Hawkmoths (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) Flight Potential Trajectories from Wind Systems in Atlantic Rainforest in Southeast Brazil

Abstract

In tropical regions, pollination is primarily carried out by animals, hawkmoths (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae), being perceived as one of the most important groups. Lepidoptera, in general, comprises approximately 146.000 species of hawkmoths, 87% of them being nocturnal. In these regions, there is a total of 7.100 species, approximately 3.100 of which are found in Brazil. Sphingidae family is one of the most representative families when it comes to pollination, being more abundant in low-altitude environments. With assistance of the wind, they migrate long distances from coastal woodlands to mountainous areas during the hot rainy season. Their abundance is even greater during cloudy nights, and during new moon phases, as they are always in search of illumination. In Brazil, most of the studies focus on the morphology of individuals for taxonomic research, being few publications on their dispersal available. Aiming mapping flight paths for feeding and reproduction, the occurrence of pollination is estimated, enabling the connectivity of forest fragments and ensuring gene exchange. To visualize this study, atmospheric models of breeze circulation such as Brazilian Regional Atmospheric Modeling System (BRAMS), GRADs, and the Three-Dimensional Kinematic Trajectory (TC3D) were employed in the Atlantic Forest of the state of Rio de Janeiro, where observations and descriptions of over 80 species are accumulated, allowing the identification of spatial patterns through the use of Geographic Information Systems. The north/south orientation proved to be dominant, potentially connecting fragments of forests with varying sizes, shapes, and conservation states, extending from coastal areas to the mountainous regions within the southeastern part of Brazil.