Devils Tower: A comparative insect biodiversity survey

Insects account for approximately two-thirds of all terrestrial species on Earth However, they are facing the largest mass decline (some argue extinction) of any animal or plant on the planet, raising questions about habitat loss, land-use changes, resource allocation, and climate change. Devils Tower National Monument is a geological formation found in the Northwest corner of Wyoming. It was the first national monument designated under the Antiquities Act of 1906, making it a unique area to conduct conservation and survey research due to the lack of urban development surrounding the Tower. While multiple plant and animal surveys have been conducted, there have been very few insect surveys. Multiple trapping techniques were used including malaise, pitfalls, net sweeping, bait trapping, and UV lighting. Malaise and pitfall traps were on a week on/week off collecting schedule from the last week of June, 2020 until the first week of October, 2020. All collecting took place within 500 feet of the Tower Trail and on the top of the Tower. Specimens were preserved in 70% alcohol or pinned and identified to family and species when possible. Current trends in entomology research are focused on insect biodiversity and its decline and this research contributes to overall data by providing a larger picture of what may be happening in an understudied area. It can be used for future management decisions, for maintaining the health of the local ecosystem, and for public/outreach programming.