Insects of Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho

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This study consisted primarily of an inventory of the insect species inhabitating Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho. Special attention was given to the associations of insects and plants and the correlation of insects with particular lava and non-lava habitats. The study was conducted during the summers of 1964, 1965, and 1967, with the majority of specimens and field data collected in 1965. The largest number of insect species was collected from a non-volcanic area. Within lava habitats the number of insect species varied depending on age and type of volcanic material. Old, decomposed cinder cones supported the greatest number of insect species. Decomposed aa and pahoehoe lava flows were less favorable to insect activity than the cinder cones. Undecomposed pahoehoe lava flows and bare cinder areas supported little plant life and the insect populations were markedly low. The least favorable habitat for insects was the undecomposed aa lava flows. Several plant species growing on lava were found to be particularly attractive to insects, including Chamaebatiaria millefolium, Chrysothamnus nauseosus, C. uiscidiflorus, Phacelia leucophylla, and Pinus flexilis. During this study, 20 orders, 248 families, 1,144 genera, and 2,064 species and subspecies were found in the Craters of the Moon National Monument. More than 30 of the species are new to science or have been named since 1967.

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ELECTRONIC FILE: Zoology, Invertebrates