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Kemmerling LR, Darst AL, Adabag M, Koch NM, Snell-Rood EC. Lead (Pb) concentrations across 22 species of butterflies correlate with soil and air lead and decreased wing size in an urban field study. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2025; 969:178900. [PMID: 40024041 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2025] [Accepted: 02/16/2025] [Indexed: 03/04/2025]
Abstract
Pollution is a global issue contributing to biodiversity loss, climate change, and human health concerns. Lead (Pb) has long been recognized as a toxic heavy metal pollutant but few studies have investigated the impact and routes of exposure to lead in field conditions and across multiple species. We collected 22 common species of butterflies across a gradient of lead pollution in the Twin Cities metropolitan area (Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN, USA). We measured their thorax lead concentrations and their body condition including wing area, number of eggs, and brain mass. We quantified lead in the soil, host plant leaves, and air (through lichen bio-monitors) at sites where the butterflies were collected to investigate potential routes of exposure. We found a negative correlation between sublethal lead concentrations and butterfly wing size across all species. Contrary to expectations from previous literature, we did not find correlations between butterfly lead concentration and number of eggs or brain mass. Our data indicate that routes of lead exposure for butterflies are particularly pronounced through soil and air, relative to exposure through their host plants, as there were positive correlations between butterfly lead and lead in nearby soil and air, but not that of host plants. Such sublethal effects of lead, even at low levels of pollution, underline the importance of continuing to reduce emissions and impacts of pollutants to protect biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey R Kemmerling
- University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, St. Paul, MN, USA.
| | - Ashley L Darst
- University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, St. Paul, MN, USA; Michigan State University, Department of Integrative Biology, East Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan State University, W.K. Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | - Mina Adabag
- University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, St. Paul, MN, USA; University of California, Berkeley, Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Natália M Koch
- University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Emilie C Snell-Rood
- University of Minnesota, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, St. Paul, MN, USA
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Kozlov MV, Zverev V. Losses of Foliage to Defoliating Insects Increase with Leaf Damage Diversity Due to the Complementarity Effect. INSECTS 2025; 16:139. [PMID: 40003769 PMCID: PMC11855602 DOI: 10.3390/insects16020139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2025] [Revised: 01/22/2025] [Accepted: 01/27/2025] [Indexed: 02/27/2025]
Abstract
The functioning of ecosystems critically depends on biodiversity. However, the effects of herbivore diversity on plant damage caused by herbivore feeding remain underexplored. In this study, we tested the prediction that relative losses of foliage to defoliating insects increase with leaf damage diversity (LDD), and we also explored the mechanisms underlying the observed LDD patterns. We measured insect herbivory in 501 individuals of three deciduous woody species (Betula pubescens, Salix phylicifolia, and Vaccinium uliginosum) across 38 localities in north-western Russia, collected 8844 leaves damaged by defoliating insects, classifying the 21,073 feeding events observed in these leaves into 29 damage types. Overall, LDD significantly decreased with increasing latitude but showed no variation along elevation or pollution gradients. Herbivory weakly but significantly increased with increasing LDD, and a strong positive correlation between the rarefied number of leaf damage types and their evenness provided evidence for the complementarity effect underlying this herbivory increase, indicating that insects producing different leaf damage types differ in their resource use.
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Pietrzak S, Pabis K. Life on Green Patches: Diversity and Seasonal Changes of Butterfly Communities Associated With Wastelands of the Post-Industrial Central European City. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70695. [PMID: 39691439 PMCID: PMC11650753 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Revised: 11/13/2024] [Accepted: 11/19/2024] [Indexed: 12/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Urban wastelands are among the most neglected urban habitats. Our study demonstrated that those spatially restricted patches of vegetation are an important refuge for various species of butterflies. We have assessed the diversity, distribution patterns, and seasonal changes of butterfly communities based on two-year (2019-2020), quantitative studies at 5 urban wastelands in a large post-industrial city in Central Poland. Forty-six species of butterflies were recorded in the city. We have noticed homogeneity of fauna, although all investigated sites were characterised by high diversity and co-occurrence of species associated with different habitats (e.g., grasslands, woodlands). Most of the species were common in Central Poland, although we have also recorded the presence of more specialised butterflies. Bray-Curtis similarity analysis reflected mostly seasonal changes in species composition. Seasonal patterns were very similar at all investigated sites and during both seasons, pointing to relative stability. Urban wastelands hosted from 34 to 41 species. This pattern results from the high diversity of microhabitats and the co-occurrence of various plant species at single sites, which is very important for plant-dependent organisms like butterflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylwia Pietrzak
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and HydrobiologyUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
| | - Krzysztof Pabis
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and HydrobiologyUniversity of LodzŁódźPoland
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Kozlov MV, Zverev V. Effects of industrial pollution and ambient air temperature on larval performance and population dynamics of Eriocrania leafminers (Lepidoptera). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 946:174342. [PMID: 38960173 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Pollution is an integral part of global environmental change, yet the combined and interactive effects of pollution and climate on terrestrial ecosystems remain inadequately understood. This study aims to explore whether pollution alters the impacts of ambient air temperature on the population dynamics of herbivorous insects. Between 1995 and 2005, we studied populations of two closely related moths, Eriocrania semipurpurella and E. sangii, at eight sites located 1 to 64 km from a large copper‑nickel smelter in Monchegorsk, Russia. We found that pollution and temperature influence the performance of Eriocrania larvae mining in the leaves of mountain birch, Betula pubescens var. pumila, through multiple pathways. This is evident from the unconsistent changes observed in larval and frass weight, mine area, and leaf size. We found increases in both leaf quality and larval weight with decreasing pollution levels at both spatial and temporal scales and attributed these to the impact of sulphur dioxide, rather than trace elements (nickel and copper). The quality of birch leaves increased with spring (May) temperatures, enabling Eriocrania larvae to achieve greater weight while consuming less biomass. During the larval growth period (early June to early July), Eriocrania larvae increased their consumption with rising temperatures, presumably to compensate for increased metabolic expenses. Contrary to our expectations, the per capita rate of population change did not correlate with larval weight and did not vary along the pollution gradient. Nevertheless, we detected interactive effects of pollution and climate on the rate of population change. This rate decreased with rising winter temperatures in slightly polluted and unpolluted sites but remained unchanged in heavily polluted sites. We conclude that pollution disrupts mechanisms regulating the natural population dynamics of Eriocrania moths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Kozlov
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland.
| | - Vitali Zverev
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland
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Kozlov MV. Phenotypic Diversity of a Leafroller Archips podana (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) Does Not Change along an Industrial Pollution Gradient. INSECTS 2023; 14:927. [PMID: 38132600 PMCID: PMC10743578 DOI: 10.3390/insects14120927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Morphological polymorphism offers rich opportunities for studying the eco-evolutionary mechanisms that drive the adaptations of local populations to heterogeneous and changing environments. In this study, I explore the association between pollution load, abundance of large fruit-tree tortrix Archips podana and its within-species diversity (expressed in the presence of apical and/or lateral prongs on the phallus in male genitalia) across 26 study sites located 0.5 to 31 km from the industrial city of Lipetsk in central Russia. The Shannon diversity index, calculated from the frequencies of four morphs, correlated neither with the distance to the nearest industrial polluter (a proxy of pollution load) nor with the number of moths captured by pheromone traps (a measure of population abundance). The statistical power of the correlation analysis was sufficient (67%) to detect a medium effect (i.e., Pearson correlation coefficient with an absolute value of 0.40), if it existed. I conclude that the four phenotypes of A. podana do not differ in tolerance to industrial pollution and similarly respond to pollution-induced environmental disturbance. This is the first study of industrial pollution impacts on within-species diversity of insects expressed in the discrete traits of their male genitalia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Kozlov
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
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Piccini I, Macrì M, Gea M, Dessì L, Bonetta S, Schilirò T, Santovito A, Bonelli S. Genotoxic effects of particulate matter on larvae of a common and widespread butterfly along an urbanization gradient. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 252:114638. [PMID: 36791502 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Biodiversity is currently declining worldwide. Several threats have been identified such as habitat loss and climate change. It is unknown if and how air pollution can work in addition or in synergy to these threats, contributing to the decline of current species and/or local extinction. Few studies have investigated the effects of particulate matter (PM), the main component of air pollution, on insects, and no studies have investigated its genotoxic effects through Micronucleus assay. Butterflies play an important role in the environment, as herbivores during larval stages, and as pollinators as adults. The aim of this study was to evaluate the genotoxic effects of PM10 from different sites along a gradient of population urbanization, on a common cabbage butterfly species (Pieris brassicae). PM10 was collected from April to September in an urban (Turin, Italy), a suburban (Druento, Italy) and a mountain site (Ceresole Reale, Italy) with different urbanization levels. P. brassicae larvae (n = 218) were reared in the laboratory under controlled conditions (26 °C, L:D 15:9) on cabbage plants (average 9.2 days), and they were exposed to PM10 organic extracts (20 and 40 m3/mL) or dimethyl sulfoxide (controls) through vaporization. After exposure, larvae were dissected and cells were used for the Micronucleus (MN) assay. Results showed that all PM extracts induced significant DNA damage in exposed larvae compared to controls, and that increasing the PM dose (from 20 to 40 m3/mL) increased genotoxic effects. However, we did not detect any significant differences between sites with different urbanization levels. In conclusion, PM at different concentrations induced genotoxic effects on larvae of a common butterfly species. More alarmingly, PM could work in addition to and/or in synergy with other compounds (e.g. pesticides) and, especially on species already threatened by other factors (e.g. fragmentation), thus affecting the vitality of populations, leading to local extinctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Piccini
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Manuela Macrì
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marta Gea
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Luca Dessì
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Sara Bonetta
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tiziana Schilirò
- Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Alfredo Santovito
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Simona Bonelli
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Kozlov MV, Zverev V, Zvereva EL. Diversity but Not Overall Abundance of Moths and Butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera) Decreases around Two Arctic Polluters. INSECTS 2022; 13:1124. [PMID: 36555034 PMCID: PMC9786165 DOI: 10.3390/insects13121124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Alarming reports on the rapid decline of insects during the past decades call for the exploration of potential drivers of this process. Here, we test the hypothesis that the overall abundance and diversity of moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera) decrease under the impact of industrial pollution in the fragile arctic environment. For this purpose, experienced collectors netted adult Lepidoptera at five tundra sites located 0.5 to 45.3 km from the ore-roasting plant in Zapolyarnyy and at five forest sites located 1.4 to 37.8 km from the copper-nickel smelter at Nikel, in the Murmansk region of Russia. The analysis of the 100 samples collected from 2003 to 2008 and containing 2312 individuals of 122 species revealed that the diversity of Lepidoptera declined significantly near both of these polluters due to both decreases in species richness and changes in the abundance of individual species, whereas the overall abundance of moths and butterflies was independent of the pollution load. These patterns did not differ between Nikel and Zapolyarnyy, and they were consistent with patterns previously found near the copper-nickel smelter at Monchegorsk. The abundances of Lepidoptera species showed variable changes along pollution gradients, from significantly negative to significantly positive, but individual species showed similar density changes around these three polluters. Disproportional increases in the abundance of a few pollution-tolerant species change the community structure and explain why the overall abundance of moths and butterflies does not decline even in localities experiencing extreme loads of sulphur dioxide and heavy metals.
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Kozlov MV. Population dynamics of herbivorous insects in polluted landscapes. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2022; 54:100987. [PMID: 36307065 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2022.100987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Environmental pollution is one cause of insect decline in the Anthropocene, but the underlying mechanisms remain obscure due to a paucity of pollution-impact studies on insects that address density-dependent processes. Long data series (19-26 years) are available only for a few species monitored around two industrial polluters in north-western Russia. A particularly exciting current finding is that industrial pollution determines the relative strength of rapid (stabilising) and delayed (destabilising) density dependence operating on a herbivore population. Most studies address acute effects of traditional pollutants (e.g. sulphur dioxide and trace elements) and nitrogen deposition on agricultural pests, whereas the effects of realistic concentrations of ozone, particulate matter and emerging pollutants on insects feeding on noncultivated plants are unknown. The accumulated evidence remains insufficient to predict the effects of pollutants of global concern on the population dynamics of herbivorous insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail V Kozlov
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland.
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Zvereva EL, Kozlov MV. Meta-analysis of elevational changes in the intensity of trophic interactions: Similarities and dissimilarities with latitudinal patterns. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:2076-2087. [PMID: 35950788 PMCID: PMC9545790 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The premise that the intensity of biotic interactions decreases with increasing latitudes and elevations is broadly accepted; however, whether these geographical patterns can be explained within a common theoretical framework remains unclear. Our goal was to identify the general pattern of elevational changes in trophic interactions and to explore the sources of variation among the outcomes of individual studies. Meta-analysis of 226 effect sizes calculated from 134 publications demonstrated a significant but interaction-specific decrease in the intensity of herbivory, carnivory and parasitism with increasing elevation. Nevertheless, this decrease was not significant at high latitudes and for interactions involving endothermic organisms, for herbivore outbreaks or for herbivores living within plant tissues. Herbivory similarly declined with increases in latitude and elevation, whereas carnivory showed a fivefold stronger decrease with elevation than with latitude and parasitism increased with latitude but decreased with elevation. Thus, although these gradients share a general pattern and several sources of variation in trophic interaction intensity, we discovered important dissimilarities, indicating that elevational and latitudinal changes in these interactions are partly driven by different factors. We conclude that the scope of the latitudinal biotic interaction hypothesis cannot be extended to incorporate elevational gradients.
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