Lepidoptera: Sphingidae

Crepuscular and nocturnal hawkmoths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) from a fragment of Atlantic rainforest in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil Kely Cristina Rocha Vieira1, Simeão de Souza Moraes2, Pedro Ivo Chiquetto-Machado2 and Marcelo Duarte2,3* Abstract A survey of the richness, abundance and species composition of Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) was performed in a fragment of Atlantic Rainforest at the Serra do Japi Biological Reserve, Municipality of Jundiaí, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Sampling was done monthly, on 2 consecutive nights, from Dec 2011 to Oct 2012, totaling 264 hours of sampling effort. The hawkmoths were attracted by a light trap. Our results were compared with data from a survey of Sphingidae carried out in another fragment of Atlantic Rainforest, i.e., at the Boraceia Biological Station, Municipality of Salesópolis, São Paulo. Richness estimators, rarefaction curves and rank/abundance plots were used to describe the assemblage sampled in this study and to com- pare it with the data set from Boraceia. We collected 462 specimens, members of 3 subfamilies, 5 tribes, 18 genera and 39 species. Callionima parce (Fabricius) was the most abundant species, comprising 33% of the individuals. Orecta lycidas (Boisduval), an under-sampled species in the Atlantic Rainforest, was recorded for the first time in the area of Serra do Japi. The assemblage showed lower species richness and evenness than the assemblage at Boraceia, probably due to differences in climate, vegetation and size of the forest fragment in which the reserves are situated. Nevertheless, our results emphasize the importance of the Serra do Japi Biological Reserve for the fauna of Lepidoptera of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Key Words: Atlantic Rainforest; conservation; diversity; richness; scientific collection Resumo Um estudo sobre a riqueza, abundância e composição de espécies de Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) foi realizada em um fragmento de Mata Atlântica na Reserva Biológica da Serra do Japi, Município de Jundiaí, São Paulo, Brasil. As amostragens foram feitas mensalmente, por duas noites consecutivas, de dezembro de 2011 a outubro de 2012, totalizando 264 horas de esforço amos- tral. As mariposas foram atraídas por armadilha luminosa. Nossos resultados foram comparados com dados de uma amostra- gem de Sphingidae realizada em outro fragmento de Mata Atlântica, a Estação Biológica de Boraceia, Salesópolis, São Paulo. Estimadores de riqueza, curvas de rarefação e diagramas de rank-abundância foram utilizados para a descrição da comunidade amostrada neste estudo e para comparações com os dados de Boraceia. Foram coletados 462 espécimes, distribuídos em 3 subfamílias, 5 tribos, 18 gêneros e 39 espécies. Callionima parce (Fabricius) foi a espécie mais abundante, representando 33% dos indivíduos. Orecta lycidas (Boisduval), uma espécie pouco amostrada na Mata Atlântica, foi registrada pela primeira vez na Serra do Japi. A comunidade estudada apresentou riqueza de espécies e equabilidade inferiores às de Boraceia, provavel- mente devido a diferenças de clima, vegetação e tamanho do fragmento florestal em que as reservas estão situadas. Ainda assim, nossos resultados enfatizam a importância da Reserva Biológica da Serra do Japi para a fauna de Lepidoptera da Mata Atlântica. Palavras-Chave: Mata Atlântica; conservação; diversidade; riqueza; coleção científica The moths of the family Sphingidae, usually known as hawkmoths, are have been evaluated as indicators of anthropogenic disturbance (Schulze important pollinators and a main component in the dynamic equilibrium & Fiedler 2003; Beck et al. 2006), the results were somewhat inconclusive, of many ecosystems (Haber & Frankie 1989; Bawa 1990). Many species and they are apparently not widely used for this purpose. have high population densities and breed continuously throughout the With more than 1,400 described species (van Nieukerken et al. year (Kitching & Cadiou 2000), and can be easily collected and identified, 2011), the hawkmoths have a worldwide distribution, but their great- making them potential models in diversity studies (e.g., Léon-Cortés et est diversity is found in the tropics (Kitching & Cadiou 2000). The al. 1998) and indicators in biodiversity monitoring. Although hawkmoths family is represented by 230 species in Brazil (Martin et al. 2011). 1Universidade Paulista, Avenida Marquês de São Vicente, 3001, Água Branca, 05036-040 São Paulo, SP, Brazil 2Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo. Rua do Matão, travessa 14, número 321, Butantã, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil 3Programa de Pós-Graduação em Sistemática, Taxonomia Animal e Biodiversidade, Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, 481, Ipiranga, 04263-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil *Corresponding author; E-mail: [email protected] 342 2015 — Florida Entomologist — Volume 98, No. 1 Vieira et al.: Crepuscular and nocturnal hawkmoths (Sphingidae) 343 Sphingids are primarily defined by their medium to large size; fili- form antennae that may be clavate or pectinate, usually ending in a pronounced apical hook; and thick body with long narrow forewings (Tuttle 2007). Many species have an extremely elongated proboscis, occasionally exceeding the length of the body (Krenn 2010). Many species have nocturnal or crepuscular habits, though some are ex- clusively diurnal. When in flight, the hawkmoths are among the fast- est insects, and some species are long-distance migrants (Lemaire & Minet 1998). The sphingofaunas of several localities in the southeastern Bra- zilian Atlantic Rainforest have been investigated, in the states of São Paulo (Coelho et al. 1979; Duarte et al. 2008), Minas Gerais (Ferreira et al. 1986), Rio de Janeiro (Zikán & Zikán 1968; Martin et al. 2011) and Espírito Santo (Brown & Freitas 2000). Most of these studies are com- pilations of data obtained from the work of various collectors during several years of sampling, thus resulting in high values of abundance and richness. However, the lack of a standardized sampling effort (e.g., differences in the number of hours per night with the light trap in op- eration) is a significant problem impeding the use of these studies in conservation planning. The objective of this study was to survey the richness, abundance and composition of the Sphingidae assemblage from the Serra do Japi Biological Reserve (SJBR), which is considered a priority area for preservation because it is one of the last areas of continuous forest in the state of São Paulo, containing a rich flora and fauna that remained after the colonization of the southeastern Brazil (Morellato 1992). We also present a comparison with data available from another pre- served area in the state of São Paulo, the Boraceia Biological Station (BBS) (Duarte et al. 2008). With a standardized sampling procedure, the intent of this study is to provide potentially applicable contribu- tions to the knowledge of the distribution of Sphingidae in the Atlan- tic Rainforest. Materials and Methods STUDY AREA Located in a highly urbanized region between the cities of São Fig. 1. Location of the Serra do Japi Biological Reserve. (A) Brazil with detail Paulo, Jundiaí and Campinas, the SJBR is one of the few areas of pre- showing the state of São Paulo. (B) State of São Paulo with detail of the mu- served forests in the state of São Paulo (S 23°14' W 46°56', 1,049 m nicipality of Jundiaí. (C) Municipality of Jundiaí and the Serra do Japi Biological asl) (Fig. 1). The SJBR was established by Municipal Law 3,672 on 10 Reserve. Jan 1991, covering an area of 20,712 km², with the objectives of con- serving the genetic resources of local fauna and flora and contributing to the development of scientific research. In 1994 this protected area was declared an Atlantic Rainforest Biosphere Reserve (UNESCO 1994). the collected specimens were spread using entomological pins and The data on the hawkmoth fauna of the SJBR was compared with data spreading boards, and then left to dry for 14 days under natural condi- previously collected at the BBS (S 23°39' W 45°53', 850 m asl), which is tions of temperature and humidity. situated within a broad forest fragment in the Serra do Mar of the state Collected specimens were identified with the aid of checklists of São Paulo. For information on its founding and research activities, and catalogues (D’Abrera 1986; Kitching & Cadiou 2000; Martin et see Travassos & Camargo (1958) and Duarte et al. (2008). al. 2011) and also using specimens previously identified and deposited in the Lepidoptera Collection of the MZUSP. In some cases, SAMPLING AND IDENTIFICATION however, identification was not possible by these means; the specimens were then dissected to assess the structure of the genitalia, Sampling was performed monthly, from Dec 2011 to Oct 2012, for which in Lepidoptera is a valuable source of diagnostic and dis- 2 consecutive nights, always during the new-moon phase. We used a tinctive characters between closely related species (Hall & Harvey 500-W mixed light bulb and a white 2 m x 2 m sheet to attract the 2002; Willmott 2003; Moraes & Duarte 2009). Voucher specimens moths. The light trap was supervised from 18:00 to 06:00 h, totaling 24 are deposited at MZUSP. h of sampling effort per month and a total of 264 h of sampling. Speci- mens were manually collected and killed with an injection of ammonia (10% aqueous solution) in the ventral region, between the thorax and DATA ANALYSIS the abdomen. Mean temperatures of the sampling nights per month were graphi- To facilitate the identification and to conform to the curatorial stan- cally compared with the monthly abundance and species richness of the dards of the Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP), hawkmoths. The software EstimateS, version 9.1 (Colwell 2013) was used 344 2015 — Florida Entomologist — Volume 98, No. 1 to construct a sample-based rarefaction curve (100 randomizations within any field trip. This subfamily was the only one recorded in the sam- out replacement) (Gotelli & Colwell 2001) and to apply 4 different richness ples from May and June.

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