Diversity, Ecology & Recording of . . . In brief.

by Dr. Roger C. KENDRICK Director, C & R Wildlife, Hong Kong founder: Asian Lepidoptera Conservation Symposium Introduction to Lepidoptera

• What is Lepidoptera ( & ) ? • Diversity • Survival Strategies • Ecological Services • Role in Wildlife Conservation • Introduction to Lepidoptera recording main unique field characters of butterflies and moths Lepidoptera = Greek for scale-winged 27 characters defining Lepidoptera: main ones on adult Lepidoptera are: - • Hairs on wing modified as scales; • Presence of haustellum (coiled proboscis – may be degenerate or lost in some taxa); • Presence of “vom Rath’s organ” in terminal segment of labial palp; • Fore tibia with movable “epiphysis” (antenna comb) on inner surface; • Median ocellus absent. or ? Not one character that is 100% definitive ! Guides….. Adult . . . . Antennae; posture; wing coupling mechanism Pupa . . . . Cocoon; cremaster; girdle Larva . . . . Number of proleg pairs on abdomen (four or less) Daytime vs. nighttime & crepuscular . . . . Lepidoptera Diversity

• over 160,000 scientifically described species • 150,000 to 200,000 thought to be awaiting description or discovery! (mostly in the tropics) • many ecological niches and almost all terrestrial habitats occupied • many species / higher taxa specially adapted to particular ecological niche, thus good indicators of habitat change, environmental impact or “quality” Lepidoptera Phylogeny

source: Mutanen et al., 2010 Diversity – Classification, name endings and rank • Superfamily - …….-oidea (e.g. ) • Family - ……..-idae (e.g. ) • Subfamily - ……..-inae (e.g. ) • Tribe - ……..-ini (e.g. Aventiini) • , genera (gen., e.g. Laspeyria); subgenus (subgen.) • Species (sp., e.g. ruficeps, spp.) • Subspecies (ssp., sspp.) Diversity - Major Families (1) 58 “” families in HK, comprising >1,140 spp.; likely over 6,000 spp. in Malaysia and > 200,000 spp globally

• • • • • Yponomeutidae • • • Thyrididae • • • • Diversity - Major Families (2 - butterflies)

6 “butterfly” families in Hong Kong, comprising about 250 spp; over 1,000 spp in Malaysia, about 25,000 species globally

• Hesperiidae Skippers • Papilionidae Swallowtails • Whites & Sulphurs • Blues & Hairstreaks • Metalmarks • Tigers, Crows, Nymphs, Browns, Fritillaries . . . . Diversity - Major Families (3)

14 “” families in Hong Kong comprising >1,260 spp; over 5,000 spp in Malaysia, perhaps 150,000 species globally

• • Erebidae (inc. Arctiinae • & Lymantriinae ) • Geometridae • • • Diversity – Comparison of Numbers of Species

Globally – c. 160,000 described, a further 150,000 to 200,000 estimated Borneo – c. 4,500 “macro” + further 4,000 “micro” estimated Genting Highlands, Malaysia – in excess of 6,000 species ! Fraser’s Hill, Malaysia – at least 3,000 moth species (in four years!) Taiwan – c. 4,000 recorded, adding tens new to science most years United Kingdom – 2,500 species (just over 50 are butterfly species!), adding a few each year Hong Kong – c. 2,750 species recorded (~ 250 butterfly species); + 1,500 to 2,500 to find Survival Strategies – Adult Moths Mimicry plants & lichens: leaves, twigs, tree trunks, (colour and shape/posture) : mammal faces; snakes; unpalatable – spiders, wasps, bees, poisonous moths & butterflies; bird droppings Survival Strategies – Adult Moths

Sound detection of ultrasound to avoid bats; emitting sound to advertise unpalatability (Arctiinae) or pacify bees (Acherontia) Survival Strategies – Moth Larvae

Mimicry plants & lichens: leaves, twigs, tree trunks, (colour and shape/posture) animals: snakes; bird droppings Survival Strategies – Moth Larvae Colour use of simple bold bright patterns to advertise unpalatability

Concealment crypsis; leaf rolling; leaf mining; webs; stem borers; root feeders; nocturnal feeders Ecological Services Pollination Food resources Silk Nutrient Recycling Pest control

Photo: Prof. R. Peigler Role of Lepidoptera in Wildlife Conservation

high , high relative abundance and relative ease of identification make moths: 1. a good group for monitoring effects of ecological processes and factors that affect these processes 2. indicate habitats and landscapes likely to be of high conservation value Role of Moths in Wildlife Conservation

good for “hands on” demonstration of ecological strategies and connecting with nature Equipment & Familiarisation

• Lights • Larvae • Traps • Photography • Nets • Weather • Baits • Keeping Records Lights

Mercury vapour (MV) Actinic (ultraviolet/UV) Light Emitting Diode (LED) Tungsten (Incandescent) Halogen “Traps”

Sheet – needs to be manned at all times. Good in the tropics Not good for abundance samples. Box – “Heath” and “Skinner” traps. Catch retention reasonable, but a long way from perfect. Bucket – “Robinson” trap most efficient design, but still well short of 100% catch retention. Large traps not very portable, smaller versions for use with actinic tubes more portable. Nets

Sweep net Hand net Malaise trap Baits

“Sugar” wine rope fruit Photo: Fritz Geller-Grimm faeces (via Wikipedia) synthetic pheromones others . . .

Photo: D.E.Walter (http://homebuggarden.blogspot.hk /2014/06/winters-coming.html) Other important methods • Photography – have to stalk the subject(s), slow & steady on final approach; find good flower sources (e.g. Duranta, Lantana, Schefflera) • Rearing – essential to understand the ecological role of each species. Takes time, manpower and lots of TLC. Will result in finding many species not recorded at light traps. • Baiting – species specific pheromone traps, “sugar” or “mineral” or even other baits. Intensive effort, usually for only a limited number of species. Don’t always get the target audience! • Netting – useful for diurnal and crepuscular species, also finding larvae (sweeping). Photography digital camera macro function close focus control of flash best views to shoot for i.d. Getting close to butterflies and moths . . . Weather Adult Lepidoptera: avoid high wind & heavy rain; light rain / misty and warm conditions seem best for moths, butterflies are sun-worshippers; in HK night time min between 17°C and 28°C optimal; in UK between 8°C and ? (not warm enough) – in Malaysia & Singapore not much variation in any one place (so what happens if there’s a general rise in temperature?) larval searching: avoid heavy rain (everything washed away!) sugar/bait/pheromone: sunny weather with light breeze best Keeping Records

• what was recorded; • kept in notebook or on computer database; • where seen/collected; • submit data to appropriate • when recorded; organisation • who made the observation; ( e.g. national or local nature • who made the id; society, biological records • sight record, voucher specimen centre, global data centre – (where kept), or photo; GBIF; iNaturalist). Identification . . . .

Adult stage - Larval stage • Wing pattern (lines across, • Number of prolegs on abdomen lines along, spots, scale tufts) • Body pattern • Wing shape • Appendages • Head features (eyes, antennae, • Hairs / tussocks labial palps); • Resting posture (flat, wings wrapped around body, tent like, deltoid, wings upright, other…..) Legal issues: Forests and Countryside Ordinance (Cap. 96); Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170); para 2 “…. “hunt” () includes any act immediately directed at the killing or capture of any wild or the taking of any nest, egg, or young of any wild animal; (Amended 58 of 1980 s. 2); “hunting appliance” () means any net, gin, snare, poison or poisoned weapon, bird lime, trap or bright light;” – applicable everywhere in HK ! Troides helena listed in Schedule 2, list of protected HK species Country Parks Ordinance (Cap. 208); “4 c (ii) to protect the vegetation and wild life inside country parks and special areas;” Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586); - international trade of endangered taxa Troides spp. (Papilionidae); 2 species occur naturally in HK Thanks