14 BANISTERIA NO.2,1993

Banis~ria. Number 2, 1993 iCl 1993 by the Natural History Society

Moth Records from Burkes Garden, Virginia

Kenneth J. Stein Department of Entomology Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Blacksburg, Virginia 24061

In contrast to butterflies (Clark & Clark, 1951; Covell, and an average annual rainfall of about 119 cm (47 1972), the composition and distribution of inches) (Cooper, 1944). The region was formerly charac­ have not been well-studied in Virginia. The proceedings terized by - forest, but the chestnut (extirpat­ of a recent (1989) symposium (Terwilliger, 1991) detailed ed in Virginia) is now replaced largely by . the biological and legal status of numerous plants and Remnants of relict boreal forest persist at elevations found in the Commonwealth. Nine species of above 1100 m; Beartown Mountain on the western rim were reported, with only one (Cato­ retains a vestige of the red spruce forest that occurred cala herodias gerhardi Barnes & Benjamin) designated there prior to intensive lumbering in the early decades as threatened (Schweitzer, in Hoffman, 1991). Covell of this century. Above 1050 m occurs a northern hard­ (1990) suggested that baseline data are needed to woods forest with a mixture of spruce (Picea rubens understand the diversity and population dynamics of Sarg.), American (Fagus grandifolia Erhr.), and both moths and butterflies. He urged that more resourc­ yellow (Betula alleghaniensis Britt) (Woodward & es be appropriated in order to develop regional lepidop­ Hoffman, 1991). The valley floor has been largely teran checklists, and to learn how best to preserve these deforested and converted into pastureland. Sinkholes, as components of our natural heritage. caves, and springs are of frequent occurrence. During the summer of 1987, the foraging strategies of The moths examined in this study were trapped mostly a population of rare was studied in Burkes Garden, in the western end of Burkes Garden, in the general Virginia by Virginia M. Dalton. Nocturnal flying insects vicinity of Station Spring at an elevation of about 1100 were sampled on a weekly basis to determine local m.. Collections were made with two 15-watt blacklight species composition and abundance. The specimens traps each containing a 200 ml jar with a paper towel accumulated by these surveys provide material for moistened with ethyl acetate. Sampling was conducted taxonomic baseline inventories of this interesting part of between sunset and sunrise; collecting jars were removed southwestern Virginia, toward which the following from the traps hourly and placed on ice. summary of the moths is an initial contribution. More than 1,350 adult moths were captured during the 1987 season; all identifications were made by the Materials and Methods author. The total number of moths is somewhat greater than the total accounted in the following lists, as some Burkes Garden is a high, almost completely enclosed were too tattered and worn to permit accurate identifica­ limestone-bedded valley located in the Ridge & Valley tion. The Lepidoptera from the Dalton survey are Physiographic Province in the northeastern quadrant of deposited in the VPI&SU Branch of the Virginia Museum Tazewell County (Coop~r, 1944, Hoffman & Kleinpeter, of Natural History, Blacksburg, Virginia. 1948). The mean level of The valley floor is about 1060 In the following lists, species are arranged in the m above sea level, and the surrounding rim of mountains sequence adopted by Hodges et aI. (1983). When no rise to 1360 m. Burkes Garden has the shortest growing number follows a species name in the "No. collected" season (159 days) recorded in Virginia (Crockett, 1972), column, one specimen of such species is implied. STEIN, BURKES GARDEN MOTHS 15

List of Sped..

6251 arcuata Walker 12 Checklist no. No. collected Hodges et aI., 1983 Geometridae

Oecophoridae 6261 Heliomata cycladata Grote & Robinson 15 6273 /tame pustularia (Guenee) 11 882 robiniella (Packard) 6278 /tame evagaria (Hulst) 2 992 Ethmia zelleriella (Chambers) 6299 /tame eoortaria (Hulst) 10 1003 Ethmia trifureella (Chambers) 6331 Semiothisa promiscuata Ferguson 6348 Semiothisa fissinotata (Walker) 3 6360 Semiothisa quadrinofario (Herrich-SchUfer) 10 6386 Semiothisa ocel/inata (Guenee) 14 1524 Triclonella pergandeella Busck 6443 Glena/des texanaria (Hulst) 6583 Anacamptodes ephyroria (Walker) 2 6586 Anacamptooes defectaria (Cueoee) 6588 Iridopsis wrvaria (Guenee) 12 2330 Epermenia pimpinella Murtleldt 33 6590 Anavitrinella pampinoria (Guenee) 4 6597 Eetropis erepuscularia (Denis & SchiffermuIler) 2 Yponomeutidae 6620 canadaria (Guenee) 2 6621 Mewnolophia signataria (Walker) 36 2401 Ateva punetella (Cramer) 8 6640 Biston betularia (Linnaeus) 26 6667 (Guenee) Sesiidae 6704 Erastria coloraria (Fabricius) 6735 Euchlaena pectinaria (Denis & Schiffmuller) 2 2554 Synanthedon aeem; (Clemens) 2 6739 Euchlaena i,raria (Barnes & McDunnough) 5 6743 Xanthotype sospeta (Drury) Tortricidae 6753 Pero hones/aria (Guenee) 3 6797 magnaria Guenee 108 3492 Cydia pomenella (Linnaeus) 6798 (Hubner) 3 3632 Choris/oneura {ractivit/ana (Clemens) 6837 Probole nyssaria (Guenee) 5 6841 Plagodis keulzingi (Grote) Limacodidae 6842 Ptagodis phlogOSQria (Guenee) 3 6843 Plagodis rervidaria (Herrieh-Schaffer) 4652 Torlricidia /es/acea Packard 19 6884 Besma endropiaria (Grote & Robinson) 10 4654 Tortrieidia fle:cuosa (Grote) 7 6965 Eugonobapta nivosaria (Guenee) 6987 Antepione thisooria (Guenee) 5 Pyralidae 7047 Nemoria rubri{ron/aria (Packard) 7196 Eulithis diversilineata (Hubner) 4949 Ostrinia nubilalis (Hubner) 4980 Helvibotys helvialis (Walker) 5 Lasiocampidae 5159 Desmia {uneratis (HObner) 5241 limata (Grote & Robinson) 7 7698 Malacosoma disstria HObner 4 5524 Hypsopygia cos/atis (Fabricius) 7701 Malacosoma americanum (Fabricius) 35 5627 Omphalocera munroei Martin Saturniidae Thyriridae 7708 Citheronia sepulcralis Grote & Robinson 6077 Thyris sepulchralis Guerin 7715 Dryocampa rubicunda (Fabricius) 5 7719 Anisota senatoria (J. E. Smith) Thyaliridae 7757 Antherea palyphemus (Cramer) 3 7758 Actias luna (Linnaeus) 2 6237 Pseudothyatira eymatophoroides (Guenee) 2 7767 Hyalophora ceerapia (Linnaeus) 16 BANISTERlA NO.2. 1993

Sphingidae 8797 Catacoia subnata Grote 2 8846 Cotacola sordida Grote 2 7775 Manduca serta (Linnaeus) 8857 Catoeala ullronia (HObner) 3 7787 Ceratomia undulosa (Walker) 3 8858 crataegi Saunders 2 7809 Sphinx kalmiae (1. E. Smith) 2 8863 Co/ocala mira Grote 2 7824 excacaetus (1. E. Smith) 4 8864 (Cramer) 5 7825 Paonias myops (I. E. Smith) 8 8867 Hulst 2 7894 Ryles lineata (Fabricius) 8876 Cotacoia micronympha Guenee 8887 Triehoplusia ni (HObner) 2 8924 Anagrapha faleifera (Kirby) 7 9062 Cenna cerintha (Treitschke) 7915 Nadata gibbosa (I. E. Smith) 14 9146 Acontia delecta Walker 7919 basitTiens (Walker) 9199 rubricoma Guenee \ 7921 (Packard) 5 9207 Acronicta inno/ala Guenee 5 y 7951 albifrons (1. E. Smith) 12 9221 Acronicta funeralis Grote & Robinson 2 7957 anguina (I. E. Smith) 7 9226 Acronicta superans Guenee 7975 marthesia (Cramer) 9237 Acronicta interrupta Guenee 3 7994 gultivifta (Walker) 3 9241 Acronicta (rogilis (Guenee) 4 7995 Heterocampa biundata (Walker) 9243 ACTonic/a ovalo Grote 7998 manteo Doubleday 9250 Acronic/a inc/ara 1. E. Smith 7999 (Packard) 9251 Acronic/a re/arda/a (Walker) 3 80ll Sehizura leptinoides (Grote) 9254 Acronic/a afflic/a Grote 5 8012 Oligocen/ria semirufescens (Walker) 3 9284 Agriapodes teratophora (Herrich-Schaffer) 8017 Oligocen/ria Ugnicolor (Walker) 2 9348 amputatrix (Fitch) 9457 Amphipoaea americana (Speyer) 2 Arctiidae 9545 McDunnough .9669 Spadoptera omilhogalli (Guenee) 12 8089 Hypaprepia miniata (Kirby) 17 9684 Elaphria gra/a Hubner 8090 Hypaprepia fueosa (Kirby) 17 9688 Galgula parli/a Guenee 4 8098 Clemensia albata (Packard) 9699 Pla/ysen/a sutor (Guenee) 8140 Hyphantria eunea (Drury) 78 9889 Lithophane petulca (Grote) 8170 Apantesis villata (Fabricius) 3 9939 Eupsilia devia (Grote) 8197 Grammia virgo (Linnaeus) 9957 Sunira bicolorago (Guenee) 8203 Halysidota tessellaris (1. E. Smith) 25 10292 Melanehra adjuneta (Guenee) 82ll Lophocampa caryae Harris 7 10304 Trichordes/ra legi/ima (Grote) 6 8214 Lophocampa macula/a Harris 10397 fAcinipalia renigera (Stephens) 174 8255 Pygarc/ia abdominalis Grote 2 10406 LacinipoUa oUvacea (Morrison) 8262 C/enucha virginica (Esper) 10431 Faronta diffusa (Walker) 17 8267 Cissiceps fulvicollis (Hubner) 10438 Pseudale/ia unipunc/a (Haworth) 29 10446 Leucania mul/ilinea (Walker) 62 Lymantriidae 10455 Leucania scirpicola Guenee II 10462 Leucania pseudargyria Guenee 2 A 8294 vagans (Barnes & Benjamin) 10502 Himella in/rae/a (Morrison) 8316 Orgyia leueostigma (1. E. Smith) 9 10659 Agrotis valubilis Harvey 1 10661 Agro/is malefida Guenee 2 10663 Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) 47 10670 Feltia jaeulifera (Guenee) 3 8443 Bomoloehia bijugalis (Walker) 10674 Fellia subgothiea (Haworth) 8534 Plusiodon/a compressipalpis Guenee 10762 EW;oa divergens (Walker) 3 8689 Zale lunata (Drury) 10805 Euxoa tesselata (Harris) 13 8719 nubilis (Hubner) 10851 Euxoa redimicula (Morrison) 3 8727 ParalleUa his/riaris Hubner 10891 Ochropleura plecla (Linnaeus) 51 8739 Caenurgina erechfea (Cramer) 15 10926 clandestina (Harris) 9 8784 Catacala obscura Strecker 10942.1 Xes/ia dolosa Franclemont 105 8788 Cafocala refecfa Grote 2 11029 Abagrotis allemata (Grote) 2 8792 (1. E. Smith) 11068 Hetieoverpa zea (Boddie) 4 STEIN, BURKES GARDEN MOTHS 17

Results and Discussion Covell, C. V. 1990. The status of our knowledge of North American Lepidoptera, pp. 211-230./n M. Kosztarab and The 160 species of moths reported here from Burkes C. W. Schaeffer (eds.), Systematics of the North Ameri­ Garden are surely only a fraction of the total expected can Insects and Arachnids: Status and Needs. Virginia from the region. The "microlepidoptera" in particular are Agricultural Experiment Station Information Series 90-1, strikingly underrepresented. Prolonged and specialized Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, collecting might account for as many as 800 local Blacksburg, Virginia. species. No estimates are available for the number of moths native to Virginia, but the numbers recorded for Crockett, C. W. 1972. Climatological summaries for the nearby states of Kentucky and are approxi· selected stations in Virginia. Blacksburg: Water Resourc­ mately 2,320 and 2,520, respectively (C. V. Covell and E. es Research Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and H. Metzler, pers. comm.). State University. Nonetheless, the results of this study provide initial baseline data on the diversity of the Burkes Garden Hodges, R. W., T. Dominick, D. C. Ferguson, J. G. moth fauna, as well as a first step toward achieving Frandemon!, E. G. Munroe, & J. A. Powell. 1983. comparable information for the entire Commonwealth. Checklist of the Lepidoptera of America north of Mexico. Numerous inventory studies, for which the aid of vol· E. W. Classey Ltd. & The Wedge Entomological Founda­ unteer amateur lepidopterists should be actively enlisted, tion, London. would provide badly needed information about the geographic and seasonal occurrence of Virginian Lepi­ Hoffman, R. L. 1991. . Pp. 173-249 In K doptera. The availability of such data would permit Terwilliger (Coordinator), Virginia's Endangered Species. identification of populations requiring legal protection. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, Blacks­ burg, Virginia. Acknowledgments Hoffman, R. L., & H. J. Kleinpeter. 1948. Amphibians I thank Dr. Virginia M. Dalton for providing the from Burkes Garden, Virginia. American Midland Natural· specimens upon which this report is based. Drs. Charles ist 39: 602-607. V. Covel! and R D. Fell, and Mr. E. H. Metzler provided constructive manuscript reviews; Mary Rhoades and Dr. Holland, W. J. 1903. The Moth Book. Doubleday, Page, Michael Kosztarab gave encouragement during the & Co., (reprinted 1968 with updating by A. E. course of the work. Brower. Dover, New York), 479 pp.

Literature Cited Terwilliger, K. (Coordinator). 1991. Virginia's Endan· gered Species. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Clark, A. H. & L. F. Clark. 1951. The butterflies of Company, Blacksburg, Virginia. 672 pp. Virginia. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 116(7): 1-239. Woodward, S. L. & R. L. Hoffman. 1991. The Nature of Virginia. Pp. 23-48. In K. Terwilliger (coordinator), Cooper, B. N. 1944. The geology and mineral resources Virginia's Endangered Species. McDonald and Woodward of the Burkes Garden quadrangle, Virginia. Bulletin of Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia. the Virginia Geological Survey 60: 1-299.

Covell, C. V. 1984. A Field Guide to the Moths of East­ ern North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. 496 pp.