Structure of and changes in butterfly assemblage in a residential area developed in a Satoyama landscape in the suburb of Kyoto City, central Japan

Abstract

To examine the structure of the butterfly assemblage in a residential area developed in a Satoyama landscape, transect counts of butterflies were carried out for five years from 2012 to 2016 in the Iwakura-Ichihara area of Kyoto City. Thirty-eight species were observed with five dominant species, Pieris rapae, Zizeeria maha, Eurema mandarina, Ypthima argus and Colias erate, accounting for 77.4% of the total population. Although no red-listed species were found, several Satoyama coppice species such as Erynnis montana and Japonica lutea were observed in the study site. Analyses based on past records and land-use changes demonstrate that the butterfly assemblage has been simplified with the reduction of the Satoyama landscape.