste e 71 (47 por cento) em Pelotas e seus arredores. Os resultados apresentam a composição peculiar da lepidopterfauna da Serra Sudeste, e corroboram a importância biológica desta área do Estado.

To contribute to the knowledge on the composition and distribution of the butterfly fauna of the Southeastern region of Rio Grande do Sul state (RS), five areas at Serra do Sudeste were sampled between April/2003 and January/2004. The species composition of Nymphalidae, Papilionidae and Pieridae was compared with existing records for the contiguous areas at the foot of Serra do Sudeste and the South Coast Plain (Pelotas and surroundings). In a total of 289 net-hours of sampling at Serra do Sudeste, 2.326 individuals in 81 species were recorded: 59 Nymphalidae, 12 Papilionidae and 10 Pieridae. Literature data available for the adjacent areas lists 138 species. Putting both sources together, a total of 152 species are now registered for the Southeast Region of RS: 110 Nymphalidae, 14 Papilionidae and 28 Pieridae. Amongst these species, 14 (9 percent) occur only in Serra do Sudeste, and 71 (47 percent) only at the contiguous areas. The results demonstrate the peculiar composition of Serra do Sudeste lepidopterofauna and emphasize the biological importance of this area of Rio Grande do Sul.