Investigations on the Biology and Ecology of the Apollo Butterfly, Parnassius apollo (L.)(Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in Uludağ ,Bursa, Turkey

Authors: BAHATTİN KOVANCI, NİMET SEMA GENÇER, MEHMET KAYA

Abstract: This study was carried out to prevent extinction of Parnassius apollo (L.) population which is one of the emblems of Uludağ with its natural beauty the subspecies of P.apollo in Uludağ is P.apollo graslini Oberthür,1891. In this study conducted at 25±1 C°, 65±5 %R.H. and 16L:8D photoperiod in laboratory conditions as well as in two different areas in Uludağ in 1993-1995 the larval population was observed by weekly counts while the adult population was examined by using the Capture-Mark-Recapture method during the adult flight period. In conclusion, P.apollo overwinters in the egg as a diapausing larva. The larval, prepupal and pupal development duration were 36-45, 7 and 21-35 days, respectively. In nature, the average longevity of females and males were 14,4±2,4 and 9,8±4,7 days, respectively. Besides, females laid an average of 166,3±30,1 eggs / female in nature and 149,2±54,9 eggs/female in laboratory. A total of 812 adults (45% females), and 235 adults (30% females) were captured in the first and second area in Uludağ in 1994, respectively, whereas a total of 621 adults (37% females) and 52 adults (29% females) were marked in the same areas in 1995, respectively. In Uludağ, the larval foodplants of P.apollo were Sedum album and Sedum pallidum and the primary nectar sources for adults were Acantholimon ulicinum, Carduus olympicus and Daphne oleoides. There is one generation in a year. Compsilura concinnata Meigen was determined as the larval-pupal parasitoid.

Keywords:

Full Text: PDF