Survey Methods, Distribution, and Seasonality of Korscheltellus gracilis (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae) in the Green Mountains, Vermont

Abstract

In 1983, large populations of Korscheltellus gracilis (Grote) were discovered in soil in the boreal zone of Camels Hump Mountain, Vt. A monitoring procedure was developed to evaluate population dynamics and abundance. The insect was most abundant at elevations of 1,000–1,150 m where red spruce and balsam fir grow and spruce decline is most evident. Flight occurs from late June through early August, and K. gracilis adults were trapped in 19 of 20 sites in the Green Mountain National Forest. They were significantly more abundant at high elevations and on even years.