Objective To provide the basis for monitoring and controlling moth pests in oak forests, the structure and diversity of moth communities were investigated in two main natural oak forest ecosystems, Quercus variabilis, and Q. mongolica, in northern China for revealing the potential changes caused by temporal and habitat.

MethodsThe composition and diversity of moths in temporal and spatial differences were compared through collecting the specimen of moth using light trap during summer from June to September 2019 in three typical plots, including Q. variabilis forest in Jiulong Mountain, Mentougou District, Beijing; Q. mongolica forest in Luanping County, Hebei and in Keshiketeng, Inner Mongolia.

Result A total of 293 moth species in 21 families were obtained from the plots. The largest number of moths and the most species were concentrated in Noctuidae and Geometridae. However, the species composition of the community differed significantly in terms of space and time. The moth species composition and structural similarity in the Q. mongolica forest in Hebei were more similar with the Q. variabilis in Beijing than those in Q. mongolica forest in Inner Mongolia. In addition, the emergence period of adult moths exhibited obvious temporal changes, and the greatest number of species and individuals were found in July at each plot. Diversity results showed that the Marglef richness index, Shannon diversity index, and Pielou evenness index of moths in Beijing and Inner Mongolia plots were higher than those in Hebei plot, and the community performance was stable. Among them, the Marglef richness index showed obvious differences in the diversity characteristics of family, genus, and species, while the changes of other indexes were consistent.

Conclusion The composition and diversity of moth communities in oak forests show obvious spatio-temporal heterogeneity. Environmental factors can significantly affect moth biodiversity indicators. Richness indicator differences at various taxonomic levels can be used for distinguishing the geographical distribution and degree of certain taxa.