Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e99558 OO) doi: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e99558 open access Data Paper Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal) - setting the scene for mountain biodiversity monitoring Mario Boieirot, Sandra Antunes’, Hugo Figueiredo!, Albano Soares8, Ana Lopes, Eva MonteiroS, Patricia Garcia-Pereira*, Carla Rego*, José Conde!, Paulo A.V. Borges, Artur R.M. Serrano* + Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c)/Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE — Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Angra do Heroismo, Azores, Portugal § TAGIS - Centro de Conservagao das Borboletas de Portugal, Avis, Portugal | CISE - Centro de Interpretagdo da Serra da Estrela, Municipio de Seia, Seia, Portugal 4] Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal # Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (cE3c) & CHANGE — Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisboa, Portugal Corresponding author: Mario Boieiro (mrboieiro@fc.ul.pt) Academic editor: Pedro Cardoso Received: 03 Jan 2023 | Accepted: 23 Feb 2023 | Published: 15 Mar 2023 Citation: Boieiro M, Antunes S, Figueiredo H, Soares A, Lopes A, Monteiro E, Garcia-Pereira P, Rego C, Conde J, Borges PA.V, Serrano AR.M (2023) Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal) - setting the scene for mountain biodiversity monitoring. Biodiversity Data Journal 11: e99558. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e99558 Abstract Background Mountain insect biodiversity is unique, but is menaced by different drivers, particularly climate and land-use changes. In mainland Portugal, the highest mountain - Serra da Estrela - is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots, being classified as Natural Park since 1976. Many lepidopteran and odonate species, including rare and protected species, are known to occur in Serra da Estrela, but basic knowledge on their abundance, distribution and ecology is still lacking. Standardised sampling of these communities is © Boieiro M et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. 2 Boieiro M et al crucial to provide valuable biological information to support short-term decision-making for conservation management, setting simultaneously the standards for mountain biodiversity monitoring aiming to tackle the effects of environmental change in the long-term. New information This study reports novel information on lepidopteran and odonate species diversity, distribution and abundance from Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal). Seventy-two lepidopteran and 26 odonate species were sampled in this protected area, including the first findings of Apatura ilia (Denis & SchiffermUuller, 1775), Macromia splendens (Pictet, 1843) and Vanessa virginiensis (Drury, 1773). New populations of Euphydras aurinia (Rottemburg, 1775) and Oxygastra curtisii (Dale, 1834), protected species under the Habitats Directive, were found in this Natural Park and novel distribution and ecological data were collected for most species, including several rare species and subspecies [e.g. Aeshna juncea (Linnaeus, 1758), Coenonympha glycerion iphioides Staudinger, 1870, Cyanins semiargus (Rottemburg, 1775) and Sympetrum flaveo/lum (Linnaeus, 1758)]. All data were collected using standardised sampling allowing its use as a baseline for biodiversity monitoring in Serra da Estrela. Keywords butterflies, Lepidoptera, damselflies, dragonflies, Odonata, elevation gradient, mountain lakes, protected areas, Habitats Directive Introduction Mountain ecosystems are crucial for global biodiversity conservation since they host high numbers of plant and animal species, including many rare, endemic and those of conservation concern (Hodkinson and Jackson 2005). During the last few decades, research and monitoring of mountain biodiversity has been key to unveiling the drivers of species diversity and community composition and to provide scientifically-supported guidance to manage these unique and fragile ecosystems (Nogués-Bravo et al. 2008, Ashton et al. 2011). For instance, the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) initiative has been key on the assessment, conservation and sustainable management of mountain biodiversity (see Payne et al. (2017)). This is extremely important as mountain ecosystems worldwide are menaced by various threats, such as global warming, species introductions, vegetation/land-use changes and water extraction, that often act synergistically (Schmeller 2022). Climate change is considered one of the most impactful threats to mountain biodiversity with many reports stating changes in species composition of mountain communities, upslope shifts of species ranges and even local extinctions in response to temperature increases (Sekercioglu et al. 2008, Chen 2009, Lenoir and Svenning 2015). In addition, human activities have historically played (and still play) an important role as drivers of biodiversity patterns in mountain ecosystems; often mountains Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... 3 supported intensive and/or extensive agricultural, forestry and livestock production practices, were subjected to frequent fires, water extraction and recreational activities. The biodiversity of Iberian mountains, including Serra da Estrela, face this same kind of threats (Wilson et al. 2007, Murria 2020) and, due to the vulnerability of these ecosystems to environmental change, is key for implementing long-term biodiversity monitoring programmes to tackle changes in abiotic and biotic conditions and supporting decision- making for conservation management. Several invertebrate groups have been the target of biodiversity monitoring programmes in mountain ecosystems worldwide since they provide valuable information on the state of the environment in an effective and efficient way. Lepidopterans and (to a less extent) odonates are two invertebrate groups often selected in biodiversity monitoring since they have a well-known ecology and taxonomy, and are cost-effective to survey (Oertli 2008, Kessler 2011, Acquah-Lamptey et al. 2013, Gerlach et al. 2013, Zografou 2014). In this study, we provide novel information on lepidopteran and odonate species diversity, distribution and abundance from representative habitats of Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal) following a standardised sampling protocol, aiming to set a reference work for biodiversity monitoring in this emblematic protected area. General description Purpose: We present new taxonomic, distribution and abundance data on the lepidopterans and odonates of Serra da Estrela Natural Park following an extensive survey of adult forms using standardised sampling. The data encompass the elevation gradient of Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain in mainland Portugal and includes information from a variety of habitat types (mountain streams, mountain lakes and montane vegetation) during two consecutive years (2013 and 2014). Project description Title: Biodiversity, endemic and protected species associated with mountain lakes and streams of Serra da Estrela Personnel: Mario Boieiro, José Conde and Artur Serrano planned the project and designed the sampling strategy; Sandra Antunes, Albano Soares, Hugo Figueiredo, Ana Lopes, Eva Monteiro, Patricia Garcia-Pereira, Carla Rego, José Conde and Mario Boieiro participated in fieldwork. Mario Boieiro and Paulo Borges performed the biodiversity data curation in Darwin Core format. Study area description: The study took place in Serra da Estrela, the highest mountain in continental Portugal (with 1993 m). Serra da Estrela includes the western extreme of the Iberian Central System which is considered one of the main mountain systems in the Iberian Peninsula. Serra da Estrela is classified as Natural Park since 1976, is part of the Natura 2000 network and its upper areas are included in the Ramsar Convention (ICNF 2022). All study sites are included in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park, encompassing a considerable elevation gradient and habitat diversity. The study area is characterised by 4 Boieiro M et al Atlantic and Mediterranean climates and different biogeographic regions, being an important area for biodiversity conservation, particularly for montane species (ICNF 2022). Design description: Sampling of lepidopterans and odonates took place in three main habitat types, namely mountain streams, mountain lakes and montane vegetation (Fig. 1; Table 1). We sampled the margins of three mountain streams (Fervenga, Canica and Loriga) at three elevation levels (approximately 500, 1000 and 1500m) (Fig. 1a) and 18 mountain lakes (including both natural and artificial lakes), most of them being located in the Central Plateau of Serra da Estrela (Fig. 1b). Lepidopterans and odonates were also sampled from 12 sites of representative montane vegetation of Serra da Estrela, including Juniperus-, Erica- and Genista-dominated scrublands and Nardus-dominated grasslands (Fig. 1c). Overall, 39 sites were sampled during this study (Table 1). Table 1. List of the study sites with an indication of their location (in decimal degrees WWGS84) and habitat- type. Site Habitat-type Latitude Longitude Conchos Montane vegetation -7.61496 40.362301 Corgo das Mos Montane vegetation -7.57271 40.401299 Erva da Fome Montane vegetation -7.60325 40.391899 Fonte dos Perus Montane vegetation -7.62165 40.344002 Lagoacho Montane vegetation -7.61437 40.3932 Penha do Gato Montane vegetation -7.66434 40.350498 Redonda Montane vegetation -7.62864 40.374802 Rodeio Grande Montane vegetation -7.64252 40.341202 Seca Montane vegetation -7.63228 40.371101 Torre Montane vegetation -7.61836 40.317501 Vale das Eguas Montane vegetation -7.56813 40.3997 Vale de Perdiz Montane vegetation -7.5942 40.4081 Covao do Curral Mountain lake -7.63973 40.370899 Covao do Forno Mountain lake -7.63604 40.3689 Covao do Meio Mountain lake -7.63026 40.333199 Covao do Quelhas Mountain lake -7.62676 40.3279 Covao dos Conchos Mountain lake -7.60941 40.363701 Lagoa Comprida 1 Mountain lake -7.64247 40.364101 Lagoa Comprida 2 Mountain lake -7.62742 40.3591 Lagoa da Francelha Mountain lake -7.63331 40.3297 Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... 5. Site Habitat-type Latitude Longitude Lagoa do Angelo Mountain lake -7.6327 40.3531 Lagoa Escura Mountain lake -7.63796 40.355099 Lagoa Redonda Mountain lake -7.6247 40.370201 Lagoa Seca Mountain lake -7.6312 40.3713 Lagoa Serrano Mountain lake -7.63142 40.3283 Lagoacho das Favas Mountain lake -7.63631 40.363602 Lagoacho SE Mountain lake -7.62153 40.3801 Lagoacho W Mountain lake -7.62385 40.383801 Vale do Rossim NE Mountain lake -7.58259 40.399502 Vale do Rossim SW Mountain lake -7.59169 40.396301 Cabega Mountain stream -7.71926 40.318501 Loriga Mountain stream -7.67507 40.329201 Ponte de Jugais-Ribeira da Canica Mountain stream -7.70396 40.3848 Ponte de Jugais-Rio Alva Mountain stream -7.706 40.384602 Porto do Boi Mountain stream -7.6756 40.371799 Ribeira da Fervenca Mountain stream -7.5906 40.4039 Ribeira da Nave Mountain stream -7.6337 40.334202 Ribeira da Pragueira Mountain stream -7.65328 40.359501 Sabugueiro Mountain stream -7.6407 40.4063 Funding: This work was financed by the Energias de Portugal (EDP) Fund for Biodiversity 2011 through project "Biodiversidade, endemismos e espécies protegidas associadas as lagoas e cursos de agua da Serra da Estrela: valorizagao de um século de aproveitamento hidroeléctrico". Fundagao para a Ciéncia e a Tecnologia funded APC through project UIDB/ 00329/2020—2024 and supported MB by contract DL57/2016/CP1375/CT0001. Sampling methods Description: The study was carried out in Serra da Estrela Natural Park encompassing the elevation gradient and the diversity of habitats of this protected area. Sampling description: Lepidopterans and odonates were sampled using a standardised methodology to ensure the possibility of biodiversity data comparison between study sites and to set a reference for mountain biodiversity monitoring in Serra da Estrela Natural Park. Insect sampling followed the Pollard and Yates methodology (Pollard and Yates 1993 ): a 150 m linear transect was set in each study site and adult insects of the target groups were recorded when observed at a distance of up to 5 m ahead of the researcher and 2.5 6 Boieiro M et al m from each side. The insects were captured with the help of a sweeping net only in case of need to confirm their species identity, being immediately released afterwards. Sampling was carried out between 10 am and 6 pm and under favourable climatic conditions (i.e. sampling was not performed under rainy, windy, cloudy and hot weather conditions). The data were collected during the seasonal peak of activity of adult lepidopterans and odonates in Serra da Estrela in two consecutive years (2013 and 2014). Quality control: Lepidopterans and odonates were identified by trained taxonomists (Albano Soares, Hugo Figueiredo and Sandra Antunes) during fieldwork. Geographic coverage Description: Serra da Estrela Natural Park, Portugal Coordinates: Latitude; Longitude: -7.886433°W to -7.200313. Figure 1. The three main habitat types sampled in this study. a: Mountain stream (Ribeira de Loriga) in Serra da Estrela (photo by Mario Boieiro). EE] b: Mountain lake (Lagoa Redonda) in Serra da Estrela (photo by José Conde). ER] c: Montane vegetation (near Lagoa Seca) in Serra da Estrela (photo by José Conde). ER] Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... 7 Taxonomic coverage Taxa included: Rank Scientific Name Common Name order Odonata odonates; dragonflies and damselflies order Lepidoptera lepidopterans; butterflies Temporal coverage Notes: The data were collected during the seasonal peak of activity of adult lepidopterans and odonates in Serra da Estrela, which lasts from late spring to late summer. Data were collected during two consecutive years: from June to September 2013 and from July to September 2014. Usage licence Usage licence: Creative Commons Public Domain Waiver (CC-Zero) Data resources Data package title: Invertebrate biodiversity of Serra da Estrela Natural Park - EDP Biodiversity Fund Number of data sets: 4 Data set name: Standardised sampling of lepidopterans (Lepidoptera) in Serra da Estrela (Portugal) - 2013 and 2014 - Event Table Character set: UTF-8 Download URL: hittp://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=lepidoptera_estrela Data format: Darwin Core Data format version: 1.6 Description: The dataset was published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility platform, GBIF (Boieiro 2022a). The following data table includes all the records for which a taxonomic identification of the species was possible. The dataset submitted to GBIF is structured as a sample event dataset that has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwCA), which is a standardised format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data file contains 245 records (eventID). This IPT (Integrated Publishing Toolkit) archives the data and thus serves as the data Boieiro M et al repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the Portuguese GBIF Portal IPT (Boieiro 2022a). Column label id eventID samplingProtocol sampleSizeValue sampleSizeUnit samplingEffort eventDate year month day habitat locationID country countryCode municipality locality minimumElevationInMetres decimalLatitude decimalLongitude geodeticDatum coordinateUncertaintyInMetres coordinatePrecision georeferenceSources verbatimLatitude verbatimLongitude Column description Unique identification code for sampling event data. Identifier of the events, unique for the dataset. The sampling protocol used to capture the species. The numeric amount of time spent in each sampling. The unit of the sample size value. The amount of effort expended during an Event. Date or date range the record was collected. The four-digit year in which the Event occurred, according to the Common Era Calendar. The integer month in which the Event occurred. The integer day of the month on which the Event occurred. The habitat from which the sample was obtained. Identifier of the location. Country of the sampling site (in this case, Portugal). ISO code of the country of the sampling site (PT - Portugal). Municipality of the sampling site. Name of the locality. The lower limit of the range of elevation (altitude, usually above sea level), in metres. Approximate centre point decimal latitude of the field site in GPS coordinates. Approximate centre point decimal longitude of the field site in GPS coordinates. The ellipsoid, geodetic datum or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude are based. Uncertainty of the coordinates of the centre of the sampling plot, in metres. Precision of the coordinates. A list (concatenated and separated) of maps, gazetteers or other resources used to georeference the Location, described specifically enough to allow anyone in the future to use the same resources. The verbatim original latitude of the Location. The verbatim original longitude of the Location. Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... 9 verbatimSRS The ellipsoid, geodetic datum or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which coordinates given in verbatimLatitude and verbatimLongitude or verbatimCoordinates are based. Data set name: Standardised sampling of lepidopterans (Lepidoptera) in Serra da Estrela (Portugal) - 2013 and 2014 - Occurrence Table Character set: UTF Download URL: http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=lepidoptera_estrela Data format: Darwin Core Data format version: 1.6 Description: The dataset was published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility platform, GBIF (Boieiro 2022a). The following data table includes all the records for which a taxonomic identification of the species was possible. The dataset submitted to GBIF is structured as an occurrence table that has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwCA), which is a standardised format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data file contains 1614 records (occurrencelD). This IPT (Integrated Publishing Toolkit) archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the Portuguese GBIF Portal IPT (Boieiro 2022a). Column label Column description id Unique identification code for species abundance data. Equivalent here to eventID. type The nature or genre of the resource, as defined by the Darwin Core standard. licence Reference to the licence under which the record is published (CC-BY) 4.0. institutionID The identity of the institution publishing the data. institutionCode The identity of the collection publishing the data. basisOfRecord The nature of the data record. occurrencelD Identifier of the record, coded as a global unique identifier. recordedBy A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups or organisations who performed the sampling in the field. organismQuantity A number or enumeration value for the quantity of organisms. organismQuantityType The type of quantification system used for the quantity of organisms. lifeStage The life stage of the organisms captured. establishmentMeans The process of establishment of the species in the location, using a controlled vocabulary: 'native’, ‘introduced’, 'endemic’, "unknown". Boieiro M et al eventID Identifier of the events, unique for the dataset. identifiedBy A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups or organisations who assigned the Taxon to the subject. dateldentified The date on which the subject was determined as representing the Taxon. scientificName Complete scientific name including author and year. kingdom Kingdom name. phylum Phylum name. class Class name. order Order name. family Family name. genus Genus name. specificEpithet Specific epithet. infraspecificEpithet Subspecies epithet. taxonRank Lowest taxonomic rank of the record. scientificNameAuthorship Name of the author of the lowest taxon rank included in the record. Data set name: Standardised sampling of odonates (Odonata) in Serra da Estrela (Portugal) - 2013 and 2014 - Event Table Character set: UTF-8 Download URL: hitp://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=odonata_estrela_portugal Data format: Darwin Core Data format version: 1.6 Description: The dataset was published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility platform, GBIF (Boieiro 2022b). The following data table includes all the records for which a taxonomic identification of the species was possible. The dataset submitted to GBIF is structured as a sample event dataset that has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwCA), which is a standardised format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data file contains 172 records (eventID). This IPT (Integrated Publishing Toolkit) archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the Portuguese GBIF Portal IPT (Boieiro 2022b). Column label Column description id Unique identification code for sampling event data. eventID Identifier of the events, unique for the dataset. Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... 11 samplingProtocol sampleSizeValue sampleSizeUnit samplingEffort eventDate year month day habitat locationID country countryCode municipality locality minimumElevationInMetres decimalLatitude decimalLongitude The sampling protocol used to capture the species. The numeric amount of time spent in each sampling. The unit of the sample size value. The amount of effort expended during an Event. Date or date range the record was collected. The four-digit year in which the Event occurred, according to the Common Era Calendar. The integer month in which the Event occurred. The integer day of the month on which the Event occurred. The habitat from which the sample was obtained. Identifier of the location. Country of the sampling site (in this case Portugal). ISO code of the country of the sampling site. Municipality of the sampling site. Name of the locality. The lower limit of the range of elevation (altitude, usually above sea level), in metres. Approximate centre point decimal latitude of the field site in GPS coordinates. Approximate centre point decimal longitude of the field site in GPS coordinates. geodeticDatum The ellipsoid, geodetic datum or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which the geographic coordinates given in decimalLatitude and decimalLongitude are based. coordinateUncertaintyInMeters Uncertainty of the coordinates of the centre of the sampling plot, in metres. coordinatePrecision Precision of the coordinates. georeferenceSources A list (concatenated and separated) of maps, gazetteers or other resources used to georeference the Location, described specifically enough to allow anyone in the future to use the same resources. verbatimLatitude The verbatim original latitude of the Location. verbatimLongitude The verbatim original longitude of the Location. verbatimSRS The ellipsoid, geodetic datum or spatial reference system (SRS) upon which coordinates given in verbatimLatitude and verbatimLongitude or verbatimCoordinates are based. Data set name: Standardised sampling of odonates (Odonata) in Serra da Estrela (Portugal) - 2013 and 2014 - Occurrence Table 12 Boieiro M et al Character set: UTF-8 Download URL: http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=odonata_estrela_portugal Data format: Darwin Core Data format version: 1.6 Description: The dataset was published in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility platform, GBIF (Boieiro 2022b). The following data table includes all the records for which a taxonomic identification of the species was possible. The dataset submitted to GBIF is structured as an occurrence table that has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwCA), which is a standardised format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data file contains 520 records (occurrencelD). This IPT (Integrated Publishing Toolkit) archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the Portuguese GBIF Portal IPT (Boieiro 2022b). Column label Column description id Unique identification code for species abundance data. Equivalent here to eventID. type The nature or genre of the resource, as defined by the Darwin Core standard. licence Reference to the licence under which the record is published (CC-BY) 4.0. institutionID The identity of the institution publishing the data. institutionCode The identity of the collection publishing the data. basisOfRecord The nature of the data record. occurrencelD recordedBy organismQuantity organismQuantityType lifeStage establishmentMeans Identifier of the record, coded as a global unique identifier. A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups or organisations who performed the sampling in the field. A number or enumeration value for the quantity of organisms. The type of quantification system used for the quantity of organisms. The life stage of the organisms captured. The process of establishment of the species in the location, using a controlled vocabulary: ‘native’, ‘introduced’, 'endemic’, "unknown". eventID Identifier of the events, unique for the dataset. identifiedBy A list (concatenated and separated) of names of people, groups or organisations who assigned the Taxon to the subject. dateldentified The date on which the subject was determined as representing the Taxon. scientificName Complete scientific name including author and year. kingdom Kingdom name. Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... 13 phylum Phylum name. class Class name. order Order name. family Family name. genus Genus name. specificEpithet Specific epithet. taxonRank Lowest taxonomic rank of the record. scientificNameAuthorship Name of the author of the lowest taxon rank included in the record. Additional information Results During the two-year study, we observed 7339 adult insects from 98 species of the two target groups (Lepidoptera and Odonata) in Serra da Estrela Natural Park. Overall, we identified 72 lepidopteran species (3971 observed individuals) from five different families (Table 2) and 26 odonate species (3368 observed individuals) from ten different families (Table 3), being 11 zygopterans and the remaining 15 anisopterans. We report for the first time the finding of Apatura ilia, Macromia splendens and Vanessa virginiensis in this protected area, jointly with the location of new populations of the Habitats Directive protected species Euphydrias aurinia and Oxygastra curtisii (Fig. 2a). Table 2. Species abundance and occupancy of lepidopterans from the study sites in Serra da Estrela. Family Species/Subspecies Abundance Occupancy Hesperiidae Hesperia comma (Linnaeus, 1758) 132 29 Hesperiidae Ochlodes sylvanus (Esper, 1777) 4 3 Hesperiidae Pyrgus malvoides (Elwes & Edwards, 1897) 15 10 Hesperiidae Thymelicus acteon (Rottemburg, 1775) 3 2 Hesperiidae Thymelicus lineola (Ochsenheimer, 1808) 11 4 Hesperiidae Thymelicus sylvestris (Poda, 1761) 44 14 Papilionidae Iphiclides feisthamelii (Duponchel, 1832) 11 7 Pieridae Anthocharis cardamines (Linnaeus, 1758) 5 1 Pieridae Colias croceus (Geoffroy, 1785) 256 38 Pieridae Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758) 61 23 14 Family Pieridae Pieridae Pieridae Pieridae Pieridae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Lycaenidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Boieiro M et al Species/Subspecies Leptidea sinapis (Linnaeus, 1758) Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus, 1758) Pieris napi (Linnaeus, 1758) Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758) Pontia daplidice (Linnaeus, 1758) Aricia cramera Eschscholtz, 1821 Callophrys rubi (Linnaeus, 1758) Celastrina argiolus (Linnaeus, 1758) Cyaniris semiargus (Rottemburg, 1775) Glaucopsyche melanops (Boisduval, 1828) Laeosopis roboris (Esper, 1789) Lampides boeticus (Linnaeus, 1767) Leptotes pirithous (Linnaeus, 1767) Lycaena alciphron (Rottemburg, 1775) Lycaena bleusei Oberthur, 1884 Lycaena phlaeas (Linnaeus, 1761) Lycaena tityrus (Poda, 1761) Plebejus argus (Linnaeus, 1758) Polyommatus icarus (Rottemburg, 1775) Satyrium esculi (Hubner, 1804) Satyrium spini (Denis & Schiffermiller, 1775) Aglais io (Linnaeus, 1758) Aglais urticae (Linnaeus, 1758) Apatura ilia (Denis & Schiffermiuller, 1775) Argynnis adippe (Denis & Schiffermiller, 1775) Argynnis aglaja (Linnaeus, 1758) Argynnis pandora (Denis & Schiffermiller, 1775) Argynnis paphia (Linnaeus, 1758) Brintesia circe (Fabricius, 1775) Charaxes jasius (Linnaeus, 1767) Abundance 69 14 58 270 59 Occupancy 18 ) 12 36 20 20 2 32 31 20 Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... Family Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Nymphalidae Species/Subspecies Coenonympha dorus (Esper, 1782) Coenonympha glycerion iphioides Staudinger, 1870 Coenonympha pamphilus (Linnaeus, 1758) Euphyaryas aurinia (Rottemburg, 1775) Hipparchia fidia (Linnaeus, 1767) Hipparchia hermione (Linnaeus, 1764) Hipparchia semele (Linnaeus, 1758) Hipparchia statilinus (Hufnagel, 1766) Hyponephele lycaon (Rottemburg, 1775) lssoria lathonia (Linnaeus, 1758) Lasiommata maera (Linnaeus, 1758) Lasiommata megera (Linnaeus, 1767) Limenitis reducta Staudinger, 1901 Maniola jurtina (Linnaeus, 1758) Melanargia lachesis (Hubner, 1790) Melanargia occitanica (Esper, 1793) Melanargia russiae (Esper, 1783) Melitaea deione (Geyer, 1832) Melitaea nevadensis Oberthir, 1904 Melitaea parthenoides Keferstein, 1851 Melitaea phoebe (Denis & Schiffermiller, 1775) Melitaea trivia (Denis & Schiffermiller, 1775) Nymphalis antiopa (Linnaeus, 1758) Nymphalis polychloros (Linnaeus, 1758) Pararge aegeria (Linnaeus, 1758) Polygonia c-album (Linnaeus, 1758) Pyronia cecilia (Vallantin, 1894) Pyronia tithonus (Linnaeus, 1767) Satyrus actaea (Esper, 1781) Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758) Abundance 10 16 106 Occupancy 1 12 16 15 30 15 16 Boieiro M et al Family Species/Subspecies Abundance Occupancy Nymphalidae Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758) 70 19 Nymphalidae Vanessa virginiensis (Drury, 1773) 1 1 Figure 2. Some interesting findings from this study in Serra da Estrela. a: The protected butterfly Euphydrias aurinia (photo by José Conde). EER b: The butterfly Coenonympha glycerion iphioides (photo by Albano Soares). EE} c: The dragonfly Sympetrum flaveolum (photo by José Conde). EER d: The dragonfly Aeshna juncea (photo by Albano Soares). EE} Coenonympha glycerion iphioides and Cyaniris semiargus, both considered threatened by extinction in Portugal (Maravalhas 2003), occurred in several study sites in Serra da Estrela (Fig. 2b). Aeshna juncea and Sympetrum flaveolum, two narrow-range odonate Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... 17 species in Portugal and both classified as threatened (Maravalhas and Soares 2013), were found in several sites, mostly located in the Central Plateau of Serra da Estrela (Fig. 2c, d). Several lepidopteran and odonate species (including the newly-recorded species Apatura ilia, Macromia splendens and Vanessa virginiensis) were found to be rare in the study area, occurring in low abundance in just a few sites. Table 3. Species abundance and occupancy of odonates from the study sites in Serra da Estrela. Family Species Abundance Occupancy Calopterygidae Calopteryx haemorrhoidalis (Vander Linden, 1825) 5 1 Calopterygidae Calopteryx virgo (Linnaeus, 1758) 203 12 Calopterygidae Calopteryx xanthostoma (Charpentier, 1825) 12 1 Lestidae Lestes dryas Kirby, 1890 374 19 Lestidae Lestes virens (Charpentier, 1825) 335 15 Lestidae Lestes viridis (Vander Linden, 1825) 5 2 Coenagrionidae Ceriagrion tenellum (de Villers, 1789) 1 1 Coenagrionidae Enallagma cyathigerum (Charpentier, 1840) 579 16 Coenagrionidae Ischnura graelisii (Rambur, 1842) 10 5 Coenagrionidae Pyrrosoma nymphula (Sulzer, 1776) 71 13 Platycnemididae Platycnemis latipes Rambur, 1842 12 3 Aeshnidae Aeshna cyanea (Miller, 1764) 26 12 Aeshnidae Aeshna juncea (Linnaeus, 1758) 183 19 Aeshnidae Anax imperator Leach, 1815 28 12 Aeshnidae Boyeria irene McLachlan, 1896 104 7 Gomphidae Onychogomphus uncatus (Charpentier, 1840) 54 7 Cordulegastridae Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807) 182 16 Corduliidae Oxygastra curtisii (Dale, 1834) 2 1 Macromiidae Macromia splendens (Pictet, 1843) 4 1 Libellulidae Libellula depressa Linnaeus, 1758 1 1 Libellulidae Libellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus, 1758 825 22 Libellulidae Orthetrum coerulescens (Fabricius, 1798) 7 3 Libellulidae Sympetrum flaveolum (Linnaeus, 1758) 190 12 Libellulidae Sympetrum fonscolombii (Selys, 1840) 13 7 18 Boieiro M et al Family Species Abundance Occupancy Libellulidae Sympetrum sanguineum (Muller, 1764) 140 12 Libellulidae Sympetrum striolatum (Charpentier, 1840) 2 2 The species abundance distributions of the two study groups show a bimodal pattern with high number of species in moderately low and moderately high abundance classes; fewer species were found to be low- or high-abundant (Fig. 3a). Five lepidopterans, including the montane Satyrus actaea (Esper, 1781), occurred in high abundance (> 256 individuals) in the study area and two odonates [Enallagma cyathigerum (Charpentier, 1840) and Libellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus, 1758] were also very abundant (> 512 individuals). The occupancy frequency distributions of the two study groups followed a common pattern: most species were found in a few number of sites and a scarce number of species was widespread (Fig. 3b). Only two lepidopterans, Colias croceus (Geoffroy, 1785) and Pieris rapae (Linnaeus, 1758) were found in most study sites (respectively 38 and 36, out of 39). a b° 30 vilblllan.! buns. 8-15 16-31 32-63 64-127 128-255 256-511 512-1023 11-15 16-20 21-25 26-30 31-35 36-39 umber Species nu Sp b G Lepidoptera Odonata ® Lepidopte: Abundance classes Number of site: Figure 3. Species abundance distributions (SADs) and occupancy frequency distributions (OFDs) of lepidopterans and odonates from the study sites in Serra da Estrela. a: SADs of lepidopterans and odonates. Data were binned in modified log2 abundance classes following Gray et al. (2006). ERS b: OFDs of lepidopterans and odonates. Data were grouped in site occupancy frequency classes, each comprising 12.5% of the total number of sampling locations. ER] Average values of lepidopteran and odonate species richness were higher in mountain streams and lakes (Fig. 4). Fewer species were detected in sites in montane vegetation. Discussion The diversity of lepidopteran and odonate species in Serra da Estrela is one of the highest in Portugal since the elevation gradient of this mountain determines marked differences in abiotic and biotic conditions at relatively short distances, thus driving habitat diversity, species distributions and spatial patterns of biodiversity (Ferreira et al. 2009). Additionally, due to its geophysical characteristics, Serra da Estrela has several montane habitat types that are exclusive or poorly represented in the country (Jansen 2002), where we can find Standardised inventories of lepidopterans and odonates from Serra da Estrela ... 19 range-restricted species, such as Aeshna juncea, Sympetrum flaveolum and Satyrus actaea (Maravalhas 2003, Maravalhas and Soares 2013). Habitat types Mountain streams waueenigns i Montane vegetation oO a) 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 B Lepidoptera Odonata Species number Figure 4. EES Average number (+SD) of lepidopteran and odonate species found in sites of the three main habitat types. During the two-year study, we sampled the lepidopteran and odonate communities from 39 sites in Serra da Estrela Natural Park, improving the species inventory by recording three new species to this protected area and collecting novel data on species abundance, distribution and ecology for nearly one hundred species, including two protected under the Habitats Directive. Interestingly, a number of lepidopteran and odonate species were found in low abundance in a few number of sites (Tables 2, 3; Fig. 3), suggesting the need to further investigate the distribution and population size of these species in Serra da Estrela. Despite the occurrence of several odonate and lepidopteran species of conservation concern in Serra da Estrela (both listed in the Habitats Directive or classified as threatened by national experts, see Maravalhas (2003), Maravalhas and Soares (2013)), we are unaware of studies targeting the collection of crucial baseline data on species abundance, distribution and threats that are much needed to support their conservation in this Natural Park. In addition, it will be important to sample a higher number of sites and habitats in this large protected area (with nearly 90,000 ha) to ascertain the rarity of several species that may in fact be undersampled. The combined analysis of species abundance distributions and occupancy frequency distributions also highlighted a few species that are relatively abundant and widespread in Serra da Estrela, like the odonates Enallagma cyathigerum and Libellula quadrimaculata and the lepidopterans Colias croceus and Pieris rapae. These species are common in the country (Maravalhas 2003, Maravalhas and Soares 2013) and seem to cope with the wide variety of ecological conditions through the elevation gradient of Serra da Estrela. Not surprisingly, we found a higher average number of odonate and lepidopteran species in mountain streams and lakes than in montane 20 Boieiro M et al vegetation. Odonates depend on these aquatic ecosystems for reproduction and larvae development, while lepidopterans seem to benefit from a larger diversity of host plants. Our study presents baseline information on species abundance and distribution following standardised sampling in representative habitats of Serra da Estrela, aiming to set a reference for long-term monitoring of biodiversity in this mountain. The biodiversity of Serra da Estrela faces several threats, particularly due to climate change, wildfires, the spread of invasive species and excessive water extraction, all of which are crucial for assessing their impact on montane plant and animal communities. Both odonates and lepidopterans are important bioindicators and many studies showed that they may provide valuable information as global change sentinels since their populations respond quickly to environmental change and at very fine scales (Hassall 2015, Hill et al. 2021). Acknowledgements We thank Centro de Interpretagao da Serra da Estrela (CISE) for providing logistic support to team members and to the Instituto da Conservagao da Natureza e das Florestas (ICNF) for allowing insect sampling in Serra da Estrela Natural Park. Open Access was funded by the project FCT-UIDB/00329/2020-2024 (Thematic Line 1 —- integrated ecological assessment of environmental change on biodiversity). Author contributions Conceptualization, M.B., J.C. and A.R.M.S.; investigation, S.A., A.S., H.F., A.L., E.M., P.G.P., C.R., J.C. and M.B.; resources, M.B., J.C. and A.R.M.S.; data curation, M.B. and P.A.V.B.; writing - original draft preparation, M.B.; writing - review and editing, M.B., J.C., C.R., A.S., S.A., H.F., A.L., E.M., P.G.P., P.A.V.B. and A.R.M.S.; supervision, M.B., J.C. and A.R.M.S.; project administration, M.B., J.C. and A.R.M.S.; funding acquisition, M.B., J.C. and A.R.M.S. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. References ° Acquah-Lamptey D, Kyerematen R, Owusu E (2013) Dragonflies (Odonata: Anisoptera) as tools for habitat quality assessment and monitoring. Journal of Agriculture and Biodiversity Research 2 (8): 178-182. ° Ashton L, Kitching R, Maunsell S, Bito D, Putland D (2011) Macrolepidopteran assemblages along an altitudinal gradient in subtropical rainforest—exploring indicators of climate change. 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