Impact of fire disturbances on lepidopteran communities

In this work I present the main effects of fire disturbances on lepidopteran communities and changes, that the fire disturbance causes. I primarily deal with characterization of fire disturbance, lepidopteran responses and changes in species composition and diversity, which they create in lepidopteran communities. Both butterflies and moths are in the last decades in decline and on the contrary fire disturbances are getting more frequent. At the same time the understanding of lepidopteran decline grows and management for protection of lepidopterans, where fire plays an important role, is getting more precise. With the use of prescribed burning, we can support the protection of both butterflies and moths and their habitats. The aim of my work was to summarize the knowledge about the effects that fire disturbances can have on Lepidoptera and their communities and also explore its potential use in their protection. Key words: natural disturbance, fire disturbance, lepidopteran communities, prescribed burning, wildfires, pyrophilous specie