Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T02:29:18.900Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

NOCTURNAL FLIGHT ACTIVITY OF MOTHS (LEPIDOPTERA) IN ALPINE TUNDRA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Deborah M. Kendall ,
Peter G. Kevan  and
J. Donald LaFontaine
Deborah M. Kendall
Affiliation:
Biology Department, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.A. 80907
Peter G. Kevan
Affiliation:
Biology Department, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.A. 80907
J. Donald LaFontaine
Affiliation:
Biosystematics Research Institute, Agriculture Canada, Ottawa, Canada K1A 0C6
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A blacklight trap was established at 3790 m in 1978 and at 3505 m, 3657 m, 3790 m, and 3810 m, in 1979, on the alpine tundra in Colorado. Weekly catches from 6 July to 4 August 1978, and 26 June to 14 September 1979, resulted in ca. 3500 individuals of over 48 species of moths. These results establish that a greater diversity of moths exists and greater nocturnal flight activity occurs than was previously supposed for alpine tundra communities. The implications for pollination and insect foraging are discussed.

Résumé

Un piège “Blacklight” a été installé à 3790 m en 1978, et à 3505 m, 3657 m, 3790 m et 3810 m en 1979, dans la toundra alpine au Colorado. Les captures hebdomadaires effectuées du 6 juillet au 4 août en 1978, et du 26 juin au 14 septembre en 1979, ont permis de récolter environ 3 500 individus appartenant à plus de 48 espèces de papillons de nuit. Ces résultats indiquent que les communautés de la toundra alpine montrent une plus grande diversité de papillons de nuit, et qu’on y observe une activité de vol nocturne plus élevée qu’on ne le croyait auparavant. Les implications de ces observations en ce qui concerne la pollinisation et les activités alimentaires des insectes sont abordées dans la discussion.

Type
Articles
Information
The Canadian Entomologist , Volume 113 , Issue 7 , July 1981 , pp. 607 - 614
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexander, G. 1950. The natural history of high altitudes. The Biologist 33: 91–97.Google Scholar
Baker, H. G. 1961. The adaptation of flowering to nocturnal and crepuscular pollinators. Q. Rev. Biol. 36: 64–73.Google Scholar
Burton, R. L., Starks, K. J., and Peters, D. C.. 1980. The army cutworm. Bull. agric. Exp. Stn Div. Agric. Oklahoma St. Univ. B-749. 35 pp.Google Scholar
Chapman, J. A. 1954. Studies on summit-frequenting insects in western Montana. Ecology 35: 41–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chapman, J. A., Romer, J. I., and Stark, J.. 1955. Ladybird beetles and army cutworm adults as food for grizzly bears in Montana. Ecology 36: 156–158.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Common, I. F. B. 1952. Migration and gregarious aestivation in the Bogong moth, Agrotis infusa. Nature (Lond.) 170: 981–982.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Common, I. F. B. 1954. A study of the ecology of the adult Bogong moth, Agrotis infusa (Boisd.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), with special reference to its behaviour (more over) during migration and aestivation. Aust. J. Zool. 2: 223–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cruden, R. W., Kinsman, S., Stockhouse, R. E. II, and Linhart, Y. B.. 1976. Pollination, fecundity, and the distribution of moth-flowered plants. Biotropica 8: 204–210.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faegri, K. and van der Pijl, L.. 1979. The Principles of Pollination Ecology. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 3rd rev. ed. xi + 244 pp.Google Scholar
Frost, S. W. 1957. The Pennsylvania insect light trap. J. econ. Ent. 50: 287–292.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gillette, C. P. 1898. Colorado Lepidoptera. Bull. Colo. agric. exp. Stn (Fort Collins) 43: 3–22.Google Scholar
Grant, V. and Grant, K. A.. 1965. Flower Pollination in the Phlox Family. Columbia University Press, New York and London. xi + 180 pp.Google Scholar
Hartsack, A. W. Jr., Hollingsworth, J. P., and Lindquist, D. A.. 1968. A technique for measuring trapping efficiency of electric insect traps. J. econ. Ent. 61: 546–552.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hills, O. A. 1968. Seasonal populations and flight patterns of several noctuid moths in south-central Arizona. U.S. Dep. Agric. prod. Res. Rep. 100. 14 pp.Google Scholar
Johnson, C. G. 1969. Migration and Dispersal of Insects by Flight. Methuen, London. xxii + 763 pp.Google Scholar
Mani, M. S. 1962. Introduction to High Altitude Entomology. Methuen, London. xix + 302 pp.Google Scholar
Mani, M. S. 1968. Ecology and Biogeography of High Altitude Insects. Series Entomologicae, Vol. 4. Junk Publishers, The Hague. xiv + 527 pp.Google Scholar
Müller, H. 1883. The Fertilization of Flowers. (Translated by D'Arcy W. Thompson, .) Macmillan, London. x + 169 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oku, T., Chiba, T., Saito, O., and Kobayashi, T.. 1972. Preliminary notes on the aestivation of a cutworm moth, Euxoa sibirica Boisduval, at high altitudes in Tohoku district (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Kontyû 40: 265–269.Google Scholar
Pruess, K. P. 1967. Migration of the army cutworm, Chorizagrotis auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). I. Evidence for a migration. Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 60: 910–920.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pruess, K. P. and Pruess, N. C.. 1971. Telescopic observation of the moon as a means for observing migration of the army cutworm, Chorizagrotis auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Ecology 52: 999–1007.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmoller, R. 1971. Nocturnal arthropods in the alpine tundra of Colorado. Arct. Alp. Res. 3: 345–352.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swan, L. W. 1961. Ecology of the high Himalayas. Scient. Am. 205(4): 68–78.CrossRefGoogle Scholar