title: The Butterflies of Barro Colorado Island, Panama: Local Extinction since the 1930s.
abstract: Few data are available about the regional or local extinction of tropical butterfly species. When confirmed, local extinction was often due to the loss of host-plant species. We used published lists and recent monitoring programs to evaluate changes in butterfly composition on Barro Colorado Island (BCI, Panama) between an old (1923-1943) and a recent (1993-2013) period. Although 601 butterfly species have been recorded from BCI during the 1923-2013 period, we estimate that 390 species are currently breeding on the island, including 34 cryptic species, currently only known by their DNA Barcode Index Number. Twenty-three butterfly species that were considered abundant during the old period could not be collected during the recent period, despite a much higher sampling effort in recent times. We consider these species locally extinct from BCI and they conservatively represent 6% of the estimated local pool of resident species. Extinct species represent distant phylogenetic branches and several families. The butterfly traits most likely to influence the probability of extinction were host growth form, wing size and host specificity, independently of the phylogenetic relationships among butterfly species. On BCI, most likely candidates for extinction were small hesperiids feeding on herbs (35% of extinct species). However, contrary to our working hypothesis, extinction of these species on BCI cannot be attributed to loss of host plants. In most cases these host plants remain extant, but they probably subsist at lower or more fragmented densities. Coupled with low dispersal power, this reduced availability of host plants has probably caused the local extinction of some butterfly species. Many more bird than butterfly species have been lost from BCI recently, confirming that small preserves may be far more effective at conserving invertebrates than vertebrates and, therefore, should not necessarily be neglected from a conservation viewpoint.
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama; Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia and Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Universidad de Panamá, Maestria de Entomologia, 080814, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Yves
authors: Y
authors: Basset
authors: Universidad de Panamá, Maestria de Entomologia, 080814, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Héctor
authors: H
authors: Barrios
authors: Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia and Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors: Simon
authors: S
authors: Segar
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama; Northern Plains Agricultural Lab, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, 1500 N. Central Ave., Sidney, Montana, 59270, United States of America.
authors: Robert B
authors: RB
authors: Srygley
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Annette
authors: A
authors: Aiello
authors: McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 3215 Hull Rd., P.O. Box 112710, Gainesville, Florida, 32611-2710, United States of America.
authors: Andrew D
authors: AD
authors: Warren
authors: Universidad de Panamá, Centro Regional Universitario de Veraguas, Santiago, Republic of Panama.
authors: Francisco
authors: F
authors: Delgado
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Coronado
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Lezcano
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Stephany
authors: S
authors: Arizala
authors: Universidad de Panamá, Maestria de Entomologia, 080814, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Marleny
authors: M
authors: Rivera
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Filonila
authors: F
authors: Perez
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Ricardo
authors: R
authors: Bobadilla
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: Yacksecari
authors: Y
authors: Lopez
authors: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama City, Republic of Panama.
authors: José Alejandro
authors: JA
authors: Ramirez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D017753:Ecosystem; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D062312:Islands; D010176:Panama; D010802:Phylogeny; D014329:Tropical Climate