Chapter 3 North Carolina Species
3.10 Insects 3.10.1 Introduction
Insects and other arthropods are the most diverse group of any organisms, plants, or animals. The NC General Statutes define insects, for the most part belonging to the taxonomic class Insecta, as any of the numerous small invertebrate animals generally having the body more or less obviously segmented, comprising six-legged, usually winged forms as adults (e.g., beetles, bugs, bees, flies), and other allied classes of arthropods whose members are wingless and usually have more than six legs (e.g., spiders, mites, ticks, centipedes, and sowbugs) [NCGS 106- 65.24(12)]. The ecological significance of insects is great. They play a key role in ecological processes such as primary consumption, decomposition, and pollination. Most North Carolina’s plant species that are on the state or federal endangered and threatened lists are dependent on insects for pollination. In some cases, specific insect pollinators may do most of the work and their loss may contribute to the endangerment of the plant. The Rough-leaved Loosestrife (federal and state endangered) may be one such example in North Carolina (Franklin 2001) . The current low levels of seed set may indicate that a major, specialized pollinator has been lost. Insects are a primary food source for many vertebrate species. Endangered species that rely primarily on insects include the Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Virginia Big-eared Bat, Gray Bat, and Indiana Bat. Game species that are largely or partly dependent on insects for food include the Wild Turkey, Northern Bobwhite, Ruffed Grouse, and even Black Bear (Landers et al. 1979) . The United States has the greatest diversity of freshwater insects in the orders Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies), and Trichoptera (caddisflies), which are commonly referred to as EPTs (Abell et al.2000; Silk and Ciruna 2006 ). A review of occurrence data recorded in the NCNHP database indicates there are well over 2,000 species of Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths) known to occur in the state (LeGrand et al. 2014 ). This group is the best-studied order of insects in North Carolina. Equally large, if not larger, numbers can be expected for several other insect orders. Beetles (order Coleoptera) are believed to outnumber all other taxonomic groups in terms of the number of species. 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. Two state agencies are actively involved in long-term insect surveys and monitoring. • The NC Division of Water Resources (NCDWR, formerly Division of Water Quality), Biological Assessment Branch conducts aquatic invertebrate sampling as part of widespread monitoring of biological integrity in North Carolina waters. The Biological Assessment Branch uses stream insects (EPTs, beetles) for monitoring water quality and conducts stream surveys across the state on a regular basis. However, DWR biologists
3 - 145
2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator