Abstract: In this study, the oviposition sites of Euphydryas aurinia and Meiltaea phoebe adult females in the same habitat network were investigated, aimed to identify the factors affecting the patch quality. The results showed that the egglaying females of both melitaeine butterfly species preferred to oviposit in the open areas with large-sized host plants and surrounded by short vegetations, especially on warm and sunny slopes. For E. aurinia, most of its egg clusters were concentrated within the area less than 3 m to the edge of cropland, and the average distance from each egg cluster to the edge of nearest cropland was 3.55 ± 0.33 m (n=246); but for M. phoebe, a few of its egg clusters distributed in the area less than 3 m to the edge, and the average distance was 7.43 ± 1.53 m (n=25). It was suggested that the criteria to evaluate the patch quality and the conservation strategies for the two butterfly species should be different, due to their special habitat requirements of ovipositing females.

Key words: isotope hydrology, ecohydrology, runoff plot, watershed., hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes