Host Plants, Nectar Source Plants, and Habitat Selection of Males and Females of Anthocharis cardamines (Lepidoptera)

Abstract

Both central Swedish populations of A. cardamines L. used practically all available crucifers as host plants, exhibiting a polyphagic strategy. The evolution of a polyphagic strategy in A. cardamines may have resulted from low predictability of host plant availability, high variability of larval survival on different host plants in different years and the vagrant mode of life of adult females. The habitat selection of males and already mated females was profoundly different. Males predominantly patrolled the edges of forests. Females spent most of their time in the open meadows, although frequently visiting hillocks, edges of forests and even regularly flying into the forests. Males tended to be more stationary, patrolling the same area several times, females being more vagrant, seldom returning to the same area twice. The foraging strategies of males and females were similar, mainly serving to minimize time spent searching for nectar source plants to maximize time expenditure on search for mates and host plants, respectively. Females visited a larger number of different plant species for feeding than did males, perhaps due to their more generalized habitat preferences. During a limited period of time males concentrated their feeding activities towards 1 or 2 plants spp., although the preferred plants could differ both between time periods within sites, and between sites.