Fauna of the geometrid moth (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) of Askold Island 150 years later: historical analysis

Abstract

The results of research of the geometrid moth (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) of Askold Island (Peter the Great Gulf, Russian Far East) carried out for the first time after about a 150-year break are presented. A review of the fauna is made on the basis of personal materials and revised literature data. A comparative analysis of the old and new lists revealed a low level of their intersection, which can be explained by the instability of island populations of geometrid moths as a result of episodic sharp increases in the number of sika deer (Cervus nippon Temminck, 1838), leading to significant damage to the vegetation cover of the island. An estimate of the average rate of moth immigration to Askold Island from continental land over 150 years is proposed.