Dag bloemen, dag vogels, dag vlinders: Predatie van dagvlinders Papilionoidea door Koolmees Parus major

At an isolated group of Buddleia davidii foraging and depredated (by dissembled wing parts) butterflies were counted in 2003 and 2004. The predators were Great Tits. Minimum number of predated butterflies amounted 578 in 2003 and 26 in 2004. The predated number more or less followed the number of foraging butterflies (Table 1, figure 1), but relatively more butterflies were caught when foraging numbers were smaller (Figure 2). Some species like Pieris napae were obviously avoided by the tits (Table 2). Aglais urticae and probably Inachis io were more heavily predated upon than Vanessa atalanta and Vanessa cardui, the latter being migratory and probably faster and harder to catch. It is probable that local populations of Aglais urticae and Inachis io were exterminated and this raises the question whether planting Buddleia is favourable either for butterflies or for Great Tits.