最新《科學》雜志報道，在將瀕臨滅絕的大藍碟重新引進英國的項目的第25周年紀念日的時候,，生態(tài)學家第一次發(fā)表了為期數(shù)十年的研究報告,，這些研究幫助人們挽救了這種引人注目的蝴蝶。
該研究顯示,，這種大藍蝶是如何由于對某單一種系的螞蟻的極端的依賴性而導致了它的消亡：它們的棲息地因為草木生長過于繁茂導致了土壤溫度的下降以及螞蟻數(shù)量的減少,。 在人們作出這一發(fā)現(xiàn)之前，這種蝴蝶（又被稱作Maculinea arion,，或稱蟻藍灰蝶）的減少通常被歸咎為蝴蝶收藏者對其的捕捉,。 這種大藍蝶是由 International union for Conservation of Nature 所挑選的三種蝴蝶之一，它們被當作是保護鱗翅目昆蟲的全球性的標志,。 這種蝴蝶之所以中選部分是由于它有著不同尋常的生命周期,；這種蝴蝶依賴一種叫做 Myrmica sabuleti的螞蟻作為其毛蟲的代理雙親。這種毛蟲通過分泌高度專門化的化學物質(zhì)而將自己裝扮成為幼蟻,。 這種大藍蝶在1979年的時候從英國消失,，但后來又被成功地引入該國。這多虧了人們根據(jù)生態(tài)學的數(shù)據(jù)所作出的努力,。
Jeremy Thomas及其共同作者報告了這一研究,。 他們的研究向人們展示了Thomas及其同僚是如何查明這種蝴蝶衰減的原因以及他們是如何逆轉(zhuǎn)這種損害的,。文章的作者還介紹了作為重新引進蝴蝶努力的基礎(chǔ)之理論模型，以及該模型是如何成功地預測了恢復蝴蝶棲息地可幫助蝴蝶重新建立其種群的,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science June 18, 2009 DOI: 10.1126/science.1175726
Successful Conservation of a Threatened Maculinea Butterfly
J. A. Thomas 1*, D. J. Simcox 2, R. T. Clarke 3
1 Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.; Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford,Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.
2 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford,Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.
3 Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford,Wallingford, Oxfordshire, OX10 8BB, UK.; Centre for Conservation Ecology and Environmental Change, School of Conservation Sciences, Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Talbot Campus, Poole, Dorset BH12 5BB, UK.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Globally threatened butterflies have spearheaded research-based approaches to insect conservation. We describe the reversal of the decline of Maculinea arion (Large blue), a charismatic specialist whose larvae parasitize Myrmica ant societies. M. arion larvae were more specialized than had been recognized, being adapted to a single host-ant species that inhabits a narrow niche in grassland. Inconspicuous changes in grazing and vegetation structure caused host-ants to be replaced by similar but unsuitable congeners, explaining the extinction of European Maculinea populations. Once this problem was identified, United Kingdom ecosystems were perturbed appropriately, validating models predicting the recovery and subsequent dynamics of the butterfly and ants at 78 sites. The successful identification and reversal of the problem provides a paradigm for other successful insect conservation projects.
