Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore

Most butterfly species do not forage on all flowers available, but visit specific flowers displaying certain traits. While butterfly ecological and morphological traits have been linked to flower specialisation, the flower traits associated with flower specialisation in this same system have not bee...

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Main Author: Fung, Louisa May
Other Authors: Eleanor Slade
Format: Final Year Project
Language:English
Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
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Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148310
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Institution: Nanyang Technological University
Language: English
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spelling sg-ntu-dr.10356-1483102023-02-28T16:48:00Z Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore Fung, Louisa May Eleanor Slade Asian School of the Environment eleanor.slade@ntu.edu.sg Science::General Most butterfly species do not forage on all flowers available, but visit specific flowers displaying certain traits. While butterfly ecological and morphological traits have been linked to flower specialisation, the flower traits associated with flower specialisation in this same system have not been explored. I hypothesise that butterfly feeding interactions can be predicted by flower trait groups, rather than just plant species alone. My study therefore aims to use the floral traits of butterfly-attracting plants to study flower preferences of Singaporean butterflies. My results show that flowering plant species may not form overall trait group clusters, but when traits are analysed individually or grouped with similar trait types, clearer trait preferences can be observed. Community-level preferences for morphology traits, flower shape, visible colour reflectance and nectar volume are identified, with an overall preference for flowers with smaller morphological features, tubular shapes, higher yellow reflectance, and flowers with low-no visible volumes of nectar. Some specific preferences were also discovered, with butterflies of the family Papilionidae and some Nymphalidae species preferring flowers with longer corolla tubes and larger inflorescence areas. Since butterflies of similar families showed similar flower preferences, family-level conservation plans can be devised. The floral trait preferences identified can be used to select suitable flowering plant species for landscape management targeted to butterfly conservation. Bachelor of Science in Environmental Earth Systems Science 2021-04-27T06:05:32Z 2021-04-27T06:05:32Z 2021 Final Year Project (FYP) Fung, L. M. (2021). Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore. Final Year Project (FYP), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148310 https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148310 en application/pdf Nanyang Technological University
institution Nanyang Technological University
building NTU Library
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider NTU Library
collection DR-NTU
language English
topic Science::General
spellingShingle Science::General
Fung, Louisa May
Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore
description Most butterfly species do not forage on all flowers available, but visit specific flowers displaying certain traits. While butterfly ecological and morphological traits have been linked to flower specialisation, the flower traits associated with flower specialisation in this same system have not been explored. I hypothesise that butterfly feeding interactions can be predicted by flower trait groups, rather than just plant species alone. My study therefore aims to use the floral traits of butterfly-attracting plants to study flower preferences of Singaporean butterflies. My results show that flowering plant species may not form overall trait group clusters, but when traits are analysed individually or grouped with similar trait types, clearer trait preferences can be observed. Community-level preferences for morphology traits, flower shape, visible colour reflectance and nectar volume are identified, with an overall preference for flowers with smaller morphological features, tubular shapes, higher yellow reflectance, and flowers with low-no visible volumes of nectar. Some specific preferences were also discovered, with butterflies of the family Papilionidae and some Nymphalidae species preferring flowers with longer corolla tubes and larger inflorescence areas. Since butterflies of similar families showed similar flower preferences, family-level conservation plans can be devised. The floral trait preferences identified can be used to select suitable flowering plant species for landscape management targeted to butterfly conservation.
author2 Eleanor Slade
author_facet Eleanor Slade
Fung, Louisa May
format Final Year Project
author Fung, Louisa May
author_sort Fung, Louisa May
title Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore
title_short Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore
title_full Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore
title_fullStr Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore
title_full_unstemmed Floral trait preferences of butterflies in Singapore
title_sort floral trait preferences of butterflies in singapore
publisher Nanyang Technological University
publishDate 2021
url https://hdl.handle.net/10356/148310
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