A Survey of the Moths, Butterflies, and Grasshoppers of Four Nature Conservancy Preserves in Southeastern North Carolina

lepidopteran — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 07:24:25 +0000

A Survey of the Moths, Butterflies, and Grasshoppers of Four Nature Conservancy Preserves in Southeastern North Carolina lepidopteran Sun, 02/12/2023 - 02:24

Moths, butterflies, and grasshoppers were surveyed within four longleaf pine preserves owned by the North Carolina Nature Conservancy during the growing season of 1991 and 1992. Over 7,000 specimens (either collected or seen in the field) were identified, representing 512 different species and 28 families. Forty-one of these we consider to be distinctive of the two fire-maintained communities principally under investigation, the longleaf pine savannas and flatwoods. An additional 14 species we consider distinctive of the pocosins that occur in close association with the savannas and flatwoods. Twenty nine species appear to be rare enough to be included on the list of elements monitored by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (eight others in this category have been reported from one of these sites, the Green Swamp, but were not observed in this study). Two of the moths collected, Spartiniphaga carterae and Agrotis buchholzi, are currently candidates for federal listing as Threatened or Endangered species. Another species, Hemipachnobia s. subporphyrea, appears to be endemic to North Carolina and should also be considered for federal candidate status.

/sites/default/files/publications/Insect%20Survey%20of%20Four%20Longleaf%20Pine%20Preserves%2C%20North%20Carolina_0.pdf

Stephen Hall, Dale Schweitzer

1993

Hall, S.P.; Schweitzer, D.F. 1993. A survey of the moths, butterflies, and grasshoppers of four Nature Conservancy preserves in Southeastern North Carolina. Report to the Nature Conservancy, Durham, NC. North Carolina Natural Heritage Program, Raleigh, NC. 174 p.

Distribution, Population Structure and Habitat Use of the Endangered Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, Neonympha mitchellii francisci

lepidopteran — Sun, 12 Feb 2023 03:35:42 +0000

Distribution, Population Structure and Habitat Use of the Endangered Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, Neonympha mitchellii francisci lepidopteran Sat, 02/11/2023 - 22:35

Abstract: The endangered St. Francis Satyr (Neonympha mitchellii francisci) is a small sedentary butterfly and one of the rarest in North America. Our study examined various quantitative aspects of this butterfly’s biology, including the distributional range, habitat associations, population size and trends, demographic parameters and spatial aspects of population structure. The range of N.m. francisci distribution is restricted to DoD lands at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, where the butterfly utilizes wetland habitats, predominantly those that have previously been impounded by beaver. In situ habitat associations and captive rearing experiments indicate that multiple sedges in the genus Carex, particularly C. mitchelliana, may be important larval food plants. Subpopulation estimates range between 49–739 individuals at any one site, while cumulative population estimates range between 700–1400 individuals for all accessible areas on Ft. Bragg. Habitats occupied by N.m. francisci are frequently subject to burning or flooding and thus butterfly subpopulations are extremely dynamic, fluctuating in response to these disturbances. This regular disturbance regime dictates that dispersal is necessary for population persistence. Several inter-colony movements were measured during capture-recapture studies and we observed both subpopulation extinctions and colonization of new habitat through the period of our studies. Conservation of N.m. francisci depends on accommodating unique aspects of its populations, including its dependence on beaver and its multi-tiered metapopulation structure.

/sites/default/files/publications/Kuefler%20et%20al%202008%20Neonympha%20at%20Fort%20Bragg.pdf

Daniel Kuefler, Nick Haddad, Stephen Hall, Brian Hudgens, Becky Bartel, Erich Hofmann

2008

Daniel Kuefler, Nick M. Haddad, Stephen Hall, Brian Hudgens, Becky Bartel, and Erich Hofmann. "Distribution, Population Structure and Habitat Use of the Endangered Saint Francis Satyr Butterfly, Neonympha mitchellii francisci." The American Midland Naturalist 159(2), 298-320, (1 April 2008). https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(2008)159[298:DPSAHU]2.0.CO;2

Butterflies