3.12 Insects
state. However, these taxa are an integral part of the ecosystems they share with other invertebrate and vertebrate species, as well as being vital for agriculture.
Federally listed insect species are protected under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act, and in North Carolina, the USFWS is the lead agency for conservation of these species. Only two state agencies are actively involved in conducting insect surveys and using this information for conservation. • Te NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR, formerly Division of Water Quality) Biological Assessment Branch conducts aquatic invertebrate sampling as part of widespread monitoring of
Golden Northern Bumble Bee (Andrew C, fickr) https://fic.kr/p/oCHe34. Licensed under Creative Commons BY 2.0
biological integrity in NC waters. Te Biological Assessment Branch uses stream insects (caddisfies, mayfies, stonefies, beetles) for monitoring water quality and conducts stream surveys across the state on a regular basis. Staf does not attempt to determine the conservation concern for any of these species, nor does staf seek protection for insects per se. However, at least some stream reaches identifed as High Quality Waters or Outstanding Resource Waters through this process receive a signifcant amount of protection. • Te NCNHP is the only state agency involved in directly determining the conservation status of individual insect species and other invertebrates and using this information to help guide ecosystem conservation. Te NCNHP itself conducts surveys for a few selected groups including moths, butterfies, grasshoppers, and dragonfies (the results of several of these surveys are available as NCNHP reports). NCNHP also collaborates with the NCDWR Biological Assessment Branch in using survey data to identify rare species of aquatic insects. NCNHP works in partnership with USFWS to conduct status surveys on several species of rare insects (e.g., NCNHP conducted surveys on the St. Francis’ Satyr that led to its being listed as endangered). Te NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS) has authority and jurisdiction over those insect species deemed to be a pest for plant and forest trees. Otherwise, insects and other noncrustacean arthropods are not protected by state law, nor are other groups of invertebrates except for mollusks and crustaceans. Yet several insect species are among the most endangered of NC species, primarily due to the loss of
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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