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Grizzly Bear Use of Army Cutworm Moths in The GRIZZLYBEAR USE OF ARMYCUTWORM MOTHSIN THE YELLOWSTONEECOSYSTEM STEVENP. FRENCH,Yellowstone GrizzlyFoundation, 581 ExpeditionDrive, Evanston, WY 82930 MARILYNNG. FRENCH,Yellowstone GrizzlyFoundation, 581 ExpeditionDrive, Evanston, WY 82930 RICHARDR. KNIGHT,Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, ForestrySciences Laboratory,Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 Abstract: The ecology of alpine aggregationsof army cutwormmoths (Euxoa auxiliaris) and the feeding behavior of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis) at these areas were studied in the Yellowstone ecosystem from 1988 to 1991. Army cutwormmoths migrateto mountainregions each summerto feed at nighton the nectarof alpineand subalpineflowers, and during the day they seek shelterunder various rock formations. Grizzly bears were observed feeding almost exclusively on moths up to 3 months each summerat the 10 moth-aggregationareas we identified. Fifty-one different grizzly bears were observed feeding at 4 of these areas during a single day in August 1991. Army cutworm moths are a preferred source of nutrition for many grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem and represent a high quality food that is available during hyperphagia. Int. Conf. Bear Res. and Manage.9(1):389-399 In 1986 the InteragencyGrizzly Bear StudyTeam bear RecoveryZone for the Yellowstoneecosystem. (IGBST)first observed radio-instrumented grizzly bears Additionalsurvey work occurred adjacent to the excavatingand presumably feeding in alpinetalus fields primarystudy area, in the GallatinNational Forest to located in the southeastportion of the Yellowstone the northwest,in the northwestcomer of Yellowstone ecosystem. Subsequentvisits to these sites in 1987 NationalPark, and in the northernmountains of Grand revealedthat bears were feeding on aggregationsof TetonNational Park to the southwest(Fig. 1). armycutworm moths (Mattson et al. 1991). In 1988 The AbsarokaMountain Range originatedfrom we began a long-term project to investigatethe volcanicactivity during the LateEocene and Oligocene ecologicalrelationships between grizzly bears and army and variesin elevationfrom about2,000 to 4,000 m. cutwormmoths in the Yellowstoneecosystem. This The range is generally forested with deep valley papercovers some of the resultsof the first4 yearsof bottoms and numerous mountain peaks above this project. timberline. This projectwas fundedby the YellowstoneGrizzly The alpineterrain has been shapedby distinctglacial Foundationand the InteragencyGrizzly Bear Study erosion since the Pleistocene. Periglacialmesas are Team, with additional support from the Stanley distributedthroughout this regionand are subjectedto ResearchFoundation, the Cinnabar Foundation, and the strong winds, short growing seasons, inclement JamesF. SeedFoundation. Thanks are extended to B. weather,young soils, and wide temperaturegradients, Kondratiefffor moth identifications,B. Davitt for whichlimit the extentof plantcommunities. Extreme energeticanalysis, J. Claarfor assistancein the study topographicrelief occurs at the interfacebetween mesa design,and M. Menzel,D. Whittemore,D. Amato,D. landformsand parent rock, such as glacial cirque Rahbany, C. Mills, and S. Downing for their headwalls, cols, aretes, horns, and isolated rock fieldwork. precipices.This terrain is characterizedby andesiteand andesitic tuff rock formationsexposed chiefly by glaciation,mass wasting, and wind andstream erosion. STUDY AREA Talus fields located directly below parent rock The grizzlybear Recovery Zone in the Yellowstone formationscontain angular rocks of various size, ecosystem is approximately2,460,500 ha and beginningwith fine debrisat the uppermostreaches of encompassesYellowstone National Park and adjacent the steeper slopes and generally increasingin size portionsof Idaho,Montana, and Wyoming (Fig. 1). A fartherdownslope to largeboulders on the moregradual high plateau occupies the central portion and is slopesnear the bottomof the talusfields. Some talus surroundedby mountainswithin 5 differentnational is bare(< 10% plantcover) due to the activeprocess of forests. Climate, physiography, and vegetative masswasting, which precludes substantial soil andplant characteristicsof this area were describedby Knight development,and containsmall mudflow channels and and Eberhardt(1985). streamsof glacialand snow meltwaters. The primary study area was in the Absaroka Partiallyvegetated talus (10-50%plant cover) also Mountainslocated in the southeastportion of the grizzly occurson moderateslopes thatundergo less seasonal 390 Int. Conf.Bear Res. and Manage.9(1) 1994 ( :IPrimary Study Area AdditionalAreas Surveyed Fig. 1. Study area in the Yellowstone ecosystem. movement providing greater stability for soil and this zone and extends to the valley bottoms below. vegetationdevelopment. Vegetative talus ( > 50 % plant cover) occurs within the areas of the least seasonal movement below parent rock, which allows for the METHODS greatest soil development. Alpine meadows containingthickly vegetatedareas of Bear Ecology gentle to moderateslope are common below the various Data were collected from ground and aerial talus formations. Moist and developed inseptisol soils, observationsof bears feeding at alpine moth-aggregation protection from strong winds, and relatively longer areas from June to November, 1988-91. Time, date, growing seasons (due to early retreat of annual and location were recorded for each observation along snowpack) typically yield taller and more diversified with species, age and sex class, and family group communities of vascular plants in alpine meadows composition. Aerial observations were made from compared to that found on periglacial mesas and fixed-wing aircraft as part of ongoing interagency partiallyvegetated and vegetated talus. observation flights and relocation flights for Krummholz occurs at the lower margins of alpine radio-instrumentedbears. The location of each bear meadows just above treeline. This zone contains observation was plotted on U.S. Geological Survey stuntedarborescent vascular plants that generallydo not (USGS) 7.5 minutetopographic maps. Bear feces were exceed 2-3 m in height. Closed forest begins just below collected from these areas for content analysis each fall GRIZZLYBEARS-ARMY CUTWORM MOTHS * French et al. 391 after the bears had left. RESULTS Observationswere made nonintrusivelyfrom distant vantage points using binocularsand spotting scopes. A Moth Ecology 16 mm motion picture cameraand a telephotolens were Behavior.--All moths collected at the various alpine used to film some bears for furtherbehavioral analysis. aggregation sites were identified as the army cutworm Some bears were identified as individuals by their moth (Euxoa auxiliaris). Their arrival each year distinctive physical features. correspondedto the onset of the flowering season for Subadults were distinguished by their smaller size the alpine flower communitiesnear the end of June and and shorterbody length comparedto adult females with the first part of July. They fed at night on the nectar of offspring observed in the same area. Adult males were several flowers, including green bluebells (Mertensia identifiedby genitaliaand were also easily distinguished lanceolata), thick-leavedgroundsel (Senecio crassulus), by their larger size relative to adultfemales with young. mules-ears (Wyethia amplexicaulis Nutt.), and In some cases, subadult males were identified by elephant's head (Pedicularis groenlandica). Moths genitalia. were rarely observed flying or feeding on windy or Seasonaluse, daily activitypatterns, activity budgets, rainy nights. and feeding behavior of bears feeding on moths were During the day, moths aggregatedunder the various studied at 2 areas during 1991. A 15-minutesampling rock formations, presumably to seek shelter from the period was used to determinethe activity budgets of all heat and frequent rain and/or hailstorms while age and sex classes of grizzly bears observed while metabolizing nectar. They were located in relatively feeding on aggregations of army cutworm moths. A large clusters distributednonuniformly throughout the 10-second scan intervalwas used to record the category talus and boulder fields. Moth-aggregationsites were of activity throughout the sampling period. Activity altered on a daily basis from extensive bear categories included digging for moths, walking between excavations. Some sites were abandoned by moths excavation sites, looking for moths, and eating moths. when the runoff from meltwatersceased but other sites became available when large perennial snowfields Moth Ecology receded. Moth activity was determinedby direct observations Moths were generally inactive while aggregated made during the day and at night. Some moths were under rocks although some appeared to be drinking captured and manually killed for species identification from glacial or snow meltwaters, and copulation was and biochemical analysis. The physical characteristics occasionally observed. This sexual behavior was first of moth-aggregation sites were recorded such as observed in mid-July and continued until geological formation, rock type, size and depth, slope, mid-September,and was also observed at night while aspect, elevation, temperaturegradient, and proximity moths fed. to sources of water and vegetation. Moth samples collected in late August were found to Moth samples were oven dried at 100?C for 24 hours contain approximately72% fat, 28% protein, and less prior to nutritiveanalysis. Crude proteinwas measured than 1% carbohydrate. The high
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