Moths and butterflies are part of a larger species group called Lepidoptera. The only differences between the two are morphological, though very small. It is quite easy to spot the differences between a butterfly and a moth, and they are also different cultural symbols as well; moths are usually seen as smaller pests known to feed on cloth in our homes whilst we admire butterflies for their wonderful color and larger size. However, the species within the Lepidoptera taxon group are quite variable—ranging from color, wingspan, size, eating habits, habitat, adaptability, life cycle length, and more.
What I was most interested in studying was how a changing urban surrounding, which in this study is New York City, impacts diet and feeding behaviors amongst Lepidopteran species. What I hoped to gain from this study was an idea about how survival mechanisms manifest in feeding behavior and diet in the face of environmental change and threat of extinction. In this study, I looked through 45 species of Lepidopterans collected in the Thain Family Forest, a natural reserve and the only uncut first-growth timber in the Metropolitan area.
Many species of the Lepidoptera taxon group play critical roles in the larger environment and the economy as well: they include pests, invasive species, pollinators, and also hold commercial importance in the production of silk. Since Lepidopterans play such a crucial role in the economy and in the environment on a larger scale, investigating their behaviors is beneficial to understand their impact further.
http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/seminar3posters/files/gravity_forms/1-f14ea90e75361cb91bd42582a860ee01/2014/12/Lepidoptera-Poster-Draft-1.pdf
Destiny Berisha
Lotti, Henkle
College of Staten Island
butterflies, nature, singularity
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