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Evidence for Partial Migration in the Southern Monarch Butterfly, Danaus erippus, in Bolivia and Argentina
Author(s) -
Slager Benjamin H.,
Malcolm Stephen B.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
biotropica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1744-7429
pISSN - 0006-3606
DOI - 10.1111/btp.12206
Subject(s) - danaus , monarch butterfly , butterfly , biology , ecology , wing , life history theory , geography , life history , lepidoptera genitalia , engineering , aerospace engineering
Migration is a common life‐history strategy that includes traits such as directed flight, increased wing size, seasonal lipid deposition and reproductive arrest. The degree of investment in these traits ultimately determines the life‐history strategy of individuals. Partial migration is a common mixed life‐history strategy where species or populations consist of both migrant and resident individuals. While this phenomenon is widespread across taxa, the ecological factors that select for and maintain partial migration are poorly understood, especially among insects. Here, we investigate regional life‐history traits associated with migration in the southern monarch, Danaus erippus , and describe a mixed life‐history strategy in this butterfly. Individuals from the Bolivian lowlands were observed throughout the year exhibiting mate‐ and milkweed‐directed behaviors. These butterflies had smaller wings, lower wing loads and maintained constant lipid and egg loads across summer and autumn months. Danaus erippus in the highlands of the Bolivian Andes were observed only in the summer and autumn months, during which they also showed mate‐ and milkweed‐directed behaviors. These individuals possessed similar‐sized wings and maintained similar lipid and egg loads as the lowland butterflies. In contrast, individuals from northwest Argentina showed persistent, directed, southwesterly flight during the autumn (March–May), larger wing size, higher wing loads, and increased autumn lipid deposition along with decreased egg production. These data indicate that D. erippus utilizes a mixed life‐history strategy with a combination of residents and migrants in the Bolivian lowlands, elevational migrants in the Bolivian Andes, and latitudinal migrants in northwestern Argentina.