Masters Theses

Abstract

"Moths (Lepidoptera) are ecologically important insects that function as herbivores, pollinators, prey resources, and indicators of ecosystem integrity. Despite their ecological significance, moth communities in the Missouri Ozarks remain poorly documented, particularly within military-managed landscapes. This thesis examined patterns of moth diversity, assemblage structure, and environmental drivers at Fort Leonard Wood (FLW), Missouri, while also assessing the distribution and genetic diversity of species within the genus Papaipema.

Field surveys were conducted from 2019 through 2021 across prairie, savanna, forest, and restoration habitats at FLW using UV bucket traps, sheet trapping, and targeted larval surveys. Across all sampling efforts, 29,116 individual moths representing 576 species, 535 genera, and 24 families were documented. Species richness estimators and accumulation curves indicated that total moth diversity at FLW remains incompletely sampled, suggesting that actual richness substantially exceeds observed values. Community analyses demonstrated high spatial turnover and a large proportion of rare and low-occupancy species, emphasizing the ecological heterogeneity of the installation.>

Collectively, these findings demonstrate that FLW supports an exceptionally diverse moth fauna and highlight the importance of military-managed landscapes as reservoirs of biodiversity within the Missouri Ozarks. This work provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of nocturnal Lepidoptera conducted in the region and establishes an important baseline for future studies examining insect biodiversity, habitat management, restoration ecology, and conservation planning in Ozark ecosystems"-- Abstract, p. iv

Advisor(s)

Verble, Robin M.

Committee Member(s)

Duvernell, David D. (David Douglas), 1970-
Niyogi, Dev

Department(s)

Biological Sciences

Degree Name

M.S. in Biological Sciences

Publisher

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Publication Date

2026

Journal article titles appearing in thesis/dissertation

Paper I, found on pages 3–30, is intended for submission to the Journal of the Missouri Academy of Sciences.

Paper II, found on pages 31–55, has been published in the Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society.

Pagination

ix, 56 pages

Rights

© 2026 Kimberly Anne Steese , All Rights Reserved

Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

File Type

text

Language

English

Thesis Number

T 12627

Download

Share

 
COinS