J.D. Lafontaine and J.T. Troubridge. 1998. Moths and Butterflies (Lepidoptera) in Smith, I.M., and G.G.E. Scudder, eds. Assessment of species diversity in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone. Burlington: Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Network, 1998.

MOTHS AND BUTTERFLIES
(LEPIDOPTERA)

J.D. Lafontaine
Biological Resources Program
Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
Central Experimental Farm
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0C6

and

J.T. Troubridge
Pacific Agri-Food Research Centre (Agassiz)
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Box 1000, Agassiz, B.C.
V0M 1A0

ABSTRACT

The Montane Cordillera Ecozone of British Columbia and southwestern Alberta supports a diverse fauna with almost 2,000 species of butterflies and moths (Order Lepidoptera) recorded to date. By far the best known group of Lepidoptera is the butterflies with 173 species in the Ecozone; the approximately 15,000 species locations of butterflies in the Ecozone makes it one of the best groups of insects to examine distribution patterns within the Ecozone. The Lepidoptera fauna of the Ecozone is reviewed in terms of diversity, state of knowledge of the major groups, origins of the fauna, post-glacial and relict patterns, recent changes in distribution, and endangered and threatened species.

INTRODUCTION

The Order Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths, is among the more diverse insect groups in the Montane Cordillera Ecozone with more than 1,983 species recorded in 67 families, this representing about 44% of the Lepidoptera fauna of Canada. As was discussed in the analysis of the Lepidoptera fauna of the Mixedwood Plains Ecozone in southern Ontario and Quebec (Lafontaine, 1996), our knowledge of the Lepidoptera varies greatly from group to group, and only some groups are sufficiently well known to be used effectively in biodiversity studies.

 

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