Diversity profiles of moths in relation to island characteristics in two archipelagos of the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

Diversity profiles of macromoth faunas in relation to island characteristics were studied at eight islets offshore Sardinia (one of the main Mediterranean islands) belonging to two distinct archipelagos which are included in two protected areas: Arcipelago di La Maddalena National Park and Marine Protected Area Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo. Night-flying macrolepidoptera were sampled using light traps with fluorescent tube, and their abundances per islet analysed through a suite of statistical tools. Overall, a total of 189 species were recorded across the various islands: 82 Noctuidae, 27 Erebidae, 1 Euteliidae, 2 Nolidae, 71 Geometridae, 5 Sphingidae and 1 Drepanidae. Neither area nor distance from Sardinia influenced the diversity profiles on each island, whereas a species–area relationship was clearly observed. Diversity profiles were comparable across islands, with Figarolo showing the highest evenness and Caprera the lowest one. Also, dominance, Simpson’s, Shannon’s and Chao’s estimates were not correlated with island area or distance from Sardinia. Management implications for the studied insular moth communities and habitats are provided.