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The status of the swallowtail butterfly in Britain
Author(s) -
DEMPSTER J. P.,
KING M. L.,
LAKHANI K. H.
Publication year - 1976
Publication title -
ecological entomology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.865
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1365-2311
pISSN - 0307-6946
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1976.tb01207.x
Subject(s) - butterfly , biology , abundance (ecology) , subspecies , ecology , marsh , lepidoptera genitalia , zoology , wetland
1 Since the early 1950s, when the British swallowtail butterfly ( Papilio machaon britannicus ) became extinct at Wicken Fen, this subspecies has been confined to marshes around the Norfolk Broads. Here too, however, its abundance appears to be declining. 2 The ecology of the butterfly has been studied in Norfolk and at Wicken (by small‐scale introductions) and the main factors determining its abundance are described. 3 A morphometric study of museum specimens has shown that populations of the butterfly in Norfolk and at Wicken differed in a number of size and shape characters. These differences were most marked between 1890 and 1920, but subsequently were almost lost. 4 Studies of the status and performance of the butterfly's food plant, Peucedanum palustre have shown that it is smaller, produces less seed, and is shorter‐lived at Wicken than in Norfolk. 5 In the light of these findings, the possibility of successfully re‐establishing the butterfly at Wicken, and the possible causes of the decline of the species in Norfolk are discussed.