Rare Species Atlas Methods

Historical and recent distribution data were analyzed for 193 Lepidopteran and Odonate species from the DCR-DNH Biotics database and various other sources, including published literature, unpublished reports, biologists' field notes, museum specimens, on-line sources, and verified personal records of knowledgeable amateur naturalists, collectors, and professional biologists.

In addition, DCR-DNH staff conducted numerous field surveys during 2011 and 2012 to obtain new or updated distributional records for rare Lepidoptera and Odonata in Virginia. Efforts focused on the rarest species, and on updating the oldest known records. Field surveys also targeted several state wildlife management areas (e.g., Goshen, Clinch Mountain, and Highland) and state natural area preserves (e.g., Antioch Pines and Chub) that contain potential habitat for certain rare moths, some of which may be vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

Data were used to develop a web atlas database to allow users to search these data by Locality (county or city jurisdictions) and generate a list of species that have been observed in a particular locality. Conversely, the database can be searched by taxonomic group or species name, to generate a list of counties/cities where a certain species has been recorded.

Fact sheets for each rare Lepidoptera and Odonata species were also developed, and include information on identification and natural history, an image of the species and a Virginia range map. The maps differentiate county/city records documented before 1950, from 1950 to 1990 and after 1990.

Glossary and Anatomical Terms