The Biology, Diversity And Fauna Of Butterflies In Southern Gansu-Parnassius Species As Representatives

This study deals with biology, diversity and fauna of butterflies in southern Gansu Province, including field route survey, observation at sample plots, indoor breeding etc. The biology of Parnassius imperator Oberthur is studied, focusing on its biological characteristics and habitat requirements, and so as to get main factors to make its nature population fluctuation. Diversity of Parnassius species and butterfly species in southern Gansu in different habitats are surveyed.The relation of butterfly diversity and environment factor as vegetation situation, altitude etc. are specially analysed. And local endangered degrees of some Parnassius species are assessed. Fauna of butterflies in southern Gansu is studied. By means of the cluster-analysis in combination with consideration of the landscape, climate and vegetation, the butterflies in southern Gansu are zoo-geographically divided. Several conservation measures are provided.1. Biological characteristics and requirement to habitats of P. imperator.P. imperator is an endemic species to China. It is univoltine in Yongjing County, and overwinters in egg stage on rocks nearby host plants Corydalis adunca (also endemic to China). Eggs hatch in mid-March the following year. The larvae stage includes 4 instars and last for 52 days. Duration of the larva period is from late March to late June. The pupae stage lasts about 47 days, and larvae pupate in early May. Adults emerge at the beginning of May and can fly fast. Peak quantity of adults ranges from mid-July to mid-August, however adults can still be found in late September. The egg stage lasts about eight months.P. imperator is a dominant species in Yagou, Yongjing County. Adults like to stay and fly in valley with bare rocks and shrubs, larvae are found on sunny and semi-sunny slopes. Geographic distribution of P. imperator and its host plant C. adunca overlaps in China. This explains their close co-evolutionary relationship.two subspecies of P. imperator are detected. P. imperator gigas Kotsch, occured in Yongjing county and P. imperator regulus (Bryk et Eisner) in Hezuo city.Extremely abnormal climate, for example, Strong cooling, frost or snow, is the main factor that affects the population decline of P. imperator. Human disturbance is another threat affecting survival of P. imperator.2. Diversity of Parnassius and butterfly speciesParnassius are the representative ones living in high altitude and the high latitudes areas and intensively distribute in Southern Gansu, which lies in the transition zone of Tibetan plateau, Longnan mountain land and loess plateau. In this areas 15 Parnassius species are recorded, which is a comparably large fraction (36.6%) of all 41 Parnassius species in China. Transect inventory across the major altitudinal vegetation zones covering the alpine sub-ice-snow and sparse vegetation zone, sub-alpine shrub-meadow zone, mountain forest and grassland zone, and hilly grassland zone shows that Parnassius species appear in all zones. The vertical distribution of Parnassius species is interesting because species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity indicate contrary trends for Parnassius and total butterfly communities along the altitudinal gradient. While species richness and diversity of Parnassius increase with altitude (R2=0.991, p<0.05), these measures decrease for total butterfly communities (R2=0.988, p<0.05), but another hand, the vegetation situation is more important to butterfly communities distribution than its altitude (R2=0.988, p<0.001)Parnassius can be considered as a typical genus for alpine regions in China. The most common species in the regions are P. imperator, P. epaphus and P. nomion. In the whole study area, eight species, including P. cephalus, are particularly rare and future viability of their populations might deserve particular attention.3. Fauna of butterflies in southern Gansu and their geographic divisionAn inventory in southern Gansu province reveals 315 butterfly species belonging to 11 families and 136 genera. The predominant types appear to be the Palaearctic species, accounting for 43.5% of the total, followed by the Oriental species, accounting for 31.7%, the wide-spread species are the least in number, accounting for 24.8% of the total.Cluster analysis in combination with consideration of the landscape, climate and vegetation of their distribution, the butterflies in southern Gansu are zoo-geographically divided into three regions: the middle-high mountain area in southern Longnan, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau area in Gannan, the valley and basin area in Linxia. The butterfly compositions in three areas are distinctive, respectively reflecting their regions habitat characteristics.51 species of butterflies are new records in Gansu province, they belong to 35 genera 6 families. Among them 7 species of Pieridae,18 species of Satyridae, 11species of Nymphalidae,3 species of Riodinidae,7 species of Lycaenidae,5 species of Hesperidae.4. Conversation ideas and methodsProtect their habitats, especially in ecological fragile areas and key ecological region, and try to reduce human interference.Need to carry out deep and persistent study on the biology and ecology of several rare species.Work out the new criteria for threatened IUCN species in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Set up some natural reserves for rare and threatened species.Build comprehensive culturing base for rare and endangered speciesTake example by foreign butterfly research technology, carry out some researches on the influence of butterfly by habitat loss or restore, and climate change in large scale. Dell with the relationship between resource exploitation and protection administration, so as to making use of the limited resources sustainable.