Data for: Sun, Ogushi, Tseng -Lepidoptera species richness and community composition in urban street trees

Studies conducted in non-urban areas have demonstrated in comparison to native plants, non-native plants are less likely to support native insect diversity. Here we use a database approach to quantify the number of native Lepidoptera species associated with 76 of the most common street tree species planted in Vancouver, Canada. We tested the prediction that compared to non-native trees, native street trees will support a higher diversity and unique community of native Lepidoptera.

As predicted, native street trees were associated with five times as many native Lepidoptera species, and the Lepidoptera communities supported by native vs. non-native street trees were distinct. There was no difference in native Lepidoptera associations between broadleaf vs. coniferous street trees. These results are consistent with studies that have used active sampling techniques to investigate insect richness on a smaller subset of native and non-native tree species.

Collectively, these data provide good evidence that the planting native instead of non-native trees will help stem the loss of insect diversity in urban areas.

Methods

Data were compiled from existing databases or published literature. No new data were collected.