Macro-moth (Lepidoptera) Diversity of a Newly Shaped Ecological Corridor and the Surrounding Forest Area in the Western Italian Alps

Irene Piccini, Marta Depetris*, Federica Paradiso, Francesca Cochis, Michela Audisio, Patrick Artioli, Stefania Smargiassi, Marco Bonifacino, Davide Giuliano, Sara La Cava, Giuseppe Rijllo, Simona Bonelli, Stefano Scalercio, Sabrina Lo Brutto (Editor)

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
50 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

In addition to the compilation of biodiversity inventories, checklists, especially if combined with abundance data, are important tools to understand species distribution, habitat use, and community composition over time. Their importance is even higher when ecological indicator taxa are considered, as in the case of moths. In this work, we investigated macro-moth diversity in a forest area (30 ha) in the Western Italian Alps, recently subjected to intense management activities. Indeed, an ecological corridor, which includes 10 clearings, has been shaped thanks to forest compensation related to the construction site of the Turin–Lyon High-Speed Railway. Here, we identified 17 patches (9 clearings and 8 forests), and we conducted moth surveys using UV–LED light traps. A total of 15,614 individuals belonging to 442 species were collected in 2020 and 2021. Two and fifteen species are new records for Piedmont and for Susa Valley, respectively. In addition to the faunistic interest of the data, this study—using a standardized method—provides geo-referenced occurrences, species-richness, and abundance values useful to compile a baseline dataset for future comparisons. Indeed, the replicable and easy shareable method allows us to make comparisons with other research and thus assess the impact of environmental changes.
Original languageEnglish
Article number95
Pages (from-to)1-10
Number of pages10
JournalDiversity
Volume15
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Jan 2023

Keywords

  • abundance
  • clearing
  • diversity indexes
  • geo-referenced occurrences
  • Heterocera
  • Lepidoptera
  • species richness
  • Susa valley

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