Host associations of Coenonympha hero (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in northern Europe: microhabitat rather than plant species

Understanding ecological requirements of endangered species is a primary precondition of successful conservation practice. Regrettably, we know surprisingly little about the life history of numerous threatened insects, and about their use of larval host plants in particular. The brown butterflies (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) have traditionally been considered polyphagous on grasses and indiscriminatory in their oviposition behavior. However, detailed studies on several species have revealed local specialization in host plant use as well as the decisive role of microlimatic conditions as determinants of habitat quality. The present study addresses host plant relationships in the endangered brown butterfly Coenonympha hero (L.) at the northern limit of its European distribution. We combine laboratory-based host preference and performance tests with an analysis of microhabitat use by adult butterflies in the field. Both lines of evidence suggest that C. hero is polyphagous enough not to be associated with one particular host species. Oviposition choices of C. hero are not driven by host plant species but rather by structural characteristics of the substrate. The preferred rigid needle-like structures may serve as cues of 'transparent' vegetation which allows the larvae to benefit from sunlight reaching the lower strata of the tuft. Our results suggest that conservation efforts should prioritize microclimatic parameters, rather than the presence of any particular host plant species, as decisive determinants of habitat quality in C. hero.