Coexistence and host use by a large community of Pierid butterflies: habitat is the templet

Abstract

We report studies on the butterfly-hostplant communities in the species-rich area of west central Morocco. Pieridae feeding on Capparales form two distinct ecological guilds: inflorescence feeders and folivores. Several members of each guild may synchronously occur in sympatry. Substantial levels of cannibalism and inter-specific predation occur amongst the inflorescence feeders. No evidence was obtained for segregation of butterfy species on different hosts. Host plants included in the diet of specialists were also used by generalists. Despite substantial differences observed in laboratory trials of larval survivorship on different hostplants, results were congruent for all Pieridae, suggesting that little one-to-one insect-host coevolution has occurred. Host specialization was instead related to the year-to-year stability of host numbers in an area. High levels of pierid infestation occurred on host species with numerically stable populations. Host numerical stability was correlated with habitat type. There is little evidence for segregation of competing inflorescence feeders by hostplant species, but some evidence for segregation by habitat type (particularly by shading levels). We interpret our results as indicating that the hostplant affiliations of Moroccan Capparales-feeding Pieridae are subject to (at best) diffuse coevolutionary effects from hosts and competitors, and are strongly influenced by habitat characteristics.

Keywords: Butterfly community; Coevolution; Habitat use; Pieridae.