Is there stratification in diversity or preferred flight height of geometroid moths in Malaysian lowland tropical forest

Abstract

Moths from the superfamily Geometroidea were collected using standard Rothamsted light-traps at three levels on a tower (i.e. 1, 15, and 30 m) concurrently monthly for thirteen months in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Peninsular Malaysia. There was no consistently significant difference in species richness, abundance and diversity (as measured by α from the log-series) for individual sampling months between the three levels although values tended to be lower at the highest level. The diversity for the canopy (high) level was significantly lower when all samples were pooled. Here plant diversity is lower and the forest architecture is less complex. The geometroid moths are uniformly distributed throughout the three levels, with indications of preference for canopy or ground-level flight for some higher taxa. Some groups, such as Geometrinae, show much narrower vertical flight patterns than do others, such as Boarmiini. No significant coincidence of flight preference levels within distinct strata was detected.