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Moth Magic HKLS 20230422 (compressed pictures).pptx
- 1. M o t h M a g i c An Introduction to Moths by Roger Kendrick Ph.D. Co-founder: Hong Kong Lepidopterists’ Society Founder: Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium Director: C & R Wildlife, Hong Kong NMW Science Advisory Board Member NMW Coordinator for Hong Kong
- 2. M o t h M a g i c An Introduction to Moths What is a moth ? Diversity Survival Strategies Ecological Functions & Services Role in Wildlife Conservation Moth Recording
- 3. Moths are:
- 4. Moths’ main features •Lepidoptera (moths & butterflies) are the “scale winged” insects •there are 27 features that define Lepidoptera •4 main features visible “in the field” (using a hand-lens for smaller features or on smaller moths) . . . .
- 6. `
- 16. source: Kawahara et al., 2019 - www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1907847116 M o t h s (& Butterflies) Family “t r e e”
- 17. Moths’ species richness map source: Nations Online Project www.nationsonline.org 40,000 ++ 30,000 ++ 11,000 + 10,000 + 14,000 ++ 50,000 ++
- 18. Moths species richness - Asia 20,000+ 20,000 +
- 20. Moth Endemics taxa whose distribution is restricted to a specified geographic area Source: Nazari et al, 2016 https://journals.plos.org/ plosone/article?id=10.1371/ journal.pone.0164405
- 21. Moths cryptic species Source: Chiocchio et al, 2021 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13127-020-00474-9
- 23. Adult Moths Batesian mimicry CC BY-NC 4.0 Kit Law Hong Kong Moth Recording Project https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/77459719
- 24. Adult Moths – aposematic colours
- 26. Adult Moths 5 strategies in 1 Acherontia spp.
- 27. Adult Moths - sonic abilities
- 28. Moth larvae - mimicry
- 29. Moth larvae - hiding
- 30. Moth larvae - warnings
- 31. 2° & 3° consumers primary consumers primary producers M o t h s in the W e b o f L i f e
- 32. M o t h s in the W e b o f L i f e decaying plants photo - Habitat Network : https://content.yardmap.org/learn/leaf-litter/ nutrients for plants (via bacterial action) plant growth output (frass) photo by Katja Schulz https://flickr.com/photos/86548370
- 33. 2° & 3° consumers primary consumers primary producers M o t h s in the W e b o f L i f e
- 34. M o t h s in the W e b o f L i f e
- 35. M o t h s in the W e b o f L i f e recyclers parasites symbiotic mutualism pollinators primary producers secondary consumers
- 36. M o t h s in the W e b o f L i f e primary producers secondary consumers recyclers parasites symbiotic mutualism pollinators
- 37. M o t h s in the W e b o f L i f e decaying plants photo - Habitat Network : https://content.yardmap.org/learn/leaf-litter/ nutrients for plants (via bacterial action) plant growth output (frass) photo by Katja Schulz https://flickr.com/photos/86548370
- 38. M o t h s in the Web of Life Ecological Niche
- 39. M o t h s Generalist or Specialist
- 40. M o t h s in the Landscape
- 43. Recording Moths
- 44. M o t h s t o t h e F l a m e
- 45. M o t h s to the L u r e Photo: D.E.Walter (http://homebuggarden.blogspot.hk/2014/06/winters-coming.html)
- 46. M o t h s during the D a y Photo: Fritz Geller-Grimm (via Wikipedia)
- 47. M o t h L a r v a e
- 48. M o t h s in the Viewfinder
- 49. M o t h s o n t h e I n t e r n e t
- 50. Why Moths ? • moths have many different ecological functions • moths occupy almost every available terrestrial niche • there are generalist and specialist species, forming unique assemblages in almost every part of the terrestrial world, that act as indicators of the health of Earth • conservation of species and wildlife friendly landscapes needed to maintain the processes that support life on Earth
- 51. Thank you . . . M o t h M a g i c An Introduction to Moths
Editor's Notes
- What is a moth ? Diversity Survival Strategies Ecological Functions & Services Role in Wildlife Conservation Introduction to Moth Recording
- What is a moth ? Diversity Survival Strategies Ecological Functions & Services Role in Wildlife Conservation Introduction to Moth Recording
- the vast majority of the Lepidoptera (moths & butterflies) - the “scale winged” insects 4 stage life cycle (holometabolous, not hemimetabolous, insects) egg (ovum) caterpillar (larva) pupa (sometimes inside a silk cocoon woven by the larva) adult (imago)
- hairs on wings modified as scales
- hairs on wings modified as scales
- presence of a bi-tubular, coilable, “tongue” (the haustellum)
- Presence of “vom Rath’s organ” in terminal segment of labial palp CO2 detection (flower at peak nectar production)
- Fore tibia with movable “epiphysis” (antenna comb) on inner surface
- Median ocellus absent (present on other holometabolous insects)
- So the age old question . . How do I tell if it’s a butterfly or a moth ? Answer – it’s complicated!
- o.k. quiz time . . . Which ONE is the butterfly ?? – posture; daytime vs night-time; colourful vs drab – so many “rule breakers”, these “old wives’ tales” really not helpful!
- moths: antennae take many different forms but none are truly clubbed at the end
- frenulum (bar on hindwing) & retinaculum (“latch” on forewing) (most moths); humeral lobe (butterflies) BUT exceptions are primitive moths, with jugum mechanism in most cases
- on caterpillars . . . look for the number of pairs of abdominal prolegs. All butterfly larvae have 4 pairs. For moths, some have one pair (Geometridae – looper moths), some have two or three pairs (many are called semi-loopers, all of which belong to either Noctuidae or Erebidae), but the rest (maybe 70% of all Lepidoptera) have, like butterflies, 4 pairs. Note that sawfly larvae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta) have one pair of prolegs on each abdominal segment
- Relationships within Lepidoptera Radiation of Lepidoptera has take place for about 300 million years, with most of the existing groups not evolving until between 140 and 40 mya. (Kawahara et al., 2019 - www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1907847116) Over 120 families, of which just 5 are butterflies
- Globally: c. 160,000 described, a further 150,000 to 200,000 estimated Great divide between Old World (Asia, Africa, Europe & Australasia) and New World (Americas) Also great divide in recording effort (N. America, W. Europe, Japan relatively well documented compared to rest of world) Relatively well documented (high recording effort) N. America, 11,000+ species; Europe 10,000+ spp. comparatively poor recording effort; Asia, 50,000++ spp (but Japan well documented, plus improving understanding in China, India, Malaysia); C. America & S. America, 40,000 ++ spp; Africa 30,000 ++ spp; Australasia, 14,000++ spp (NZ better known) There is overlap between continents (i.e. some spp occur in more than one of the above continents) – cf zoogeographic regions
- India, estimated 20,000 species (minimum); China, also about 20,000 species;
- Hong Kong, 2680 species known and a further 2000 to 2500 expected / awaiting discovery Taiwan, circa 4,000 species known; Malaysia: (i) Genting Highlands, in excess of 6,000 species; (ii) Fraser’s Hill, at least 2,500 “macro” moths in 3 years! (800 species in 4 nights!!) (iii) Borneo: c. 4,500 “macro” + further 4,000 “micro” estimated - is very likely a big underestimate (and probably many more macro spp too.)
- Key concept of an “endemic” taxon (species, genus, family, etc) i.e. restricted to a particular geographic area (continent, country, island, state, province, etc) Places with high proportion of endemic species – islands (NZ, Australia, Philippines, Borneo, New Guinea, Hawai’i); Mountain ranges (Andes, Himalayas)
- Example – the widespread handmaiden moth Syntomis phegea looks the same as 4 (at least) other geographically restricted (within the distribution of phegea), and genetically different, “cryptic” Syntomis species in the Mediterranean region. the presence of endemic species (previous slide) and cryptic species highlights the plight of the rest of nature - Key concept of human impact – the need for conservation of all life on the only planet around that supports life.
- Crypsis ( mimicry of abiotic environment and flora ) Plants & lichens leaves tree trunks (colour and shape/posture) twigs
- Batesian mimicry – non poisonous looking like poisonous species, or other distasteful meals. snakes spiders; unpalatable insects – wasps, bees, bird droppings
- chemical warfare . . . brightly coloured, contrasting patterns warn of a distasteful meal Müllerian mimicry
- camouflage AND “fright” colouration “underwing” moths forewing with cryptic pattern, hindwing with bold, aposematic pattern elements to cause surprise if the f/w is “seen through” by the predator – then flashes the h/w by rapid flick forward/up of the f/w and escapes whilst the predator is figuring out what is going on!
- Acherontia spp (Sphingidae) are even more cunning ;) 1. camouflage forewings 2. fright colouration hindwings 3 – bee mimicry to access honey 3 (i) visual mimicry (the “death’s head”) 3 (ii) audio mimicy (squeak moth – sonograph similar to queen bee buzz) 3 (iii) scent mimicry (smells like a queen bee to fool worker bees)
- evolution of “ears” in Lepidoptera now seems primarily to detect bats, but also in some species is for courtship Kawahara et al., 2019 . . . “The extraordinary diversity of ultrasonic hearing organs in nocturnal moths is thought to have evolved in response to the diversification of the echolocating-bat crown group in the Early Paleogene. We identified 9 different origins of hearing organs in nocturnal moth clades, more than previously hypothesized. Four of these are species-rich clades (Drepanoidea, Geometroidea, Noctuoidea, and Pyraloidea), in which ears appear to have arisen in the Late Cretaceous (median age range of crown nodes, 91.6 to 77.6 Ma; CI, 103.4 to 67 Ma; Fig. 2), millions of years before echolocating bats.” Also sound mimicry (bee & wasp mimicking sphingids & sesiids) through wingbeats….
- the larvae show just as much diversity of form as the adults . . . bird droppings, snakes, ants, and colourful larvae are great camouflage in sunlit leaves…..
- and they also have other tricks for hiding away…… forming shelters out of leaves and detritus, or even in leaves….
- and the use of aposematic colour schemes is often augmented with spikes or hairs laced with toxins…… best not to stroke these cats !
- suffice to say here that moths play a seriously large part in the web of life, providing food for many animals, using many food sources This topic will be revisited and EXPANDED UPON IN PART 4 moth larvae (to transfer to PPT for part 4) primary consumers (plants, fungi, algae, lichens); recyclers (dead flora & fauna, keratin, coprophages); predators (other Lep larvae; other small insects (Hawai’ian Eupitheciini)); parasites (ants, fulgoroids) larvae & pupae are food for – birds, mammals (e.g. bats, bears, rodents, humans), spiders, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera (social and parasitic spp.), Diptera, reptiles; fungi (Cordyceps)
- suffice to say here that moths play a seriously large part in the web of life, providing food for many animals, using many food sources emphasis here on cyclical nature of life and that moths have roles in many different cycles….. e.g. water, carbon, nitrogen, energy…… KEY components – the PROCESSES (nutrient, energy and chemical cycling) and the PLAYERS (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria . . . ) over TIME…… and how moths adapt to climate and habitat Time in particular measured in number of generations a year, or even number of years per generation….. This topic will be revisited and EXPANDED UPON IN PART 4
- hierarchical process the concept of the food “chain” (a cyclical process) – let’s expand our understanding to see how the moths fit in to nutrient / energy cycles . . .
- so how does this fit???
- nutrient flow through the trophic guilds, with Lepidoptera as the focus (causation agent).
- Examples. primary consumers (plants, fungi, algae, lichens); recyclers (dead flora & fauna, keratin, coprophages); predators (other Lep larvae; other small insects (Hawai’ian Eupitheciini)); parasites (ants, fulgoroids) larvae & pupae are food for – birds, mammals (e.g. bats, bears, rodents, humans), spiders, Hemiptera, Orthoptera, Coleoptera, Hymenoptera (social and parasitic spp.), Diptera, reptiles; fungi (Cordyceps) Moths as parasites – the family Epipyropidae have larvae that are external parasites on fulgoroid bugs (free pest control for Longan and Lychee farmers) Symbiotic mutualism: the story of co-evolution between Epicephala moths and Phyllanthaceae plants – the moths are the sole pollinators, and their larvae are seed / fruit predators, of Phllyanthaceae; one cannot exist without the other.
- in Part 3 we looked at an example of nutrient flow through a cycle involving a caterpillar in a forest. Let’s look at this same example from a different perspective, of niche occupancy, to obtain some understanding of how ecological niches give rise to species diversity and distribution, and then to how this impacts upon our approaches to conservation of species and habitats . . .
- Where’s the cat[erpillar] ! [picture 1, on click] actually, could be . . . . tree trunk (in the bark, in the trunk, on a lichen on the bark, in the moss on the shaded side of the trunk) . . . on a low branch in the shade . . on a small branch in the sun . . . on a leaf . . . in a leaf . . . in the flower . . . in the seed . . . . lots of niches, and that’s just one caterpillar on one tree. Each tree provides many niches. There are thousands of tree species in the world. [picture 2, on click] Add in the herbs, ferns, climbers, and all the other primary producer species then there are hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of niches that can be used by primary consumers (not all will be moth caterpillars!)
- Where’s the cat[erpillar] ! [picture 1, on click] a species that has a very narrow, restricted, ecological niche is termed a specialist. A moth species whose larvae use just one species of plant (and sometimes in a very specific abiotic environment) would be regarded as a specialist [picture 2, on click] at the other end of the scale, a moth species that has many different larval host plants is regarded as a generalist The ASSEMBLAGE at a site will reflect the primary producer communities therein, and gives rise to a unique assemblage of moths, many of which will be INDICATORS of the other biota and abiotic factors too….. (more shortly)
- What’s the story here at the landscape scale? HUMAN IMPACT – our greed is driving the rest of life (and us too) extinct. different species for different habitats, and distributed in the landscape according to the habitat distribution – metapopulation dynamics; habitat fragmentation; indicator species / taxa – and reflected in the wing shapes, which are adapted to different habitats (bulky body, relatively narrow wings, good in open habitats vs slender body, broad wings for manoeuvrability in cluttered, 3 dimensional habitats Indicators of pollution levels (Lithosiini – lichen moths) sensitive to sulphur dioxide levels; high levels of light pollution bad for nocturnal moth populations
- Citizen science projects can generate volumes of data no PhD will be able to generate. Analysis of such mega-data gives far better insight for best course(s) of conservation action(s) for species and habitats.
- What MUST we do . . . take action NOW ! GeoCAT. . . geocat.kew.org conserve natural PROCESSES, by keeping what natural habitats we still have and restoring the relatively good “disturbed” habitats to as natural a system as possible. ALL THE PREVIOUS SLIDES TELL PART OF THE CONSERVATION STORY. Resource limitations – so we have to target particular methods of both species and habitat conservation. With moths, there is so little long term data it is almost impossible to demonstrate population trends (though the overall impact shows great declines in general moth abundance) at species level, but is it possible to map each species, based on current and recent knowledge. This is where [click] CITY NATURE CHALLENGE & National Moth Week are really important, as the data is getting better and more comprehensive – every observation helps build the bigger picture and helps fill in gaps in our knowledge.
- Moth Magic, part 5 – Recording Moths . . . A VERY brief intro into moth recording, documentation and contributing to science projects
- light “response” is well known – documented by the Ancient Greeks. modern lights with high ultraviolet light component known to impact upon nocturnal moths MV – (not Merchant Vessel) – Mercury Vapour (Vapor for those west of the Pond) – high uv and visible components, still the “standard” for moth field work at night. Also use fluorescent lights (with high UV content) and “actinic” blacklights (very little visible light), as well as LED lights (tailored to specific light wavelengths) and combinations thereof. This group of lights are less powerful, so can be battery operated well away from roads and gardens where generators and powerpoints are accessible. Add to the light a sheet, a whitewashed wall, or a trap (bucket or box styles), and one is ready to record.
- mothing sugar wine ropes synthetic pheromones rotting fish, animal dung, bird droppings….. flowers (especially white, pale blue, lilac, and other uv reflective colours)
- more flowers….. but not limited to uv reflective flowers. synthetic pheromones rotting fish, animal dung, bird droppings….. larvae….. (next slide)
- remember the nutrient flow / cycles….. so many places to seek larvae. clues – look for frass, leaf mines, chewed leaves, rolled up leaves, unusually odd looking bits of plant . . . what is the plant being eaten? Behaviour – gregarious larvae; which instar (is it a shed larval skin?) look at night, there are lots of species whose larvae are nocturnal (keep your safety in mind, though – watch out for hazards like [location specific issues] !)
- What to photograph, and how….. Adult moths For a single shot, photograph the WHOLE moth, in a way to show as much of the moth, in focus, as possible. If the moth is resting flat to the substrate, top down (dorsal view) is best If the moth is resting in a tectiform (tent-like) or involute (rolled / cigar-like) posture, an elevated side (lateral) view works best. Many critical id features are found on the head (e.g. mouthparts, eyes, antenna base, scale clumps/styling) – so if you can, a side view of the head, in focus, really helps; Angle of view can be critical – a slight change can pick up differences in colour due to reflection from camera flash . . . If possible (where relevant – resting posture dependent) try to photograph the dorsal surface of the hindwing …. may need a little “moth whispering”; ventral views of the wings and whole moth may be useful, too. Moth larvae Shoot both lateral and dorsal views please. Lateral view takes priority as this shows both pattern and configuration of thoracic and abdominal legs and appendages.
- May I request one posts observations to Seek and / or iNaturalist - they have links to projects and organisations that make documentation of species and habitats for conservation that bit easier (GBIF, GEOCAT) If you post to iNat, please id to the taxonomic rank you are 100% sure is correct. So if it’s a moth you have no idea about, id it as “Lepidoptera”; if you know it’s a hawkmoth / sphinx moth, then id to the family (Sphingidae); if you are certain it’s (e.g.) a Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa), or Oleander Hawkmoth (Daphnis nerii) then id to species rank. Please do check the “compare” button when identifying from the autosuggest to see if the id is exact. If it does look exactly the same (time to play spot the differences with a very critical eye), then agree; if not exactly the same, back up to genus, subfamily or family to apply the precautionary principle. Researchers who use iNat data rely on identifications being 100% accurate. Learn to check your own, and others’ identifications. All accurate data is important and of equal value. While the vast number of moths and the difficulty identifying some species may seem overwhelming at first, there are numerous resources for help and we have partnered with many of these individuals and organizations.
- Summary