Diversity of Lepidoptera recorded in a forest nursery of Nordeste county on São Miguel Island (Azores)
Citation
Vieira V, Oliveira L, Soares A O, Borges P A V, Borges I, Tavares J (2022). Diversity of Lepidoptera recorded in a forest nursery of Nordeste county on São Miguel Island (Azores). Version 1.8. Universidade dos Açores. Sampling event dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/965r3p accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-13.Description
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 caught Noctuidae species, (ii) open-sided delta trap baited with a synthetic female sex pheromone lure to attract Epiphyas postvittana males and (iii) entomological net to identify microlepidopteran moths. A total of 10160 adults belonging to 33 lepidopteran species were recorded and listed by families, including: Argyresthiidae 1 (3%), Crambidae 4 (12%), Erebidae 1 (3%), Geometridae 5 (15%), Noctuidae 18 (55%), Sphingidae 1 (3%), Tineidae 1 (3%), and Tortricidae 2 (6%). The families Noctuidae, Geometridae and Crambidae were the most diverse. Those with the highest abundance of adults was the Noctuidae family followed by the Crambidae, Trotricidae and Tineidae. The number of caught adults was consistently higher during spring and summer, decreasing sharply in late fall. For 14 species caught in the light trap the adult sex ratio was favorable to females, except for Xestia c-nigrum which was favorable to males. An analysis of the colonization status, feeding and primary hosts of these endemic, native or exotic moth species suggests that plants reared in forest nurseries, being attacked by such insects, facilitates our understanding of the diversity of lepidopterans that establish in Laurel Forest environments and to what extent there is a need to monitor and control them mainly with biological control agents.Sampling Description
Study Extent
The study was conducted in the Nordeste Nursery Recreational Forest Reserve (São Miguel island) where thousands of endemic and native Azorean plant species are annually reared, including Erica azorica, Vaccinium cylindraceum (both Ericaceae), Ilex azorica (Aquifoliaceae), Juniperus brevifolia (Cupressaceae), Laurus azorica (Lauraceae), Viburnum treleasei (Adoxaceae), Prunus azorica (Rosaceae), Picconia azorica (Oleaceae), Frangula azorica (Rhamnaceae), and one native species, Morella faya (Myricaceae), which are integrated on the IUCN red list (see Rosagro et al, 2019; Vieira et al, 2020). The Official Forestry Services allocate these plants to the restoration of the Laurel Forest and areas with high erosion risk or sensitive from the hydrological point of view, awareness-raising activities and support forestation by private landowners (Rosagro et al, 2019).Sampling
Adult moths were monitored from dusk to dawn between March and December 2019 (38 weeks) using an omnidirectional light trap, equipped with TLD 18W lightbulb, according to the methodology used by Tavares (1989). Epiphyas postvittana population was monitored from May to December 2019 (38 weeks), using open-sided delta trap baited with a synthetic female sex pheromone lure (containing: E11-14Ac, E9E11-14Ac) to attract males (see Oliveira et al, 2022). The light trap and open-sided delta trap, spaced 300 m apart, were installed a meter over the ground level at the edge of the nursery for Azorean endemic and native forest plants. The traps samples were collected every week and lures changed once a month. The plants reared in the forest nursery were sampled once a week to catch microlepidopteran moths using a standard entomological net (35 cm diameter, 140 cm handle), which were immediately identified and released on site if the specimens did not need to be observed more carefully in the laboratory.Quality Control
All individuals caught in the traps were first sorted by Virgílio Vieira, João Tavares or Luisa Oliveira.Method steps
- All specimens including those captured with the entomological net were allocated to a taxonomic species by Virgílio Vieira.
Taxonomic Coverages
The following Classe and Order are covered: Insecta: Lepidoptera
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Lepidopteracommon name: moths rank: order
Geographic Coverages
The study was conducted in the Nordeste Nursery Recreational Forest Reserve located in Nordeste county (37° 49' 43.9" N 25° 08' 59.5" W) at about 180 meters of altitude.
Bibliographic Citations
- Oliveira, L., Vieira, V., Soares, A. O., Borges, I., Arruda, P. & Tavares, J. (2022). Abundance of Epiphyas postvittana (Walker, 1863) in forestry nurseries of São Miguel Island (Azores, Portugal) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). SHILAP-Revista de Lepidopterologia (In press) -
- Rosagro, R. M., Borges, I., Vieira, V., Pons Solé, G. & Soares, A. O. (2019). Evaluation of Scymnus nubilus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as biological control agent against Aphis spiraecola and Cinara juniperi (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Pest Management Science, 76: 818-826. - 10.1002/ps.5585
- Tavares, J. (1989). Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth) (Lep., Noctuidae) aux Açores. Bioécologie et Lutte Biologique: 205 pp. PhD thesis. Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille. -
- Vieira, V., Moura, M. & Silva, L. (2020). Terrestrial Flora of the Azores - A Field Guide: 336 pp. Letras Lavadas Edições, Ponta Delgada. -
- Vives Moreno, A. (2014). Catálogo sistemático y sinonímico de los Lepidoptera de la Península Ibérica, de Ceuta, de Melilla y de las Islas Azores, Baleares, Canarias, Madeira y Salvajes (Insecta: Lepidoptera): 1184 pp. Suplemento de SHILAP Revista de lepidopterología. Improitalia, Madrid. -
Contacts
Virgílio Vieiraoriginator
position: Researcher
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
Ponta Delgada
9500-321
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351912303590
email: virgilio.ff.vieira@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/virgiacutelio-vieira
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3638-1795
Luísa Oliveira
originator
position: Researcher
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
Ponta Delgada
9500-321
Azores
PT
email: maria.lm.oliveira@uac.pt
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5162-8875
António O. Soares
originator
position: Auxiliary Professor
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
Ponta Delgada
9500-321
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: antonio.oc.soares@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/antoacutenio-onofre-costa-miranda-soares
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7922-6296
Paulo A. V. Borges
originator
position: Associated Professor
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
Angra do Heroísmo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623
Isabel Borges
originator
position: Researcher
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
Ponta Delgada
9500-321
Azores
PT
email: isabel.mm.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/isabel-marisa-mateus-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1807-0659
João Tavares
originator
position: Researcher
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
Ponta Delgada
9500-321
Azores
PT
email: joao.ac.tavares@uac.pt
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6353-2659
Virgílio Vieira
metadata author
position: Researcher
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
Ponta Delgada
9500-321
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351912303590
email: virgilio.ff.vieira@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/virgiacutelio-vieira
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3638-1795
Paulo A. V. Borges
publisher
position: Aggregate Professor
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
Angra do Heroísmo
9700-042
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351968933212
email: paulo.av.borges@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/paulo-a-v-borges
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-7623
Virgílio Vieira
administrative point of contact
position: Researcher
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
Ponta Delgada
9500-321
Azores
PT
Telephone: +351912303590
email: virgilio.ff.vieira@uac.pt
homepage: http://gba.uac.pt/member/virgiacutelio-vieira
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3638-1795