bugs & twigs

[Kondla, Norbert FOR:EX]

I have often wondered about the effects of browsing by domestic and native
ungulates on butterflies (probably mostly hairstreaks) that lay their eggs
on woody plant branches.  Since these overwinter and the winter in northern
areas is when the native ungulates are most concentrated; there would seem
to be at least a theoretical opportunity for this to have at least local
repercussions for the size and dynamics of the butterfly populations.  If
anyone ever runs across any research on this topic plse drop me a line.
Until there is some empirical data we can only approach the topic through
common sense and basic principles.  One thing that is not clear to me is
whether hairstreaks that lay eggs on the branches of woody shrubs do so in
any kind of preferential manner with respect to position on the branches,
eg. near the ends where they are open to carnivory by the bambi's or closer
to the main stems on older wood where they are more likely to escape the
ravenous deer.  I would welcome even anecdotal information on oviposition
location preferences of those temperate and northern butterflies that lay
their eggs on woody shrubs.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Norbert Kondla  P.Biol., RPBio.
Ministry of Sustainable Resource Management
845 Columbia Avenue, Castlegar, British Columbia V1N 1H3
Phone 250-365-8610
Mailto:Norbert.Kondla at gems3.gov.bc.ca       
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca


 
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