Download NYNHP Conservation Guide for Coastal Barrens Buckmoth

Coastal Barrens
Buckmoth
Hemileuca maia
Scientific Name
Hemileuca maia ssp. 5
Family Name
Saturniidae
Giant Silkworm and Royal
Moths
Did you know?
The name "buck moth" was given to this moth by
American outdoorsmen who associated its flight
season in October with deer hunting season
(Cryan 1985).
Photo credits: Jim Vargo
Summary
Protection Species of Special Concern in New York State, not listed federally.
This level of state protection means: A native species at risk of becoming Threatened; does
not qualify as Endangered or Threatened, but have been determined to require some
measure of protection or attention to ensure that the species does not become threatened.
NYSDEC may regulate the taking, importation, transportation, or possession of any
Species of Special Concern as it deems necessary.
Rarity G5T3, S2
A global rarity rank of G5T3 means: Vulnerable globally - The subspecies/variety is at
moderate risk of extinction due to rarity or other factors; typically 80 or fewer populations or
locations in the world, few individuals, restricted range, few remaining acres (or miles of
stream), and/or recent and widespread declines. (The species as a whole is common
globally.)
A state rarity rank of S2 means: Typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals,
acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably make it very vulnerable in New York
State.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Coastal Barrens Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia ssp. 5)
Conservation Status in New York
Within New York State, 18 populations of the Coastal Barrens Buckmoth are known to
occur on Long Island. The subspecies is probably restricted to southeastern
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Long Island, New York (NatureServe 2010).
Short-term Trends
The presence of the Coastal Barrens Buckmoth over multiple years at most of the 18
documented populations in New York State indicates that the population is stable, viable,
and reproducing.
Long-term Trends
The long-term trend for the Coastal Barrens Buckmoth in New York State is unknown (New
York State Department of Environmental Conservation 2005), but on Long Island four
populations are known to have become extirpated due to habitat loss from development,
indicating the moth has probably declined from historical numbers.
Conservation and Management
Threats
Threats include destruction of habitat due to development and fire suppression, which may
become a problem after several decades (NatureServe 2010). Insecticide spraying might
also be a threat. In addition, the Coastal Barrens Buckmoth was assessed to be
moderately vulnerable to climate change, meaning that its abundance and/or range extent
within its current geographical area in New York State is likely to decrease by 2050 as a
result of climate change. Factors that may increase its vulnerability to climate change
include its physiological thermal niche, physiological hydrological niche, physical habitat,
and diet (Schlesinger et al. 2011).
Conservation Strategies and Management Practices
Maintaining habitat is the main management need. Periodic controlled burns or mechanical
removal of vegetation are needed to maintain most of the natural communities that the
Coastal Barrens Buckmoth inhabits. It is good practice to not burn entire habitats at once.
Habitats should be burned in patches, always with some unburned areas left as refugia for
species (Wagner et al. 2003). However, it is possible that the Coastal Barrens Buckmoth
maintains a reserve of diapausing (dormant) pupae in the soil, enabling populations to
survive fires (NatureServe 2010).
Research Needs
Additional inventory and monitoring is needed, particularly at the few unchecked potential
sites, mostly scattered barrens remnants on Long Island. The Coastal Barrens Buckmoth
flies during the day and can be captured by netting with butterfly nets. In addition, males
can be attracted to bait from caged females, larvae can be easily observed on scrub oak
(Quercus ilicifolia) and other shrubby vegetation, and eggs can be observed on twigs of
scrub oak and other shrubby vegetation from the fall until the spring.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Coastal Barrens Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia ssp. 5)
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Habitat
The Coastal Barrens Buckmoth is restricted to pitch pine-scrub oak barrens, including the Long
Island Dwarf Pine Plains, on deep dry sands. It is also found on portions of the Nantucket
heathlands with a lot of scrub oak. It is tolerant of either sparse canopy or no canopy (NatureServe
2010).
Associated Ecological Communities
Dwarf Pine Plains
A woodland community dominated by dwarf individuals of pitch pine and scrub oak that
occurs on nearly level outwash sand and gravel plains in eastern Long Island. The soils are
infertile, coarse textured sands that are excessively well-drained.
Pitch Pine-oak-heath Woodland
A pine barrens community that occurs on well-drained, infertile, sandy soils. The structure
of this community is intermediate between a shrub-savanna and a woodland. Pitch pine
and white oak are the most abundant trees.
Pitch Pine-scrub Oak Barrens
A shrub-savanna community that occurs on well-drained, sandy soils that have developed
on sand dunes, glacial till, and outwash plains.
Identification Comments
Identifying Characteristics
Buckmoths of the species Hemileuca maia in general have a wingspan of 50-75 mm, and
black forewings and hind wings, with white semi-translucent bands in the middle. The
reniform spot on the forewing has a black border, and it touches the black basal patch.
Males have a red-tipped abdomen, and females have a black-tipped abdomen (Covell
1984). The Coastal Barrens Buckmoth subspecies is distinguished by its small size, narrow
habitat restriction, and especially by the extensive bright yellow pattern on late-instar larvae
that includes a well-defined lateral band in almost all individuals on Long Island. Larvae are
otherwise usually black and have branching spines along their back that can sting (Tuskes
et al. 1996). The adults are somewhat thinly scaled (NatureServe 2010).
Behavior
Contrary to most moths that fly at night, Coastal Barrens Buckmoths fly during the day. On
Long Island, they fly on sunny days in October. The moths emerge in the morning, with
males emerging earlier than females. Mating usually takes place in the early afternoon, and
females oviposit in the late afternoon. Females lay eggs in clustered rings, usually around
twigs of scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia), or sometimes other species of shrubby oaks.
Females lay 1-3 egg ring clusters, with each cluster containing 50-250 eggs (Tuskes et al.
1996). The eggs overwinter and are coated with a waxy substance to prevent them from
desiccating. In addition, the larvae inside are protected from the cold by a kind of natural
antifreeze (Cryan 1985). The eggs hatch in the spring, and early-instar larvae feed together
in groups in June and July. The small black larvae have many spines that inflict a painful
sting when touched, which provides them protection from many predators but does not
protect them from some parasites. By July, late-instar larvae scatter and become more
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Coastal Barrens Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia ssp. 5)
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solitary. At this stage, they may be found on plants other than oak. In late July or early
August, larvae go a few cm below the soil surface, or between the soil surface and the leaf
litter, where they transform into pupae and lie dormant until emerging as adult moths in the
fall (Cryan 1985; Tuskes et al. 1996; Nelson 2007).
Diet
The larva of the Coastal Barrens Buckmoth is virtually restricted to scrub oak (Quercus
ilicifolia) as its primary foodplant. A single report of oviposition on wild black cherry (Prunus
serotina) is known. Like other subspecies of Hemileuca maia, larvae will readily eat most
other oaks, willows, aspens, and P. serotina. In nature, older larvae do disperse and use
willows, P. serotina, and other oaks occasionally if they encounter them. Young larvae eat
new spring leaves, and older larvae eat mature leaves. Adult moths do not feed
(NatureServe 2010).
The Best Time to See
On Long Island, New York, Coastal Barrens Buckmoth larvae can be seen from May until
July, and adults can be seen during their flight period in October. In addition, overwintering
eggs are visible on vegetation from late fall until early spring.
Reproducing
Larvae present and activ
Eggs present outside adu
Pupae or prepupae prese
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The time of year you would expect to find Coastal Barrens Buckmoth in New York.
Similar Species
Bogbean Buckmoth(Hemileuca sp 1): H. maia ssp. 5 is distinguished by the yellow
pattern on late-instar larvae, and by its geographic range.
Inland Barrens Buckmoth(Hemileuca maia maia): H. maia ssp. 5 is distinguished by the
yellow pattern on late-instar larvae, and by its geographic range.
Conservation Comments
The name Hemileuca maia subspecies 5 is used here for a cluster of distinctive
populations on Long Island, New York, and the Cape Cod region, which differ from all other
maia populations north of Florida by a combination of characters including larval coloration,
adult appearance, and high restriction to open pine canopy sandy scrub oak barrens. The
general literature recognizes only H. maia maia and H. maia peigleri, and the name H.
maia maia is applied to the entire species outside of Texas. Here, the distinctive northern
Coastal Barrens Buckmoth is also recognized as subspecies 5, and technically it probably
is typical H. maia maia. Hemileuca maia maia is used for the rest of the entire eastern US
oak-feeding buckmoth species, except for subspecies peigleri from central Texas.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Coastal Barrens Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia ssp. 5)
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Taxonomy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mandibulates (Mandibulata)
Class
Insects (Insecta)
Order
Butterflies, Skippers, and Moths (Lepidoptera)
Family
Saturniidae (Giant Silkworm and Royal Moths)
Additional Resources
Links
Moth Photographers Group
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=7730
Butterflies and Moths of North America
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Hemileuca-maia
NatureServe Explorer
http://natureserve.org/explorer/servlet/NatureServe?searchName=HEMILEUCA+MAIA+SS
P+5
Google Images
http://images.google.com/images?q=HEMILEUCA+MAIA+SSP+5
BugGuide
http://bugguide.net/node/view/471
References
Covell, Charles V. 1984. A field guide to the moths of eastern North America. Houghton Mifflin
Company, Boston.
Cryan, J.F. and R. Dirig. 1975. The moths of autumn. Unpublished article printed by Pine Bush
Historical Preservation Project, Inc. 9 pp.
Cryan, John. 1985. Retreat in the barrens. Defenders. 60(1): 18-29.
Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L. 1995.
Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery,
and map unit tables.
NatureServe. 2005. NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA
NatureServe. 2010. NatureServe Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version
7.1. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. (Data last
updated August 2010)
Nelson, M.W. 2007. Barrens Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia). Natural Heritage & Endangered Species
Program Fact Sheet.
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. 2005. Comprehensive Wildlife
Conservation Strategy Planning Database. New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation. Albany, NY.
North American Moth Photographers Group at the Mississippi Entomological Museum. No date.
Mississippi State University, Mississippi.
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Coastal Barrens Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia ssp. 5)
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http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/MainMenu.shtml
Opler, Paul A., Kelly Lotts, and Thomas Naberhaus, coordinators. 2010. Butterflies and Moths of
North America. Bozeman, MT: Big Sky Institute. (accessed May 2010).
Schlesinger, M.D., J.D. Corser, K.A. Perkins, and E.L. White. 2011. Vulnerability of at-risk species to
climate change in New York. New York Natural Heritage Program, Albany, NY.
Tuskes, P. M., J. P. Tuttle, and M. M. Collins. 1996. The Wild Silk Moths of North America: A Natural
History of the Saturniidae of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press, Ithaca,
New York. 250 pp.
Wagner, David L., Nelson, Michael W., and Schweitzer, Dale F. 2003. Shrubland Lepidoptera of
southern New England and southeastern New York: ecology, conservation, and management.
Forest Ecology and Management 185: 95-112.
New York Natural Heritage Program
This project is made possible with funding from:
625 Broadway, 5th Floor,
- New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River
Albany, NY 12233-4757
Estuary Program
Phone: (518) 402-8935
- Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation
[email protected]
- New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Information for this guide was last updated on Oct 29, 2015
This guide was authored by Andrea Chaloux
NYNHP Conservation Guide - Coastal Barrens Buckmoth (Hemileuca maia ssp. 5)
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