Nantucket Lepidoptera Help

To search the entire database, go directly to “Search” and click.

However, the database can be selectively searched by any or all combinations of the following categories:
Family
Subfamily (only after selecting a “Family”)
Primary habitats
Exemplary sites
Larval hostplant(s)
Found by Mello (2000-2006) & or Kimball (1800’s-1945)

To select an entry go to the appropriate box, click on “Select Below” then the choice of categories.

To select for all species within any category, click or leave choice on “Select Below” in that category. For instance, if you want all records in the Geometridae, go to “Family”, click “Select Below” then click “Geometridae”. All other categories should have “Select Below” highlighted (or blank for Subfamily), then click on “Search”.

The resulting list of species can be sorted by Name or MONA # (Checklist of Moths of North America North of Mexico catalog #). A first click on either with sort in ascending order, a second click in descending order. The “see only” box will allow you to select by the first letter of the genus in this list.

Species information can be selected one at a time by clicking on the desired species name.

Explanation of fields:

MONA #: The catalog numbers in Hodges, et al. 1983. Checklist of Moths of North America North of Mexico

New MONA #: The catalog # in the new, not yet published MONA checklist expected in a couple of years. Data will be entered after publication of the checklist.

Genus through Subfamily: These names have been updated to the best available current taxonomy. The names may therefore be different than in the 1983 MONA checklist.

Author Name/Year: Citation for species description

Common Name: Mostly taken from Covell, 1984. A Field Guides to the Moths of Eastern North America and the Massachusetts list of Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Species. Note, however, that there is no “official” list of common names for moths.

MESA Status: As listed in the Massachusetts Endangered Species Act

MA Rank: As listed by NatureServe

Global Rank: As listed by NatureServe

First Year: First year documented on Nantucket. If by other than Kimball or Mello, it will be so noted.

Last Year: Last year documented on Nantucket. If by other than Kimball or Mello, it will be so noted.

Kimball – Kimball’s estimation of abundance. If one, two or three individuals are the only records, these numbers are given. In Bolter Collection indicates that this is where his record came from.

Peak Flight: The peak flight period(s) for the species. If more than 10 records were obtained from 2000-2005, these were charted (Photo 1 below).

Primary Habitats: The mostly habitat(s) in which to encounter this species. “General” is used for species occupying a wide range of habitats on Nantucket.

Exemplary Sites: Core sites for the species on Nantucket.

Larval Reference: “Mello” indicates that I (or local collectors) have found the species on Nantucket on the hostplant(s) below. The remaining citations are based upon literature references and presence of suspected hostplant on Nantucket. The inferences are mine, however and do not suggest that the author either found the caterpillars on Nantucket or even agree with my assessment.

Larval Hostplants: see above explanation

# Records: Includes the number of counted individuals as well as records where individual counts were not made.

# Occurrences: The number of times the species was encountered from 2000-2005.

# Sites: The number of stations where the species was found.

Found by: Either Kimball (only), Mello (only), or by both Kimball and Mello. This does not include intervening data from other collectors.

Comments: Whatever isn’t covered or explained above.

Photos: The first photo is the flight period chart when one is produced (>10 records). The remaining photos are of individuals/habitats on Nantucket unless otherwise identified.