Abstract:
The Insect order Lepidoptera is one of the “big four” orders of insects which include Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants), Diptera (flies), Coleoptera (beetles), and Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) The Lepidoptera are incredibly diverse and play a significant role in our earth’s ecosystem as pollinators (Holm 2014) and pest insects on many plants (Carter 1984). To better understand their biodiversity and to help establish the conservation importance of our campus, I collected, photographed, IDed, and extracted DNA from over 50 species of butterflies and moths found on the PSB campus. The collection was done from the start of April 2021 to around the end of September 2021 where all the species were then preemptively identified, and DNA extracted so the results may be sent off to confirm identification through the use of DNA barcoding. Larger known organisms such as the Monarch or Swallowtail butterflies were avoided during the collection process because of the known prevalence of the species in the area, so species that were lesser-known were where I focused the collection. This detailed survey of the PSB campus Lepidoptera will help us better understand the important impact these insects have on the ecosystems on campus while helping us establish a more bio-aware community in our department and across campus as a whole.
Team Members
Abigail Melendez | (Matthew Gruwell) | Penn State Behrend
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