Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Natal Origin and Feeding Habits of the Army Cutworm Moth, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Abstract The army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grote), is a migratory noctuid that is both an agricultural pest and an important late-season food source for grizzly bears, Ursus arctos horribilis (Linnaeus, Carnivora: Ursidae), within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Beyond the confirmation of the m...
Published in: | Environmental Entomology |
---|---|
Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
Other Authors: | , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Oxford University Press (OUP)
2023
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvad006 https://academic.oup.com/ee/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/ee/nvad006/49255703/nvad006.pdf |
id |
croxfordunivpr:10.1093/ee/nvad006 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
croxfordunivpr:10.1093/ee/nvad006 2023-05-15T17:46:44+02:00 Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Natal Origin and Feeding Habits of the Army Cutworm Moth, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Dittemore, Clare M Tyers, Daniel B Weaver, David K Nunlist, Erika A Sowell, Bok F Peterson, Erik Peterson, Robert K D Schmidt, Jason Montana Agricultural Experiment Station Montana State University University of Utah 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvad006 https://academic.oup.com/ee/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/ee/nvad006/49255703/nvad006.pdf en eng Oxford University Press (OUP) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ CC-BY-NC Environmental Entomology ISSN 0046-225X 1938-2936 Insect Science Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 2023 croxfordunivpr https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvad006 2023-02-24T11:17:58Z Abstract The army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grote), is a migratory noctuid that is both an agricultural pest and an important late-season food source for grizzly bears, Ursus arctos horribilis (Linnaeus, Carnivora: Ursidae), within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Beyond the confirmation of the moths’ seasonal, elevational migration in the mid-1900s, little else has been documented about their migratory patterns. To address this missing ecological component, we examined (1) migratory routes during their spring and fall migratory periods throughout their natal range, the Great Plains, and (2) natal origin at two of their summering ranges using stable hydrogen (δ2H) analyses of wings from samples collected within the areas of interest. Stable carbon (δ13C) and stable nitrogen (δ15N) analyses of wings were used to evaluate larval feeding habits of the migrants and agricultural intensity of natal origin sites, respectively. Results suggest that, rather than migrating exclusively east to west, army cutworm moths are also migrating north to south during their spring migration. Moths did not exhibit natal origin site fidelity when returning to the Great Plains. Migrants collected from the Absaroka Range had the highest probability of natal origin in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the most southern region of the Northwest Territories, and second highest probability of origin in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Migrants collected in the Lewis Range had the highest probability of origin in the same provinces of Canada. Results suggest that migrants of the Absaroka Range fed exclusively on C3 plants as larvae and rarely fed in heavily fertilized agroecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Territories Ursus arctos Oxford University Press (via Crossref) British Columbia ENVELOPE(-125.003,-125.003,54.000,54.000) Canada Northwest Territories Environmental Entomology |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Oxford University Press (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
croxfordunivpr |
language |
English |
topic |
Insect Science Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Insect Science Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Dittemore, Clare M Tyers, Daniel B Weaver, David K Nunlist, Erika A Sowell, Bok F Peterson, Erik Peterson, Robert K D Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Natal Origin and Feeding Habits of the Army Cutworm Moth, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) |
topic_facet |
Insect Science Ecology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Abstract The army cutworm, Euxoa auxiliaris (Grote), is a migratory noctuid that is both an agricultural pest and an important late-season food source for grizzly bears, Ursus arctos horribilis (Linnaeus, Carnivora: Ursidae), within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Beyond the confirmation of the moths’ seasonal, elevational migration in the mid-1900s, little else has been documented about their migratory patterns. To address this missing ecological component, we examined (1) migratory routes during their spring and fall migratory periods throughout their natal range, the Great Plains, and (2) natal origin at two of their summering ranges using stable hydrogen (δ2H) analyses of wings from samples collected within the areas of interest. Stable carbon (δ13C) and stable nitrogen (δ15N) analyses of wings were used to evaluate larval feeding habits of the migrants and agricultural intensity of natal origin sites, respectively. Results suggest that, rather than migrating exclusively east to west, army cutworm moths are also migrating north to south during their spring migration. Moths did not exhibit natal origin site fidelity when returning to the Great Plains. Migrants collected from the Absaroka Range had the highest probability of natal origin in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the most southern region of the Northwest Territories, and second highest probability of origin in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Migrants collected in the Lewis Range had the highest probability of origin in the same provinces of Canada. Results suggest that migrants of the Absaroka Range fed exclusively on C3 plants as larvae and rarely fed in heavily fertilized agroecosystems. |
author2 |
Schmidt, Jason Montana Agricultural Experiment Station Montana State University University of Utah |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Dittemore, Clare M Tyers, Daniel B Weaver, David K Nunlist, Erika A Sowell, Bok F Peterson, Erik Peterson, Robert K D |
author_facet |
Dittemore, Clare M Tyers, Daniel B Weaver, David K Nunlist, Erika A Sowell, Bok F Peterson, Erik Peterson, Robert K D |
author_sort |
Dittemore, Clare M |
title |
Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Natal Origin and Feeding Habits of the Army Cutworm Moth, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) |
title_short |
Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Natal Origin and Feeding Habits of the Army Cutworm Moth, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) |
title_full |
Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Natal Origin and Feeding Habits of the Army Cutworm Moth, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) |
title_fullStr |
Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Natal Origin and Feeding Habits of the Army Cutworm Moth, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Using Stable Isotopes to Determine Natal Origin and Feeding Habits of the Army Cutworm Moth, Euxoa auxiliaris (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) |
title_sort |
using stable isotopes to determine natal origin and feeding habits of the army cutworm moth, euxoa auxiliaris (lepidoptera: noctuidae) |
publisher |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvad006 https://academic.oup.com/ee/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/ee/nvad006/49255703/nvad006.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-125.003,-125.003,54.000,54.000) |
geographic |
British Columbia Canada Northwest Territories |
geographic_facet |
British Columbia Canada Northwest Territories |
genre |
Northwest Territories Ursus arctos |
genre_facet |
Northwest Territories Ursus arctos |
op_source |
Environmental Entomology ISSN 0046-225X 1938-2936 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvad006 |
container_title |
Environmental Entomology |
_version_ |
1766150564506238976 |