Abstract
Background
Zygaena carniolica is both a flagship and an umbrella species of calcareous grasslands, which are under decline in central Europe. It used to be a very common species but is currently red-listed.
Methods
We studied the distribution of Zygaena carniolica in eastern Bohemia in 2010 and 2021 based on historical and recent findings. Moreover, we studied the associated floral composition and lepidopteran fauna by means of several site and landscape variables.
Results
Our results revealed a notable decline in the number of localities in which Zygaena carniolica was present. The presence of the burnet moth depended on the presence of bare soil and the host plant Onobrychis viciifolia at the studied localities. Moreover, the presence of Z. carniolica was correlated with a specific plant and lepidopteran species composition.
Discussion
The presence of Zygaena carniolica declined due to the loss of suitable habitats. Its natural and seminatural habitats are often converted for different land uses. Their management abandonment led to unsuitable vegetation succession and the loss of the once-cultivated preferred host plant Onobrychis viciifolia. Stable populations of Zygaena carniolica might be achieved only in connection with appropriate habitat management. Conservation measures should be taken into consideration, given the dramatic decline in xerothermic species richness in the last 11 years.
Implications for insect conservation
The key to reversing this trend is restoring traditional grassland management in the form of nonintensive pastures and hay making. Moreover, some nontraditional management tools might be used to restore early successional stages of vegetation.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Jiří Beneš for information on the species distribution. We would also like to thank Vít Kubáň for sharing old literature.
Funding
This study was supported by the UHK-specific research project (2111/2021).
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Patrik Rada: methodology, validation, formal analysis, investigation, data curation, statistical analysis, visualization, project administration, funding acquisition, writing-original draft, reviewing, and editing. Lenka Šafářová: investigation, data curation, reviewing, and editing. Petra Svobodová: investigation, data curation, reviewing, and editing. Jakub Horák: conceptualization, methodology, investigation, supervision, reviewing, and editing.
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Rada, P., Šafářová, L., Svobodová, P. et al. Serious population extinctions of a formerly common xerothermic insect: the sad story of the conspicuous burnet moth Zygaena carniolica in the Czech Republic. J Insect Conserv 27, 669–677 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-023-00489-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-023-00489-5