@article {22462, title = {Alpha and beta diversity patterns of macro-moths reveal a breakpoint along a latitudinal gradient in Mongolia.}, journal = {Scientific Reports}, volume = {11}, year = {2021}, month = {11/2021}, pages = {15018}, chapter = {15018}, abstract = {

\"Little is known about the diversity and distribution patterns of moths along latitudinal gradients. We studied macro-moths in Mongolia along an 860\ km latitudinal climatic gradient to gain knowledge on community composition, alpha, beta, and gamma diversity as well as underlying factors, which can be used as baseline information for further studies related to climate change. We identified 236 species of moths of ten families. Our study shows that the diversity of moths increased with the latitude, i.e., low species richness in the south and higher richness in the north. Moth community composition changed along the gradient, and we revealed a breakpoint of beta diversity that divided grassland and desert communities. In the desert, beta diversity was driven by species loss (i.e., nestedness), and few tolerant species existed with high abundance. In contrast, in the grassland, beta diversity was driven by species replacement with more unique species, (i.e., species which occurred only in one site). We found the lowest species diversity in the transitional zones dominated by few generalist species such as Agrotis ripae and Anarta trifolii. Low precipitation and an increasing number of grazing goats are drivers of species loss. We suggest different conservation strategies regarding the contrasting patterns of beta diversity in desert and grassland.\"

}, keywords = {ABUNDANCE, ALPHA DIVERSITY, BETA DIVERSITY, BIODIVERSITY, CALLAMBULYX, DEILEPHILA, DIVERSITY, ECOLOGY, HYLES, LAOTHOE, LATITUDINAL GRADIENT, LEPIDOPTERA, MARUMBA, MONGOLIA, RICHNESS, SMERINTHUS, SPHINGIDAE, SPHINX, TRAITS, WORLDMAP1}, doi = {10.1038/s41598-021-94471-3}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94471-3}, author = {Enkhtur, K. and Brehm, G. and Boldgiv, B. and Pfeiffer, M.} } @article {22461, title = {Effects of grazing on macro-moth assemblages in two different biomes in Mongolia}, journal = {Ecological Indicators}, volume = {133}, year = {2021}, month = {11/2021}, pages = {108421}, chapter = {108421}, abstract = {

\"Intensive land use, e.g. pastoralism, decreases biodiversity and leads to homogenization of habitats. However, the effect of land-use changes differs under varying climatic conditions. Thus, it is essential to study how land use affects biodiversity on a large scale. Moreover, species respond differently to environmental changes depending on whether they are specialists or generalists. We studied macro-moths in Mongolian pastures under two different grazing regimes (grazed and less grazed plots) in ten study sites that belong to two distinct biomes along a large-scale latitudinal gradient from desert to steppe. We explored 1) how livestock grazing affects macro moth diversity, species composition, and species richness, 2) how specialist and generalist moths respond to grazing in desert (Desert and xeric shrublands) and grassland (Temperate grasslands, savannas \& shrublands). Moths are sensitive to environmental changes and suitable bioindicators. We also revealed a) indicators of grazing and b) indicators representative for certain sections of the latitudinal gradient. Totally, we recorded 80 species in the desert and 202 species in grassland in 2018 and 2019, which were DNA barcoded. In the desert, grazing did not affect macro-moth diversity, whereas grassland was negatively affected. However, not all moth families showed the same response to grazing. Species diversity, species richness, and abundance of Erebidae, Geometridae, and Noctuidae were significantly higher in the less grazed plots. Further, species dissimilarity between grazed and less grazed plots was mainly due to species replacement rather than species loss. In the desert, the species richness of both specialist and generalist moths did not differ between grazed and less grazed plots; in contrast, in grassland, the species richness of both groups was higher in less grazed plots. We found two indicator species of grazing in the desert: Hyles chuvilini in less grazed, and Cucullia splendida in grazed pasture. In grassland, we found ten indicator species exclusively for less grazed pastures: Catarhoe cuculata, Euxoa ochrogaster, Lacanobia thalassina, Megalycinia strictaria, Mythimna comma, Polia bombycina, Rhyacia simulans, Sideridis kitti, Sideridis egena, and Smerinthus caecus. These indicator species can be used as references for habitat quality and for moths\’ dispersal due to climate change in future studies. Among the environmental variables, plant species richness, altitude, and livestock number were the most important variables. Species composition of high altitudes in the desert was distinct, and higher species richness in this area indicated that high altitudes could serve as a refuge area during global warming and should receive conservation management.\"

}, keywords = {ABUNDANCE, ANTHROPOGENE, BETA DIVERSITY, CALLAMBULYX, DEILEPHILA, DIVERSITY, ECOLOGY, GRAZING, HABITAT DISTURBANCE, HYLES, INDICATOR GROUP, LAOTHOE, LEPIDOPTERA, LIVESTOCK, MARUMBA, MONGOLIA, RICHNESS, SMERINTHUS, SPHINGIDAE, SPHINX, TRAITS}, doi = {10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108421}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108421}, author = {Enkhtur, K. and Brehm, G. and Boldgiv, B. and Pfeiffer, M.} } @article {21993, title = {Moth assemblages in Costa Rica rain forest mirror small-scale topographic heterogeneity}, journal = {Biotropica}, volume = {XX}, year = {2019}, pages = {XXX-XXX [14 pp.]}, type = {Early view}, chapter = {XXX}, abstract = {

\"In many tropical lowland rain forests, topographic variation increases environmental heterogeneity, thus contributing to the extraordinary biodiversity of tropical lowland forests. While a growing number of studies have addressed effects of topographic differences on tropical insect communities at regional scales (e.g., along extensive elevational gradients), surprisingly little is known about topographic effects at smaller spatial scales. The present study investigates moth assemblages in a topographically heterogeneous lowland rain forest landscape, at distances of less than a few hundred meters, in the Golfo Dulce region (SW Costa Rica). Three moth lineages\—Erebidae\–Arctiinae (tiger and lichen moths), the bombycoid complex, and Geometridae (inchworm moths)\—were examined by means of automatic light traps in three different forest types: creek forest, slope forest, and ridge forest. Altogether, 6,543 individuals of 419 species were observed. Moth assemblages differed significantly between the three forest types regarding species richness, total abundance, and species composition. Moth richness and abundance increased more than fourfold and eightfold from creek over slope to ridge forest sites. All three taxonomic units showed identical biodiversity patterns, notwithstanding their strong differences in multiple eco-morphological traits. An indicator species analysis revealed that most species identified as characteristic were associated either with the ridge forest alone or with ridge plus slope forests, but very few with the creek forest. Despite their mobility, local moth assemblages are highly differentially filtered from the same regional species pool. Hence, variation in environmental factors significantly affects assemblages of tropical moth species at small spatial scales.\"

}, keywords = {ABUNDANCE, BIODIVERSITY, COSTA RICA, ECOLOGY, EREBIDAE, GEOMETRIDAE, HERBIVORY, OROGRAPHIC HETEROGENEITY, RICHNESS, SATURNIIDAE, SPHINGIDAE, WORLDMAP1}, doi = {10.1111/btp.12677}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12677}, author = {Rabl, D. and Gottsberger, B. and Brehm, G. and Hofhansl, F. and Fiedler, K.} } @article {20955, title = {The unique sound production of the Death{\textquoteright}s-head hawkmoth (Acherontia atropos (Linnaeus, 1758)) revisited}, journal = {Naturwissenschaften}, volume = {102}, year = {2015}, month = {07/2015}, pages = {43}, chapter = {43}, abstract = {

\"When disturbed, adults of the Death\’s-head hawkmoth (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae: Acherontia atropos) produce short squeaks by drawing in and deflating air into and out of the pharynx as a defence mechanism. We took a new look at Prell\’s hypothesis of a two-phase mechanism by providing new insights into the functional morphology behind the pharyngeal sound production of this species. First, we compared the head anatomy of A. atropos with another sphingid species, Manduca sexta, by using micro-computed tomography (CT) and 3D reconstruction methods. Despite differences in feeding behaviour and capability of sound production in the two species, the musculature in the head is surprisingly similar. However, A. atropos has a much shorter proboscis and a modified epipharynx with a distinct sclerotised lobe projecting into the opening of the pharynx. Second, we observed the sound production in vivo with X-ray videography, mammography CT and high-speed videography. Third, we analysed acoustic pressure over time and spectral frequency composition of six A. atropos specimens, both intact and with a removed proboscis. Single squeaks of A. atropos last for ca. 200 ms and consist of an inflation phase, a short pause and a deflation phase. The inflation phase is characterised by a burst of ca. 50 pulses with decreasing pulse frequency and a major frequency peak at ca. 8 kHz, followed by harmonics ranging up to more than 60 kHz. The deflation phase is characterised by a less clear acoustic pattern, a lower amplitude and more pronounced peaks in the same frequency range. The removal of the proboscis resulted in a significantly shortened squeak, a lower acoustic pressure level and a slightly more limited frequency spectrum. We hypothesise that the uptake of viscous honey facilitated the evolution of an efficient valve at the opening of the pharynx (i.e. a modified epipharynx), and that sound production could relatively easily have evolved based on this morphological pre-adaptation.\"

}, keywords = {ACHERONTIA, ACOUSTICS, ADULT FEEDING, ADULT MORPHOLOGY, ANATOMY, HIGH-SPEED VIDEOGRAPHY, MAMMOGRAPHY CT, MANDUCA, MICRO-CT, PROBOSCIS, SPHINGIDAE, SQUEAKING, X-RAY VIDEOGRAPHY}, doi = {10.1007/s00114-015-1292-5}, author = {Brehm, G. and Fischer, M. and Gorb, S. and Kleinteich, T. and K{\"u}hn, B. and Neubert, D. and Pohl, H. and Wipfler, B. and Wurdinger, S.} } @article {17896, title = {10 Lepidoptera: Arctiidae, Geometridae, Hedylidae, Pyraloidea, Sphingidae, Saturniidae, and Uraniidae (moths). Checklist Reserva Biol{\'o}gica San Francisco (Prov. Zamora-Chinchipe, S. Ecuador)}, journal = {Ecological Monographs}, volume = {4}, year = {2007}, month = {2007}, pages = {155-214}, keywords = {ARCTIIDAE, CHECKLIST, ECUADOR, GEOMETRIDAE, HEDYLIDAE, LEPIDOPTERA, NOCTUIDAE, PYRALOIDEA, SATURNIIDAE, SPHINGIDAE, URANIIDAE, WORLDMAP1}, author = {Fiedler, K. and Brehm, G. and Hilt, N. and S{\"u}ssenbach, D. and Onore, G. and Bartsch, D. and Racheli, L. and H{\"a}user, C. L.} }