The habitat, biology and conservation status of Luehdorfia chinensis (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae)
中华虎凤蝶栖息地、生物学和保护现状

This paper is a summary of the studies on the distribution and biology of Chinese Luehdorfia Butterfly (Luehdorfia chinensis), carried out from 1992 to 1996. Currently this butterfly is narrowly distributed along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and in Qinling Mountains in Central China. Its habitats, mostly secondary forests, can be characterized into two types: lowerland type and higher mountain type. Habitats of lower land type with Asarum forbesii as its hostplant are more seriously disturbed by human activities than habitats of higher mountain type, where the hostplant is Asarum sieboldii. The population distribution pattern of this butterfly is of the typical metapopulation. The principal threats to the continued existence of the species are (1) habitat loss and degradation, and (2) the over harvesting of its hostplants for medicinal use. Its population status meets the following items of the IUCN new criteria for endangered species: VULNERABLE :A1a, c, d 2c, and the species should be classified as Vulnerable. Conservation strategy and further research programs are suggested accordingly.