Nocturnal Moths in Xeric Habitats in the Northeastern US

Andrew M. Barton^1,*, Rick Van de Poll², Mark Mello³, Elizabeth Crisfield⁴, and Helen M. Poulos⁵

¹Department of Biology, University of Maine at Farmington, Farmington, ME 04938. ²Ecosystem Management Consultants of New England, Sandwich, NH 03227. ³Lloyd Center for the Environment, Dartmouth, MA 02748. ⁴Strategic Stewardship Initiative, State College, PA 16803. ⁵Wesleyan University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Bailey College of the Environment, Middletown, CT 06459. *Corresponding author.

Northeastern Naturalist, Volume 33, Issue 2 (2026): 230–262

First published early online: 31 May 2026

Abstract
Moths are declining globally, including in the Northeast US. Pine barrens, sandplain grasslands, and other xeric habitats in this region provide vital habitats for many specialized, rare, and declining moth species. This study contributes to knowledge about regional patterns of moth abundance, distribution, diversity, and species composition in these uncommon xeric habitats that occur in a landscape dominated by closed, mesic forests. We sampled moth species over 2 years in 17 preserves, spanning much of the Northeast. We collected >52,000 moths representing 1152 species. Moth abundance, species richness, and species composition varied significantly across preserves, ecoregions, and vegetation types, and differed between years. We documented 19 moth species from the Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need database, 71 species found previously in xeric habitats in the Northeast, new records for some preserves and states, and nearly 300 species not previously captured at Albany Pine Bush and Concord Pine Barrens preserves, sites with extensive past sampling. Our survey reinforces the importance of these xeric habitats for the conservation of moth species diversity in the Northeast and the foundational role of monitoring in the conservation of moths.

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