Abstract
Northeastern pine barrens are recognized as an imperiled ecosystem in the United States, and are regularly targeted for habitat restoration efforts. Despite widespread recognition of their conservation value, many associated faunal communities, especially among the invertebrates, remain largely unstudied. My study investigated historic and contemporary changes in the abundance and diversity of 60 barrens specialist Lepidoptera across two different spatial and temporal scales. At a regional level, I found no evidence of significant decline among any of the species examined between 1870 and 2015. However, a two-year examination of the Albany Pine Bush Preserve (Albany, NY) did find evidence that barrens specialist Lepidoptera have declined significantly in situ, and that habitat restoration efforts in the last 25 years have halted that decline. Further research is necessary to reconcile these contrasting results and gain a more complete picture of the health and status of the pine barrens specialist Lepidoptera community.