In order to discriminate hilltopping butterflies and elucidate their phenology, we fixed, respectively, 46 and 26 5-m radius virtual circles on the summit, subsummit and slope of Mt Katsuragi (960 m alt.) and Mt Nijo (2 peaks: Medake, 474 m alt. and Odake, 517 m alt.) located on the boundary between Osaka and Nara Prefectures, central Japan. During annual surveys from spring to autumn in 2001-2002 on Mt Katsuragi and in 2002 on Mt Nijo, we used the mean frequency of visits during 5 min census periods in each observation circle as quantification method. A total of 55 species (8 families) were observed and 29 species were common to the 3 peaks, with 53 species seen in Mt Katsuragi, 42 in Medake and 31 in Odake. On both mountains, most species were rare (low abundance). According to 2001 results from Mt Katsuragi, Papilio machaon, Argyreus hyperbius, Libythea celtis, Colias erate and Lycaena phlaeas were classified as hilltoppers because their distributions were statistically biased on the "broad summit" (including summit and subsummit circles). However, the hilltopper status of the last three species remains controversial. On Mt Nijo 2002, Vanessa indica, Cynthia cardui, P. machaon, Papilio xuthus, Papilio bianor, Papilio helenus, Nymphalis xanthomelas, A. hyperbius, Lampides boeticus and Hestina japonica were hilltopping. Although all those species were also recorded on Mt Katsuragi, data from 2001 and 2002 confirm that, on Mt Katsuragi, P. xuthus, P. bianor, P. helenus and H. japonica were not hilltopping. All other Nijo's hilltoppers were also hilltopping in Mt Katsuragi (2001 and/or 2002 data). On the contrary, Parnara guttata and Luehdorfia japonica were hilltopping on Mt Katsuragi in 2002 but not on Mt Nijo, where L. japonica was not recorded. C. erate, L. phlaeas and L. celtis were not hilltoppers on Mt Nijo. P. xuthus, H. japonica and C. cardui were hilltopping on Medake but not on Odake. Though some hilltopping species were very abundant on the summit in the 3 seasons (P. machaon), or only 2 seasons (summer and autumn for A. hyperbius, spring and summer for C. erate and L. celtis) or 1 season (autumn for L. boeticus and P. guttata), variation existed between peaks concerning the dominance ranking order of those species. On the other hand, some hilltoppers such as V. indica, were rare or relatively rare on the 3 peaks in the 3 seasons, though still presenting some variability in relative abundance and dominance ranking status between peaks.
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