Biotope
A biotope is a uniform habitat patch with specific conditions, inhabited by a characteristic community of organisms. Each butterfly species prefers a particular biotope.
Definition
Biotope (from Greek bios — life, topos — place) is a habitat patch with uniform conditions (soil type, vegetation, relief, microclimate) occupied by a particular biocenosis — a community of living organisms.
For butterflies, a biotope is above all a place where there are host plants for caterpillars and nectar plants for adults.
Main butterfly biotopes in Russia
| Biotope | Characteristic species |
|---|---|
| Meadow, mixed herbs | Swallowtail, fritillaries, checkerspots, sulphurs |
| Forest edge | Small tortoiseshell, brimstone, comma, peacock |
| Forest (oak grove) | Peacock, hairstreaks, satyrs |
| Bog | Bog fritillary, bog copper |
| Mountain meadow | Apollo, Mnemosyne, mountain species of genus Erebia |
| Steppe | Sulphurs, blues, steppe coppers |
| Garden, urban | Large white, small white, small tortoiseshell, painted lady |
Biotope and species conservation
Species loss almost always begins with degradation of its biotope: meadows overgrown with shrubs, bogs drained, steppes plowed, old oak groves cut. Therefore protecting rare butterflies is impossible without protecting their biotopes.
More detail — in the article where butterflies live.