Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Diverse population trajectories among coexisting species of subarctic forest moths

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Population Ecology

Abstract

Records of 232 moth species spanning 26 years (total catch of ca. 230,000 specimens), obtained by continuous light-trapping in Kevo, northernmost subarctic Finland, were used to examine the hypothesis that life-history traits and taxonomic position contribute to both relative abundance and temporal variability of Lepidoptera. Species with detritophagous or moss-feeding larvae, species hibernating in the larval stage, and species pupating during the first half of the growing season were over-represented among 42 species classified as abundant during the entire sampling period. The coefficients of variation in annual catches of species hibernating as eggs averaged 1.7 times higher than those of species hibernating as larvae or pupae. Time-series analysis demonstrated that periodicity in fluctuations of annual catches is generally independent of life-history traits and taxonomic affinities of the species. Moreover, closely related species with similar life-history traits often show different population dynamics, undermining the phylogenetic constraints hypothesis. Species with the shortest (1 year) time lag in the action of negative feedback processes on population growth exhibit the largest magnitude of fluctuations. Our analyses revealed that only a few consistent patterns in the population dynamics of herbivorous moths can be deduced from life-history characteristics of the species. Moreover, the diversity of population behaviour in one moth assemblage challenges any conventional wisdom suggesting predictable patterns. Our results raise several questions about perceptions and paradigms in insect population dynamics and stress the need for research on detritivorous insect population dynamics, as well as the need for more assemblage-wide studies using common trapping methods to provide comparative data on related and unrelated species with different life-history traits.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Although light-trapping has continued until recently, delays in specimen identification have restricted the current analysis to data from the first 26 years.

References

  • Andrewarth HG, Birch LC (1954) The distribution and abundance of animals. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

  • Ariño A, Pimm LS (1995) On the nature of population extremes. Evol Ecol 9:429–443

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berryman AA (1987) The theory and classification of outbreaks. In: Barbosa P, Schultz JC (eds) Insect outbreaks. Academic, San Diego, pp 3–30

    Google Scholar 

  • Berryman AA (1994) Population dynamics: forecasting and diagnosis from time series. In: Leather SR, Watt AD, Mills NJ, Walters KFA (eds) Individuals populations and patterns in ecology. Intercept, Andover, pp 119–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Bylund H, Tenow O (1994) Long-term dynamics of leaf miners Erocrania spp., on mountain birch: alternate year fluctuations and interaction with Epirrita autumnata. Ecol Entomol 19:310–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chitty D (1960) Population processes in the vole and their relevance to general theory. Can J Zool 38:99–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dennis B, Taper ML (1994) Density dependence in time series observations of natural populations: estimation and testing. Ecol Monogr 64:205–224

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eber S, Smith HP, Didham RK, Cornell HV (2001) Holly leaf-miners on two continents: what makes an outbreak species? Ecol Entomol 26:124–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faeth SH (1987) Community structure and folivorous insect outbreaks: the roles of vertical and horizontal interactions. In: Barbosa P, Schultz JC (eds) Insect outbreaks. Academic, San Diego, pp 135–171

    Google Scholar 

  • Forchhammer MC, Stenseth NC, Post E, Langvatn R (1998) Population dynamics of Norwegian red deer: density-dependence and climatic variation. Proc R Soc B 265:341–350

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Freville H, McConway K, Dodd M, Silvertown J (2007) Prediction of extinction in plants: interaction of extrinsic threats and life history traits. Ecology 88:2662–2672

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ (1988) Patterns in the local and regional dynamics of moth populations. Oikos 53:49–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaston KJ, McArdle BH (1994) The temporal variability of animal abundances: measures, methods and patterns. Philos Trans R Soc B Biol Sci 345:335–358

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ginzburg LR, Taneyhill DE (1994) Population cycles of forest Lepidoptera: a maternal effect hypothesis. J Anim Ecol 63:79–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E (2005) Plant defenses and population fluctuations of forest defoliators: mechanism-based scenarios. Ann Zool Fenn 42:313–325

    Google Scholar 

  • Haukioja E, Niemelä P, Iso-Iivari L, Ojala H, Aro E-M (1978) Birch leaves as a resource for herbivores. I. Variation in the suitability of leaves. Rep Kevo Subarctic Res Stn 14:5–12

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter AF (1991) Traits that distinguish outbreaking and nonoutbreaking Macrolepidoptera feeding on northern hardwood trees. Oikos 60:275–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter AF (1995a) Ecology, life history, and phylogeny of outbreak and nonoutbreak species. In: Cappuccino N, Price PW (eds) Population dynamics: new approaches and synthesis. Academic, London, pp 41–64

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunter AF (1995b) The ecology and evolution of reduced wings in forest macrolepidoptera. Evol Ecol 9:275–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter MD (1998) Interactions between Operophtera brumata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and Tortix viridana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) on oak: new evidence from time-series analysis. Ecol Entomol 23:168–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter MD (2001) Multiple approaches to estimating the relative importance of top-down and bottom-up forces on insect populations: experiments, life tables, and time-series analysis. Basic Appl Ecol 2:295–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter MD, Price PW (1998) Cycles in insect populations: delayed density dependence or exogenous driving variables? Ecol Entomol 23:216–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter MD, Varley GC, Gradwell GR (1997) Estimating the relative roles of top-down and bottom-up forces on insect herbivore populations: a classic study re-visited. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94:9176–9181

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Inkinen P (1994) Distribution and abundance in British noctuid moths revisited. Ann Zool Fenn 31:235–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Jalas I (1960) Eine leichtgebaute, leichttransportable Lichtreuse zum Fangen von Schmetterlingen. Ann Entomol Fenn 26:44–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Kallio P (1975) Kevo, Finland. Ecol Bull 20:193–223

    Google Scholar 

  • Kallio P, Laine U, Mäkinen Y (1969) Vascular flora of Inari Lapland. 1. Introduction and Lycopodiaceae–Polypodiaceae. Rep Kevo Subarctic Res Stn 5:1–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Karvonen J, Laasonen EM, Aalto A, Kerppola S, Karvonen EV (1979) Lepidoptera species new to Finland, caught with continuous light trapping. Not Entomol 59:153–158

    Google Scholar 

  • Kremen C (1992) Assessing the indicator properties of species assemblages for natural areas monitoring. Ecol Appl 2:203–217

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kristensen NP, Skalski AW (1998) Palaeontology and phylogeny. Lepidoptera: moths and butterflies 1. In: Kristensen NP (ed) Handbuch der Zoologie/Handbook of zoology, vol IV/35. NP Walter de Gruyter, Berlin, pp 7–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Kullberg J, Albrecht A, Kaila L, Varis V (2002) Checklist of Finnish Lepidoptera—Suomen perhosten luettelo. Sahlbergia 6:45–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunin WE, Gaston KJ (1993) The biology of rarity: patterns, causes, and consequences. Trends Ecol Evol 8:298–301

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lack D (1954) The natural regulation of animal numbers. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Lawton JH, Gaston KJ (1989) Temporal patterns in the herbivorous insects on bracken: a test of community predictability. J Anim Ecol 58:1021–1034

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindström J, Kaila L, Niemelä P (1994) Polyphagy and adult body size in geometrid moths. Oecologia 98:130–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Linnaluoto ET, Koponen S (1980) Lepidoptera of Utsjoki, northernmost Finland. Kevo Notes 5:1–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Lokki J, Malmström K, Suomalainen E (1978) Migration of Vanessa cardui and Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera) to Spitsbergen in the summer 1978. Not Entomol 58:121–123

    Google Scholar 

  • MacArthur RH (1955) Fluctuations of animal populations and a measure of community stability. Ecology 36:533–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martel J, Kause A (2002) The phenological window of opportunity for early-season birch sawflies. Ecol Entomol 27:302–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason RR (1987) Nonoutbreak species of forest Lepidoptera. In: Barbosa P, Schultz JC (eds) Insect outbreaks. Academic, San Diego, pp 31–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Murakami M, Yoshida K, Hara H, Toda MJ (2005) Spatio-temporal variation in Lepidopteran larval assemblages associated with oak, Quercus crispula: the importance of leaf quality. Ecol Entomol 30:521–531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myers JH (1988) Can a general hypothesis explain population cycles of forest Lepidoptera? Adv Ecol Res 18:179–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • New TR (1997) Are Lepidoptera an effective ‘umbrella group’ for biodiversity conservation? J Insect Conserv 1:5–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Niemelä P, Hanhimäki S, Mannila R (1981) The relationship of adult size in noctuid moths (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) to breadth of diet and growth form of host plants. Ann Entomol Fenn 47:17–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Pollard E, Lakhani KH, Rothery P (1987) The detection of density-dependence from a series of annual censuses. Ecology 68:2046–2055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Price PW (1990) Insect herbivore population dynamics: is a new paradigm available? Symp Biol Hung 39:177–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Price PW (1994) Phylogenetic constraints, adaptive syndromes, and emergent properties: from individuals to population dynamics. Res Popul Ecol 36:3–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Price PW (1997) Insect ecology, 3rd edn. Wiley, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Price PW (2003) Macroevolutionary theory on macroecological patterns. Cambridge Univ Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Price PW, Hunter MD (2005) Long-term population dynamics of a sawfly show strong bottom-up effects. J Anim Ecol 74:917–925

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Price PW, Cobb N, Craig TP, Fernandes GW, Itami JK, Mopper S, Preszler RW (1990) Insect herbivore population dynamics on trees and shrubs: new approaches relevant to latent and eruptive species and life table development. In: Bernays EA (ed) Insect-plant interactions, vol 2. CRC, Boca Raton, pp 1–38

    Google Scholar 

  • Redfearn A, Pimm LS (1988) Population variability and polyphagy in herbivorous insect communities. Ecol Monogr 58:39–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Redfern M, Hunter MD (2005) Time tells: long-term patterns in the population dynamics of the yew gall midge, Taxomyia taxi (Cecidomyiidae), over 35 years. Ecol Entomol 30:86–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rejmanek M, Spitzer K (1982) Bionomic strategies and long-term fluctuations in abundance of Noctuidae (Lepidoptera). Acta Entomol Bohemoslov 79:81–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Rossiter MC (1994) Maternal effects hypothesis of herbivore outbreak. Bioscience 44:752–763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Royama T (1992) Analytical population dynamics. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruohomäki K, Tanhuanpää M, Ayres MP, Kaitaniemi P, Tammaru T, Haukioja E (2000) Causes of cyclicity of Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera, Geometridae): grandiose theory and tedious practice. Popul Ecol 42:211–223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • SAS Institute (2009) SAS version 9.2 for Windows. SAS Institute, Cary

    Google Scholar 

  • Seppälä M, Rastas J (1980) Vegetation map of northernmost Finland with special reference to subarctic forest limits and natural hazards. Fennia 158:41–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Slansky F, Rodriguez JG (1987) Nutritional ecology of insects, mites, spiders and related invertebrates. Wiley, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Southwood TRE (1977) Habitat, the templet for ecological strategies? J Anim Ecol 46:337–365

    Google Scholar 

  • Spitzer K, Rejmanek M, Soldan T (1984) The fecundity and long-term variability in abundance of noctuid moths (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae). Oecologia 62:91–93

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stenseth NC, Bjornstad ON, Falck W (1996) Is spacing behaviour coupled with predation causing the microtine density cycle? A synthesis of current process-oriented and pattern-oriented studies. Proc R Soc B 263:1423–1435

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stiling P (1988) Density-dependent processes and key factors in insect populations. J Anim Ecol 57:581–594

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tammaru T, Haukioja E (1996) Capital breeders and income breeders among Lepidoptera—consequences to population dynamics. Oikos 77:561–564

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tammaru T, Kaitaniemi P, Ruohomäki K (1995) Oviposition choices of Epirrita autumnata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in relation to its eruptive population dynamics. Oikos 74:296–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tenow O (1972) The outbreaks of Oporinia autumnata Bkh. and Operophthera spp. (Lep., Geometridae) in the Scandinavian mountain chain and northern Finland 1862–1968 (PhD thesis). Zoologiska Bidrag från Uppsala (Suppl 2):1–107

  • Turchin P (1990) Rarity of density dependence or regulation with lags? Nature 344:660–663

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Emden HF, Way MJ (1972) Host plants in the population dynamics of insects. In: van Emden HF (ed) Insect/plant relationships. Blackwell, Oxford, pp 181–199

    Google Scholar 

  • Voipio P (1950) Evolution at the population level with special reference to the game animals and practical game management. Pap Game Res 5:1–176

    Google Scholar 

  • Wasserman SS, Mitter C (1978) The relationship of body size to breadth of diet in some Lepidoptera. Ecol Entomol 3:155–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watt KEF (1964) Comments on fluctuations of animal populations and measures of community stability. Can Entomol 96:1434–1442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams DW, Liebhold AM (1995) Detection of delayed density dependence: effects of autocorrelation in an exogenous factor. Ecology 76:1005–1008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolda H, Marek J, Spitzer K, Is Novak (1994) Diversity and variability of Lepidoptera populations in urban Brno, Czech Republic. Eur J Entomol 91:213–226

    Google Scholar 

  • Zvereva EL, Kozlov MV (2006) Top-down effects on population dynamics of Eriocrania miners (Lepidoptera) under pollution impact: does enemy-free space exist? Oikos 115:413–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zvereva EL, Kozlov MV, Kruglova OY (2002) Colour polymorphism in relation to population dynamics of the leaf beetle, Chrysomela lapponica. Evol Ecol 16:523–539

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Many individuals contributed to the creation of the data set used in this publication (+ denotes deceased). We warmly thank the station heads (+P. Kallio, E. Haukioja and S. Neuvonen) and staff of the Kevo Subarctic Research Institute for study facilities and generous help in the work. L. Iso-Iivari was primarily responsible for trap maintenance and sampling of the material. Many persons participated in sorting the material; E. Zvereva who sorted samples from 1985 to 1994, is specially acknowledged. Responsibility for determination of moths sampled during 1971–1982 was taken by +E. T. Linnaluoto; later samples were mostly determined by M. Kozlov. Our thanks to +J. Jalava, L. Kaila, +J. Kyrki, K. Mikkola, K. Ruohomäki, L. Sippola, T. Tammaru and many other specialists who helped us with identification and shared with us biological data not generally available through publications. E. Zvereva, +E. Ranta, T. Tammaru, M. Ayres and two anonymous reviewers provided valuable comments on an earlier draft of the manuscript. Financial support was provided by the Academy of Finland (projects no. 1071299, 2228, 122133 and Centre of Excellence for Forest Ecology and Management project 64308), and the EU BALANCE project carried out under contract EVK2-2002-00169.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Ecology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Mikhail V. Kozlov

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA

    Mark D. Hunter

  3. School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-1048, USA

    Mark D. Hunter

  4. Zoological Museum, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Seppo Koponen

  5. Faculty of Forest Sciences, University of Joensuu, 80101, Joensuu, Finland

    Jari Kouki

  6. Section of Biodiversity and Environmental Science, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland

    Pekka Niemelä

  7. Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011-5640, USA

    Peter W. Price

Authors
  1. Mikhail V. Kozlov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark D. Hunter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seppo Koponen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jari Kouki
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Pekka Niemelä
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Peter W. Price
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mikhail V. Kozlov.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kozlov, M.V., Hunter, M.D., Koponen, S. et al. Diverse population trajectories among coexisting species of subarctic forest moths. Popul Ecol 52, 295–305 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-009-0183-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-009-0183-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation