Pace of life and mobility as key factors to survive in farmland – Relationships between functional traits of diurnal Lepidoptera and landscape structure

Agricultural intensification is known to lead biotic homogenization by selecting against habitat and resource specialist species, but most studies on this phenomenon have been limited certain parts of the landscape diversity gradient. We aimed reveal relationships between functional traits diurnal Lepidoptera structure along a wide environmental gradient from nature reserves intensive farmland in Baden-Württemberg, SW Germany. Butterflies burnet moths were sampled 1500 m long transects using ‘Pollard walk’ 99 sites. Twenty reserves, 39 grassland-dominated 40 arable-dominated agricultural landscapes selected as study Landscape was assessed within 100 buffer around each transect. The RLQ method ‘fourth-corner’ approach combined find statistical factors Lepidoptera. found strong determined proportion arable fields. Mobility, voltinism overwintering stage significantly correlated with these variables. high mobility, non-larval abundant fields low diversity. second explained much less variance separated less-intensively managed grasslands conventionally landscapes. Habitat specialization butterflies more reserves. Larval diet breadth not any or variable. conclude that mobility trait syndrome – comprising independent plays primary role shaping communities cover suggest insect monitoring schemes should include some simple assessment variables gain insight into functioning ecological beyond abundance trend estimations.