Movilidad y especialización ecológica como variables que afectan la abundancia y distribución de lepidópteros papilionidos en el sumidero, Chiapas, México

Abstract

This paper studies the distribution-abundance relationships of the Family Papilionidae in a fragmented landscape of Southern Mexico. Fixed transect routes were walked throughout a fragmented landscape, and based on this effort species-habitat associations and local abundance per habitat type were assessed for all species of the Papilionidae community. We related local Papilionidae abundance and distribution data with data on national distribution, mobility and ecological specialization (data obtained from curated specimens or records from National collections and published data). A total of 1,319 transects were walked during 18 months of sampling effort between 2001 and 2002. Fifteen species of Papilionidae butterflies were recorded at the landscape studied, but previous information on national and regional distribution maps, suggested that four additional species (Battus ingenuus, Parides erithalion, Parides photinus and Mimoides thymbraeus) could be registered in the study area. Local abundance had a positive effect on local distribution (r2=0.925 P=0.001). Ecological specialization had a significant effect on national distribution data (r2 =0.510, P=0.030), but not at the local scale (r2=0.409 P=0.092). In contrast, the mobility had no influence on national or local distribution neither on local abundance (r2=0.307, P=0.216; r2=0.100, P=0.692 and r2=0.046 P=0.857, respectively). We failed to find a significant relationship between the local distribution and the national distribution (r2=0.313 and P=0.256). The distribution-abundance relationships recognized in this work are comparable with those reported for other taxa in other regions. However, the effects of ecological specialization and mobility on distribution and abundance patterns can be the result of combined effects between species perception and the structure and composition of modern landscapes like San Fernando. Heavily fragmented landscapes could likely affect resource availability and breeding sites for many species including Papilionidae, and hence species perception –even mobile and common speciescould particularly be different compared to those species living in relatively pristine habitats.