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The life cycle and climate adaptability of South Africa's endemic Cape Autumn Widow butterfly

Date:
January 30, 2025
Source:
Pensoft Publishers
Summary:
A recent study provides insights into the life history and behaviour of the endemic Cape Autumn Widow butterfly (Dira clytus), a species endemic to South Africa.
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A recent study published in the open-access journal African Invertebrates provides insights into the life history and behaviour of the endemic Cape Autumn Widow butterfly (Dira clytus), a species endemic to South Africa.

In the study, Silvia Mecenero of the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa and Stephen Kirkman of Nelson Mandela University examine the species' developmental stages and responses to environmental conditions, with implications for conservation efforts.

By rearing the subspecies Dira clytus clytus in controlled conditions, the researchers documented the butterfly's complete life cycle, from egg to adult. Two distinct pupation and adult emergence phases were identified over a period of a few months, influenced by cold temperatures, suggesting that environmental cues play a role in triggering these developmental events. The fact that two broods were found in a matter of months is interesting, because in the wild this species breeds only once a year.

The findings indicate that Dira clytus clytus could show some phenological plasticity in its response to climate change, by changing its timing of pupation and the number of broods within a year. Such flexibility may not always be beneficial to butterflies, as shifts in phenology could lead to mismatches with the availability of their host plants. However, Dira clytus clytus is a generalist that feeds on a variety of grasses and may therefore be more adaptable to changes in its phenology.

The study was published as part of a commemorative collection of articles published in honour of the late ecologist Prof. Stefan H. Foord.


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Materials provided by Pensoft Publishers. The original text of this story is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Silvia Mecenero, Stephen P. Kirkman. Life history and behavioural observations during the rearing of Dira clytus clytus (Linnaeus, 1764) (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae), with notes on implications for climate change adaptation. African Invertebrates, 2025; 66 (1): 65 DOI: 10.3897/AfrInvertebr.66.138082

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Pensoft Publishers. "The life cycle and climate adaptability of South Africa's endemic Cape Autumn Widow butterfly." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 30 January 2025. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250130140523.htm>.
Pensoft Publishers. (2025, January 30). The life cycle and climate adaptability of South Africa's endemic Cape Autumn Widow butterfly. ScienceDaily. Retrieved January 31, 2025 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250130140523.htm
Pensoft Publishers. "The life cycle and climate adaptability of South Africa's endemic Cape Autumn Widow butterfly." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/01/250130140523.htm (accessed January 31, 2025).

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