Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Copablepharon grandis): COSEWIC assessment and status report 2018

Official title: COSEWIC Assessment and Status Report on the Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Copablepharon grandis) in Canada 2018

Committee on the status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC)
Special concern 2018

COSEWIC assessment summary

Assessment summary – November 2018

Common name: Pale Yellow Dune Moth

Scientific name: Copablepharon grandis

Status: Special Concern

Reason for designation: This moth is known from 13 subpopulations restricted to widely-separated active sand hills and dunes on the prairies of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Natural disturbance processes once maintained these open habitats for the moth. However, wildfire suppression and extirpation of Plains Bison, combined with climate warming, has led to increased vegetation succession. A population decline is inferred at known sites based on vegetation succession that would result in loss of open, active sand hill and dune habitats. Low detectability and some unchecked habitat leave the possibility of a handful of additional subpopulations.

Occurrence: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

Status history: Designated Special Concern in November 2007. Status re-examined and confirmed in November 2018.

COSEWIC executive summary

Pale Yellow Dune Moth
Copablepharon grandis

Wildlife species description and significance

Pale Yellow Dune Moth is a medium-sized (16 to 20 mm wingspan) noctuid (cutworm or owlet) moth with pale yellow forewings and white hindwings. It is a member of a highly specialized dune-dwelling community of plants and animals that are restricted to the isolated and widely separated active sand dunes left across the prairie landscape with the retreat of the continental glaciers thousands of years ago.

Distribution

Pale Yellow Dune Moth is widely distributed in western North America. The species occurs from southern California in the southwest to central Texas in the southeast and as far north as Lloydminster, Alberta. It has been found at approximately 100 localities in North America including 13 extant subpopulations in Canada: six in Alberta, five in Saskatchewan, and two in Manitoba.

Habitat

Pale Yellow Dune Moth occurs in sparsely vegetated, sandy habitats that are typically associated with dune fields. The species appears to prefer the transition habitat between active open dunes with frequent sand movement, and fully vegetated stabilized dunes with little or no open sand. Over the last 100 years, active dune habitats and the associated sparsely vegetated periphery on which the moth depends, have significantly declined in quantity and quality throughout the Canadian prairies.

Biology

Little is known about the biology of Pale Yellow Dune Moth. The species is nocturnal with one short summer flight season from early July to late August; two factors that make it difficult to observe in the field. Eggs are fully formed in newly emerged adults, but mating and oviposition (egg laying) have not been observed. Eggs are likely deposited in shallow sand, and larvae likely hatch approximately three weeks later, feed nocturnally on the above-ground parts of plants and bury themselves in the sand during the day. They may also feed below ground. Larvae probably burrow into the soil for the winter and wake the following spring and feed prior to pupation. Pupation occurs in an earthen cell in the soil. Pale Yellow Dune Moth does not appear to be limited to a single hostplant for larval feeding, adult nectaring or reproduction.

Dispersal abilities of Pale Yellow Dune Moth adults have not been measured. Given that dune habitats are often patchily distributed, it is likely that short-distance dispersal occurs between habitat patches. However, dispersal between regionally isolated dunes systems (>10 km) is considered unlikely.

Population size and trends

The number of sites occupied by Pale Yellow Dune Moth in Canada appears to be relatively stable but has likely declined from historical levels due to habitat loss from vegetation ingrowth and dune stabilization. Too few data are available on which to base extant site subpopulation estimates or a Canada-wide population estimate.

Threats and limiting factors

The major threat to the long-term survival Pale Yellow Dune Moth in Canada appears to be the loss of habitat resulting from the stabilization of active sand dunes, and the sparsely vegetated periphery that the moth prefers, by both native and introduced vegetation. This natural process is largely driven by regional climate trends, but has accelerated over the last 150 years, in part due to decreasing aridity, reduced wildfire, extirpation of Plains Bison (Bison bison bison), and other factors. The primary limiting factor is availability of sparsely vegetated dune habitat.

Protection, status, and ranks

Most of the extant subpopulations are associated with secure tenure on leased provincial Crown land, within provincial or regional parks, or the federal Department of National Defence lands. A few subpopulations are on private land or where the land tenure is unknown (particularly for historical occurrences).

Pale Yellow Dune Moth is listed as Special Concern under federal Species at Risk Act and Endangered under the Manitoba Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act. It is globally ranked by NatureServe as Apparently to Demonstrably Secure (G4G5), nationally in Canada as Imperilled (N2), and provincially in Manitoba as Critically Imperilled (S1), Alberta as Critically Imperilled (S1S2), and Saskatchewan as Imperilled (S2).

Technical summary

Scientific name: Copablepharon grandis

English name: Pale Yellow Dune Moth

French name: Noctuelle jaune pâle des dunes

Range: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba

Demographic information

Generation time (usually average age of parents in the population; indicate if another method of estimating generation time indicated in the IUCN guidelines(2011) is being used):

1 year; larval diapause over 1 year is possible

Is there an [observed, inferred, or projected] continuing decline in number of mature individuals?

Yes. Suspected decline based on decline in spatial area due to sand dune/hill stabilization.

Estimated percent of continuing decline in total number of mature individuals within [5 years or 2 generations]:

Unknown

[Observed, estimated, inferred, or suspected] percent [reduction or increase] in total number of mature individuals over the last [10 years, or 3 generations]:

Yes. Suspected reduction of 10 to 40% sand dune/hill habitat decline per decade; the average dune/hill decline will be less (for example, some dunes won’t decline, others will decline more) (Wolfe 2010).

[Projected or suspected] percent [reduction or increase] in total number of mature individuals over the next [10 years, or 3 generations]:

Yes. Projected reduction of 10 to 40% sand dune habitat declines (30% estimate based on SW SK and E AB becoming stabilized) (Wolfe 2010)

[Observed, estimated, inferred, or suspected] percent [reduction or increase] in total number of mature individuals over any [10 years, or 3 generations] period, over a time period including both the past and the future:

Yes. Suspected and projected reduction of 10 to 40% sand dune habitat declines (30% estimate based on SW SK and E AB becoming stabilized) (Wolfe 2010)

Are the causes of the decline a) clearly reversible and b) understood and c) ceased?

a. Possibly b. Yes c. No

Are there extreme fluctuations in number of mature individuals?

No

Extent and occupancy information

Estimated extent of occurrence (EOO):

144,280 km²

Index of area of occupancy (IAO) (Always report 2x2 grid value):

76 km² (extant sites)

Is the population “severely fragmented”:

a. Possibly, but unknown. b. Yes

Number of “locations”^* (use plausible range to reflect uncertainty if appropriate):

13 to 17; each sand dune/hill represents one location; land management practices at each dune/hill influence the rate of dune succession. Range of locations reflects uncertainty at historical sites

Is there an [observed, inferred, or projected] decline in extent of occurrence?

Yes. Projected based on habitat decline, however beyond 10 years.

Is there an [observed, inferred, or projected] decline in index of area of occupancy?

Yes. Projected based on habitat decline, however beyond 10 years.

Is there an [observed, inferred, or projected] decline in number of subpopulations?

Yes. Inferred based on habitat decline (Wolfe 2010).

Is there an [observed, inferred, or projected] decline in number of “locations”*?

Yes. Projected based on habitat decline, however beyond 10 years.

Is there an [observed, inferred, or projected] decline in [area, extent and/or quality] of habitat?

Yes, inferred decline of habitat area/ quality based of sand dune/hill stabilization.

Are there extreme fluctuations in number of subpopulations?

No

Are there extreme fluctuations in number of “locations”?

No

Are there extreme fluctuations in extent of occurrence?

No

Are there extreme fluctuations in index of area of occupancy?

No

^* See Definitions and Abbreviations on COSEWIC website and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Feb 2014) for more information on this term.

Number of mature individuals (in each subpopulation)

Subpopulations (give plausible ranges) N Mature Individuals total: Unknown

Quantitative analysis

Probability of extinction in the wild is at least [20% within 20 years or 5 generations, or 10% within 100 years]: Insufficient data to complete analysis.

Threats (actual or imminent, to populations or habitats, from highest impact to least)

Was a threats calculator completed for this species? Yes. Medium – Low threat impact.

2.1 Annual and perennial non-timber crops (Medium – Low)
7.3 Other ecosystem modifications (Medium – Low)
6.1 Recreational activities (Low)
6.2 War, civil unrest and military exercises (Low)
6.3 Work and other activities (Low)

Rescue effect (immigration from outside Canada)

Status of outside population(s)?

Unknown

Is immigration known or possible?

Unlikely; nearest known population is in North Dakota, approximately 100 km from known Canadian site

Would immigrants be adapted to survive in Canada?

Yes, likely.

Is there sufficient habitat for immigrants in Canada?

Possibly. Suitable habitat is declining but it might not be limiting for immigrants

Are conditions deteriorating in Canada?⁺

Yes. Habitat quality and quantity declining from dune stabilization

Are conditions for the source population deteriorating?⁺

Yes. Habitat quality and quantity declining from dune stabilization at sites in the United States.

Is the Canadian population considered to be a sink?⁺

No.

Is rescue from outside populations likely?

No.

⁺ See Table 3 (Guidelines for modifying status assessment based on rescue effect).

Data-sensitive species

Is this a data sensitive species? No.

Status history

COSEWIC Status History: Designated Special Concern in November 2007. Status re-examined and confirmed in November 2018.

Status and reasons for designation

Status: Special Concern

Alpha-numeric codes: Not applicable

Reasons for designation: This moth is known from 13 subpopulations restricted to widely-separated active sand hills and dunes on the prairies of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Natural disturbance processes once maintained these open habitats for the moth. However, wildfire suppression and extirpation of Plains Bison, combined with climate warming, has led to increased vegetation succession. A population decline is inferred at known sites based on vegetation succession that would result in loss of open, active sand hill and dune habitats. Low detectability and some unchecked habitat leave the possibility of a handful of additional subpopulations.

Applicability of criteria

Criterion A: Not applicable.

Criterion B: Not applicable.Qualifies for Endangered, B2, because IAO=76 km², but does not meet other criteria.

Criterion C: Not applicable.

Criterion D: Not applicable.

Criterion E: Not applicable.

Preface

Pale Yellow Dune Moth was assessed by COSEWIC as Special Concern in 2007. Since the initial status report, four additional subpopulations have been recorded in Canada, bringing the total to 13 extant subpopulations within sparsely-vegetated sand dune/hill habitat throughout the Prairies ecozone. These additional subpopulations are not considered a range expansion; they are due to a better understanding of the moth’s habitat requirements and additional surveys. No documented Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations have been extirpated over the last ten years; however, the species has likely declined from historical levels and is predicted to decline into the future due to ongoing habitat loss from natural vegetation succession and sand dune/hill stabilization.

COSEWIC history

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) was created in 1977 as a result of a recommendation at the Federal-Provincial Wildlife Conference held in 1976. It arose from the need for a single, official, scientifically sound, national listing of wildlife species at risk. In 1978, COSEWIC designated its first species and produced its first list of Canadian species at risk. Species designated at meetings of the full committee are added to the list. On June 5, 2003, the Species at Risk Act (SARA) was proclaimed. SARA establishes COSEWIC as an advisory body ensuring that species will continue to be assessed under a rigorous and independent scientific process.

COSEWIC mandate

The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) assesses the national status of wild species, subspecies, varieties, or other designatable units that are considered to be at risk in Canada. Designations are made on native species for the following taxonomic groups: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, arthropods, molluscs, vascular plants, mosses, and lichens.

COSEWIC membership

COSEWIC comprises members from each provincial and territorial government wildlife agency, four federal entities (Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada Agency, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Federal Biodiversity Information Partnership, chaired by the Canadian Museum of Nature), three non-government science members and the co-chairs of the species specialist subcommittees and the Aboriginal Traditional Knowledge subcommittee. The Committee meets to consider status reports on candidate species.

Definitions (2018)

Wildlife species

A species, subspecies, variety, or geographically or genetically distinct population of animal, plant or other organism, other than a bacterium or virus, that is wild by nature and is either native to Canada or has extended its range into Canada without human intervention and has been present in Canada for at least 50 years.

Extinct (X)

A wildlife species that no longer exists.

Extirpated (XT)

A wildlife species no longer existing in the wild in Canada, but occurring elsewhere.

Endangered (E)

A wildlife species facing imminent extirpation or extinction.

Threatened (T)

A wildlife species likely to become endangered if limiting factors are not reversed.

Special concern (SC)

 

(Note: Formerly described as “Vulnerable” from 1990 to 1999, or “Rare” prior to 1990.)

A wildlife species that may become a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.

Not at risk (NAR)

(Note: Formerly described as “Not In Any Category”, or “No Designation Required.”)

A wildlife species that has been evaluated and found to be not at risk of extinction given the current circumstances.

Data deficient (DD)

(Note: Formerly described as “Indeterminate” from 1994 to 1999 or “ISIBD” [insufficient scientific information on which to base a designation] prior to 1994. Definition of the [DD] category revised in 2006.)

A category that applies when the available information is insufficient (a) to resolve a species’ eligibility for assessment or (b) to permit an assessment of the species’ risk of extinction.

The Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, provides full administrative and financial support to the COSEWIC Secretariat.

Wildlife species description and significance

Name and classification

Order: Lepidoptera

Superfamily: Noctuoidea Latreille, 1809

Family: Noctuidae Latreille, 1809 – owlet or cutworm moths

Subfamily: Noctuinae Boisduval, 1828 – flower or dagger moths
Tribe: Agrotini

Genus: Copablepharon Harvey, 1878

Species: C. grandis (Strecker, 1878)

Subspecies: There are no named subspecies.

Synonyms: Aedophron grandis Strecker, 1878, Ablepharon grandis Strecker (1878), Copablepharon grande Franclemont and Todd, 1983, Copablepharon subflavidens Grote, 1882

Type locality: Arizona, United States of America (US).

Type specimens: lectotype held at Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois.

English Common Names: Pale Yellow Dune Moth; Grand Copablepharonwas suggested by Hooper (1994)

French Common Name: Noctuelle jaune pâle des dunes

Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Copablepharon grandis) is a long-standing valid taxonomic entity. Of the 23 species of Copablepharon described from North America, Pale Yellow Dune Moth is one of only two species in the grandis group (Lafontaine 2004). The other member of the group is Copablepharon sanctaemonicae, which is found in sand dunes of the southern Californian coast and does not range in Canada. The grandis group is characterized by a narrow, s-shaped clasper of the male genitalia, and elongate, pointed anal papillae in females.

Morphological description

Pale Yellow Dune Moth has four distinct morphological forms (adult, pupa, larva and egg) and develops through complete metamorphosis.

Adults

Pale Yellow Dune Moth is a medium-sized moth with pale, uniformly yellow forewings and white hindwings in both sexes (Figure 1). Forewing length varies from 16 to 20 mm, but there is some geographical variation, with specimens from the Great Basin tending to be smaller than those from the Great Plains, including Canada (Lafontaine 2004). The forewing is typically uniform in colour but may have one or more small dark dots on the subterminal band; hindwings may have dark shading on the margins. The forewing postmedial line is marked by black dots on the veins in some specimens. The costa and fringe are identical to the ground colour. The hindwing median line is also evident as black dots in some individuals, but there is no grey shading (Lafontaine et al. 2004; PNM 2017). The head and thorax are yellow like the forewings while the abdomen is light yellow-grey. The male antenna is beaded.

Eggs

Pale Yellow Dune Motheggs are sub-globular and greenish-white, with a shallowly wrinkled upper surface and a smooth underside (Strickland 1920).

Larva

The larva of Pale Yellow Dune Moth is light brown with white median and lateral lines, and 38 mm long when mature. It was described by Strickland (1920) as like that of Red-backed Cutworm (Euxoa ochrogaster) larvae, but more lightly pigmented. Another noteworthy feature is that the D-1 and D-2 setae are similar in size, unlike those in Euxoa species (Fauske 1992).

Pupa

The pupa of Pale Yellow Dune Moth is about 19 mm long with an external sheath (haustellum) enclosing the proboscis (tongue) which extends 2 mm beyond the apex of the abdomen (Figure 2). The cremaster (hook-like tip of the pupae, which is used as an anchor) is short and smooth, and the terminal setae are straight (Lafontaine 2004). Pupation occurs in an earthen cell that is like that of Euxoa species (Strickland 1920).

Similar species

Adult Pale Yellow Dune moths can be confused with several other Copablepharon species within the same habitats and range, particularly old or worn individuals (Crabo pers. comm. 2017; PNM 2017). In Canada, the species is most likely confused with pale forms of C. viridisparsa, C.absidum, C. canarianum, and C. spiritum lutescens. Antennae, genitalia, and genetic barcodes may need to be examined to identify some Copablepharon individuals (Lafontaine pers. comm. 2017). Yellow forms of the cutworm moth, Euxoa aurulenta, are often mistaken for Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Lafontaine pers. comm. 2017).

Population spatial structure and variability

The population structure of Pale Yellow Dune Moth, including the boundaries of subpopulations, has not been studied. Sampling records show the moth is found in sparsely vegetated, sandy habitats that are patchily distributed within a matrix of more densely vegetated grasslands, shrublands, and forests. This distribution suggests that subpopulations are connected through dispersal at a local scale (0.5 to 2 km) but are isolated at a regional scale (COSEWIC 2007b). Although no genetic information is available for Canadian populations, five specimens from Colorado and New Mexico have had their mitochondrial CO1 gene bar-coded (Boldsystems 2017).

Designatable units

Pale Yellow Dune Moths has one designatable unit in Canada. All Canadian subpopulations fall within the Prairie National Ecological Area (COSEWIC 2017). There are no subspecies. Although there is likely some genetic differentiation among widely separated subpopulations, there is no evidence to suggest they are discrete and evolutionarily significant.

Special significance

Pale Yellow Dune Moth is a member of a highly specialized sand dune-dwelling community of plants and animals that are restricted to the isolated and widely separated islands of active sand dunes left thousands of years ago by the retreat of the continental glaciers. Pale Yellow Dune Moth and other Copablepharon species are of interest to entomologists and other scientists because of their association with isolated dune habitats, a rare and disappearing habitat in Canada.

Distribution

Global range

Pale Yellow Dune Moth is widely distributed in western North America (Figure 2 and 3). In the United States (US) it ranges from southern California east to central Texas, and north to the Canadian Prairies (Alberta [AB], Saskatchewan [SK] and Manitoba [MB]]). The species has been recorded from approximately 100 localities in 16 states and three Canadian provinces (Lafontaine 2004; Figure 3). Sampling records suggest it is most prevalent in the arid steppe of the Great Basin and the southern Rocky Mountains (NatureServe 2017). There appears to be a range disjunction, with one group of localities in the southwestern US, and a second group west of the Great Lakes and extending in to the Canadian prairies (see Figure 4); although there is some search effort in this intervening habitat, more sampling is required in the portion of the Great Plains to ascertain its distribution (COSEWIC 2007b; Natureserve 2017). Numerous dune systems in the western US have not been surveyed for Copablepharon moths (Lafontaine pers. comm. 2017).

Some Pale Yellow Dune Moth records near the periphery of its range may be erroneous. For example, records in the Pacific Northwest may represent pale or worn specimens of C. canarianum (Crabo pers. comm. 2017). The isolated Iowa record, which is over 500 km from the nearest known locality in South Dakota, is supported by a specimen, but no other records are known from the state (Durbin pers. comm. 2017; Summerville pers. comm. 2017). Some of the Arizona records may also be misidentifications (Lafontaine pers. comm. 2017; Wagner pers. comm. 2017).

Canadian range

The Canadian range of Pale Yellow Dune Moth extends from Spruce Woods Provincial Park in southwestern Manitoba, through southern Saskatchewan to central Alberta (Figure 4). The distribution is not continuous and is contained within small, highly fragmented, discrete areas of suitable habitat.

In Canada, Pale Yellow Dune Moth is known from 17 localities: 13 extant subpopulations and four historical (Table 1, Figure 5). Since the first COSEWIC (2007) status report, four additional subpopulations have been recorded: Wainwright Dunes Ecological Reserve (SK), Dillberry Lake Provincial Park (AB), Carseland (AB), and Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Shilo (MB). The additional localities are a result of additional survey effort, rather than range expansion; the historical range remains unchanged. The exact collection sites of the four historical localities at Calgary (AB, in 1904), Maryfield (SK, in 1980), Fort Qu’appelle (SK, in 1985) and Saskatoon (SK, 1939) records are unknown, as precise locality information was not documented and is not displayed on the specimen labels. The exact localities of the historical Aweme collections (1904 to 1927) are also unknown. Within the Aweme area, potentially suitable habitat is widely distributed in the adjacent Brandon Sand Hills^{Footnote 1}  (SH) and the 2017 CFB Shilo subpopulation may overlap with these historical records. The collection site of the 1976 Carseland record has been clarified since the 2016 management plan (Environment Canada 2016) as being along the Bow River near the Gleichen SH (Hilchie pers. comm. 2017). The 1913 record from Monarch (AB) is of a single Pale Yellow Dune Moth larva collected from a “stubble field” that was apparently reared to an adult (Strickland 1920). No specimen is available, and the exact collection locality is unknown, but it is in an area of arid, sandy habitats along the Oldman River (COSEWIC 2007b).

A 2010 report of Pale Yellow Dune Moth from Pakowski Lake (AB) is erroneous (Anweiler pers. comm. 2014), as is a 2004 record from southern British Columbia (BC) (Schmidt pers. Comm. 2017). A Pale Yellow Dune Moth record from north-central Manitoba (MPG 2017) is likely erroneous (Lafontaine pers. comm. 2017). Three 1917 specimens labelled as C. grande from Malahat on Vancouver Island, BC (RBCM 2017) were misidentified (Copley pers. comm. 2017).

^a Sources: AB CDC (2017); COSEWIC (2007b); E. H. Strickland Museum (2017); Hilchie (pers. comm. 2017); Johnson (pers. comm. 2017), Macaulay (2016, pers. comm. 2017); MB CDC (2017); Northern Forestry Centre (2017); Stantec Consulting Ltd. (2016); J. B. Wallis / R. E. Roughley Museum of Entomology (2017);

^b Localities labelled to be consistent with Environment Canada (2015) where possible.

^c New or additional record since COSEWIC 2007b.

^d No voucher specimens were taken, and Figure 6 of Stantec Consulting Ltd. (2016) suggests that some individuals may have been misidentified.

^e Although called “Seigner Lake Sandhills” in COSEWIC (2007b), the Chauvin site is actually in the Edgerton Sand Hills as per Wolfe (2010)

^f To be donated to a provincial collection once survey work is complete (Macaulay pers. comm. 2018)

Extent of occurrence and area of occupancy

The extent of occurrence (EOO) in Canada is approximately 144,280 km² using a minimum convex polygon encompassing all 13 extant subpopulations. This value is smaller than the EOO of 184,590 km² from the 2007 COSEWIC assessment, due to the exclusion of historical sites at Calgary, Monarch, Saskatoon, and Aweme. The current index of area of occupancy (IAO) is 76 km² (19 - 2 x 2 km grid squares). The previous IAO estimate was less than 50 km² (COSEWIC 2007b); the increase is due to the four new subpopulations.

Search effort

Records for Pale Yellow Dune Moth in Canada are from 1902 to 2017. The species has been captured on 50 dates at 17 localities. Thirteen localities are considered extant subpopulations. There is a minimum of 176 specimens collected and stored in various museums (Table 1).

Trapping for nocturnal moths involves an ultraviolet (UV) or mercury vapour (MV) light set on (or suspended over) a collecting bucket and powered by a closed cell 12 volt battery. Vanes may or may not be used to direct moths through a funnel into the holding bucket, which usually holds some carton or other shelter, possibly with a killing agent. Mercury vapour lights have also been less frequently used in conjunction with a white sheet suspended from a frame (for example, at CFB Shilo in 2017 [Government of Canada 2017b]). Traps are used from dusk to dawn, often with a photovoltaic timer to preserve battery life. Multiple traps have often been used at a site to sample both open sand and semi-stabilized habitats. Most sites have had limited trapping, often only one night, that focused on confirming presence (null results do not confirm absence). These methods are considered effective for surveying Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Anweiler pers. comm. 2018; Schmidt pers. comm. 2017).

Surveys in preparation for the first COSEWIC (2007b) status report totalled 28 trap-nights at ten sites with potentially suitable habitat between July 31 to August 6, 2004 and July 23 to 27, 2005 in southern Saskatchewan and Alberta (Table 2). Pale Yellow Dune Moths were captured in six traps from four sites: Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot (CFAD) Dundurn, CFB Wainwright, Sounding Lake, and Suffern Lake Regional Park (Table 1), with the latter three being new Canadian records (Figure 5). Additional sampling was undertaken in 2004 and a new locality was found near Chauvin (SK) (Tables 1 and 2; Figure 5). Although the larger Edgerton SH approximately 14 km southwest of the Chauvin site have been extensively trapped over several years, Pale Yellow Dune Moth has not been recorded, perhaps due to the coarser sand, fewer blowouts,^{Footnote 2} and vegetation that is more parkland than prairie (Schmidt pers. comm. 2017).

No fieldwork associated with the preparation of this 2018 COSEWIC update report was undertaken; other surveys for both Pale Yellow Dune Moth and other rare prairie dune/hill moths are described below and summarized in Table 2 and Figure 5.

Alberta

Between 2000 and 2011 (although not yearly) most of the sand dune habitat in Alberta was surveyed for sand dune obligate moths including the Pakowski Dunes and the dunes at Jasper Lake in 2006 to 2011 (Schmidt pers. comm. 2018). Other sand ecosystems include Edgerton, Wainwright, Sandy Point/Empress (more riparian type sand type), Dune Point (east of Empress Dunes), Opal and Redwater dunes north of Edmonton (these sandy sites are more in the Boreal ecozone but have some southern species present), sandy area at Kootenay Plains west or Nordegg (sandy ecosystem but not dunes). There are other smaller dunes that would have had more sporadic sampling (Anweiler pers. comm. 2018; Schmidt pers. comm. 2018).

In 2016, 20 trap-nights from August 20 to 23, 2016 at CFB Wainwright (Stantec Consulting Ltd. 2016) recorded 60 putative Pale Yellow Dune Moths at 9 of the 12 sites, within about 4 km of each other in the Buffalo SH at the southern periphery of the base.^{Footnote 3}  Recent (2015 to 2016) trapping with light-traps at Wainwright Dunes Ecological Reserve and nearby Dillberry Lake Provincial Park confirmed new occurrences of Pale Yellow Dune Moth at both habitats (Macaulay 2016; pers. comm. 2017).

Targeted surveys for Pale Yellow Dune Moths and other dune taxa were conducted in AB, SK and MB in 2008 to 2011 (Curteanu et al. 2011). A total of 16 sites in 13 sand hills were surveyed using light traps; no Pale Yellow Dune Moths were caught but several other sand dune specialist species (for example, C. viridisparsa and Cucullia luna) were collected. Additional unsuccessful surveys were also conducted in 2015 at Dune Point SH and Burstall Sand Dune (Curtenau pers. comm. 2017; Snable pers. comm. 2015). The lack of success in finding Pale Yellow Dune Moths in these sand hills where other Copablepharon species occur could suggest that some other factor (for example, climate, dispersal) may limit habitat use by this species in this area west of Saskatoon (that is, the Palliser Triangle).

Saskatchewan

There are at minimum five suitable sand dune sites surveyed where Pale Yellow Dune Moth would have been noted: North Burstall Sand Dunes, Suffern Lake Regional Park, CFB Dundurn, Saskatoon, Douglas Provincial Park, southeast Elbow, Seward Sand Dunes, and northeast Webb. Light traps were deployed only at North Burstall Sand Dunes for one night totalling six traps (COSEWIC 2005).

Manitoba

In 2003 and 2007, extensive black light trapping occurred in the Spirit Sand Dunes (COSEWIC 2005, Westwood and Friesen 2009) and between 2009 and 2014, extensive day surveys (54 sites) and night surveys using black-light trapping (50 trap nights) were conducted in sand dune complexes (Table 2). Survey sites targeted larger open sand areas in the Bald Head Hills (Spruce Woods-CFB Shilo-Carberry sand dune complex) and adjacent smaller sand complexes at Brandon (n=22 trap-nights), Lauder (n=9), Portage (n=1), St. Lazare (n=5), Routledge (n=3), and Treesbank SH (n=1) sand hills (Friesen and Murray 2010; Friesen and Murray 2011; Murray and Friesen 2012; Murray 2013; Murray 2014; Murray and Church 2015). A total of 28 individuals were caught in the Spirit Sands of Spruce Woods Provincial Park within the Brandon SH, but at no other locality.

Between 2009 and 2011 in AB, SK and MB, Pale Yellow Dune Moth may have been recorded while conducting surveys for Schinia avemensis and Copablepharon longipenne (Belair et al. 2011, Curteanu pers. comm. 2013). There has been extensive trapping in the appropriate habitat and time of year in at least the Middle SHs / CFB Suffield and the dunes near Burstall (SK), and Great SHs (AB), and there is reasonable confidence that Pale Yellow Dune Moth is not in these habitats (Schmidt pers. comm. 2018).

A recent physiographic inventory of dunes and blowouts^{Footnote 4}  in the sand hills of the Canadian Prairie provinces (Wolfe 2010) suggests there remains some potential Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat in need of additional survey. The 23 sand hills within the Canadian range of Pale Yellow Dune Moth encompass 78 mapped dunes and 607 blowouts that together represent over 700 ha of bare sand area. Some of these areas have been surveyed (see Figure 5). There may be as many as 200 1-km² grid squares that contain at least some potentially suitable habitat based on interpretation of satellite imagery (COSEWIC 2007b; Wolfe 2010), most of which has not been completely surveyed. Much of this potential habitat is within the current Canadian extent of occurrence (see Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy), and most would be if the extent of occurrence includes the historical records.

Although Pale Yellow Dune Moths appear to use semi-stabilized dunes adjacent to open sand areas rather than bare sand itself (see Habitat Requirements), this suggests potentially suitable habitat remains to be surveyed. Additional subpopulations in the Canadian prairies likely occur in some of these unsurveyed sandy grassland edges with appropriate habitat (for example, Bushy Lake SH, Maskwa Lake SH) (Page pers. comm. 2017), and further investigation is required (Environment Canada 2016). Regardless, the habitat that remains is widely separated and amounts to a small overall area of habitat (that is, less than 700ha), Pale Yellow Dune Moth appears to occur in low abundance making detection difficult, and this habitat is declining in the longer-term due to vegetation stabilization (see Habitat Trends and Threats).

Habitat

Habitat requirements

Pale Yellow Dune Moths occur in sparsely vegetated grasslands with patches of open sand, but do not appear to require habitats with large areas of active sand movement (COSEWIC 2007b). Suitable habitat seems to occur in the transition between open active dunes with frequent sand movement, and stable dunes that are fully vegetated with little or no open sand (Environment Canada 2016). They do not appear to use habitats with dense vegetation or grass thatch, and may require open sand for egg-laying and larval development, including winter diapause (COSEWIC 2007b; Environment Canada 2016). The sand substrate may offer a humid and stable microclimate during the vulnerable pupal stage, and may facilitate the burrowing activity during the larval feeding on plant roots.

In Canada, Pale Yellow Dune Moths have been captured in or near sandy blowouts, dune ridges, road cuts, and unvegetated fire guards (COSEWIC 2007b) (Figure 6). Road cuts and other disturbed areas can be a source of open sand in otherwise stabilized sand dunes (COSEWIC 2007b; Johnson pers. comm. 2017). Most Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations are in sand hills comprised of glaciofluvial or glaciodeltaic sand deposits that have been reworked into dunes by wind at varying times throughout the Holocene (Wolfe 1997, 2002, 2010) (Figure 6). Three Canadian Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations (Maryfield, Fort Qu’appelle, and Carseland) occur in sandy, eroded areas that are not characterized as sand hills. In Oregon and Idaho, Pale Yellow Dune Moth is restricted to sandy riparian habitats, where it is relatively rare (Hammond pers. comm. 2017).

Pale Yellow Dune Moth does not appear dependent on a specific host-plant for feeding, laying eggs, or nectaring (see Biology). However, it is often associated with certain ecological communities such as midgrass and bunchgrass prairies (Fauske 1992). In AB, Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations are recorded in: 1) Sand Grass–Sand Dropseed–Hay Sedge (Calamovilfa longifolia - Sporobolus cryptandrus - Carex siccata) herbaceous vegetation or 2) Creeping Juniper–Sand Grass–Sun-loving Sedge dwarf shrubland (Juniperus horizontalis / Calamovilfa longifolia – Carex pensylvanica ssp. heliophile) (Coenen 2003). These two communities develop on sloped, well-drained sandy soils with some sand movement; the former has approximately 60% open sand while the latter has 30%). Although ecological communities in semi-stable, sparsely vegetated sand dunes in AB, SK and MB vary regionally, they are often similar in structure (COSEWIC 2007b).

The habitat in which Pale Yellow Dune Moths were recently found in Wainwright Dunes Ecological Reserve and Dillberry Lake Provincial Park was described as sandy grassland with patches of bare sand as well as patches of forbs and shrubs (e.g., Thin-leaved Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) and Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)) (Macaulay pers. comm. 2017) (Figure 6). Semi-stabilized dunes are 5 to 10 m high at Wainwright (Figure 6) and lower at Dillberry Lake.

At CFB Shilo near Aweme (MB), Pale Yellow Dune Moths habitat is gently hilly, dry, mixedgrass prairie dunes with a few areas of exposed sand and scattered groves of poplar (Populus spp.), White Spruce (Picea glauca), and cherry (Prunus spp.); both collection sites were near extensive exposed sand at the roads and fire lanes, as well as a few blowouts (Johnson pers. comm. 2017). At Spirit Sands in Spruce Woods Provincial Park, Pale Yellow Dune Moths were caught in traps set from 10 to 50 m from the dune face in stabilized open White Spruce forest (Murray 2013). It is unknown if the moths were blown into this habitat, attracted by the trap’s night light, or actively use the habitat.

Habitat trends

Sandy soils are widespread in the southern Canadian prairies and are composed of glaciofluvial, glaciolacustrine, and deltaic sediments from the last glaciation that have been reworked by wind action (David 1977). However, dune stabilization has affected most dune systems in the Canadian prairies in the last 200 years. Most sandy habitats are now stable, vegetated, and lack open sand patches except in isolated blowouts, drier dune ridges, road cuts, and other disturbed sites. Pale Yellow Dune Moth appears to be associated with transitional habitat that occurs between active dunes and stable, sandy grasslands. Vegetation succession on dunes often leads to the development of heavily vegetated sandy grassland that may exclude Pale Yellow Dune Moths. For example, exposed sand in the blowout shown in Figure 6b will likely be lost as vegetation, such as Creeping Juniper and bryophytes, colonizes these open sites.

Trends in Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat in Canada are therefore largely driven by the patterns of dune activity and stabilization in the southern Prairies. These dune systems are derived from sandy deposits left behind by the receding Laurentide Ice Sheet and reworked by aeolian and other processes (Hugenholtz et al. 2010). Dune activity depends on climatic and biological or anthropogenic factors that control sediment availability and/or transport capacity (Muhs and Wolfe 1999; Hugenholtz and Wolfe 2005b). Stratigraphic and chronological studies (e.g., Dean et al. 1996; Wolfe et al. 2002, 2004, 2006) document a history of alternating periods of dune activity and stability across the Prairies during the last 10,000 years. Following an active period of approximately 80 years during the 1800s, archival aerial photographs and satellite imagery document widespread dune stabilization across the southern Canadian prairies since the early 1900s, despite periodic drought intervals (Hugenholtz and Wolfe 2005a; Wolfe et al. 2001, 2007).

Many active dunes have been stabilized by vegetation at a rate of 10 to 40% per decade, and less than 1% of the sand hill area in the Canadian prairies is currently active with bare sand (Wolfe 2010). Between 1928 and 2006, the open sand area within the 1350 km² Brandon SH decreased by 95% (Hugenholtz et al. 2010; Wolfe et al. 2000), and only about 80 ha of open sand dune remains (Wolfe 2010). Much of this open area is within Spirit Sands (Spruce Woods Provincial Park), where Pale Yellow Dune Moths were first recorded in 2012 (Table 1). The species also persists in the Brandon SH at CFB Shilo (Table 1), where military activities maintain some open sand areas (e.g., roads) in a matrix of more stabilized dune habitat (Johnson pers. comm. 2017). Many smaller sand hills with minor levels of dune activity in the mid-1900s now sustain only small pockets of active sand (Hugenholtz et al. 2010). The semi-stabilized periphery around these open sand areas represents potentially suitable Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat, although with increasing stabilization these areas may become unsuitable for this species.

Although regional climate is the primary driver over the long term, widespread irrigation, the extirpation of Plains Bison (Bison bison bison) herds, and the suppression of fires have also been cited as factors contributing to dune stabilization in the 1900s (Wolfe and Nickling 1997; Forman et al. 2001; Hugenholtz et al. 2010). Although climate explains a significant portion of the historical trend towards dune stabilization at a regional scale, disturbance accounts for the persistence of some active dunes and blowouts in areas that are otherwise stabilized by vegetation (Hugenholtz et al. 2010). Threats from fire, cultivation, logging, off-road vehicle traffic and livestock grazing can increase or restore dune activity and lead to the development of new generations of dunes (Hugenholtz et al. 2010). Blowouts develop when a localized disturbance produces a breach in the vegetation cover, thus enabling deflation by wind (Wolfe and Nickling 1997). Vegetation growth is inhibited where high wind stress and low moisture availability prevail, such as windward and south-facing slopes (Hugenholtz and Wolfe 2005b). The process of dune stabilization tends not to be a linear function of time, with stabilization slowing and following a negative exponential function in later stages (Hugenholtz and Wolfe 2005b). This might account for the persistence of some base level of dune activity (Wolfe et al. 2007).

In addition to habitat loss, dune stabilization results in a more fragmented habitat as active dune areas shrink and disappear, likely with adverse impacts on Pale Yellow Dune Moth metapopulation dynamics. Under these dynamics, even a small loss of habitat, such as a centrally placed, partially stabilized dune, can significantly reduce subpopulation persistence (e.g., see Bascompte and Soulé 1996), especially if dispersal among sand dunes is disrupted by the loss of a ‘stepping-stone’ habitat patch (Hugenholtz et al. 2010; see Dispersal and Migration).

Although dune activity is expected to continue to decline in the coming decades under the present climate and disturbance regimes (Wolfe 2010), dunes are extremely sensitive to climatic variability and the potential for reactivation is high (Muhs and Holliday 1995). Although regional reactivation of sand dunes may require several decades (Wolfe 1997; Wolfe et al.2001), this may eventually result in an increasing amount of suitable habitat for Pale Yellow Dune Moths if subpopulations remain nearby to recolonize it.

Biology

The biology of Pale Yellow Dune Moth is poorly known. This nocturnal moth with a short summer flight season is only rarely observed.

Life cycle and reproduction

Like all Lepidoptera, Pale Yellow Dune Moth undergoes complete metamorphosis with egg, larval, pupal and adult life stages. Larval and pupal life stages have not been described; however, Strickland (1920) collected a fourth instar larva on May 9, 1913 in a “stubble field” at Monarch, AB. This larva was “found below ground, among other cutworms, and it fed freely on alfalfa and to some extent on barley”. When mature, the larva measured 1½ inches (38 mm), and by July 5 it had pupated in an earthen cell. The captive adult laid eggs in the soil (Strickland 1920). No specimen is available to confirm the identification.

Eggs are fully formed in newly emerged adult females, but mating and egg-laying have not been observed (COSEWIC 2007b). Eggs are believed to be deposited in loose, sandy soil, and based on observations in the related Dusky Dune Moth (C. longipenne), eggs may hatch approximately three weeks later (COSEWIC 2007a). Based on Strickland’s (1920) observations and some other Copablepharon behaviour, larvae are believed to feed nocturnally on a variety of plant species and spend the day buried in the sand (Macaulay pers. comm. 2017). They may also feed on below-ground roots and shoots (COSEWIC 2007b). Larval growth likely occurs between hatching in August and the onset of cool weather in October. Larvae may undergo a below-ground diapause between the fall and early spring, although the microsite and depth of burial are unknown (COSEWIC 2007b). Spring or early summer feeding may also occur prior to pupation as observed in Dusky Dune Moth (COSEWIC 2007a). The pupal stage likely begins in late June or early July in Canada (July 5 for Strickland’s captured specimen) and pupation occurs in an “earthen cell” below ground (Strickland 1920).

The flight period of Pale Yellow Dune Moth in Canada (based on Canadian specimen observations) is from July 3 to August 14, with a peak around late July (Table 1). Reproduction coincides with the flight season, and adults likely die shortly after reproducing. Sex ratios (based on collection information) are generally evenly split. Adults are nocturnal, but appear to be most active shortly after nightfall, possibly due to rapidly dropping air temperatures in open dune habitats. Larvae are active at and shortly after dusk (Macaulay pers. comm. 2018) and have been observed resting inside White Evening Primrose (Oenothera nuttalli) (Macaulay 2016; Schmidt pers. comm. 2017). Copablepharon spp. have an unusually long proboscis for a noctuid (similar in length to a small sphingid moth) and they might nectar preferentially at flowers with deep nectaries (Schmidt pers. comm. 2017), such as White Evening Primrose.

Physiology and adaptability

Little is known about the physiology and adaptability of Pale Yellow Dune Moth. The influence of climate on Pale Yellow Dune Moth distribution is not known, but low temperatures may limit its northern distribution. The lack of captures from the dune systems in the Palliser Triangle may also be related to climatic factors. However, the species is found across a broad latitudinal gradient in North America with a correspondingly wide variation in precipitation and temperatures.

Observations to date indicate Pale Yellow Dune Moth is not dependent on a unique host-plant for feeding or laying eggs. A Pale Yellow Dune Moth larva fed on both a common legume species (Alfalfa, Medicago sativa) and a grass species (barley, Hordeumsp.), while reared in captivity (Strickland 1920), suggesting the moth is a generallist feeder. In addition, the species does not appear to have specific or obligate host plants. The moth has not been observed using leaves or flowers for ovipositing, and sand may be the preferred medium for egg deposition (COSEWIC 2007b).

Dispersal and migration

The dispersal abilities of Pale Yellow Dune Mothhave not been documented (COSEWIC 2007b; Environment Canada 2016). Sand dunes and sandy grasslands in the southern Canadian prairies are widespread, rare, discontinuous, and often separated by large patches of habitat not suitable for dune moths; therefore, local subpopulations may be isolated (Environment Canada 2016). Copablepharonspecies that have been observed in the field: that is, Sand-verbena Moth (C. fuscum)and Dusky Dune Moth (C. longipenne), are strong fliers (COSEWIC 2003, 2007a). Given that dune habitats are often patchily distributed across the landscape (100 m to 2 km apart), it is likely that dispersal occurs infrequently at this scale. However, dispersal between regionally isolated dune systems (>10 km) is unlikely or infrequent (COSEWIC 2007b). The potential for long-distance dispersal has likely declined as agricultural activity has developed the landscape between sandy habitats. There is no information that suggests that Pale Yellow Dune Moth migrates.

Interspecific interactions

Interspecific interactions such as predation, parasitism, and disease have not been documented for Pale Yellow Dune Moth. Like most Lepidoptera, Pale Yellow Dune Moths are undoubtedly subject to competition, predation and parasitism by a variety of insects, birds, and other animals during all life stages. Songbirds were observed feeding on adult Dusky Dune Moths in the Great SH and Burstall Sand Dunes in July 2004 and may also consume Pale Yellow Dune Moths (COSEWIC 2007b). Pale Yellow Dune Moths are often captured with C. viridisparsa, but it is unknown whether there is any competition between the species (COSEWIC 2007b).

Population sizes and trends

Sampling effort and methods

There have been no studies to assess the Canadian population or individual subpopulations of Pale Yellow Dune Moth. Moths have been recorded in high abundance at the Spirit Sands area of Spruce Woods Provincial Park, which has had the most intensive sampling effort, with a combined total of 25+ trap-nights of effort in 2003 to 2004 and 2012 to 2013 (MB CDC unpublished data; Table 1). See Search Effort for survey methodology. During 2004 to 2005 fieldwork, 18 Pale Yellow Dune Mothspecimens were captured in 28 trap-nights, with up to 12 Pale Yellow Dune Moths per trap (COSEWIC 2007b).

Abundance

There are no quantitative data available on population sizes for Pale Yellow Dune Moth in Canada. The total number of occupied habitat patches in Canada and the number of moths at these sites is unknown. The focus of most surveys has not been total counts, and no mark-recapture studies have been conducted to estimate population or subpopulation size for this species. Sequential visits at individual sites during the same flight season have generally been lacking, so the number of individuals caught on any single visit likely represents only a fraction of the subpopulation at that site. Subpopulation sizes of many moth species vary greatly from year to year due to weather and other factors (Pohl et al. 2004). During moth surveys at Chauvin (SK) in 2004, 15 Pale Yellow Dune Moth were capturedin five UV light-traps while sampling for Schinia species in sandy grassland. These captures represent less than 1% of the total number of moths captured in these sites, an indication of the low local abundance of the species (Schmidt pers. comm. 2018).

Pale Yellow Dune Moth was first recorded in Canada in 1902 and in total at least 176 specimens have been caught or observed in Canada (Table 1). The greatest number of Pale Yellow Dune Moths (n=60) has been captured at CFB Wainwright in the Buffalo Park SHs, although this may be a function of greater sampling effort (some specimens may have been misidentified, as no voucher specimens were taken). At least 44 have been caught in the Spirit Sands (Spruce Woods Provincial Park). These may be part of the largest population of Pale Yellow Dune Moth given the extensive potential habitat in the Brandon SH, the 2nd largest sand hill area in Canada after the Great SH in SK.

Fluctuations and trends

There is no quantitative information on the Canadian population or individual subpopulation fluctuations and trends for the Pale Yellow Dune Moth. The progressive stabilization and loss of active dune complexes in Canada during the past 100 years (Wolfe et al. 2000) has likely resulted in a corresponding reduction in the size and number of Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations during that period. Pale Yellow Dune Moth has persisted in the Brandon SHs for more than 100 years (Table 1), but its abundance has likely declined with a loss of semi-stabilized dune habitat on the periphery of open sand areas (see Habitat Trends). Captures of Pale Yellow Dune Moths at CFAD Dundurn in 2004 confirm its continuing presence in the Saskatoon area (the precise locality of the 1939 Saskatoon record unknown) (Table 1).

Rescue effect

The nearest known US records of Pale Yellow Dune Moth are from Turtle Mountain, North Dakota, approximately 100 km south of the closest Canadian locality at Spruce Woods Provincial Park (MB). It is unknown if the Turtle Mountain population is extant, the intervening landscape has been heavily developed by agriculture (based on GoogleEarth imagery), and recolonization over this distance is unlikely (COSEWIC 2007b).

Threats and limiting factors

The progressive stabilization of semi-stabilized sand dune habitat at extant subpopulation habitats is the most significant threat to Pale Yellow Dune Moth (COSEWIC 2007b; Environment Canada 2016). This natural process is largely driven by regional climate trends, but has accelerated over the last 150 years, in part due to decreasing aridity, reduced wildfire, extirpation of Plains Bison, and other factors. Threats are described below using categories outlined in the International Union of Conservation Networks (2013) threats assessment calculator. The assigned threat impact for Pale Yellow Dune Moth is Medium-Low. Threats that are scored or unknown are discussed below and negligible/non-threats addressed in Table 3.

Species:

Pale Yellow Dune Moth (Copablepharon grandis)

Element ID:

Not applicable

Elcode:

Not applicable

Date:

Not applicable

Assessor(s):

December 2017 teleconference call: Jennifer Heron (Arthropods SSC Co-chair), Paul Grant (Arthropods SSC co-chair), Diana Ghikas (CWS, Regina), Syd Cannings (CWS COSEWIC Member, Whitehorse), Brian Starzomski (Arthropods SSC Member), Angèle Cyr (COSEWIC Secretariat), Rob Foster (status report author), John Klymko (Arthropods SSC Member). January 2016 teleconference call: Jennifer Heron (Arthropods SSC Co-chair), Diana Ghikas (CWS, Regina), Victoria Schnable (CWS, Edmonton), Syd Cannings (CWS COSEWIC Member, Whitehorse), Brian Starzomski (Arthropods SSC Member), Angèle Cyr (COSEWIC Secretariat).

References:

Pale Yellow Dune Moth Management Plan (Environment Canada 2016); COSEWIC Report on Pale Yellow Dune Moth (COSEWIC 2007); White Flower Moth updated COSEWIC Report (COSEWIC 2014) and other sand ecosystem species with a similar range and habitat.

Assigned overall threat impact:

Medium - Low

Impact adjustment reasons:

Not applicable

Overall threat comments:

Not applicable

^g Impact – The degree to which a species is observed, inferred, or suspected to be directly or indirectly threatened in interest. The impact of each stress is based on Severity and Scope rating and considers only present and future threats. Threat impact reflects a reduction of a species population or decline/degradation of the area of an ecosystem. The median rate of population reduction or area decline for each combination of scope and severity corresponds to the following classes of threat impact: very high (75% declines), high (40%), medium (15%), and low (3%). Unknown: used when impact cannot be determined (for example, if values for either scope or severity is unknown).

^hScope– Proportion of the species that can reasonably be expected to be affected by the threat within 10 years. Usually measured as a propo

rtion of the species’ population in interest. (Pervasive = 71 to 100%; Large = 31 to 70%; Restricted = 11 to 30%; Small = 1 to 10%)

ⁱ Severity – Within the scope, the level of damage to the species from the threat that can reasonably be expected to be affected by the threat within a 10-year or three-generation timeframe. Usually measured as the degree of reduction of the species’ population (Extreme = 71 to 100%; Serious = 31 to 70%; Moderate = 11 to 30%; Slight = 1 to 10%).

^j Timing – High = continuing; Moderate = only in the future (could happen in the short term [ 10 years or 3 generations]) or now suspended (could come back in the short term); Low = only in the future (could happen in the long term) or now suspended (could come back in the long term); Insignificant/Negligible = only in the past and unlikely to return, or no direct effect but limiting.

Threat 2: Agriculture and aquaculture (medium – low)

2.1 Annual and perennial non-timber crops (medium – low)

Due to the very dry and sandy soils of Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat and surrounding areas, conversion to agricultural crop or forage production is not likely. However, some irrigated potato farming and haying occurs in marginal adjacent areas in southern AB and MB.

Threat 7: Natural system modifications (medium - low)

7.3 Other ecosystem modifications (medium - low)

Dune stabilization is the predominant threat to Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations and habitat, particularly at small (<1 ha) blowouts that now support most of the known occurrences. This is a pervasive and continuing threat at all known sites throughout its Canadian range and is largely driven by long-term climate trends (see Habitat Trends), natural and non-native plant succession and the lack of disturbance from fire and Plains Bison. These threats are discussed under the appropriate subheadings, however, scored under this subcategory.

Threat 6: Human intrusions and disturbance (low)

6.1 Recreational activities (low)

Sand dunes are popular with all-terrain vehicle (ATV) users and ATV tracks have been observed at a small number of dunes or blowouts that have Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations (COSEWIC 2007b.). There is a small risk of Pale Yellow Dune Moths (particularly larvae or pupae) being crushed by ATVs. This risk may be partially mitigated by the beneficial effect that ATV use may have by destroying vegetation and slowing the rate of dune stabilization. ATVs and other vehicles can introduce invasive plants (for example, White Sweet Clover (Melilotus albus) seeds) on tires (Anderson 2013) but impacts on Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat have not been demonstrated (see IUCN Threat 8).

Pale Yellow Dune Moths and their habitat could be similarly impacted by high visitor use at occupied sites at Spirit Sands (Brandon SH) in Spruce Woods Provincial Park. Most of the thousands of visitors annually at Spirit Sands likely stay on the marked self-guiding trail, but there remains a small risk of trampling during off-trail ventures. Trampling by visitors may also have a beneficial effect in helping slow the rate of dune stabilization at a local scale.

6.2 War, civil unrest and military exercises (low)

This threat is potentially applicable at three subpopulations: CFB Shilo, CFB Wainwright, and CFAD Dundurn. Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat is potentially present in CFB Suffield (AB). Military training with heavy vehicles, the use of explosives, and disturbance from associated fires may help maintain semi-open dune habitats on these bases. These activities may also cause mortality of Pale Yellow Dune Moth individuals. Pale Yellow Dune Moths continue to persist at CFB Shilo, which has been the site of military activity since 1910 (Government of Canada 2017a).

6.3 Work and other activities (low)

This includes potential incidental mortality from research activities other than moth trapping (accounted for under Hunting and Collecting). Permits that stipulate capture techniques and limits are typically required (for example, in parks and military bases) which will limit incidental mortality.

Threat 8:Invasive and other problematic species and genes (unknown)

8.1 Invasive non-native/alien species (unknown impact)

Invasive non-native plant species can accelerate the process of dune stabilization compared to native species and may also negatively impact the larval food plants of Pale Yellow Dune Moths due to competition. Non-native plants such as Smooth Brome (Bromus inermis), Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula), Crested Wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), and sweet clovers (Melilotus spp.) are present in Canadian dunes and have the potential to out-compete native vegetation, altering ecosystem properties and ecological integrity (Schykulski and Moore 1996; Henderson and Naeth 2005; Catling and Mitrow 2012; MCWS 2012). Invasive non-native plants can rapidly colonize active dune areas, accelerating the establishment of both native and non-native vegetation (Environment Canada 2016).

At present, non-native invasive plants are not abundant in dry grasslands or sand dunes with Pale Yellow Dune Moth and are mainly associated with cattle grazing and infrastructure development (N. Page pers. obs. in Environment Canada 2016; Foster pers. obs.).

At Spruce Woods Provincial Park (MB) Sweet Clover, Smooth Brome and particularly Leafy Spurge are considered major problems for the long-term integrity and sustainability of this habitat (Schykulski and Moore 1996) and control is ongoing (Province of Manitoba 2015). Nearby farmsteads, gas wells, roads, and associated infrastructure in the sand hills near extant subpopulations likely increase the likelihood of non-native species invading Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat. Invasive plant species are scored in 7.3.

8.2 Problematic native species (unknown)

Native plants (including trees such as aspens and pines) encroach and stabilize dunes due to the climate regime that is wetter and warmer than historically. This is likely to continue within the coming decades. Encroachment is coming from the edges of the habitat, but not happening throughout the entire habitat and is not equally distributed. Problematic native species are scored in 7.3.

Threat 9: Pollution (unknown)

9.3 Agricultural and forestry effluents (unknown)

It is unlikely that pesticides or herbicides are sprayed by ranchers on native prairie near Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat. Pale Yellow Dune Moths, as well as their larval food plants could potentially be impacted by the drift of agrochemicals used to control pest insects or weeds on adjacent agricultural fields or hayfields (for example, Davis et al. 1991). However, most known Pale Yellow Dune Moth occurrences are more than 1 km from adjacent agricultural fields, so it appears that there is a negligible risk. Chemical control methods were used from 1983 to 2009 in Spruce Woods Provincial Park to control Leafy Spurge (MCWS 2012). Impacts, if any, on Pale Yellow Dune Moths are unknown.

Threat 11: Climate change and severe weather (unknown)

11.1 Habitat shifting and alteration (unknown)

The potential impact of climate change on Canadian Pale Yellow Dune Moths and their habitats is unknown and unlikely to be demonstrated in the short term but may be beneficial over the long term (>10 years). Decreased precipitation and increased mean annual temperatures and aridity associated with climate change could slow stabilization of dune habitats, particularly if there are prolonged and/or severe droughts (Hugenholtz et al. 2010). The impacts are difficult to predict, however, and the long-term impact of climate change on future Pale Yellow Dune Moth habitat may depend on the unknown interplay of temperatures, aridity, and vegetation dynamics (Wolfe and Torpe 2005).

11.3 Temperature extremes (unknown)

In the short-term, small, isolated subpopulations of Pale Yellow Dune Moths are likely vulnerable to stochastic events and could be threatened by hailstorms or severe early or late frosts, particularly if the frequency and intensity of severe weather events increases due to climate change.

Limiting factors

Limiting factors are generally not human-induced and include characteristics that make the species less likely to respond to recovery/conservation efforts. Limiting factors for Pale Yellow Dune Moth are not well documented.

The distribution and abundance of Pale Yellow Dune Moths are inherently limited by the scarcity of semi-stabilized sand dunes in Canada. Dune fields within its Canadian range are often isolated and separated, making successful dispersal, migration, and re-colonization unlikely (Environment Canada 2016). Dispersal distances are unknown but are likely less than 10 km for this species (COSEWIC 2007b) and may limit dispersal among patches of suitable habitat within and among sand hills. Isolated subpopulations can be vulnerable to local extinction, reducing the subpopulation’s potential to persist.

Number of locations

A location is defined “a geographically distinct area in which a single threatening event can rapidly affect all individuals of the species”. Dune stabilization is the greatest single threat to Canadian Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations. However, dune stabilization is ultimately driven by longer-term trends in regional climate and fire suppression, and non-climatic factors such as cattle grazing, fire, and other disturbance factors at the local scale thereby initiating dune activity (Hugenholtz et al. 2010). Dune stabilization is outside of the ten-year assessment time frame.

Some of the extant Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations may be at risk of extirpation within the next ten years, specifically those subpopulations in smaller sand dune/hill habitats. A case for severe fragmentation may be possible; however, there is not enough spatial information for each extant subpopulation’s habitat to accurately assess the projected habitat loss and inferred habitat decline.

Local variation in land management may therefore be important in mitigating dune stabilization and reducing the threat to Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations. In addition, many Pale Yellow Dune Moth sites are relatively isolated from each other and are unlikely to be affected by a single threatening event. Based on these factors, each of the 13 extant Pale Yellow Dune Moth subpopulations/habitats in Canada may represent a separate location.

Protection status and ranks

Legal protection and status

Pale Yellow Dune Moth is listed as Special Concern under Schedule 1 of the federal Species at Risk Act and Endangered under the Manitoba Endangered Species and Ecosystems Act (Manitoba Wildlife Branch 2017). The species is not protected under the Wildlife Actsof Alberta (AEP 2017) or Saskatchewan (Government of Saskatchewan 2017).

Non-legal status and ranks

Pale Yellow Dune Moth conservation status ranks (NatureServe 2017) are:

global: Apparently Secure – Secure (G4G5) (NatureServe 2017)

Canada: Imperilled (N2) in Canada

Manitoba: Critically Imperilled (S1) (Manitoba Conservation Data Centre 2017), Alberta: Critically Imperilled to Imperilled (S1S2) (Alberta Conservation Information Management System 2017)

Saskatchewan: Imperilled (S2) (Saskatchewan Data Centre 2017)

United States: status not ranked at both the national and state levels (NatureServe 2017)

Pale Yellow Dune Moth is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act or the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

Habitat protection and ownership

Most Canadian sites with known or suspected Pale Yellow Dune Mothsubpopulations occur on publicly owned lands, primarily provincial lands that are leased for cattle grazing. Pale Yellow Dune Moths at Wainwright (Wainwright Dunes Ecological Reserve) and Spirit Dunes (Spruce Woods Provincial Park) occur in protected areas. A small portion of the subpopulation in the Suffern Lake area is within Suffern Lake Regional Park; however, park activities focus on recreation rather than conservation (COSEWIC 2007b).

Two sparsely vegetated ecological communities in which Pale Yellow Dune Mothoccurs are ranked by Alberta Natural Heritage Information Centre (2017): 1) sand grass–sand dropseed–hay sedge herbaceous vegetation and 2) creeping juniper / sand grass–sun-loving sedge dwarf shrubland. Both are ranked as imperilled/vulnerable (S2S3); however, this designation does not provide habitat protection (COSEWIC 2007b).

Acknowledgements and authorities contacted

Thank you to Jennifer Heron (Arthropods SSC Co-chair) as well as the Arthropods Specialist Subcommittee (Jessica Linton, Jeremy deWaard, Syd Cannings, Cory Sheffield, Paul Grant) and COSEWIC members (Ruben Boles, John Reynolds, Shelley Pruss, Dave Fraser, Kristiina Ovaska) for document review and threats assessment information. Angèle Cyr, Jenny Wu and Shirley Sheppard (COSEWIC Secretariat) provided contract supervision, administration, and advice. Colin Murray provided element occurrence and past survey effort data from the Manitoba Conservation Data Centre (CDC); Alberta and Saskatchewan CDCs also provided data where available. Rachel McDonald facilitated use of survey reports from Department of National Defence lands. Medea Curteanu (Canadian Wildlife Service), Nick Page wrote the first status report on Pale Yellow Dune Moth. Nick Page and Doug Macaulay generously provided field observations, insight, and data on the species. Al Harris provided editorial review.

Authorities contacted

Acord, Brian. Lead Zoologist, California Natural Diversity Database, California Dept. of Fish and Game, Sacramento, California

Acorn, John. Sessional Lecturer, Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Anweiler, Gary. Associate, E. H. Strickland Entomological Museum, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Benville, Andrea. Data Manager, Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan

Bergey, Liz, Heritage Zoologist, Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory and Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma

Chaney, Ali. Biologist, Nevada Natural Heritage Program, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Carson City, Nevada

Clark, Shawn. Insect Collections Manager, Brigham Young University, Salt Lake City, Utah

Copley, Claudia. Collections Manager. Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, British Columbia

Court, Gordon. Provincial Wildlife Status Biologist, Fish and Wildlife Division, SRD Dept. of Sustainable Resource Development, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta

Crabo, Lars G. Adjunct Faculty, Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington

Curteanu, Medea. Wildlife Biologist, Environment Canada – Canadian Wildlife Service, Edmonton, Alberta

Delisle, Jennifer. Information Manager, Kansas Natural Heritage, Lawrence, Kansas

Durbin, Jim. Amateur Entomologist, Marion, Iowa

Duttenhefner, Kathy. Biologist, North Dakota Natural Heritage Inventory, Bismark, North Dakota

Fisher, John. Amateur Entomologist, Sand Springs, Oklahoma

Fritz, Mike. Zoologist, Nebraska Natural Heritage Program, Lincoln, New England

Hammond, Paul. Curatorial Associate, Oregon State Arthropod Collection, Corvalis, Oregon

Harp, Charles (Chuck). Season Summary Coordinator (Rocky Mountain states and Alberta), The Lepidopterists Society, Littleton, Colorado

Heimerl, Casey. Database Manager-Wildlife Biologist, South Dakota Natural Heritage Program, Pierre, South Dakota

Heron, Jennifer. Invertebrate Specialist, British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, Vancouver, British Columbia

Holden, David. Survey Biologist, Plant Health Surveillance Unit, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Burnaby, British Columbia

Hutchins, Ben. Invertebrate Biologist, Texas Nongame and Rare Species Program, Austin, Texas

Johnson, Kyle E. Honorary Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dept. of Entomology, Madison, Wisconsin

Keith, Jeff. Coordinator, Saskatchewan Conservation Data Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan

Kristine, Johnson. Director / Zoology Coordinator, Natural Heritage New Mexico, Dept. of Biology, UNM, Albuquerque, New Mexico

Lafontaine, Don. Entomologist, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario

Lusha, Tronstad. Invertebrate Zoologist, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming

Meijer, Marge. Information Specialist, Alberta Conservation Information Management System, Edmonton, Alberta

Macaulay, Douglas. Member, The Alberta Lepidopterists’ Guild, Devon, Alberta

Menefee, Michael D. Environmental Review Coordinator, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado

Murray, Colin. Project Biologist and Geomatics, Manitoba Conservation Data Centre; Wildlife and Fisheries Branch; Manitoba Conservation and Water Stewardship, Winnipeg, Manitoba

Ogborn, Gary. GIS-Natural Heritage Program Coordinator, Utah Natural Heritage Program, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City, Utah

Page, Nick. Biologist, Raincoast Applied Ecology, Vancouver, British Columbia

Pearson, John. Ecologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Des Moines, Iowa

Pohl, Greg. Forest Biodiversity Researcher and Collections Manager, Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Edmonton, Alberta

Poole, Kelly. Endangered Species Coordinator, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa

Sabra, Tonn. Program Supervisor, Arizona Heritage Data Management System, Phoenix, Arizona

Schmidt, Angie. Coordinator, Idaho Natural Heritage Program, Boise, Idaho

Schmidt, Christian. Entomologist, Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes, Ottawa, Ontario

Sheffield, Cory S. Invertebrates Curator, Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, Saskatchewan

Sonia, Schnobb. Administrative Assistant, COSEWIC Secretariat, Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Gatineau, Quebec

Summerville, Keith. Professor, Environmental Science and Policy, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa

Wagner, David. Invertebrate Zoologist, Dept. of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut

Westwood, Richard. Dept. of Environmental Science and Studies and Dept. of Biology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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Biographical summary of report writers

Robert Foster is co-founder and principal of Northern Bioscience, an ecological consulting firm offering professional consulting services supporting ecosystem management, planning, and research. Dr. Foster has a B.Sc. in Biology from Lakehead University and a D. Phil in Zoology from the University of Oxford. Rob has worked as an ecologist in Canada for over 25 years and has conducted numerous insect surveys for protected areas planning and environmental assessments in Ontario, as well as Manitoba, Minnesota, Quebec, and British Columbia. Rob has authored or coauthored over twenty COSEWIC status reports on vascular plants, a land snail, and arthropods, including nine butterflies and moths, and has conducted COSEWIC field surveys in the sand hills of AB, SK, and MB.

Collections examined

The following collections were searched for new or overlooked Canadian specimens of Pale Yellow Dune Moth:

Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes (CNC), Ottawa, ON (Owen Lonsdale)

Chicago Field Museum, Chicago, IL. (on-line search)

E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB (on-line search)

J. B. Wallis / R. E. Roughley Museum of Entomology (Jason Gibbs)

Olds College, AB (Ken Fry)

Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature (Randall Mooi)

Museum of Zoology, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary (John Swann)

Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton, AB (Matthias Buck)

Royal British Columbia Museum, Victoria, BC (Claudia Copley)

Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Regina, SK (Cory Sheffield)

Spencer Entomological Collection, Beaty Biodiversity Museum, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC (on-line search)

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History, New Haven, CT, USA (on-line search)