Riqueza e abundância de borboletas frugívoras em diferentes estágios de sucessão ecológica na Fazenda Tamanduá, Santa Terezinha, Paraíba.

Abstract

Some groups Guild of fruit-feeding butterflies may be related to tree species richness, so you can use them as an indication of this attribute in a given area. The present study aims to contribute to the knowledge of the richness and abundance of fruit-feeding butterflies in different successional stages of depression in the bush Sertaneja Northern, Fazenda Tamandua, municipality of Santa Teresinha, where vegetation is characterized as tree-shrub caatinga. Samples were collected in three periods (May and September 2012 and May 2013), including a dry period and two rainy in 15 plots of 20 x 50m, five in each successional stage: initial, intermediate and late. In each plot, four traps were placed, totaling 60, with baits fermented banana and sugar cane, relocated over three days. After 216 hours of sampling were captured 3.175 individuals of 13 species of Nymphalidae, belonging to four subfamilies (Biblidinae, Charaxinae, Satyrinae and Nymphalinae). Rarefaction curve practically stabilized since and estimated richness (Jackknife 1) was 13.88. There was no significant difference in abundance (N), or wealth (S) (ANOVA a = 0.05) between the three areas, being found N = 856 and S = 11 in the initial stage, N = 1009 and S = 10 in the intermediate and N = 1310 and S = 10 in late. The low richness found in this study is probably due to the fact that little rainfall regime recorded throughout semiarid. There were differences between the dry and rainy, so the number of individuals, as in the species occurring in the area. The diversity indices of Shannon Wiener and Simpson was growing between the three areas, and the late stage of the largest diversity. A from the cluster analysis shows the formation of two groups, one corresponding to the late stage and the other formed by stages initial and intermediate, revealing a similarity of 0.95 between these two stages, the Morisita index. The two most abundant species were Eunica tatila bellaria e Hamadryas Februa Februa, with 89.1% of the total abundance of butterflies. Among the butterflies captured, it emphasizes a kind Prepona recorded in the late stage. Studies with successional stages require long periods to identify patterns, therefore, though she has reached the asymptote in the curve of the collector, it is suggested to continue this work for monitoring and conservation of the area studied.