Journal of
Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 June 2018 | 10(7):
11980Ð11983
Biology and distribution of the Clouded Apollo Parnassiusmnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), a rare butterfly in the Republic of Mordovia,
Russia
A.B. Ruchin
Federal Government Funded
Institution ÒSmidovich MordoviaState Nature ReserveÓ, Pushta Settlement, Temnikov Region, TemnikovskyDistrict 431230, Mordovia Republic
sasha_ruchin@rambler.ru
doi: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3709.10.7.11980-11983 | ZooBank:urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5597F4BE-2D6A-493E-8B6F-9626252FDAAF
Editor: Timothy New, La Trobe University, Australia. Date
of publication: 26 June 2018 (online & print)
Manuscript details: Ms # 3709 |
Received 01 August 2017 | Final received 04 April 2018 | Finally accepted 24
May 2018
Citation: Ruchin, A.B. (2018). Biology and distribution of the Clouded Apollo Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758)(Lepidoptera:Papilionidae), a rare butterfly in the Republic of Mordovia, Russia. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(7): 11980Ð11983; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.3709.10.7.11980-11983
Copyright: © Ruchin 2018. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows
unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution
by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
Funding: None.
Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests.
Swallowtail
butterflies (Papilionidae) are attractive to
collectors and reflecting habitat changes, populations of most species in many
regions are threatened (van Swaay et al. 2012). Five of 24 species of swallowtails in
Russia occur in the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga region (Lvovsky & Morgun 2007). The Clouded Apollo Parnassius mnemosyne (Linnaeus, 1758) was included in the
Red Data Book of Russian Federation (2001). This beautiful butterfly is found in
many countries of Europe, some countries of western and central Asia (to the
south of western Siberia, and the mountains of central Asia, Afghanistan) (van Swaay et al. 2012). In Europe, it is classified as Near Threatened (van Swaayet al. 2012).
The
Republic of Mordovia is located in the centre of the
east European plain between 53.63330N & 55.18330N,
and between 42.18330E & 46.74990E in the southwestern periphery of the Volga basin in the interfluve
of rivers Moksha and Sura. The territory includes forest and
forest-steppe zones of central Russia. The eastern part of Mordovia is located in the
northwest of the Volga upland and the western part in the Oka-Don lowland. In this regard, a variety of vegetation
types is observed in the area of study. The west, north-westand north of the country is occupied by boreal, coniferous, and mixed forests
under the protection of Mordovia Nature Reserve (Ruchin & Egorov 2017). Broad-leaved forests cover the central
and eastern parts. In the east and south-east predominate forest-steppe landscapes (Yamashkin 1998).
Our own
material was collected in the course of systematic research in
2006Ð2016. During this time,
more than 200 geographical points, located in all the areas of the republic,
were directly examined (usually, all possible biotopes). Visual censuses were performed while
watching the feeding of imago butterflies. The flight of butterflies begins in the middle of
May and ends in the first half of June. At this time, we conducted transect walks in the major habitat areas of
butterflies. In this case, the route was a linear
path, along which the recorder counted butterflies, occurring within the zone
of reliable determination (this zone is 5m in both directions from the
route). Visual censuses allow population assessment of butterflies in the natural environment without catching them. If necessary, the recorders stopped to
make an entry in the observationÕs log on feeding of imago butterflies.
Fragmentation
and shrinking of this speciesÕ range has occurred due to anthropogenic
transformations of landscapes and habitats in Europe and the densely populated
areas of European Russia (Konvicka & Kuras 1999; van Swaay et al.
2012). On the other hand, the
species has become more abundant in a number of European countries (Gorbach & Kabanen 2010; LiivamŠgi et al. 2013). In the Middle Volga region it is still
noted as local, but inhabiting many sites, and is sometimes rather abundant (Sachkov 1988; Zolotukhin 1994; Goreslavets et al. 2001; Korb et
al. 2017). At least 30 key habitats
are known in Mordovia (Fig. 1), but cenopopulations (a composition of
all specimens belonging to the same species and inhabiting the same site) and breeding grounds stick to more compact
areas.
According
to the collections of Mordovia Nature Reserve Museum,
Clouded Apollo was first found here in 1984. In recent years, it was observed in
three other habitats in this specially protected area. According to observations, in 2006 in Smolny National Park only single specimens (not more than
2Ð3 specimens) per 1km of transect walk were recorded. However, in 2007 in LvivForestry in the abandoned village (a large glade with wooden buildings) there
were recorded 10 specimens per 1km of the route, and in a small section of the
forest edgeÑ18 specimens per single km (Ruchin& Kurmaeva 2010). In June 2007, a mass flight was recorded
in the Bolshebereznikovsky District: local clusters
were observed on a forest road, leading through mixed forest with a
predominance of pine. In some of
these clusters there were 25Ð37 specimens per kilometerof the route; in some places (near the puddles on the road), these aggregations
were even larger (40Ð65 specimens / m2 were observed in
different sections of the road). In
broad-leaved forests (often of secondary regeneration), the population usually
varies from 2Ð7 specimens per kilometer(sometimes up to 65 specimens per km). Occasionally, in large glades, its number reached up to 22 specimens /
km (Ruchin & Kurmaeva2010). Thus, the number of Clouded
Apollo records and the species abundance were at the highest range in
2006Ð2011. Since 2012, the
number has decreased again and does not exceed 1Ð3 specimens per km of
the route.
In Mordovia this species prefers broad-leaved forests (more
often secondary regrowth), sometimes, mixed pine- broad-leaved forests.
Habitats are well-warmed forest glades with mixed herbs, forest fringes,
cuttings, sides of forest roads (Image 1). According to our observations, imagos feed on Fragaria viridis L., Lathyrus pisiformis L., Taraxacum officinale L., Leucanthemum vulgare Lam., Stellaria nemorum L., Ranunculus polyanthemusL., Geranium pratense L., Achillea millefolium L. and Viola mirabilis L. The forage plant of caterpillars in the
region is Corydalis solida (L.) (Papaveraceae). Caterpillars pupate in a cocoon on the ground among vegetation. Eggs overwinter with a formed
caterpillar inside. Butterflies fly
from mid-May to early July; they have a distinguishing slow gliding flight;
feed on flowers of various herbs; when the species is abundant butterflies
become rather daring, and do not try to fly away from the threat.
This
species is rather stenotopic and local, it is not
prone to dispersal, and it disappears at significant disturbances of existing
habitats. In cases of significant
increase in number, butterflies disperse over isolated habitats, but the
permanent colonization of new habitats and migrations through agrocenoses are not common for the species; most of the cenopopulations from localized sites are mostly, or
practically, isolated. At all
stages of development the species is vulnerable to disturbances in soil cover
and burnt areas. The decrease in
the fodder base of caterpillars can be caused by the destruction of fodder
plants, especially by grazing of cattle, while the fodder base of butterflies
suffers from damage to vegetation and hay harvesting in flowering glades.
There
were no special protection measures for Clouded Apollo taken in the
republic. In the future, it is
advisable to limit the economic activities in the habitats of the species: to
protect Corydalis solida, plants with crimson
flowers, from damage; prohibit making fires outside the designated areas,
cultivation of forest edges and glades, machinery movement outside of the
roads, cutting trees and haymaking in June; to limit grazing by the end of
June, excavation and trampling of grass; to prohibit chemical processing in a
radius of at least 200m from the species habitats. Prevent overgrowth of habitats by bush
and weed. At least 15 populations
live in the territories of Mordovia Reserve, Smolny National Park and at nature monuments such as Oak
Grove, Khanenevskaya Grove, TarhanovskayaDacha, and Birch Grove.
References
Gorbach, V.V. & D.N. Kabanen (2010). Spatial organization of the Clouded Apollo
population (Parnassius mnemosyne)
in Onega Lake Basin. Entomological Review 90: 11Ð22.
Goreslavets, I.N., I.V. Dyuzhaeva, Y.P. Krasnobayev, V.I.Kupayev, E.K. Liashenko,
S.A. Sachkov, Y.V. Sachkova& T.A. Trofimova (2001). Scale-winged insects (Lepidoptera) in the Red Data Book of the
Samara Region. Samarskaya Luka 11: 170Ð200.
Konvicka, M. & T. Kuras (1999). Population structure, behaviour and
selection of oviposition sites of an endangered
butterfly, Parnassius mnemosyne, in LitovelskŽ Pomorav’, Czech Republic. Journal
of Insect Conservation 3: 211Ð223.
Korb, S.K., D.A. Pogozhin, A.A. Zatakovoy &
R.E. Talyak (2017). The butterfly fauna of the Nizhny Novgorod Region inventarisation experience (Insecta:
Lepidoptera) and its use for the regional Red Data Book building. Nature Conservation Research 2(1): 57Ð72.
LiivamŠgi, A., V. Kuusemets, J. Luig & K. Kask (2013). Changes in the
distribution of Clouded Apollo Parnassius mnemosyne (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in Estonia. Entomologica Fennica24: 186Ð192.
Lvovsky, A.L. &
D.V. Morgun (2007). Lepidoptera of Eastern Europe. Association of scientific publications of KMK, Moscow, 443pp.
Red Data Book of Russian Federation (2001). Animals. Astrel, Moscow, 862pp.
Ruchin, A.B. & L.V. Egorov (2017). Overview of insect species included in the Red Data Book of
Russian Federation in the Mordovia State Nature
Reserve. Nature Conservation Research 2(1): 2Ð9; http://doi.org/10.24189/ncr.2017.016
Ruchin, A.B. & D.K. Kurmaeva (2010). On rare insects of Mordoviaincluded in the Red Book of Russian Federation. Entomological
Review 90(6): 712Ð717.
Sachkov, S.A. (1988). Lepidoptera of Kuibyshev Region entered into the Red Data Book of
the USSR, and their protection. Protection of animals in the Middle Volga
region (Collection of articles): 43Ð51.
van Swaay,
C., C. Collins, G. Dusej, D. Maes,
M.L. Munguira, L. Rakosy,
N. Ryrholm, M. Sasic,
J. Settele, J.A. Thomas, R. Verovnik,
T. Verstrael, M. Warren, M. Wiemers& I. Wynhoff (2012). Dos and donÕts for butterflies of the habitats
directive of the European Union. Nature Conservation 1: 73Ð153;http://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.1.2786
Yamashkin, A.A. (1998). Physical and Geographical Conditions of the
Republic Mordovia. Publisher
of the Mordovia State University, Saransk, 156pp.
Zolotukhin, V.V. (1994). Materials on the fauna of Lepidoptera in the Ulyanovsk region. Part 1. Rhopalocera. The
Nature of Ulianovsk Region 5: 60Ð81.