Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Food plant defoliation and larval starvation of Euphydryas editha

  • Published:
Oecologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Investigation of larval food plant relationships of populations of Euphydryas editha Boisduval throughout California demonstrated three striking phenomena. First, relationships between butterflies and plants were found to be highly variable among populations utilizing different (but related) food plants. Second, defoliation of food plants was quite common and often extensive; this is contrary to the widely accepted generalization that herbivores rarely defoliate their food plants. Third, larval starvation was the rule, occurring to some extent in most of the populations investigated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andrewartha, H. G., Birch, L. C.: The distribution and abundance of animals. Chicago: Chicago Univ. Press 1954

    Google Scholar 

  • Breedlove, D. E., Ehrlich, P. R.: Plant-herbivore coevolution: lupines and lycaenids. Science 162, 671–672 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Breedlove, D. E., Ehrlich, P. R.: Coevolution: patterns of legume predation by a lycaenid butterfly. Oecologia (Berl.) 10, 99–104 (1974)

    Google Scholar 

  • Clench, H. K.: Temporal dissociation and population regulation in certain hesperiine butterflies. Ecology 48, 1000–1006 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dethier, V. G.: Food plant distribution and density and larval dispersal as factors affecting insect populations. Canad. Entomologist 91, 581–596 (1959)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dolinger, P. M., Ehrlich, P. R., Fitch, W. M., Breedlove, D. E.: Alkaloid and predation patterns in Colorado lupine populations. Oecologia (Berl.) 13, 191–204 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich, P. R.: Intrinsic barriers to disperal in checkerspot butterfly. Science 134, 108–109 (1961)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich, P. R.: The population biology of the butterfly, Euphydryas editha. II. The structure of the Jasper Ridge colony. Evolution 19, 327–336 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich, P. R., Birch, L. C.: The “balance of nature” and “population control”. Amer. Naturalist 101, 97–108 (1967)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich, P. R., Raven, P. H.: Butterflies and plants: a study in coevolution. Evolution 18, 586–608 (1965)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, L. E., Singer, M. C.: Patterns of dispersal and gene flow in a butterfly species. Amer. Naturalist 107, 58–72 (1973)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Labine, P. A.: Population biology of the butterfly, Euphydryas editha. I. Barriers to multiple inseminations. Evolution 18, 335–336 (1964)

    Google Scholar 

  • Labine, P. A.: The population biology of the butterfly, Euphydryas editha. IV. Sperm precedence. Evolution 20, 580–586 (1966)

    Google Scholar 

  • Labine, P. A.: The population biology of the butterfly, Euphydryas editha. VIII. Oviposition and its relation to patterns of oviposition in other butterflies. Evolution 22, 799–805 (1968)

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen, D. F.: Tropical butterflies. Oxford: Clarendon Press 1971

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, M. C.: Evolution of food-plant preference in the butterfly, Euphydryas editha. Evolution 25, 383–389 (1971)

    Google Scholar 

  • Singer, M. C.: Complex components of habitat suitability within a butterfly colony. Science 176, 75–77 (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  • White, R. R.: Community relationships of the butterfly, Euphydryas editha. Ph. D. dissertation, Stanford University (1973)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, 94305, Stanford, California

    R. R. White

Authors
  1. R. R. White
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

White, R.R. Food plant defoliation and larval starvation of Euphydryas editha . Oecologia 14, 307–315 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384575

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384575

Keywords

Search

Navigation