Restoration action and species response: Oviposition habits of Plebejus icarioides fenderi (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) across a restoration chronosequence in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
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Published source details
Carleton A. & Schultz C.B. (2013) Restoration action and species response: Oviposition habits of Plebejus icarioides fenderi (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) across a restoration chronosequence in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA. Journal of Insect Conservation, 17, 511-520.
Published source details Carleton A. & Schultz C.B. (2013) Restoration action and species response: Oviposition habits of Plebejus icarioides fenderi (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) across a restoration chronosequence in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA. Journal of Insect Conservation, 17, 511-520.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Restore or create grassland/savannas Action Link |
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Restore or create grassland/savannas
A site comparison study in 2009–2010 in three restored fields in Oregon, USA (Carleton & Schultz 2013) found that older restored prairie had a higher density of Fender’s blue butterfly Plebejus icarioides fenderi eggs than recently restored prairie. Five to 10 years after restoration, the host plant Kincaid’s lupine Lupinus oreganus had more butterfly eggs (0.04–0.16 eggs/leaf) than 1–2 years after restoration (0.002–0.004 eggs/leaf), but similar numbers to intact habitat (0.09–0.13 eggs/leaf). Lupine density was also higher 5–10 years after restoration (5.1–9.0 leaves/m2) than 1–2 years after restoration (0.3–1.3 leaves/m2), but lower than in intact prairie (54.5 leaves/m2). The time spent laying eggs by females was similar in older restored habitat (3–10%) and intact habitat (11%). From 2000, 2004 and 2008, three former fields (0.1–0.6 ha) were restored by seeding with native Fender’s blue nectar species and Kincaid’s lupine for 1–4 years. Restoration sites were adjacent to 3.5 ha of intact prairie. Restored areas were mown, and either hand weeded or treated with herbicide to reduce the spread of non-native plants. At the end of the 2009 and 2010 flight seasons, the number of lupine leaves and the number of Fender’s blue eggs were sampled in the restored and intact prairie. In May–June 2009, female butterflies were observed in restored (38 females) and intact (116 females) prairie, and the percentage of time spent laying eggs was recorded.
(Summarised by: Andew Bladon)
