Print PageThe present study was aimed to establish a long-term intercontinental project that was based on a standardized repeated measures sampling protocol at permanent sites founded on the relatively well-established taxonomy of macromoths. We obtained data regarding species richness and abundance among the macromoths from a total of twelve trap sites, six sites in Oregon within the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest [HJA]), USA, and six sites in South Korea within the Mt. Jirisan National Park [JIRI]). All the sample sites were located within a variety of plant communities representing temperate mixed broadleaf-coniferous forests. Samples were collected over a period of three years from May-September.
Results/Conclusions
We documented that the ‘empirical’ species richness and abundance were higher in JIRI: 742 species, 10,883 individuals, 18 families, compared to HJA: 328 species, 7,219 individuals, 12 families. Overall, just four families, Noctuidae, Geometridae, Arctiidae and Notodontidae, comprised 98% (HJA) and 89% (JIRI) of the macromoth fauna. A grand total of 1,066 species was recorded with a ‘predicted’ (Chao-1) species richness of 1,334 species, 941 species in JIRI and 393 species in HJA. The collection of ‘singleton species’ was 21% at HJA and 27% at JIRI. The Chao-1 estimates and the singleton rates indicated that an additional three-year study (six years overall) founded on monthly samples would be required to obtain empirical data. On an annual basis the number of species recorded in any given year at any given trap averaged 56%, ranging from 38-72% of the three-year total recorded at the particular trap site.documenting species richness approaching 90+% of the predicted species richness values. The species richness of macromoths at both sites was dominated by angiosperm-feeding species while the most abundant species were characterized as conifer-feeding species, however, a large percentage of the species have no known foodplant relationships.
