CRCritically Endangered

Agrotis laysanensis

Unknown

Overview

The Laysan noctuid moth is a species of moth in the family Noctuidae.

Agrotis laysanensis faces extreme vulnerability due to its restriction to a single small island ecosystem on Laysan Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The species is threatened by habitat degradation from invasive plant species that alter the native vegetation structure essential for larval development. Climate change poses an additional severe risk through sea level rise and increased storm intensity, which could devastate the limited suitable habitat on this low-lying atoll. The moth's dependence on specific native host plants makes it particularly susceptible to any disruption of the island's fragile ecosystem balance.
Threat summary

Habitat

This endemic moth inhabits the native shrubland and grassland communities of Laysan Island, a remote coral atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The species depends on the island's specialized vegetation zones, particularly areas with native bunch grasses and low shrubs that provide both larval host plants and adult nectar sources.

Conservation measures underway

Habitat & natural process restorationSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in NOCTUIDAE

Owlet Moth

Graphania granti

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Agrotis laysanensis classified as Critically Endangered?

Agrotis laysanensis is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Agrotis laysanensis faces extreme vulnerability due to its restriction to a single small island ecosystem on Laysan Island in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The species is threatened by habitat degradation from invasive plant species that alter the native vegetation structure essential for larval development. Climate change poses an additional severe risk through sea level rise and increased storm intensity, which could devastate the limited suitable habitat on this low-lying atoll. The moth's dependence on specific native host plants makes it particularly susceptible to any disruption of the island's fragile ecosystem balance.

Where does Agrotis laysanensis live?

Agrotis laysanensis occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Agrotis laysanensis?

The main threats to Agrotis laysanensis are 11.1, 11.4, 2.1, and 8.1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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