Diversity of Lepidoptera (Insecta) recorded in a forest nursery of Nordeste County on São Miguel Island (Azores)

Virgílio Vieira; Luísa Oliveira; António Onofre Soares; Paulo A V Borges; Isabel Borges; João Tavares

doi:10.3897/BDJ.10.e89971

Diversity of Lepidoptera (Insecta) recorded in a forest nursery of Nordeste County on São Miguel Island (Azores)

Biodivers Data J. 2022 Oct 25:10:e89971. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e89971. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Virgílio Vieira¹, Luísa Oliveira², António Onofre Soares¹, Paulo A V Borges³, Isabel Borges¹, João Tavares²

Affiliations

¹ cE3c- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal cE3c- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Azores Portugal.
² CBA - Biotechnology Centre of Azores, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321, Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal CBA - Biotechnology Centre of Azores, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of the Azores, Rua da Mãe de Deus, 9500-321 Ponta Delgada, Azores Portugal.
³ cE3c- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal cE3c- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Azorean Biodiversity Group, CHANGE - Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Environment, University of the Azores, Rua Capitão João d´Ávila, Pico da Urze, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Azores Portugal.

Abstract

Background: The diversity of moth species (Insecta, Lepidoptera) recorded in the forest nursery of Nordeste County on São Miguel Island (Azores) is given. Adults were sampled between March and December 2019 using three methods: (i) light trap to catch Noctuidae species, (ii) open-sided delta trap baited with a synthetic female sex pheromone lure to attract Epiphyaspostvittana (Walker) males and (iii) entomological net to collect microlepidopteran moths. This contribution focuses mainly on the diversity of moths present in one forest nursery of Nordeste County of São Miguel Island (Azores), especially on the species associated with endemic and native plant species. It also contributes to better plan strategies for integrated protection and conservation measures, since nurseries host a great diversity of plants from the Laurel Forest, which may attract many lepidopteran species.

New information: A total of 10160 adults belonging to 33 lepidopteran species were recorded and listed by families, including: Argyresthiidae, one species (3%), Crambidae, four species (12%), Erebidae, one species (3%), Geometridae, five species (15%), Noctuidae, 18 species (55%), Sphingidae, one species (3%), Tineidae, one species (3%) and Tortricidae, two species (6%). The families Noctuidae, Geometridae and Crambidae were the most diverse. Those with the highest abundance of adults were the Noctuidae family, followed by the Geometridae, Crambidae, Tortricidae and Tineidae. The number of caught adults was consistently higher during spring and summer, decreasing sharply in late autumn. For 13 species caught in the light trap, the adult sex ratio was favourable to females. An analysis of the colonisation status, feeding and primary hosts of these endemic, native or exotic moth species contributes to our understanding of the factors that may lead to their establishment in Laurel Forest environments and to what extent there is a need to monitor and control them mainly with biological control agents.

Keywords: Argyresthiidae; Azores Islands; Crambidae; Erebidae; Geometridae; Lepidoptera; Noctuidae; Sphingidae; Tineidae; Tortricidae.

Virgílio Vieira, Luísa Oliveira, António Onofre Soares, Paulo A.V. Borges, Isabel Borges, João Tavares.

Grants and funding

Regional Founds, through Official Forestry Services from Regional Government of the Azores, within the research project MoCIL “Monitorização e Controlo Integrado de Lepidópteros em Viveiros Florestais (Nordeste e Furnas) na ilha de São Miguel - Açores”FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the project UIDP/05292/2020 and UIDB/05292/2020. AZORESBIOPORTAL–PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072) (2019-2022)