Koa moth (Scotorythra paludicola) caterpillar abundance in response to koa moth outbreak, 2013-2014
Dates
Publication Date
2021-04-13
Start Date
2013-02-26
End Date
2013-08-15
Citation
Peck, R.W. and Banko, P.C., 2021, Hawaii Island insect response to koa moth (Scotorythra paludicola) outbreak, 2013-2014: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P9HE9WKK.
Summary
The koa moth (Scotorythra paludicola) has been reported to irrupt on occasion over the past 100 years, sometimes defoliating its host plant, koa (Acacia koa), during the event. This data release includes metadata and tabular data that document temporal abundance patterns and of the koa moth caterpillar (Scotorythra paludicola) during an outbreak of the koa moth that resulted in widespread defoliation of koa across much of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge during 2013-2014. The data set documents numbers of caterpillars collected from koa foliage during the outbreak. To track caterpillar abundance during this event, koa branch tips were clipped from trees and the number of caterpillars within the foliage counted, and the weight [...]
Summary
The koa moth (Scotorythra paludicola) has been reported to irrupt on occasion over the past 100 years, sometimes defoliating its host plant, koa (Acacia koa), during the event. This data release includes metadata and tabular data that document temporal abundance patterns and of the koa moth caterpillar (Scotorythra paludicola) during an outbreak of the koa moth that resulted in widespread defoliation of koa across much of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge during 2013-2014. The data set documents numbers of caterpillars collected from koa foliage during the outbreak. To track caterpillar abundance during this event, koa branch tips were clipped from trees and the number of caterpillars within the foliage counted, and the weight of foliage measured.
Data were collected to document the abundance of koa moth caterpillars on koa foliage during an outbreak of the koa moth at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge. The results help identify temporal and spatial patterns of caterpillar abundance associated with the outbreak during 2013-2014. These data were used in collaboration with data sets that quantified koa moth abundance, the abundance of parasitoid wasps that attack koa moth caterpillars, and the response of insectivorous birds and bats.
