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Host plants, biology and distribution of A craea terpsicore ( L innaeus, 1758) ( L epidoptera: N ymphalidae): a new butterfly for northern A ustralia with potential invasive status

2014; Wiley; Volume: 53; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/aen.12078

2052-1758

Michael F. Braby, Brian Thistleton, Michael J Neal,

Species Distribution and Climate Change

Abstract The nymphalid butterfly A craea terpsicore has recently become established in northern A ustralia where it is spreading rapidly. The immature stages are briefly described, illustrated and compared with those of A . andromacha ( F abricius, 1775) from A ustralia, and information on its larval food plant specificity, biology and distribution is presented. The species occurs in highly modified open areas, including suburban roadsides, disturbed grassland (i.e. cleared woodland that is regularly slashed or graded) and degraded savannah woodland where it breeds primarily on H ybanthus enneaspermus ( L .) F . M uell. ( V iolaceae), a widespread native herb that is also used as a natural larval food plant in I ndia, and to a lesser extent on P assiflora foetida L . ( P assifloraceae), an introduced vine also used as a food plant in I ndo‐ C hina and I ndonesia. E xtensive laboratory larval feeding trials on V iolaceae, P assifloraceae and C ucurbitaceae revealed limited ability of the A ustralian population to consume P assifloraceae and lack of ability to feed on C ucurbitaceae, indicating that A . terpsicore is unlikely to become a pest of vegetable and horticultural crops. It is hypothesised that the narrower host range in A ustralia is attributed to the founder effect of a limited gene pool. Within 14 months of colonisation, A . terpsicore has occupied much of the western half of the ‘ T op E nd’ of the N orthern T erritory and spread to the eastern K imberley of W estern A ustralia, with an estimated extent of occurrence of 112 000 km 2 and average dispersal rate of 315 ± 56 ( SE ) km/year. Because the butterfly has the ability to exploit (injure) V iolaceae, and potentially outcompete A . andromacha , it may qualify as an invasive species.