Melanacanthus margineguttatus
heliotrope moth: Utetheisa pulchelloides
dragonfly: Ischnura aurora
weevil: Acicnemis variegatus
Insects are an integral part of every terrestrial ecosystem including atolls. Insects pollinate plants, recycle nutrients, decompose decaying material, and form the basis of the food web. Understanding the response of insects to ecological restoration actions such as invasive species eradication is therefore key to generate conservation evidence on a functional system level.
Since 2021, one-and-a-half years prior to the Tetiaroa rat eradication, we have been monitoring the insect community on all twelve motu of Tetiaroa atoll twice per year. In 2023, we completed another two atoll-wide sampling campaigns, adding to a large multi-year research dataset that will allow us to uncover systemic changes at an unprecedented level.
Additionally, in September 2023, we invited Dr Samuel Brown (Rangahau Ahumara Kai Plant & Food Research, NZ), a leading expert on Pacific beetles, to Tetiaroa atoll. During a one-week fieldwork trip, Dr Brown and Dr Steibl discovered at least three undescribed species of weevil beetles on Tetiaroa atoll. The discovery of species that were unknown to science underlines the unique ecological value of Tetiaroa.