Xylophagous insects associated with the mangrove forest of the Ramsar wildlife refuge protected area, Bahía de Panamá wetland

Abstract

In Panama, terrestrial forests and mangrove ecosystems are very susceptible to insect damage, due to the increase in exotic species. The objective of this study was to determine the relative abundance of xylophagous beetles in mangrove forest of the Wildlife Refuge RAMSAR protected area, Bay de Panamá wetland. The research was carried out in the mangrove forests located in the areas of El Embarcadero, Costa Sur and Don Bosco, where 5033 individuals, corresponding to 6 families (Kalotermitidae, Termitidae, Cerambycidae, Curculionidae, Elateridae and Scarabaeidae), associated with the mangrove forest were captured. The El Embarcadero was the site with the highest number of xylophagous insects with 3,803 individuals. Of the three areas sampled, the areas closest to the coast (Zone 1) El Embarcadero and Costa Sur showed the greatest number of xylophagous insects, while Don Bosco showed the least number. The beetle family Curculionidae was the most commonly observed family, with the subfamilies Scolitinae and Platypodinae being the most important. 91% of all captured xylophagous insects belonged to the Scolytinae subfamily, while 6% belonged to the Platypodinae subfamily; one particular species, Euplatypus parallelus, was observed to affect many Avicennia germinans. Xylophagous beetle families that presented lower abundances were: Elateridae with 45 individuals, Scarabaeidae with 5 individuals, and Cerambycidae with 2 individuals. Two termite families were observed, Kalotermitidae with 50 nests, and Termitidae with 5 nests. Termites in mangrove ecosystems are important due to their ability to modify soil properties by decomposing organic matter, mainly the wood of mangrove trees that are already very old or dead. They also contribute to protecting nutrients, factors key to maintaining tropical ecosystem stability.