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Title: Survey of macromoths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) of a Palouse prairie remnant site in eastern Washington State

Author
item THOMPSON, JESSICA - Washington State University
item ZACK, RICHARD - Washington State University
item CRABO, LARS - Washington State University
item Landolt, Peter

Submitted to: The Pan-Pacific Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/3/2014
Publication Date: 12/24/2014
Citation: Thompson, J.L., Zack, R.S., Crabo, L., Landolt, P.J. 2014. Survey of macromoths (Insecta: Lepidoptera) of a Palouse prairie remnant site in eastern Washington State. Pan-Pacific Entomologist. 90(4):191-204.

Interpretive Summary: The small remnants of the original Palouse Prairie plant community can harbor insects of benefit or risk to surrounding wheat and pea farms, as well as insects endemic to the original habitat. Researchers at the USDA-ARS laboratory in Wapato, Washington in collaboration with scientists at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington determined the moths present in a relict 11.7 ha tract of the Palouse Prairie of eastern Washington State, using blacklight traps throughout two field seasons. They found 150 species of moths in 7 families, with a majority of 125 species in the family Noctuidae, including a small number of crop pests. The relatively large number of moths species recovered indicates that significant insect biodiversity can be conserved even with relatively small land areas.

Technical Abstract: The Palouse or Palouse Prairie is a bioregion consisting primarily of native grasses, shrubs, and forbs that originally covered over 16,000 km2 of central Idaho, southeastern Washington, and northeastern Oregon. Less than 1% of this habitat remains with much of it having been converted to agriculture. The Kramer Palouse Natural Area is a relatively undisturbed, 27-acre remnant of Palouse Prairie situated in Whitman County, Washington. During 2004-05 we conducted a light-trapping and hand-netting survey of a set of families of moths, collectively referred to as macromoths, on the Kramer site. This paper reports on just over 5,100 specimens and 150 species in 7 families: Cossidae (one species), Thyatiridae (one species) Lasiocampidae (one species), Notodontidae (three species), Sphingidae (five species), Erebidae (14 species), and Noctuidae (125 species). Seasonal and subjective abundance information is presented for all species. Our study indicates that remaining areas of Palouse Prairie are able to support a significant species diversity of macromoths; this represents information of value to those contemplating land-management decisions.