Logo Phegea Butterflies in the Benelux
Frits Bink & Rosita Moenen 2015

Based on: Dagvlinders in de Benelux 2013
Revised and extended
Edited by Sylvain Cuvelier & Peter Russell
Logo VVE WG DV

Vlaamse Vereniging voor Entomologie
VVE Werkgroep Dagvlinders


Flemish Entomological Society
VVE Workgroup Butterflies


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Glossary

amplitude
Wide range,oscillation, maximum departure from average of alternating current or wave.
   
bet-hatching Life history strategy of taking risk and safety at the same time.
   
biodiversity  
The variety of life on Earth or any given part of it.
   
biotope  
A place homogeneous in species composition, distinguished by its inhabiting flora and fauna. Usually characterized by its distinctive vegetation type. Now at days  often called habitat.
   
bivoltine
Having two generations or broods each year.
   
cadastral map
Maps generally at scale 1:2.000 that describe the bounds of properties, roads and hydrographic nets.
   
calcareous grassland
Species-rich plant communities that occur on soils derived from chalk and limestone.
   
carr
A woodland ecotope, characterized by willows or alder, and often associated with fens and other wetlands.
   
climate window
Number of days per year average temperature is over 10°C, derived after the method of analysing the climate diagram.
   
cocoon
A silky, protective envelope formed by a larva and in which the pupa develops.
   
coppice
A traditional method of exploitation of a wood by cutting the poles just above the base of the trunk on a regular cycle.
   
CORINE
A biotope classification system largely based on vegetation composition, developed as a framework for comparing habitats across Europe. Now supersede by EUNIS.
   
degree-day
Degree Celsius per day, by summing up a measure of quantity of warmth.
   
diapause
A form of dormancy, characteristic of a particular stage of insect life cycles, during which metabolic activity is greatly decreased during a certain period of the year.
   
dispersion
The capacity of individuals to move to a new habitat or new parts of a landscape and to establish new populations.
   
ecotone
A transition between different ecotopes, a tension zone between ecosystems of different energy flow and material turnover.
   
ecotope
The elementary unit of a landscape, homogeneous for a particular pattern or function. Term used by landscape ecologists.
   
endemic
A species or other taxon restricted to a particular region or country, and which, as far as known, evolved or is relic there.
   
EUNIS
European Nature Information System, a part of the biodiversity data centre.
   
fauna
The animals of a region or epoch, treatise upon these.
   
fenland
Wetland with peat soils, which receive water and nutrients from the soil, rock and ground water as well from rainfall.
   
flight period
The length of the period over the year the adult (flying) stage of a butterfly species is observed. It can be illustrated by a phenogram.
   
flora
(List of) plants of particular region or epoch.
   
fragility
An attribute of ecological systems: a system is fragile when under a perturbation regime a change in biological diversity occurs.
   
genus
The smallest natural group containing related but distinct species.
   
growth rate
Specific tempo of larval development.
   
guild
A group of animals with similar characters associated to function (foraging guild, breeding guild etc.).
   
habitat
A place in which a particular plant or animal lives, characterized by its biological and physical attributes. In cases of an animal species, this mostly consist out of a complex of different biotopes. In English speaking tradition the term habitat is widely used in a broad meaning, often used in the meaning of biotope.
habitat patch
A patch selected by individuals of the same species.
   
heat-sum
Quantity of warmth per year expressed as sum of degree-days over the threshold of 10°C, calculated after the method of analysing the climate diagram.
   
hibernaculum
The shelter of an overwintering (hibernating) larva, usually formed from a leaf.
   
immigrant
A species that has established a breeding population in a region outside its historically known native range.
   
instar
The stage of development and growth between successive moults in insect larvae.
   
introduction
The intentional or accidental release of an organism to a place outside its historically known native range. (See also reintroduction).
   
landmarks
Objects in a landscape used by organisms for orientation.
   
lek
A gathering of male animals that females visit only to mate.
   
matrix
A term of different meanings, in landscape ecology the dominant component of a landscape mosaic.
   
meta-population
Several discrete populations in close proximity that are interconnected by movement of individuals.
   
micro-climate
Climatic conditions that occur in a very small space, e.g. inside a herb or grass vegetation. A microclimate may differ extremely from a meso-climate observed by a meteorologist.
   
migrant
A butterfly that moves instinctively from one geographical region to another (cf vagrant).
   
nectar
Sweet fluid or honey produced by plants, drink of the gods.
   
nectary
The honey gland of a flower.
   
nomad
Wanderer, roaming from place to place for pasture.
   
osmeterium
Tubular, forked process by the larvae of Swallowtail species. When the larva is alarmed the osmaterium is bulged out and produces a strong odour.
oviposition
Act of laying eggs .
   
parasite
An organism that is intimately associated with and metabolically dependent upon another living organism (the host) for the completion of its life cycle.
parasitoid
An animal, usually an insect, that is parasitic during the larval stage of its life cycle but becomes free living when adult. In most cases the host is killed, a parasitoid is in fact an endo-predator.
phenology
The seasonal occurrence of life cycle events. In studies on butterflies the period they are on the wing this is illustrated in phenograms.
   
reintroduction
The intentional release of an organism into a part of its native range from which it has become extinct.
   
rides
Pathways cut to provide access through woodland.
   
ruderal
Inhabiting disturbed sites.
   
   
scent-brands
Scales on the upper side of the forewings of male butterflies which are modified for distribution pheromones to attract females.
   
sine
Sinus curve, line drawn from one extremity of arc perpendicularly to radius which meets other extremity (trigonometry).
   
spatial heterogeneity
The variation across space of vegetation type or land cover.
   
stray
Wander, lose one’s way.
   
succession
The progressive change in the plant and animal species occupying an area over a long period of time, from the initial colonization to mature ecosystem.
   
transect
A fixed route, walked regularly through a site, used to monitor changes in abundance of butterflies.
   
tree-fall-gap Opening in forest cover due to individual tree fall.
   
unimproved grassland
Grassland comprising mainly native species, which has not been ploughed, drained, cultivated or intensively fertilized.
   
univoltine
Having one brood or generation each year.
   
vagrant
A butterfly observed outside its normal geographical range (cf migrant).
   
vegetation
Plants collectively, plant life.
   
voltinism
The number of generations of a butterfly species each year.

 

   

Contact Werkgroep Dagvlinders: Jurgen Couckuyt