Moth Communities Research Articles

Short-term effects of clearing restoration on the relationship of plant and moth communities

Short-term effects of clearing restoration on the relationship of plant and moth communities

Moths respond to key habitat structures in conifer plantations managed as irregular high forest

Conifer plantations need to deliver greater multi-functionality beyond the production of timber. This includes the support of biodiversity and associated ecosystem functioning. Forest managers are increasingly adopting novel, more sustainable forest management techniques such as irregular silviculture, a type of continuous cover forestry, to manage plantations, in response to climate change. This may confer benefits to important elements of woodland biodiversity such as moths, by creating plantations that have diverse vertical structure and a permanent canopy (called irregular high forest). In this study at two estates in south-west Britain we specifically tested whether moth species richness and abundance (at the guild and overall level) were associated with (1) surrounding land cover types and (2) habitat structures within stands undergoing transformation using irregular silviculture. A total of 268 species of 11,582 individuals were recorded. Moths responded to all four landscape cover types, negatively to arable and conifer woodland, positively for broadleaf woodland, and both positively and negatively for improved grassland. Moth richness and abundance had a positive association with basal area (albeit below standard even aged stocking rates with most plots around 40–45 m2ha) and a weak positive association with higher vertical structural complexity (indicated by a more developed understorey and sub-canopy layers). Moth abundance had a moderate positive association with broadleaf canopy where we recommend plantations should have at least 10–15 % broadleaf canopy cover. Moth richness and abundance were negatively associated to mean tree diameter and canopy openness. Many of these features are more prevalent in stands further progressed towards irregular high forest. We show how moth communities can be maintained via more sustainable forestry management techniques that increase overall habitat and structural complexity.

Phylogenetic structure of moth communities (Geometridae, Lepidoptera) along a complete rainforest elevational gradient in Papua New Guinea.

We use community phylogenetics to elucidate the community assembly mechanisms for Geometridae moths (Lepidoptera) collected along a complete rainforest elevational gradient (200-3700 m a.s.l) on Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea. A constrained phylogeny based on COI barcodes for 604 species was used to analyse 1390 species x elevation occurrences at eight elevational sites separated by 500 m elevation increments. We obtained Nearest Relatedness Index (NRI), Nearest Taxon Index (NTI) and Standardised Effect Size of Faith's Phylogenetic Diversity (SES.PD) and regressed these on temperature, plant species richness and predator abundance as key abiotic and biotic predictors. We also quantified beta diversity in the moth communities between elevations using the Phylogenetic Sorensen index. Overall, geometrid communities exhibited phylogenetic clustering, suggesting environmental filters, particularly at higher elevations at and above 2200 m a.s.l and no evidence of overdispersion. NRI, NTI and SES.PD showed no consistent trends with elevation or the studied biotic and abiotic variables. Change in community structure was driven by turnover of phylogenetic beta-diversity, except for the highest 2700-3200 m elevations, which were characterised by nested subsets of lower elevation communities. Overall, the elevational signal of geometrid phylogeny was weak-moderate. Additional insect community phylogeny studies are needed to understand this pattern.

ZOOGEOGRAPHICAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE FAUNA OF THE GEOMETRID MOTHS (LEPIDOPTERA: GEOMETRIDAE) OF AMURSKAYA OBLAST

The paper provides a zoogeographical characteristic of the fauna of geometrid moth fauna (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) of Amurskaya Oblast (Far East of Russia) in the aspects of regional zoogeographic connections with neighboring territories and connections of local moth faunas with the main types of landscapes within the region. It has been established that the moth fauna of Amurskaya Oblast shows a clear similarity with the faunas of the southeastern part of the Far Eastern Federal District in terms of species composition and the participation of longitudinal and altitudinal-latitudinal groups of areas. Differences of the fauna of Amurskaya Oblast from other regions are due to its middle location on the south of the District and direct contact with the regions of Eastern Siberia. The fauna of Amurskaya Oblast is closest to that of Khabarovskii Krai in the species composition, and differs in a smaller proportion of species included in the Far Eastern group of areas. There are two faunal complexes of moths in Amurskaya Oblast: boreal (taiga), with a predominance of wide-area northern mid-latitude species, and nemoral, with a predominance of Far Eastern southern midand low-latitude species. Fauna of geometrid moths of Amurskaya Oblast south of ~53° N and west of the river Bureya is a transitional between boreal and nemoral, relatively clinal changing in the composition of the groups of areas in the direction of southeast – northwest. There is no distinct northern border of the transitional zone due to the high patchiness of the distribution of boreal and nemoral biocenoses. Communities of geometrid moths of nemoral forests occupy the extreme southeast of Amurskaya Oblast east of the river Bureya, which can be considered an only distinct boundary of westward distribution for many Far Eastern southern mid- and low-latitude species of geometrid moths. In the transitional zone, a meadow-forest subzone is distinguished, containing species of moths associated with the steppe and forest-steppe faunas of Central Asia and Northern China. Based on the structure of local moth faunas, the Siberian – East Asian faunal boundary in the Amurskaya Oblast appears as a wide sublatitudinal “transitional” zone, running from approximately 53° N latitude in the north to the lower reaches of the river Bureya (~50° N latitude) in the south of the region.

Species traits to guide moth conservation in anthropogenic regions: A multi‐species approach using distribution trends in Flanders (northern Belgium)

Abstract Insect abundance and diversity appear to decline rapidly in recent decades, garnering significant media attention, and hence raising public awareness. Macro‐moths—a species‐rich and ecologically diverse insect group—face severe declines, particularly in urbanised and intensively farmed areas in NW Europe. Flanders is a highly anthropogenic region, serving as a case study where the impact on macro‐moths of stressors like intensive agriculture, industrialisation and urbanisation has been quantified through a recently compiled Red List. Here, for 717 macro‐moth species, we calculated relative changes in distribution area between a reference period (1980–2012) and the subsequent period (2013–2022). By correlating these species‐specific trends with 10 key ecological and life history traits, we calculated more general Multi‐Species Change Indices (MSCIs). These MSCIs showed that species associated with wet biotopes and heathlands declined on average by 20%–25%, while (sub)urban species increased by more than 60%. Species feeding on lichens or mosses increased by 31%, while grass‐feeding species decreased by 20%. Both very small (+34%) and very large species (+15%) increased, whereas medium‐sized species decreased by 5%. Monophagous (+17%), migrant (+88%) and colour‐invariable species (+5%) increased, while colour‐variable species decreased (−8%). Finally, Holarctic (−21%) and Palaearctic species (−5%) decreased, while Mediterranean (+27%) and Western‐Palaearctic species (+9%) increased. Our trait‐based approach identifies key threats and mitigation strategies for moths in anthropogenic regions, offering evidence‐based insights for crafting efficient management recommendations and informed conservation policies to safeguard moth communities.

Effect of Combined Factors on Moth Communities in Western Hungarian Sessile Oak–Hornbeam Forests

Effect of Combined Factors on Moth Communities in Western Hungarian Sessile Oak–Hornbeam Forests

A trait‐based understanding of the vulnerability of a Paleotropical moth community to predation by a sympatric bat with flexible foraging strategies

Abstract Prey vulnerability across seasons can be predicted by measuring their morphological traits and availability. Although conventional prey–predator dynamics focus on pairs of prey and predator species, the trait‐based approach allows us to draw inferences at the scale of the entire assemblage. Here, we coupled measurable prey traits with their availability in the study area, to identify the vulnerability of a diverse moth assemblage to predation by the lesser false vampire bat (Megaderma spasma) Chiroptera: Megadermatidae, Linneaus 1758, a bat with flexible foraging strategies, in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot of India. We analysed the discarded prey remains from several roosts, collected over 3 years, for seasonal patterns in the diet and selective hunting. Through light‐trapping, we collected moth specimens in different seasons and measured the morphological traits likely to affect their vulnerability to predation, such as body size and evasive flight capability. Our results showed that consumed moth prey diversity varies seasonally, with moths belonging to the Hepialidae family being preferred in the wet season. We found that the larger moth species with lower evasive capabilities are more vulnerable to predation. Sphingid and Hepialid moths, among the most abundant in the diet, have the lowest manoeuvrability and the maximum body size, respectively. By assessing vulnerability at the prey assemblage level, our study sets the stage for future research on moth–bat interactions from the diverse and less‐explored Paleotropical communities. In addition, the study reiterates the usefulness of trait‐based approaches to understanding prey–predator dynamics.

Moths in space: The below-canopy structure of forest drives abundance and mobility-related traits of moth communities

The distribution of species is primarily driven by the availability of trophic resources. In a given forest type, insects trophically related to the dominant tree are expected to be evenly distributed due to the abundance of their foodplant. However, their distribution is also influenced by complex relationships with abiotic and biotic parameters such as available space, predatory pressure, and morphometric traits. In this study, we investigated how the three-dimensional structure of space below the canopy may affect the composition of nocturnal lepidoptera communities. To synthesise the complexity of the dispersal behaviour of these insects, we evaluated easily measurable traits such as wingspan and the presence of tympanic organs, both connected to their mobility and thus potentially influenced by the structure of the available flight space. The study was conducted in the Sila National Park (Italy), where 12 sampling sites were selected in pine forests and an additional 12 in beech forests. Forest spatial structure was investigated using a portable terrestrial laser scanner. Moths were sampled monthly using light traps from May to October in both 2019 and 2020. Among measured forest traits, we observed that the space above three meters from the ground is the only factor influencing community composition. Larger species with tympanic organs prefer environments with less space below tree canopies. Our findings could be the starting point for future studies that investigate a potential defence strategy of moths against bats, as tympanate and larger species not only actively avoid chiropter predation but could also choose denser forests because of a lower bat activity. Moths' distribution and community composition thus appear to be significantly shaped by the spatial structure of forests.

Evaluation of moth community changes and northward shifts in response to climate warming in Korea using both local and global occurrences

Although climate warming arguably induces changes in species distribution, thereby causing poleward shifts in various taxa, comprehensive research on the response of moths to climate warming is lacking. This study compared the distribution of macro-moths between historical (1978–2002) and recent (2011–2016) periods in South Korea using the macro-moth data collected at 18 survey sites to elucidate the changes in community composition. We used the community temperature index (CTI) to quantify the effect of temperature change on moth community changes. The CTI represents the average value of the species temperature index (STI; mid-value of thermal range) calculated using our local observations and global occurrences reported in the online database of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Our analysis revealed no significant difference in species richness between historical and recent surveys. However, some taxa, such as Uraniidae, Nolidae, Sphingidae, and Lasiocampidae, exhibited high turnover rates, while the number of sphingid moths with large body sizes greatly decreased. The temperature changes at the survey sites became pronounced with an increase in the survey interval (year) between historical and recent surveys (temperature increase = 0.0465 ℃ /year), while the CTI change exhibited a weak signal for northward shift of moth species. The CTI using the local data indicated 0.09 km/year of northward shift of moths, which is considerably slower than the northward shift (9.6 km/year) of the isothermal bands. However, the CTI using global occurrence data, expected to improve the estimation of species thermal niches, did not show any sign of northward shift. When observed, the northward shifts of moths were primarily identified in the cold-adapted species with low STI values, suggesting that cold-adapted species are more sensitive and vulnerable to climate warming than warm-adapted species. These results indicate that the current distribution changes of species were uneven, and the species adapted to cold regions are the ones primarily responding to the temperature increase by migrating northward and to high elevations.

Does artificial light at night alter moth community composition?

Ecological studies investigating the effects of artificial light at night (ALAN) have primarily focused on single or a few species, and seldom on community-level dynamics. As ALAN is a potential cause of insect and biodiversity declines, community-level perspectives are essential. We empirically tested the hypothesis that moth species differentially respond to ALAN and that these responses can cause shifts in community composition. We sampled moths from prairie fragments in Colorado, USA. We tested whether local light sources, sky glow, site area and/or vegetation affected moth community diversity. We found that increased sky glow decreased moth abundance and species richness and shifted community composition. Increased sky glow shifted moth community composition when light and bait traps were combined; notably this result appears to be driven entirely by moths sampled at bait traps, which is an unbiased sampling technique. Our results show that ALAN has significant effects on moth communities and that local light sources have contrasting effects on moth community composition compared to sky glow. It is imperative that we better understand the contrasting effects of types of ALAN to comprehend the overall impacts of light pollution on biodiversity declines. This article is part of the theme issue 'Light pollution in complex ecological systems'.

Seasonality, diversity, and forest type associations of macro moths (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Heterocera) in the Shiwalik landscape of northern India and its conservation implications

A study was carried out to evaluate the seasonal diversity of macro moths across different forest sub-types occurring in theShiwalik landscape of northern India, mainly Uttarakhand and adjoining states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. Fortythree field surveys of 59 days were carried out from July 2020 to October 2022 using stratified random sampling in each of the 19 selected study sites. Sampling surveys revealed 321 species of moths belonging to 19 families and 49 sub-families. These new range extensions from central Himalaya and northeastern India indicate the affinity of moths found in the northern Indian Shiwaliks with that of the Oriental region. Seasonal trend of species richness showed two annual peaks, with the first peak occurring in August followed by a smaller peak in October, while the seasonal abundance of moth species was maximum in July followed by a smaller peak in September. One-hundredand-forty species occurred only during the ‘monsoon’ season indicating their seasonality, univoltine habit and short flight periods in these tropical forests. Species richness of moths correlated positively with relative humidity (r2 = 0.100; p = 0.0142; n = 59). The most dominant family was Erebidae (95 species) followed by Geometriidae (61), Crambidae (72), and Noctuidae (28), respectively. Maximum number of moth species were sampled in forest sub-type (i) 3C/C2a Moist Shiwalik Sal Forest, followed by (ii) 5B/C2 Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest, (iii) 3C/C2c Moist Tarai Sal Forest, iv) 5B/C1a Dry Shiwalik Sal Forest, respectively. The study also revealed changing moth communities along with the vegetation structure in the Shiwaliks from east (Nandhaur Willife Sanctaury in Uttarakhand bordering Nepal) to west (Simbalbara National Park in Himachal Pradesh,India) across the landscape. The moth communities of (i) 3C/C2a Moist Shiwalik Sal Forest & (ii) 3C/C2c Moist Tarai Sal Forest being different from that of (iii) 5B/C2 Northern Dry Mixed Deciduous Forest, and (iv) 5B/C1a Dry Shiwalik Sal Forest. Besides, six new range extensions into Shiwaliks of northern India from central Nepal and northeastern India, namely: Chlorozancla falcatus (Butler, 1889) (Geometridae); Cynaeda dichroalis (Hampson, 1903), Dichocrocis pyrrhalis (Walker, 1859) & Glyphodes canthusalis Walker, 1859 (Crambidae); and Acropteris iphiata (Guenée, 1857) (Uranidae) were recorded.

Compact vs. Linear: Effects of Forest Structure, Patch Shape and Landscape Configuration on Black Alder Macromoth Communities

Landscape configuration and forest structure assume an increasing importance as determinants of animal communities. This paper focused on nocturnal Lepidoptera inhabiting alder patches in the Sila National Park, Italy. According to their shapes, patches were divided into linear and compact ones to disentangle the roles of forest structure and landscape configuration in determining the composition of nocturnal Lepidopteran communities at different observation scales. We used the Mann–Whitney test for medians and Shannon diversity, equitability, Fisher’s alpha, and nestedness to test differences among moth communities. We found that compact patches inhabited richer and more abundant communities. The abundance-based Correspondence Analysis showed moth communities clustered according to woodlot shape, except a compact woodlot with a linear-like moth community because it was entirely surrounded by grasslands. Percentage of forested area and abundance and composition of communities were positively correlated at 50 and 200 m buffers, while correlations were absent at smaller and larger buffers. Our results demonstrated that a width of 50 m may not be sufficient to give proper functionality to the wooded area, at least for moths. As a consequence, planning of forest restorations should consider the importance of increasing the structural habitat continuity at larger scales.

Understory vegetation supports more abundant and diverse butterfly communities in oil palm plantations

IntroductionThe cultivation of oil palm, from which palm oil, the world’s most widely traded vegetable oil, is processed, has had marked effects on ecosystems and native species across the tropics. While declines in biodiversity due to conversion to oil palm have been well recorded across plant and animal taxa, less work has been done to identify approaches to plantation management which will enable producers to satisfy growing global demand while limiting environmental damage.MethodsThrough a large-scale understory management experiment, we investigated the long- and short-term effects of varying vegetation management regimes on the abundance, richness, and diversity of day-flying Lepidoptera.ResultsOver the long-term, the lowest levels of vegetation complexity resulted in significantly lower Lepidoptera abundance, species richness and evenness. Less intensive understory clearing resulted in healthier communities, with limited differences between removal by herbicide application or chemical-free removal. Over the short-term, biodiversity was not directly affected by vegetation complexity, suggesting that manual removal of vegetation may be equally damaging to butterfly or moth communities as removal by intermediate levels of herbicide spraying.DiscussionThese findings substantiate calls to limit vegetation clearing and maintain habitat heterogeneity on both a local and landscape scale, while also suggesting that a hard “no-spray” guideline may not be the only option to support butterfly friendly plantations.

Anthropogenic Influence on Moth Populations: A Comparative Study in Southern Sweden.

As moths are vital components of ecosystems and serve as important bioindicators, understanding the dynamics of their communities and the factors influencing these dynamics, such as anthropogenic impacts, is crucial to understand the ecological processes. Our study focuses on two provinces in southern Sweden, Västergötland and Småland, where we used province records from 1974 to 2019 in combination with light traps (in 2020) to record the presence and abundance of moth species, subsequently assessing species traits to determine potential associations with their presence in anthropogenically modified landscapes. This study design provides a unique opportunity to assess temporal changes in moth communities and their responses to shifts in environmental conditions, including anthropogenic impacts. Across the Västergötland and Småland provinces in Sweden, we recorded 776 moth taxa belonging to fourteen different taxonomic families of mainly Macroheterocera. We captured 44% and 28% of the total moth species known from these provinces in our traps in Borås (Västergötland) and Kalmar (Småland), respectively. In 2020, the species richness and abundance were higher in Borås than in Kalmar, while the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices revealed a higher species diversity in Kalmar. Between 1974 and 2019, the colonisation rates of the provinces increased faster in Småland. Ninety-three species were found to have colonised these provinces since 1974, showing that species richness increased over the study period. We reveal significant associations between the probability of a species being present in the traps and distinct traits compared to a provincial species pool. Traits over-represented in the traps included species with a high variation in colour patterns, generalist habitat preferences, extended flight periods, lower host plant specificity, and overwintering primarily as eggs. Our findings underscore the ongoing ecological filtering that favours certain species-specific traits. This study sheds light on the roles of climate change and anthropogenic impacts in shaping moth biodiversity, offers key insights into the ecological processes involved, and can guide future conservation efforts.

Short-term effects of a high-severity summer wildfire on conifer forest moth (Lepidoptera) communities in New Mexico, USA.

Forest fires in North America are becoming larger in area and burning with higher severity as a result of climate change and land management practices. High-severity, stand-replacement fires can inflict major changes to forest insect communities, potentially extirpating many species through altered post-fire habitat resources. We assessed forest-dwelling macrolepidopteran moth communities in mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forests during the first year after the 2011 Las Conchas fire in New Mexico, USA. We deployed blacklight traps in replicated burned and unburned stands during June, July, and August in 2012. We collected 9,478 individuals, representing 211 species and 8 families. Noctuidae (124 species) and Geometridae (53) comprised the majority of the taxa, followed by Erebidae (21), Sphingidae (5), Notodontidae (3), Lasiocampidae (2), Saturniidae (2), and Drepanidae (1). Moth communities (species composition and abundances) in each forest type (mixed conifer vs. ponderosa pine) were statistically distinguishable, but shared 56.4% (119) of observed species. Overall, compared to unburned forests, post-fire moth communities in both forest types had significantly lower numbers of individuals, species richness and diversity, and lower evenness in ponderosa pine forests. As expected, categorizing moth taxa by larval host plant taxa revealed that reductions of moth populations following fire were associated with the elimination or reduction of available larval host plants (particularly conifers, oaks, and junipers). We predict that future moth community succession will likely parallel the overall transformation from a forested landscape to a montane meadow/grassland ecosystem, with continued reduction in tree-feeding species and increasing dominance by forb/grass-feeding species.

Ecological trends in moth communities (Geometridae, Lepidoptera) along a complete rainforest elevation gradient in Papua New Guinea

Abstract The tropical rainforest elevation gradients, extending from lowlands to treeline, often represent global maxima of biodiversity and are models for community studies. We surveyed geometrid moths along a complete rainforest gradient from 200 to 3700 m asl. in Papua New Guinea. The 16,424 moths collected with light traps represented 1102 species, a high diversity for such system. We demonstrated the importance of molecular data for taxonomy as COI sequences (DNA barcodes) changed the definition of 19% of morphological species. The abundance of geometrids did not change with elevation while their species richness peaked at 1200 m asl. The mid‐elevation diversity peak is a common, but poorly understood, pattern for geometrids. It was best explained by the species richness of the vegetation. At the same time, the community was exposed to opposing trends in abiotic favourability (decreasing temperature) and biotic favourability (decreasing predation by ants, birds and bats) with elevation, potentially contributing to such unimodal trends in species richness. Beta diversity of communities separated by 500 m elevation increased with increasing elevation, reflecting decreasing mean elevational range of species—a pattern opposite to that expected under the Rapoport's rule. The total number of species along the elevation gradient corresponded to 280% of the highest local community diversity. This enrichment of species underscores the key role of long elevational gradients in maintaining high regional diversity and makes them a conservation priority, especially as they also allow for redistribution of species in response to climate change.

Ecological and life‐history traits predict temporal trends in biomass of boreal moths

Abstract Dramatic insect declines, and their consequences for ecosystems globally, have received considerable attention recently. Yet, it is still poorly known if ecological and life‐history traits can explain declines and whether insect decline occurs also at high latitudes. Insects' diversity and abundance are dramatically lower at high latitudes compared to the tropics, and insects might benefit from climate warming in high‐latitude environments. We adopted a trait‐ and biomass‐based approach to estimate temporal change between 1993 and 2019 in Finnish macro‐moth communities by using data from 85 long‐running light traps. We analysed spatio‐temporal variation in biomass of moth functional groups with Joint Dynamic Species Distribution Models while accounting for environmental variables. We did not detect any declining trends in total moth biomass of moth functional groups, and most groups were stable over time. Moreover, biomass increased for species using coniferous trees, lichens, or mushrooms as hosts, multivoltine species, as well as monophagous and oligophagous species feeding on trees. We found that length and temperature of the growing season, winter climatic conditions, and habitat structure all partially explained variation in moth biomass. Although boreal moth communities are rapidly changing due to species turnover, in terms of total biomass they seem to contradict the trend of dramatic insect declines observed globally. This may lessen the immediate possibility of negative bottom‐up trophic cascades in boreal food webs.

The Contribution of Singletons and Doubletons Captured Using Weak Light Heath Traps for the Analysis of the Macroheteroceran Assemblages in Forest Biotopes

In nearly every ecological community, most species are represented by a few individuals, and most individuals come from a few of the most common species. Singletons (one individual sampled) and doubletons (two individuals sampled) are very common in moth community studies. In some reports, these specimens are excluded from the analysis once they are considered a consequence of under-sampling or of contamination with tourist species that are just passing through. Throughout 12 nights in 2018 and 12 nights in 2019, two Heath traps, one with an 8 W ultraviolet lamp and the other with a 15 W actinic lamp, were positioned approximately 50 m apart at nine sites of four different biotopes in a mosaic forest ecosystem in the Narew National Park (NE Poland). We were able to differentiate moth assemblages according to the forest biotopes under study and by the year of research. With our results, it becomes more evident that singletons and doubletons sampled using weak light Heath traps should be included in the ecological analysis of Macroheteroceran moth assemblages, and our research strongly suggests that they are an important and consistent element of such a sampling method. We also demonstrate that weak light Heath traps are suitable for building an inventory scheme of moth assemblages in small forest areas and that singletons and doubletons can be crucial elements in long-term monitoring systems.

Moth community among apples during bloom in Northwest Arkansas: likely pollinators and activity periods.

Apples are a fruit crop of economic and nutritional importance that require cross-pollination primarily by insects for sustainable production. It was recently demonstrated that nocturnal pollinators can contribute as much to apple pollination as diurnal pollinators. However, information concerning nocturnal pollinator identity, activity periods, and community composition in apples is lacking, which limits research expansion. To address this knowledge gap, nocturnal moths in an apple orchard were surveyed during apple bloom from 2018 to 2020 using blacklight traps, with samples collected hourly to delineate moth activity. Observations during the same periods were made to identify moths visiting apple flowers, whose capture data were then compared to other captured moth species to provide useful information concerning community composition during apple bloom. Blacklight surveys yielded 1,087 moths representing at least 68 species from 12 families, wherein 15 species from five families were observed visiting apple flowers. Captured moths were most abundant and diverse in the first two hours after sunset. Most captured moth species did not visit flowers and are likely not associated with apple pollination. However, moth species that were observed visiting flowers were the most abundant overall and most diverse by hour in surveys. Data indicate a rich moth community present among apple orchards during bloom and identify likely moth pollinators of apples. Though more research is required to establish the precise relationships between moth pollination and apples, the information provided here allows for targeted efforts to do so.

Response of moth communities (Lepidoptera) to forest management strategies after disturbance

Spruce forests face many threats such as climate change and bark beetle outbreaks. Yet, bark beetle dynamics have a long co-evolutionary history strongly linked to spruce forest structural dynamics. Disturbed spruce forest sites resulting from bark beetle outbreaks therefore should not be regarded as degraded land, but as early successional stages following natural forest dynamics. Three post-bark-beetle disturbance sites and one closed-canopy site in the Bavarian Forest and Ĺ umava National Parks were investigated with the focus on moth communities. The three disturbed sites had undergone different post-disturbance management regimes, with one being treated by salvage logging, while at the other two forest sites deadwood was kept in the forest. To avoid the spread of bark beetles, however, the bark of dead trees was either gouged or removed. The aim was to determine how many moths can be found at the undisturbed and disturbed forest sites and if differences in community composition can be explained by different management regimes. The results highlight that natural forest disturbance can increase moth diversity, especially by favouring species that are associated with open and shrub habitats. Many rare and endangered species benefit from bark beetle outbreaks, indicating that accepting natural forest dynamics is an important part of conservation management. Post-bark beetle management seems to have a minor effect on moth communities.