Submitted to: Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: June 15, 2006
Publication Date: May 21, 2008
Citation: Pogue, M.G. 2008. Inventory of the nolidae, erebidae, and noctuidae (lepidoptera) of Plummers Island, Maryland. Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington. (15)107-120. Interpretive Summary: Cutworm moths are major agricultural pests causing billions of dollars of damage annually. The owlet moths are pests on numerous crops such as cabbage, soybeans, alfalfa, lettuce, and many other vegetable crops. This paper documents the species of owlet moths for Plummers Island, Maryland, within the Chesapeake and Ohio National Historic Park. This paper will establish an important base-line inventory that will enable future researchers to understand how a fauna changes through time and will enable National Park Service staff to make informed descisions on land and resource management within the park. This paper will be useful to systematists, ecologists, and biodiversity researchers.
Technical Abstract: From 1902–2005 six species of Nolidae, 88 species of Erebidae, and 118 species of Noctuidae have been recorded from Plummers Island, Montgomery County, Maryland. Extensive collecting conducted from 1998–2005 resulted in five species of Nolidae, 70 species of Erebidae, and 88 species of Noctuidae. Only the Nolidae had sufficient specimens collected from 1902–1929 to compare with collections taken from 1998–2005. Five were species present from 1902–1929, and five from 1998–2005 with no change in species richness. A 20% species turnover was noted, with one extinction and one colonization. Due to the lack of sufficient material from 1902–1929, the Erebidae and Noctuidae had a 37% and a 32% increase, respectively. This is contrary to other studies at Plummers Island, which showed a decrease in species richness. Species accumulation curves were based only on the material collected from 1998–2005. Both abundance and incidence-based estimators were used to predict six species of Nolidae, 79–102 species of Erebidae, and 101–135 species of Noctuidae. Of the total of 212 species for all three families, 75.9% of the species were represented by 10 or fewer specimens. A checklist of the Nolidae, Erebidae, and Noctuidae, and their monthly abundances from 1902–2005 is provided.