Data from: Butterflies respond to habitat disturbance in tropical forests through activity shifts

Habitat disturbance can alter the dynamics of the forest microclimate by
disrupting the canopy structure, particularly in structurally complex
tropical forests. These changes may impact ectotherms, whose performance
and fitness are highly sensitive to climatic conditions. Behavioural
responses, such as changes in activities, may help buffer forest
ectotherms like butterflies from microclimate changes in disturbed
tropical forests. Using field surveys from four tropical forest sites in
Asia, we compared flight activity peaks, durations, and intensity for
populations of 21 forest-associated butterfly species between open-canopy
and closed-canopy forests. We then compared the temperature and
illumination that each species experienced during its activity period
between the two forest types.  Although butterfly populations
began their activity earlier and reached peak levels sooner in open-canopy
forests compared to closed-canopy forests, the duration and intensity of
activity remained similar across populations. Despite these shifts in
activity timing between forest types, butterflies experienced comparable
temperature conditions in both forest types but were exposed to higher
illumination levels in open-canopy forests. Overall, we demonstrate that
tropical butterflies can compensate for microclimate changes in tropical
forests by shifting their activity patterns. This may help butterflies
buffer against temperature increases but not against higher illumination
levels following forest canopy opening due to habitat disturbance. Our
results emphasize the importance of understanding how animal activity
responds to habitat disturbance.