scholarly journals Origins of Six Species of Butterflies Migrating through Northeastern Mexico: New Insights from Stable Isotope (δ2H) Analyses and a Call for Documenting Butterfly Migrations

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Keith A. Hobson ◽  
Jackson W. Kusack ◽  
Blanca X. Mora-Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Migratory Connectivity ◽  
Concerted Effort ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Present Evidence ◽  
Danaus Gilippus ◽  
Northeastern Mexico ◽  
Stable Hydrogen Isotope

Determining migratory connectivity within and among diverse taxa is crucial to their conservation. Insect migrations involve millions of individuals and are often spectacular. However, in general, virtually nothing is known about their structure. With anthropogenically induced global change, we risk losing most of these migrations before they are even described. We used stable hydrogen isotope (δ2H) measurements of wings of seven species of butterflies (Libytheana carinenta, Danaus gilippus, Phoebis sennae, Asterocampa leilia, Euptoieta claudia, Euptoieta hegesia, and Zerene cesonia) salvaged as roadkill when migrating in fall through a narrow bottleneck in northeast Mexico. These data were used to depict the probabilistic origins in North America of six species, excluding the largely local E. hegesia. We determined evidence for long-distance migration in four species (L. carinenta, E. claudia, D. glippus, Z. cesonia) and present evidence for panmixia (Z. cesonia), chain (Libytheana carinenta), and leapfrog (Danaus gilippus) migrations in three species. Our investigation underlines the utility of the stable isotope approach to quickly establish migratory origins and connectivity in butterflies and other insect taxa, especially if they can be sampled at migratory bottlenecks. We make the case for a concerted effort to atlas butterfly migrations using the stable isotope approach.

scholarly journals Using stable isotopes to estimate migratory connectivity for a patchily distributed, wetland-associated Neotropical migrant

The Condor ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessie Reese ◽  
Catherine Viverette ◽  
Christopher M Tonra ◽  
Nicholas J Bayly ◽  
Than J Boves ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Migratory Connectivity ◽  
Calibration Equation ◽  
Abundance Data ◽  
Assignment Model ◽  
Breeding Distribution ◽  
Stable Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Estimates of migratory connectivity are needed for full annual cycle population models of migratory bird species experiencing rapid declines in abundance. One technique to determine migratory connectivity is through stable isotope analysis. This low-resolution method may be influenced by how data are calibrated between isotopes measured in precipitation and those measured in feathers, and can be informed by incorporating relative abundance into the assignment model. eBird abundance maps are a new tool combining citizen science data into a predictive species distribution model. In the Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea), a wetland-associated songbird with a patchy breeding distribution, we sought to use stable-hydrogen isotope analysis informed by a species-specific calibration equation and eBird abundance data to determine the strength of migratory connectivity. We developed a species-specific calibration equation using known-origin samples from the breeding grounds and found that stable-hydrogen isotope values measured in precipitation explained 50% of the variation in stable-hydrogen isotope values among feathers. We found that the assignment model incorporating eBird abundance data correctly identified the true origins of 66% of individuals, and that the average assignment area (as a measure of precision) was 64% of the breeding distribution. These results represented a 7% increase in precision and a 3% decrease in accuracy when compared to a model that was not informed by abundance. Based on these models, wintering populations from 6 countries represented a mix of likely breeding origins, suggesting low migratory connectivity for Prothonotary Warblers. We found evidence that wintering latitude was related to likely breeding origin, with individuals at western wintering locations more likely to have southern breeding origins, but this relationship was weak. These results corroborate studies using archival light-level geolocators and high-resolution genetic markers, which also demonstrated weak migratory connectivity in this species. For patchily distributed species, eBird abundance data may not provide a useful increase in precision and accuracy for isotope assignments.

scholarly journals STABLE HYDROGEN ISOTOPE ANALYSIS OF BAT HAIR AS EVIDENCE FOR SEASONAL MOLT AND LONG-DISTANCE MIGRATION

2004 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 995-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul M. Cryan ◽  
Michael A. Bogan ◽  
Robert O. Rye ◽  
Gary P. Landis ◽  
Cynthia L. Kester
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Stable Hydrogen Isotope

scholarly journals Long-distance autumn migration across the Sahara by painted lady butterflies: exploiting resource pulses in the tropical savannah

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 20160561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Constantí Stefanescu ◽  
David X. Soto ◽  
Gerard Talavera ◽  
Roger Vila ◽  
Keith A. Hobson
Keyword(s):  
North Africa ◽  
Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
European Origin ◽  
Resource Pulses ◽  
Vanessa Cardui ◽  
Stable Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Mixed Origin ◽  
Northwestern Africa

The painted lady, Vanessa cardui , is a migratory butterfly that performs an annual multi-generational migration between Europe and North Africa. Its seasonal appearance south of the Sahara in autumn is well known and has led to the suggestion that it results from extremely long migratory flights by European butterflies to seasonally exploit the Sahel and the tropical savannah. However, this possibility has remained unproven. Here, we analyse the isotopic composition of butterflies from seven European and seven African countries to provide new support for this hypothesis. Each individual was assigned a geographical natal origin, based on its wing stable hydrogen isotope (δ 2 H w ) value and a predicted δ 2 H w basemap for Europe and northern Africa. Natal assignments of autumn migrants collected south of the Sahara confirmed long-distance movements (of 4000 km or more) starting in Europe. Samples from Maghreb revealed a mixed origin of migrants, with most individuals with a European origin, but others having originated in the Sahel. Therefore, autumn movements are not only directed to northwestern Africa, but also include southward and northward flights across the Sahara. Through this remarkable behaviour, the productive but highly seasonal region south of the Sahara is incorporated into the migratory circuit of V. cardui .

scholarly journals Unravelling the process of petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation in different filter materials of constructed wetlands by stable isotope fractionation and labelling studies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Watzinger ◽  
Melanie Hager ◽  
Thomas Reichenauer ◽  
Gerhard Soja ◽  
Paul Kinner
Keyword(s):  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Constructed Wetlands ◽  
Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Petroleum Hydrocarbon ◽  
Isotope Fractionation ◽  
Isotope Effects ◽  
Filter Material ◽  
Hydrocarbon Biodegradation ◽  
Stable Isotope Fractionation ◽  
Filter Materials

AbstractMaintaining and supporting complete biodegradation during remediation of petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated groundwater in constructed wetlands is vital for the final destruction and removal of contaminants. We aimed to compare and gain insight into biodegradation and explore possible limitations in different filter materials (sand, sand amended with biochar, expanded clay). These filters were collected from constructed wetlands after two years of operation and batch experiments were conducted using two stable isotope techniques; (i) carbon isotope labelling of hexadecane and (ii) hydrogen isotope fractionation of decane. Both hydrocarbon compounds hexadecane and decane were biodegraded. The mineralization rate of hexadecane was higher in the sandy filter material (3.6 µg CO2 g−1 day−1) than in the expanded clay (1.0 µg CO2 g−1 day−1). The microbial community of the constructed wetland microcosms was dominated by Gram negative bacteria and fungi and was specific for the different filter materials while hexadecane was primarily anabolized by bacteria. Adsorption / desorption of petroleum hydrocarbons in expanded clay was observed, which might not hinder but delay biodegradation. Very few cases of hydrogen isotope fractionation were recorded in expanded clay and sand & biochar filters during decane biodegradation. In sand filters, decane was biodegraded more slowly and hydrogen isotope fractionation was visible. Still, the range of observed apparent kinetic hydrogen isotope effects (AKIEH = 1.072–1.500) and apparent decane biodegradation rates (k = − 0.017 to − 0.067 day−1) of the sand filter were low. To conclude, low biodegradation rates, small hydrogen isotope fractionation, zero order mineralization kinetics and lack of microbial biomass growth indicated that mass transfer controlled biodegradation.

scholarly journals Mass spectrometric measurement of hydrogen isotope fractionation for the reactions of chloromethane with OH and Cl

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Keppler ◽  
Enno Bahlmann ◽  
Markus Greule ◽  
Heinz Friedrich Schöler ◽  
Julian Wittmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Fractionation ◽  
Isotope Effects ◽  
Isotope Analysis ◽  
Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Detailed Knowledge ◽  
Mass Spectrometric Measurement ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
Chlorine Radicals ◽  
Stable Hydrogen Isotope

Abstract. Chloromethane (CH3Cl) is an important provider of chlorine to the stratosphere but yet lacks detailed knowledge of its budget. Stable isotope analysis is potentially a powerful tool to constrain CH3Cl flux estimates. The largest degree of isotope fractionation is expected to occur for deuterium in CH3Cl in the hydrogen abstraction reactions with its main sink reactant tropospheric OH and its minor sink reactant Cl atoms. We determined the isotope fractionation by stable hydrogen isotope analysis of the fraction of CH3Cl remaining after reaction with hydroxyl and chlorine radicals in a 3.5 m3 Teflon smog-chamber at 293 ± 1 K. We measured the increasing stable hydrogen isotope values of the unreacted CH3Cl using compound specific thermal conversion isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The isotope fractionations of CH3Cl for the reactions with hydroxyl and chlorine radicals were found to be −242 ± 7 mUr (or ‰) and −280 ± 11 mUr, respectively. For comparison, we performed similar experiments using methane (CH4) as the target compound with OH and obtained a fractionation constant of −205 ± 6 mUr which is in good agreement with values previously reported. The observed large kinetic isotope effects are helpful when employing isotopic analyses of CH3Cl in the atmosphere to improve our knowledge of its atmospheric budget.

scholarly journals Round-trip across the Sahara: Afrotropical Painted Lady butterflies recolonize the Mediterranean in early spring

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 20180274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Talavera ◽  
Clément Bataille ◽  
Dubi Benyamini ◽  
Martin Gascoigne-Pees ◽  
Roger Vila
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Migratory Birds ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Round Trip ◽  
Reverse Migration ◽  
Vanessa Cardui ◽  
Tangible Evidence ◽  
Stable Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Work Supports

The Palearctic–African migratory circuit has been typically associated with birds. Very few insects are known to endure annual trans-Saharan circuits, but the Painted Lady butterfly ( Vanessa cardui ) is an exception. While it was demonstrated that this species massively migrates from Europe to the Afrotropics during the autumn, the existence of a reverse migration from the Afrotropics to Europe in the early spring remains hypothetical. Here, we analysed wing stable hydrogen isotope values (δ 2 H) of V. cardui migrants collected from February to April across the circum-Mediterranean region. We assessed their region of natal origin by comparing their wing isotope signature predicted δ 2 H values (isoscape). The results unambiguously demonstrate a sub-Saharan origin for many individuals, especially those collected in February, representing the first tangible evidence for a reverse northwards trans-Saharan migration in spring. This work supports the view that the Afrotropics (mostly exploited from September to February) is key in the V. cardui Palearctic–African population dynamics. This species relies on both temperate and tropical habitats to complete their multigenerational cycle, an unprecedented adaptation for butterflies and for most migratory insects. Such a migratory circuit has strong parallelisms with those of migratory birds.

scholarly journals The Development and Use of Isoscapes to Determine the Geographical Origin of Quercus spp. in the United States

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles J. Watkinson ◽  
Peter Gasson ◽  
Gareth O. Rees ◽  
Markus Boner
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Oxygen Isotope ◽  
Hydrogen Isotope ◽  
Isotope Ratios ◽  
The United States ◽  
Stable Isotope Ratios ◽  
Carbon Isotope Ratios ◽  
Oxygen Isotope Ratios ◽  
Hydrogen Isotope Ratios

The stable isotope ratios of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and sulfur from extracted wood of 87 samples of oaks from the United States were analysed. Relationships with climate variables and the stable isotope ratios of the 69 training dataset samples were investigated to a monthly resolution using long-term monthly mean climate data from NASA and the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit, in conjunction with forecast data for hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios in precipitation. These relationships were used to construct model isoscapes for oxygen, hydrogen, carbon and sulfur for US oak with the aim of using them to forecast isotopic patterns in areas that were not sampled and predict values in samples not used to construct the models. The leading predictors for isoscape generation were oxygen isotope ratios in January precipitation for oak oxygen isotope ratios, hydrogen isotope ratios in July precipitation for oak hydrogen isotope ratios, water vapour in April for carbon isotope ratios, and reflected shortwave radiation in March in combination with sulfate concentration in May for oak sulfur isotopes. The generated isoscapes can be used to show regions an unknown sample may have originated from with a resolution dependent on the rarity of the stable isotope signature within the United States. The models were assessed using the data of 18 samples of georeferenced oak. The assessment found that 100% of oxygen, 94% of hydrogen, 78% of carbon, and 94% of sulfur isotope ratios in the 18 test dataset samples fell within two standard deviations of the isoscape models. Using the results of the isoscapes in combination found that there were 4/18 test samples which did not fall within two standard deviations of the four models, this is largely attributed to the lower predictive power of the carbon isoscape model in conjunction with high local variability in carbon isotope ratios in both the test and training data. The method by which this geographic origin method has been developed will be useful to combat illegal logging and to validate legal supply chains for the purpose of good practice due diligence.

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