A unique guild of Lepidoptera associated with the glacial relict populations of Labrador tea (Ledum palustre Linnaeus, 1753) in Central European peatlands (Insecta: Lepidoptera)

• Main Authors: Spitzer, K. (Karel), Jaroš, J. (Josef)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: Insecta; Lepidoptera; relict peat bogs; Subarctic; Tundra
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0238426

The highly specific local guild of nine tyrphobiontic (peat bog specialists) and eight tyrphophile (peat bog affiliates) species of moths (16 species) and only one tyrphobiontic species of butterfly (Lepidoptera) associated with the Labrador tea (Ledum palustre Linnaeus, 1753) is a unique phenomenon of peat bogs near the fragmentary southern frontier of the boreal zone in Central Europe. 19 species are tyrphoneutral of wide ecological amplitude. Composition of tyrphobionts and tyrphophiles seems to be a model example of glacial relict peatland Lepidoptera species and their cold-adapted continental subarctic food plant. A similar guild is recorded from subarctic tundra biotopes only. This community of moths and butterflies, which is found only in a few relict isolated peat bogs, is determined and buffered by a unique Sphagnum microclimate of postglacial/Holocene peat bogs (“climatic trap”) and the highly specific cold-adapted food plants (glacial relicts) represented by the Labrador tea. All such isolated ancient peat bogs with Ledum palustre and their Lepidoptera need complete habitat conservation with special respect to hydrological conditions and urgent monitoring of their glacial relict insect community under a possible impact of climatic change.