低山地帯の蝶道沿いに点在する生息地におけるナミアゲハの自然死亡率

抄録

The role of flyways as a connector of minor habitats were studied on the swallowtail butterfly, Papilio xuthus, in a hilly region, and the population dynamics in the immature stages were clarified at these habitats. The definite flyways were limited to the sites with the relative light intensities of 10-50%. Although the populations at habitats along the flyway survived, some populations in other places were exterminated before the 4th instar stage. The survivorship curves obtained at each experimental plot suggested that the mortality from the egg to the young larval stages was the most important, and the factors responsible for these mortalities were small-and middle-sized predators (e.g. spiders, katydids etc.). The ovipositions were observed only on the seedings of the host trees. The characteristics on the habits of the host trees in plant communities suggested that P. xuthus prefers disturbed vegetational environments as its habitat.