Range Reductions in Native Butterfly, (Pieris napi): Host Plant Effect or Result of Shared Parasitoid Introduced for Biological Control?

Roy Van Driesche麻省大学“本土蝴蝶的范围减少，…”本地蝴蝶的保护计划通常侧重于栖息地的丧失，作为分布变化的主要驱动因素。也有可能是为了生物控制其他物种而引入的拟寄生物减少了本地蝴蝶的数量。本提案调查了本地蝴蝶范围缩小背后的原因，并特别测试了关于寄主植物减少和/或引入寄生虫的替代假设。它将调查马萨诸塞州的一种本地蝴蝶。以及一百多年前入侵的一个相关物种。这两种蝴蝶都可能受到一种与非本地蝴蝶一起入侵的小黄蜂的影响，但它也被释放作为一种生物防治剂。这项工作可以为昆虫群落中共享寄生蜂生态学的基本问题以及生物防治工作的一些后果提供见解。

Roy Van Driesche University of Massachusetts DEB-9806599 "Range Reductions in Native Butterfly, ..." Conservation plans for native butterflies have usually focused on habitat loss as the primary driver of changes in distribution. It is also possible that native butterflies can be reduced in their population by parasitoids that have been introduced for biological control of other species. This proposal investigates the reasons behind range reductions for a native butterfly and specifically tests alternative hypotheses concerning host plant reductions and/or an introduced parasite. It would investigate a native pierid butterfly in Mass. as well as a related species that invaded more than one hundred years ago. Both butterflies may be influenced by a braconid wasp that invaded with the non-native butterfly but which has also been released as a biological control agent. This work can provide insights into basic questions on the ecology of shared parasitoids in insect communities and some of the consequences of biological control efforts.