Composição e diversidade de borboletas frugívoras (lepidoptera: nymphalidae) em unidades de conservação e fragmentos florestais adjacentes de mata atlântica no sul do Brasil

Abstract

Many are the threats to the Atlantic Forest biome, e.g., fragmentation represents a threat to the diversity of Lepidoptera. Fruit-feeding butterflies make up a species-rich taxonomic group, being loyal to their habitats, well known and rapidly sampled. The diversity of fruit-feeding butterflies is influenced by abiotic and biotic variables. This thesis presents information on 1) the list of fruit-feeding butterflies species and composition analysis (similarity), 2) analysis of composition and diversity (abundance and species richness), 3) and influence of abiotic and biotic variables on composition, abundance and richness of fruit-feeding butterflies sampled in Conservation Units (CU) and respective adjacent forest fragments (FFs), in Mixed Ombrophilous Forest, Western Santa Catarina, Brazil. The study was conducted in the Chapecó National Forest (FLONA), Mata Preta Ecological Station (ESEC) and Araucárias State Park (PAEAR) and their respective adjacent forest fragments. Fruit-feeding butterflies were collected using Van Someren-Rydon traps. Collections occurred between December 2017 and March 2018, totaling 24 sampling days. We recorded 4,231 fruit-feeding butterflies belonging to four subfamilies, 12 tribes and 49 species. In FLONA, we recorded 37 species, with 29 in its FFs; ESEC included 29 species with 33 in its FFs; and PAEAR included 33 species with 28 in its FFs. Of the recorded species, 15 are new records for state of Santa Catarina and 10 are new records for the Western region of the state. The most abundant species in our study were: Manataria hercyna (Hübner, [1821]), Hermeuptychia sp., Yphthimoides ordinaria Freitas, Kaminski & Mielke, 2012, Forsterinaria quantius (Godart, [1824]), Eryphanes reevesii (Doubleday, 1849), Moneuptychia soter (Butler, 1877) and Morpho epistrophus (Fabricius, 1796). Satyrinae had the highest richness (S=34) and abundance (90.58%) in all sampled areas. The estimated sampling coverage for the CU and forest fragments was above 97%. Species richness and abundance of fruit-feeding butterflies differed between the Conservation Units and their adjacent forest fragments and composition was shown to be altered, with species loss from one environment to another. There was a grouped pattern separating the samples of CU and FF. Both the similarity regarding abundance and species composition varied from 50 to 55%. The sampled fruit-feeding 4 butterflies species showed a variation of occurrence in the samples of 85.23% in the Chapecó National Forest, 75.92% in the Mata Preta Ecological Station and 66.28% in the Araucárias State Park. We observed a nested pattern of the assemblages in the Chapecó National Forest and Araucárias State Park and their respective adjacent forest fragments. Abundance and species richness of fruit-feeding butterflies of FLONA and PAEAR were positively related to relative air humidity, temperature and luminosity. The abiotic variables explained between 23.3% and 39.1% of the fruit-feeding butterflies assemblages, with luminosity and relative air humidity being the most significant variables. There was a positive relation of the richness of fruit-feeding butterflies to canopy height and openness, and, regarding abundance, to canopy openness in the areas of FLONA. For ESEC, there was a positive relation of abundance and richness to canopy openness. The composition of fruit-feeding butterflies in FLONA varied with canopy height and openness, and in ESEC it varied with canopy openness. The abundance of fruit-feeding butterflies was positively related to the isolation level of FLONA, and negatively to the area. This study contributed to the knowledge and characterization of the guild of fruit-feeding butterflies in the state of Santa Catarina. The fauna of fruit-feeding butterflies of Western Santa Catarina, investigated for the first time in CU, was shown to be expressive and with good representativeness for the Atlantic Forest biome. Moreover, we emphasize the important role of CU in maintaining the diversity of fruit-feeding butterflies in FFs and the relevance of environmental variables. We perceive the need to conserve adjacent forest fragments in highly fragmented areas, a common situation in the Atlantic Forest, thus avoiding the loss of fruit-feeding butterflies diversity. We highluminosity the need for other surveys and studies directed to understand the relationships between fruit-feeding butterflies and the influence of other environmental variables, especially in a scenario of environmental degradation and global climate change. However, we expect that the generated knowledge will be useful for the elaboration of plans for the management and conservation of subtropical butterflies in Mixed Ombrophilous Forest of Southern Brazil.