Habitat Occupancy and Mobility of the Violet Copper ( Lycaena helle ) in West Khentii, Northern Mongolia

Abstract

The violet copper ( Lycaena helle Denis & Schiffermueller, 1775) was studied using mark-release- recapture method in West Khentii in northern Mongolia. The netting method was used for collecting the violet copper during one hour standardised sample in different biotopes. Violet copper was found predominantly in the wet, mesophilous grassland and herb meadows, but it also found in the birch forests in the riparian zone the valley as well as in the mixed forests consisted of Larix sibirica and Betula platyphylla . We examined the movement and individual occurrence through the habitat types of West Khentii. The mean distance between the fi rst and subsequent capture points in the open area were greater than that of in fragmented landscapes for both sexes (107±76 and 44±41 m for females and males, respectively). The single greatest movement distance between recaptures was 386 m for females and 163 m for males.

Keywords

• Lycaena helle
• habitat occupancy
• mobility
• West Khentii