Nocturnality and species survival.
other · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 8876201.
- Also identified by PMC identifier 38123.
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Abstract
Surveys of butterfly and moth diversity in tropical forest fragments suggest that nocturnality confers a dispersal, and possibly a survival, advantage. The butterfly faunas of smaller fragments were depauperate; in contrast, the species richness of nocturnal moths was similar in all fragments and even in pasture. The lack of correlation between butterfly and moth species richness among fragments (r2 = 0.005) is best explained by movements of moths at night when ambient conditions in forest and pasture are most similar; butterflies face substantial daytime temperature, humidity, and solar radiation barriers. This interpretation is supported by information on birds, beetles, and bats.
Medical subject headings
- Behavior, Animal
- Butterflies
- Circadian Rhythm
- Ecology
- Ecosystem
- Moths