The information presented here represents preliminary research as the result of ten-weeks of investigation in-residence at the National Museum of Natural History. This is not an official publication of the information.

As preliminary information, results and/or findings should not be cited as part of conclusive work. Please contact the authors first if you wish to utilize the information presented here.

ABSTRACT

Based on 232 samples of leafrollers collected from 1986 to the present, we documented 171 species of tortricid moths from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Estimates of the actual fauna ranged from 185 (bootstrap) to 224 (Chao1). Of the 39 sampling localities, we compared species richness of the ten most frequently sampled sites (n 6 sampling bouts) and found a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.7765 between number of species and number of sampling bouts. Community phenology, based on cumulative records, indicated that adult activity is lowest from February to April (<10 species per month), increases considerably in May, continues to increase in June, and gradually decreases through November. No species were captured in January or December. This pattern differed slightly from that reported for the tortricid fauna of Kentucky, and this deviation, coupled with evidence that GSMNP has been under-sampled during the spring, partially explains differences between documented and estimated species richness (i.e., the spring fauna may be under-sampled). We also examined the spatial and temporal distribution of each species within the park.

---

INTRODUCTION

As a contribution to the All Taxa Biological Inventory (ATBI) of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), we compiled information on the moth family Tortricidae (Lepidoptera). Lepidoptera have received substantial attention in recent years, and our knowledge of the order has increased dramatically since pre-ATBI fieldwork (e.g., Brown 1986, Lambdin 1990). Through the efforts of TWiG (Taxonomic Working Group) leaders and funds provided by “Discover Life in America” and the Smithsonian Institution’s Biodiversity Programs, nearly 200 samples of Lepidoptera have accumulated since 1998, and a broad picture of the fauna is beginning to emerge.

We used statistical tests to estimate actual species richness; we calculated a correlation coefficient between number of sampling bouts and species richness for the ten most frequently sampled sites; we compiled individual species flight periods to describe community phenology; and we examined the spatial and temporal distribution of the leafrollers of the Park.

---

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study Site.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses approximately 800 square miles straddling the states of Tennessee and North Carolina (Fig. 1). Within the Park elevations range from about 900 to 6,600 feet above mean sea level, with topography, exposure, soil, and elevation exerting substantial influence over the five major types of forest community. The remarkable biotic richness of the Park has led to its designation as an International Biosphere Reserve.

Data of Leafrollers.

Data on leafrollers were obtained from two sources: historical records (Brown 1986, Lambdin 1990) and fieldwork. Since 1986, 232 samples of leafrollers have been collected at 39 sites situated within varying plant communities and at different elevations throughout the Park (Fig. 1). Based on the historical literature and the specimens examined, a database was constructed that included species identity, collecting location, collecting date, collector, and number of specimens.

Data Analyses.

We used the EstimateS program (Colwell 1997) to estimate species richness using the Chao1, bootstrap, and jackknife options. Of 39 sampling localities, we compared species richness of the ten most frequently sampled sites (i.e., n 6 sampling bouts) and calculated a correlation coefficient (r2) between number of species and number of sampling bouts. We generated a phenology of the tortricid community by tallying the number of species collected in 15-day increments (i.e., two periods per month). In order to provide insight into whether sampling has been conducted adequately throughout the period of adult activity, we plotted cumulative number of sampling bouts by month. We used published flight periods from the Lepidoptera of Kentucky (Covell 1999) to generate an estimate of the tortricid community phenology against which to test the temporal aspect of our sampling efforts.

---

RESULTS & DISCUSSION

From fieldwork and historic literature we discovered records of 2129 specimens representing 171 species of leafrollers. Of the 171 species, 47 (27%) were represented by singletons. Based on our cumulative database, the EstimateS program calculated the following estimates for species richness: 224 (Chao1), 212 (jackknife), and 185 (bootstrap) (Fig. 5). From these estimates it can be concluded that 8-24 percent of the tortricid fauna of GSMNP has not yet been documented.

Of the ten most frequently sampled sites, Tremont had the highest species richness (n=72 species, 66 bouts) followed by Foothills Parkway East (n=65 species, 19 bouts) and Cosby Campground (n=64 species, 36 bouts). With a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.7765, the relationship between number of sampling bouts and number of species for the ten sites suggests that documented species richness is strongly correlated to number of sampling bouts; this is not true in all cases. For example, Foothills Parkway East was sampled about half as many times as Cosby Campground, but had nearly the same number of species.

Community phenology (Fig. 2) indicated that adult activity is lowest from February through April (<20 species per month), increases considerably in May, continues to increase in June, and gradually decreases through November. No species were captured in January or December. This pattern differs only slightly from that reported for the tortricid fauna of Kentucky (Fig. 4) (Covell 1997). The most conspicuous difference between the two phenologies is the considerably greater species richness in April in the Kentucky data. Figure 3 illustrates low sampling frequency in GSMNP from February through April, and it is likely that the observed low activity during these months (Fig. 2), especially in April, is a result of this under-sampling.

Examination of the spatial distribution of species showed that leafrollers are widespread throughout the entire Park. At least one species of tortricids was captured and identified from each of the 39 study sites. Number of species ranged from 1 (e.g. Mount Sterling Trail) to as many as 72 (Tremont) per site. Individual species occurred at as few sites as 1 (e.g., Acleris curvalana) to as many as 19 (Hulda impudens).

Figure 6 presents a sample of 10 individual species flight periods. While many species tend to have a fairly prolonged flight period (e.g., Argyrotaenia velutinana), a few are restricted to specific seasons. For example, all documented species of Chimoptesis and Pseudexentra were collected only in the spring (i.e., February through April).

---

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Discover Life in America and Smithsonian Institution’s Biodiversity Program provided funding for field research in 2000 and 2001. The National Science Foundation (in the context of the Smithsonian Institution’s Research Training Program) and American Association for the Advancement of Science (in the context of the Smithsonian Institution’s Research Experience for Teachers) provided funding for Sarah Garrett and Kathie John, respectively, to complete research during the summer 2002.

---

LITERATURE CITED

Brown, R. 1986. Survey of arthropod in southern Appalachians - Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Unpublished repot. 13pp.

Colwell, R.K. 1997. EstimateS, version 5.0.1 Statistical Estimation of Species Richness and
Shared Species from Samples.

Covell, C.V.O. 1999. The Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) of Kentucky: An Annotated Checklist. Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission. 212pp.

Lambdin, P.L. 1990. The Lepidoptera fauna collected in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Unpublished Report, Project R11-1015-69. 131pp.

---

ENTOMOLOGY

Sarah Garrett
"An Inventory of Leafroller Species of Moths of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park"

Abstract / Summary

More RTP Class of '02 Links