Are Full-Night Samplings Necessary? Unraveling the Hourly Structure and Climatic Responses of Three Moth Groups in a Brazilian Pampa Grassland.

The daily activity of a species can be affected by several biotic and abiotic factors. Since the activity patterns and flight times of Neotropical moths are both poorly understood, our goal was to record and analyze the flight times of moths from the Pampa biome, in the extreme south of Brazil, as well as its responses to climatic factors. We recorded hours of activity and investigated the influence of four climatic variables on the activity patterns of Arctiinae (Erebidae), Sphingidae, and Saturniidae. Data analysis showed that different species have different activity periods, and the abundance and richness of each taxon has its own patterns. Arctiinae had a higher abundance in the early evening, although it did not show a richness concentration at any hour. Saturniidae and Sphingidae had both abundance and richness concentrated in the middle of the night. Climatic variables related to abundance and richness differed between taxa and species. We provide evidence of possible niche partitioning and differential physiological adaptations between taxa, as well as differences in flight time strategy between potential competing species. Our study highlights the necessity of full-night sampling for optimal faunal inventories.