North American Moth Populations & the Effects of Changing Climate

Kirtich, Michelle; Swartley, Zoe

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North American Moth Populations & the Effects of Changing Climate

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While the thought of moths for most might conjure up images of closet infestations, chewed-up clothes, and the flapping of gray wings, these nocturnal creatures uphold vital roles and provide many services to the ecosystem. Moth species unfortunately have been declining in recent decades due to many reasons, including climate change. In this study, we analyze the datasets of four different moth species derived from iNaturalist, a growing platform of both professional and citizen scientists that enables people to document observations of plants and animals in the natural world. We proceeded to look for trends in the proportion of moth observations by latitude and month as well as how these trends corresponded, if at all, to climate data for the Northeastern United States. We found that average monthly precipitation was more positively associated to the proportion of observations by latitude than was average monthly temperature, as well as noticed general decreases in proportions for latitude group 40 and increasing trends for groups 25 and 30. We saw a general increase in the proportion of observations for March, April, and September and decreases for May and June. While more in-depth research is needed to explain exactly why these trends are occurring, rising global temperatures and extreme precipitation are two major geographically pervasive stressors that interact with all other factors. With the help of apps like iNaturalist, we can monitor and better grasp the impacts of environmental changes on moth and other insect populations.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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