Moths and Mountains: Diversity, Altitude and Latitude Author Ashton, Louise Published 2013 Thesis Type Thesis (PhD Doctorate) School Griffith School of Environment DOI https://doi.org/10.25904/1912/1622 Copyright Statement The author owns the copyright in this thesis, unless stated otherwise. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365540 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au Moths and Mountains: Diversity, Altitude and Latitude Louise Ashton BSc (Hons) Griffith School of Environment Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology Griffith University Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy February 2013 Synopsis Louise A. Ashton Moths and mountains: diversity, altitude and latitude Moth assemblages have been widely used to examine patterns of beta-diversity in forest ecosystems. This thesis aims to expand and test the generality of results obtained as part of the IBISCA-Queensland Project (Investigating Biodiversity of Soil and Canopy Arthropods-Qld) which examined patterns of diversity in a large sub-set of night-flying moths along an altitudinal gradient in subtropical rainforest. The permanent IBISCA-Qld transect, located in Lamington National Park (NP), in south-east Queensland, Australia, spans altitudes from 300 to 1100 meters above sea level (m a.s.l.) within continuous rainforest. Along this transect, moth assemblages showed strong altitudinal stratification. A number of species were restricted to the Nothofagus moorei dominated cloud forest around 1100m a.s.l., and may be the most threatened by climatic change. The IBISCA-Qld Project produced a set of moth species that could be included within a predictor set of taxa that may be useful for future monitoring of the impact of global warming on forest biodiversity. The IBISCA-Qld study was predicated on the idea that a range of adjacent climates along a single altitudinal gradient can be taken as a surrogate for larger scale climatic changes which occur along latitudinal gradients. This thesis expands on the IBISCA-Qld Project by establishing a latitudinal network of analogous altitudinal transects, in Australia and south-west China (tropical, subtropical and sub-alpine temperate forests), allowing inter-continental comparisons on the generality of altitudinal patterns of diversity. ii The aims of this PhD research are to: (1) Assess the richness and assemblage structure of moths along a series of altitudinal gradients within rainforest, along the east coast of Australia and south-west China, (2) examine the differences in assemblage turnover at different taxonomic resolutions across altitude and latitude, (3) identify which species are most important in driving altitudinal and latitudinal changes in assemblage structure and which may be useful as indicator species for climate change monitoring, (4) investigate the degree to which moth fauna are vertically stratified, across altitude and latitude. Lepidoptera were sampled along altitudinal gradients at, Mt Lewis NP (tropical) and Border Ranges NP (sub- tropical) in Australia, and in Mengla (tropical), Ailao Shan (sub-tropical) and Lijiang (temperate) sites in Yunnan Provence, China. In total, 118 035 individual moths were collected and identified as part of this research. Here, I present the results in a series of papers, each focusing on different aspects of the diversity and distribution of this key group of insect herbivores. iii STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY I certify that this thesis is my original work and has not previously been submitted for a degree or diploma in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the thesis contains no material previously published or written by another person except where due reference is made in the thesis itself. __________________________________________ Louise Ashton iv Table of contents Synopsis .................................................................................................................... ii List of figures .......................................................................................................... vii List of tables .............................................................................................................. x List of appendices ................................................................................................... xii Colour plates .......................................................................................................... xii Acknowledgments ................................................................................................... xv Preface ................................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................... 1 Aims of research .............................................................................................. 5 Structure of thesis ........................................................................................... 6 References ....................................................................................................... 8 Chapter 2 Introduction ............................................................................................ 10 References ..................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 3 Altitudinal patterns of moth diversity in tropical and subtropical Australia ........................................................................................................ 56 Abstract ......................................................................................................... 57 Introduction .................................................................................................. 58 Methods ......................................................................................................... 62 Results ........................................................................................................... 77 Discussion ..................................................................................................... 93 References .................................................................................................... 103 Chapter 3 Appendix ...................................................................................... 114 Chapter 4 Rainforest moths and altitude: family to family differences in subtropical rainforests ................................................................................. 122 Abstract ........................................................................................................ 123 Introduction ................................................................................................. 124 Methods ........................................................................................................ 126 Results .......................................................................................................... 134 Discussion .................................................................................................... 144 References .................................................................................................... 151 Chapter 4 Appendix ...................................................................................... 157 v Chapter 5 Vertical stratification of rainforest moths across altitudes, latitudes and continents .......................................................................... 162 Abstract ........................................................................................................ 163 Introduction ................................................................................................ 164 Methods ....................................................................................................... 168 Results .......................................................................................................... 173 Discussion .................................................................................................... 182 References ................................................................................................... 189 Chapter 5 Appendix ...................................................................................... 197 Chapter 6 Climate change monitoring in a beta diversity ‘hot spot’: a predictor set of altitudinally restricted moth species in tropical, sub- tropical and sub-alpine ecosystem in south-west China ......................... 209 Abstract ........................................................................................................210 Introduction ................................................................................................. 211 Methods ........................................................................................................ 215 Results ..........................................................................................................223 Discussion .................................................................................................... 231 References .................................................................................................... 235 Chapter 6 Appendix ..................................................................................... 241 Chapter 7 Synthesis 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