International Journal of Molecular Ecology and Conservation 2024, Vol.14, No.1, 34-41 http://ecoevopublisher.com/index.php/ijmec 36 Purple crow butterflies are a type of butterfly found in forests, and their habitat choices typically include tree canopy and forest areas. They prefer a humid environment and usually move around trees. The larvae of the purple spotted butterfly host trees such as poplar and elm, which also affects their habitat selection within the forest. 3.2 Impact of habitat destruction and changes The habitat of butterflies is facing increasingly severe destruction and change, which has a profound impact on their survival and ecosystem functions. Habitat destruction includes human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, agricultural expansion, and land development, as well as natural factors such as fires and climate change. These factors have led to fragmentation and loss of habitats, limiting the activity and reproduction of butterflies. The destruction and change of habitats have had multiple impacts on butterflies. Habel et al. (2022) found strong temporal trends in the relative species richness pS and relative abundance pA of most butterfly guilds (Figure 1), for six of the 12 traits studied, they detected breakpoints in the 1960th and 1970th, indicating severe prior changes in important habitat conditions. The loss of habitat reduces the living space of butterflies, making them more vulnerable to predators. Habitat destruction may lead to a decrease in host plants, which will directly affect the food supply for butterfly larvae. Habitat changes may lead to unstable climate conditions, affecting the breeding and migration patterns of butterflies. These factors work together and have a negative impact on the population size and diversity of butterflies. Figure 1 Temporal trends in the proportions of species belonging to 12 different ecological guilds (Adopted from Habel et al., 2022) Image caption: Open black dots: proportions of species (coefficient of correlation rS), red dots: relative abundances (coefficient of correlation rA); Significant breakpoints of rA in a):1965, b) 1959, c) 1977, d) lack, e) 1985, f) lack, g) 1948, h) 1990, i) lack, j) 1970, k) 1964, l) 1937; Parametric significances of linear OLS regressions: * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, ***: P < 0.001 (Adopted from Habel et al., 2022)
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