Sampling event

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

Latest version published by Universidade dos Açores on 28 June 2022 Universidade dos Açores
Publication date:
28 June 2022
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Universidade dos Açores
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CC-BY 4.0

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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.

Data Records

The data in this sampling event resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 3 records.

1 extension data tables also exist. An extension record supplies extra information about a core record. The number of records in each extension data table is illustrated below.

Event (core)
3
Occurrence 
33

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How to cite

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

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). v1.8. Universidade dos Açores. Dataset/Samplingevent. http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=lepidoptera_nordeste_smiguel&v=1.8

Rights

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The publisher and rights holder of this work is Universidade dos Açores. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.

GBIF Registration

This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: 52a6b422-f894-4c16-91d9-d25388ed4a7e.  Universidade dos Açores publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by GBIF Portugal.

Keywords

Samplingevent; Specimen; Lepidoptera; Argyresthiidae; Crambidae; Erebidae; Geometridae; Noctuidae; Sphingidae; Tineidae; Tortricidae; Azores Islands

Contacts

Virgílio Vieira
  • Metadata Provider
  • Originator
  • Point Of Contact
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
9500-321 Ponta Delgada
Azores
PT
+351912303590
Luísa Oliveira
  • Originator
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
9500-321 Ponta Delgada
Azores
PT
António O. Soares
  • Originator
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
9500-321 Ponta Delgada
Azores
PT
+351968933212
Paulo A. V. Borges
  • Publisher
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
9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo
Azores
PT
+351968933212
Isabel Borges
  • Originator
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
9500-321 Ponta Delgada
Azores
PT
João Tavares
  • Originator
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
9500-321 Ponta Delgada
Azores
PT
Paulo A. V. Borges
  • Publisher
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
9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo
Azores
PT
+351968933212

Geographic Coverage

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.

Bounding Coordinates South West [37.772, -25.251], North East [37.832, -25.138]

Taxonomic Coverage

The following Classe and Order are covered: Insecta: Lepidoptera

Order Lepidoptera (moths)

Temporal Coverage

Start Date / End Date 2019-03-21 / 2019-12-12

Project Data

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.

Title Diversity of Lepidoptera recorded in a forest nursery of Nordeste county on São Miguel Island (Azores)
Identifier Lepidoptera - AZORESBIOPORTAL
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)
Study Area Description The current study was performed in São Miguel Island (ca. 750 km2), the largest in the archipelago of the Azores, located in the North Atlantic, roughly between the coordinates 37° 54' 38'' to 37° 42' 13'' N latitude and 25° 08' 03'' to 25° 51' 17'' W longitude. The climate is temperate oceanic, with regular and abundant rainfall, high levels of relative humidity and persistent winds, mainly during the winter and autumn seasons. 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.
Design Description Samples of adult moths were made between March and December 2019 (i.e. 38 weeks), as generally few lepidopteran species are active during winter. Adults were monitored from dusk (18:00) to dawn (06:00) using omnidirectional light trap, equipped with TLD 18W lightbulb, according to the methodology used by Tavares (1989). Also, Epiphyas postvittana population was monitored from May to December 2019 (i.e. 38 weeks), using open-sided delta traps 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 forest plants, 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). Throughout the study, adults were collected weekly in both trap types and lures changed once a month. In addition, 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. This contribution focuses mainly on the diversity of moths present in one forest nursery of Nordeste county of São Miguel Island (Azores), especially species associated with endemic and native plant species. It also contributes to better plan strategies of integrated protection and conservation measures, since nurseries host a great diversity of plants from the Laurel Forest, which may attract many lepidopteran species

The personnel involved in the project:

Sampling Methods

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.

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).
Quality Control All individuals caught in the traps were first sorted by Virgílio Vieira, João Tavares or Luisa Oliveira.

Method step description:

  1. All specimens including those captured with the entomological net were allocated to a taxonomic species by Virgílio Vieira.

Bibliographic Citations

  1. 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)
  2. 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
  3. Tavares, J. (1989). Mythimna unipuncta (Haworth) (Lep., Noctuidae) aux Açores. Bioécologie et Lutte Biologique: 205 pp. PhD thesis. Université Aix-Marseille, Marseille.
  4. Vieira, V., Moura, M. & Silva, L. (2020). Terrestrial Flora of the Azores - A Field Guide: 336 pp. Letras Lavadas Edições, Ponta Delgada.
  5. 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.

Additional Metadata

Alternative Identifiers 52a6b422-f894-4c16-91d9-d25388ed4a7e
http://ipt.gbif.pt/ipt/resource?r=lepidoptera_nordeste_smiguel