A hawkmoth crossroads? Species richness, seasonality and biogeographical affinities of Sphingidae in a Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract

Aim The aim of the study was (1) to describe the biodiversity of the sphingid assemblage in a Cerrado area in the Triângulo Mineiro region, south-east of Brazil;(2) to evaluate the seasonal variations in species composition; (3) to compare the faunistic relationships between the Cerrado biome and adjacent ecosystems; and (4) to analyse the biogeographical pattern of species distribution in the Neotropical region in a historical context. Location Panga Ecological Station (PES), 30 km south of the city of Uberlândia, and other areas of the Triângulo Mineiro region, Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil.Methods Moth richness and abundance were monitored monthly at the PES . Complementary moth richness and abundance data were also collected in other areas of the Triângulo Mineiro region. All collections were made using light traps, and the hawkmoths were mounted and identified. Cluster analysis, rarefaction curves and estimators of total species richness were used to compare the Cerrado hawkmoth assemblage with assemblages derived from other surveys in the Neotropics. ResultsIn total, 61 hawkmoth species were recorded for the study region and their occurrence was markedly seasonal. The hawkmoth assemblage in the study area presented the closest similarity with rain forest areas and with a tropical dry forest area in Central America. The area shared species with both rain forest and seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) ecosystems, including supposedly endemic species previously recorded only in the latter areas. Rarefaction curves and estimators of the total number of species showed species richness to be comparable with other highly diverse forest areas in the Neotropics, such as the Brazilian Amazon and Costa Rica.Main conclusions This short-term study is the first systematic survey of hawkmoths in the Cerrado. It has recorded around 22% of the South American fauna and highlighted the high species richness of the region, which compares favourably with that in other rain forest ecosystems. The survey indicates high regional diversity, and has shown that the Cerrado harbours a hawkmoth fauna comprising both rain forest elements, probably distributed along humid gallery forest corridors, and SDTF elements, supporting the idea of a historical Pleistocene arc connecting the Caatinga domain and other seasonal dry forest areas across the Cerrado region.

Armament Imbalances: Match and Mismatch in Plant-Pollinator Traits of Highly Specialized Long-Spurred Orchids

“…It is known that insects of this group are prone to fluctuations in their abundance due to changes in climatic conditions, as well as resource availability for their larvae [31], [52]-[54]. It is possible, therefore, that selection on spur length in these orchids may have operated in a period in which hawkmoths with long proboscises were more abundant.…”

Beyond neutral and forbidden links: morphological matches and the assembly of mutualistic hawkmoth–plant networks

“…For general details of the moth collecting method, see Amorim, Wyatt & Sazima () for AF, Amorim et al . () for CE and Moré () for CE, CY1 and CY2 communities. Hawkmoths are present throughout the year in the Brazilian communities (see Amorim et al .…”

“…Hawkmoths are present throughout the year in the Brazilian communities (see Amorim et al . ; Amorim, Wyatt & Sazima ) while in Argentina they show a marked seasonality flying mostly from October to March (Moré ). Thus, we sampled monthly in AF and CE and during spring and summer in CY1, CY2 and CM communities.…”

Small sample, substantial contribution: additions to the Honduran hawkmoth (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) fauna based on collections from a mountainous protected area (Cusuco National Park)

“…Their charismatic and conspicuous habitus, the substantial amount of information available and their importance as pollinators of many plants (see Young 1972;Haber and Frankie 1989;Darrault and Schlindwein 2002) make sphingids prime focal species in biodiversity surveys and monitoring efforts (e.g. Owen 1972; Motta et al 1998;Darrault and Schlindwein 2002;Duarte and Schlindwein 2008;Amorim et al 2009). They have featured as target organisms in ecological research (e.g.…”