Abstract
Herbivorous insects are the primary consumers in forest ecosystem in which the moth fauna are the representatives for their abundant families and species. The herbivorous act of the larval stage of Lepidoptera is important to forest energetic flow because of the leaves consumption by the caterpillars. The purposes of the plan are: 1. To establish the moth fauna database of Lienhuachih area, exploring the factors variations such as season, direction, altitude and vegetation that affect the moth fauna, comparing the compositions to the different collecting places in the same area or to the different areas. 2. To establish the herbivorous Lepidoptera database for the representatives of dominant tree species in different areas. 3. To study on the leaves consumption by caterpillars for estimating the effect of tree species. The plan will proceed with three stages, that are studying on the moth adults in 2009 to 2010, establishing the herbivorous database in 2011 and studying on the leaves consumption by caterpillars in 2012. The details are as below: 1. Adults studying, Light attractions are conducted to collect the moths adults, then we pin, spread, and identify the specimens, finally we key in database and analyze the moth fauna. 2. Larvae studying, Method of beating sheet is used to collect the caterpillars. We choose three dominant tree species as targets for
beating, rearing and identifying the caterpillars that falling on sheet, then establishing the host plants database. 3. Leaves consumption studying, We collect female adults to lay eggs to start this studies. Female adults are chosen by the criteria of common, widespread, different families and larger moths. We record the larval history including leaves consumption day by day to calculate how many leaves are eaten by a larva, then we use these data to estimate the total consumption.
The important working items in 2010 are as follows: 1.Light attraction for collecting adults are conducted once in a month, all research centers of TFRI are working at the same time. 2. Taking photos on the living adults while conducting light attraction. 3. Working on the specimens for at least 200 in a month, all specimens should be taken photos and given a unique number respectively. 4. Uploading photos of living adults and specimens with unique number to Flicker for identifying. 5. Key in the identified species to database. 6. Establishing the name list of moth fauna and analyzing the data The expecting results are as follows: 1. To realize the moth fauna and moth diversity in specialized area with different season, elevation, vegetation..etc. 2. To establish moth and host plants database, which could be used to explain the relationship between moths and forest
vegetations. 3. The leaves consumption studying could be used to estimate the effects that how many net leaves of forest has been consumed by caterpillars much more accurately.