Higher Insect Diversity Research Articles

Evaluation of the diversity and abundance of selected insect orders (Orthoptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera) in a wetland in Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria

This study assessed the diversity and abundance of selected insect orders (Orthoptera, Hymenoptera and Coleoptera) in a wetland at Federal University Oye-Ekiti. Insects were collected from February to April, 2022 using a combination of pitfall traps, sweep nets and active hunting methods. Arthropods were identified up to the generic level and counted monthly. A total of 3654 individuals belonging to 3 orders, 21 families and 54 species were recorded from the studied habitat. The highest relative abundance of 19.37603% was found in Odontomachus monticola (Hymenoptera: Formicidae). In this study, Hymenoptera was the most dominant order while Orthoptera was the least dominant order. The active hunting method collected the highest number of insects while the sweep net method collected the lowest number of insects. Results of the percentage distribution of insect species and individual insects revealed that for both active hunting and pitfall trap methods, the Order Hymenoptera had the highest percentage distribution while the Order Coleoptera had the lowest percentage distribution. Results of the diversity index across the collection methods revealed that the Sweep net method had the highest insect diversity and evenness (H’=2.492, 0.4317) while the Pitfall method had the lowest insect diversity and evenness (H’=1.818, 0.126). Results of one- way ANOVA showed no significant difference in species composition across habitats at a 5% probability level. This study has shown that the etlandd at Federal University Oye- Ekiti is rich in insect species with the Order Hymenoptera being the most abundant.

The Effect of Spinosad on the Oak Lace Bug Corythucha arcuata (Hemiptera: Tingidae)-A Preliminary Study Performed Under Laboratory Conditions.

The effect of biopesticide compound spinosad in different concentrations was tested for the first time under laboratory conditions against the rapidly spreading forest pest, oak lace bug (Corythucha arcuata, Say 1832), and its effects were compared with the synthetic pesticide lambda-cyhalothrin. These results revealed a significant effect of spinosad at 2 mL/4 L and 2 mL/2 L water concentrations against C. arcuata nymphs. The mortality rate after 3 days was similar to synthetic insecticide effects and reached 94% and 98%, respectively. Overall, it can be concluded that spinosad is an effective biological method to control oak lace bug; treatments under field conditions should consider the high diversity of other insects in oak forests.

Elevation and Human Disturbance Interactively Influence the Patterns of Insect Diversity on the Southeastern Periphery of the Tibetan Plateau.

The maintenance of biodiversity and ecological balance heavily relies on the diversity of insects. In order to investigate the impacts of elevation and human disturbance, as well as their interactions on insect diversity, we conducted an intensive survey of insects in the Hengduan Mountain Range, which is situated on the southeastern periphery of the Tibetan Plateau in China. A total of 50 line transects were established in this study to investigate the impact of elevation and human disturbance on insect diversity and distribution patterns. Designed insect surveys were conducted at various elevations and levels of human disturbance, and statistical methods such as generalized linear modeling and redundancy analysis were employed for data analysis. The results of this study indicated a negative correlation between insect diversity and elevation. Additionally, moderate disturbance was found to have a positive impact on insect diversity to some extent. The explanatory power of the model for the distribution of insect diversity could be improved if elevation and human disturbance were included as an interaction effect into the model, and there were differences in the effects of human disturbances on insect diversity at different elevation levels. The highest insect diversity was observed under low disturbance conditions below elevation of ~2200 m, whereas above this threshold, insect diversity was the highest under moderate disturbance compared to low disturbance. The response of different insect taxa to the interactions of elevation and human disturbance varied. The findings imply that when formulating strategies for managing insect diversity, it is crucial to thoroughly consider the interaction of environmental factors and disturbance response of individual insect taxa.

Insect Diversity on Decomposing Domestic Piglets (Sus domesticus ERXLEBEN) Carcasses at Umudike, Southeast Nigeria

Outdoor experiments were carried out to identify arthropods colonizing ground-placed and hung piglets (Sus domesticus) carcasses, their species diversity, and decomposition pattern. The trial was carried out in two seasons: July to September, 2019 (wet), and January to March, 2020 (dry) at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike Abia State, Nigeria. A total of four healthy piglets with average weight of 3.73 kg were sacrificed for the trial. The piglets died by dislocating their cervical vertebrate (to mimic natural death); two were placed on the ground in metal cage whereas the other two were hung on a tree. Data on carcasses arthropod populations, temperature, weights and decomposition stages and rates were collected. Results showed that the total arthropod taxa of seventeen genera, ten families in four orders were recorded from the carcasses. A total of 29,629 individual insects were counted, belonging mainly to; Calliphoridae, Muscidae, Sarcophagidae, Dermestidae, Staphylinodea, Pyrrhocoridae and Formidae. Their species abundance was; Musca spp. (37.09 %), Chrysomya spp. (12.97 %), Pheidole spp. (12.09), Componotus spp. (9.69 %), Monomorium spp. (6.04 %), respectively. Higher number of insects were collected from ground-placed piglets (34.08%) than hung piglets (28.06%). More insects were recorded during the dry (55.28%) than wet (44.11%) season. Higher insect diversity was also recorded amongst insect species on ground-placed (0.80) than hung (0.72) carcasses. Data also showed that five stages (fresh, bloat, active decay, advanced decay and skeletonization) of decomposition were observed over a duration of 10 days. This study provided base-line data on the local insect fauna associated with the stages of decomposition with emphases on their arrival time, and it is crucial for estimating the post-mortem interval during forensic investigations in south eastern Nigeria.

Insect collecting bias in Arizona with a preliminary checklist of the beetles from the Sand Tank Mountains.

The State of Arizona in the south-western United States supports a high diversity of insects. Digitised occurrence records, especially from preserved specimens in natural history collections, are an important and growing resource to understand biodiversity and biogeography. Underlying bias in how insects are collected and what that means for interpreting patterns of insect diversity is largely untested. To explore the effects of insect collecting bias in Arizona, the State was regionalised into specific areas. First, the entire State was divided into broad biogeographic areas by ecoregion. Second, the 81 tallest mountain ranges were mapped on to the State. The distribution of digitised records across these areas were then examined.A case study of surveying the beetles (Insecta, Coleoptera) of the Sand Tank Mountains is presented. The Sand Tanks are a low-elevation range in the Lower Colorado River Basin subregion of the Sonoran Desert from which a single beetle record was published before this study. The number of occurrence records and collecting events are very unevenly distributed throughout Arizona and do not strongly correlate with the geographic size of areas. Species richness is estimated for regions in Arizona using rarefaction and extrapolation. Digitised records from the disproportionately highly collected areas in Arizona represent at best 70% the total insect diversity within them. We report a total of 141 species of Coleoptera from the Sand Tank Mountains, based on 914 digitised voucher specimens. These specimens add important new records for taxa that were previously unavailable in digitised data and highlight important biogeographic ranges.Possible underlying mechanisms causing bias are discussed and recommendations are made for future targeted collecting of under-sampled regions. Insect species diversity is apparently at best 70% documented for the State of Arizona with many thousands of species not yet recorded. The Chiricahua Mountains are the most densely sampled region of Arizona and likely contain at least 2,000 species not yet vouchered in online data. Preliminary estimates for species richness of Arizona are at least 21,000 and likely much higher. Limitations to analyses are discussed which highlight the strong need for more insect occurrence data.

Remnant habitat patches provide high value for a wide range of insect species in a timber plantation mosaic

Species present in transformed landscapes utilise resources from either the transformed patches, natural patches, or both. Depending on the degree to which species are specialised, species-specific responses to landscape transformation is both varied and dynamic. Understanding species-specific responses across a landscape is therefore essential to make informed conservation decisions. We investigate how spillover of stenotopic, cultural, and ubiquitous insect species respond to the different edge combinations present in a timber plantation mosaic. We use a multi-taxon approach, sampling two distinct insect assemblages (ground and foliage) across four different biotopes in a grassland-forest-plantation landscape in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, which forms part of the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany biodiversity hotspot. We show that in this landscape, ecological networks consisting of natural grassland and forest supported high insect diversity in both ground and foliage assemblages. The foliage assemblage displayed stronger responses to the different biotope combinations than the ground assemblage. There was remarkably little spillover of habitat specialist species of either the ground or foliage assemblages from grassland or forest into the plantation stands. The few species associated with plantation stands (cultural species) had consistent levels of spillover across different types of plantation blocks, but not into the natural areas. Natural biotopes in this landscape conserved many habitat specialists, whereas plantations maintained low levels of diversity. Thus, we recommend that conservation practitioners consider the fidelity and spillover of the species present in the local landscape before designing conservation plans in these dynamic production landscapes.

Genomic evidence for contrasting patterns of host-associated genetic differentiation across shared host-plant species in leaf- and bud-galling sawflies.

Resource specialization and ecological speciation arising through host-associated genetic differentiation (HAD) are frequently invoked as an explanation for the high diversity of plant-feeding insects and other organisms with a parasitic lifestyle. While genetic studies have demonstrated numerous examples of HAD in insect herbivores, the rarity of comparative studies means that we still lack an understanding of how deterministic HAD is, and whether patterns of host shifts can be predicted over evolutionary timescales. We applied genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism and mitochondrial DNA sequence data obtained through genome resequencing to define species limits and to compare host-plant use in population samples of leaf- and bud-galling sawflies (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae: Nematinae) collected from seven shared willow (Salicaceae: Salix) host species. To infer the repeatability of long-term cophylogenetic patterns, we also contrasted the phylogenies of the two galler groups with each other as well as with the phylogeny of their Salix hosts estimated based on RADseq data. We found clear evidence for host specialization and HAD in both of the focal galler groups, but also that leaf gallers are more specialized to single host species compared with most bud gallers. In contrast to bud gallers, leaf gallers also exhibited statistically significant cophylogenetic signal with their Salix hosts. The observed discordant patterns of resource specialization and host shifts in two related galler groups that have radiated in parallel across a shared resource base indicate a lack of evolutionary repeatability in the focal system, and suggest that short- and long-term host use and ecological diversification in plant-feeding insects are dominated by stochasticity and/or lineage-specific effects.

Diversity assessment of insect species in the Kariavattom campus, University of Kerala

Insects play crucial roles in their specific niches and are vital contributors to various ecosystem processes. They dominate the food webs of both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. A study was conducted at Kerala University to evaluate the diversity and abundance of insect species in selected habitats (North and South campus). Sampling was conducted using pitfall traps, sweep nets, beating sheets, Berlese funnels, and hand collection. The collected insects were brought back to the laboratory for identification and counting. A total of 965 insects from 9 Orders and 35 Families were recorded. Indices such as the Shannon index, Simpson index, Margalef index, Evenness index, and Sorenson similarity index were utilized to analyze the diversity of insects. The results indicated that Hymenoptera (30.155%), Orthoptera (25.596%), Lepidoptera (11.192%), and Coleoptera (8.290%) were the most dominant Orders on the campus, comprising 75.233% of the total, whereas the least abundant was Mantodea (0.622%). The South Campus exhibited high species diversity (Margalef index = 8.422), abundance (n = 686), Evenness (E = 0.776), and Shannon diversity (H = 3.124) of insects. It also showed a higher Simpson index (λ = 0.109) compared to the North Campus, which indicated (λ = 0.0610). Moreover, the South Campus recorded a very high number of species, with 56 species (Margalef index = 8.422) compared to 45 species (Margalef index = 7.813) recorded from the North Campus. The higher the index value, the greater the species richness. The high diversity and richness of insects in the southern habitat may be attributed to the large and less disturbed area, the presence of well-distributed ecological niches, more microhabitats, and an abundance of food. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence insect species diversity and abundance at the University of Kerala is important for conservation. This study, thus, highlights the diversity and abundance of insects and the need for sustainable measures to be implemented to conserve these significant species.

A species diversity dataset of beetles by three passive acquisition methods in Tei Tong Tsai (Hong Kong)

We based the dataset in this paper on the beetle collection from the sample site of Tei Tong Tsai (Hong Kong) from 1st May to 28th May 2019, a period of high insect diversity. A total of 16,270 beetles (photographed in 318 images) from 478 species belonging to 39 families were collected. The dataset consists of the following components: The original photo of the whole sample obtained at each site with each collection method, the morphological species identification chart, a statistical table describing the species and numbers of beetles collected on different dates at different sites using three passive acquisition methods, and a statistical table describing the longitude, latitude, and altitude information of each sampling point. We aimed to provide a database for the evaluation of beetle species diversity in Hong Kong and a paradigm for the effectiveness of passive acquisition in the beetle collection through the three representative methods, thus laying a foundation for biodiversity research.

ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND CONTRIBUTION OF EDIBLE INSECTS TO HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY

Food insecurity is compounded by the impact of climate change as well as increased human population. Even though, several African countries have put tremendous efforts in improving food security but the output is still limited. Diversification could be the key to unravel the problem of food insecurity; moreover, the use of insects for food has a long history. Insects are rich source of protein and at the same time provide essential nutrients With Greater contribution in reducing the complications of malnutrition. In this study, the researchers sought to investigate the contribution and ecological diversity of edible insects by mapping their ecological niches within and around Kakamega tropical Rainforest. The communities around the rainforest have a long tradition of using various insects as food. The study adopted a structured questionnaire which was administered to 209 households in the months of April and September, during the long and short rainy seasons, respectively. The forest ecosystem was stratified into five zones, namely dense forest, riverine, forest edge, open grassland and hills. Plant sampling was done within the forest strata using transect for species identification. Plants where insects were spotted were counted and recorded. A total of 88 insect species from 30 families and 13 orders were obtained whereas 97 food plants from 42 families were also observed. The families Nymphalidae were the most abundant which was closely followed by the Apidae family. The study showed that there was high species diversity of both insects and plants within the dense forest than the rest of study sites. This is attributed undisturbed nature of the habitat.

Diversity of Soil Surface Insects in Three Land Use Types in Sintang District, West Kalimantan

Soil surface insects are organisms that have an important role in the process of decomposing soil organic matter, serving as indicators of soil fertility, and maintaining ecosystem balance. This study aimed to determine the diversity and abundance of soil surface insects on three types of land, namely rubber plantations, rubber agroforestry, and secondary forests and the insect that attacks rubber stems in Sintang District, West Kalimantan. The research method used was field observation, sampling with pitfall traps and measurement of environmental conditions, identification, and data analysis on three types of land. The results showed that 649 individuals were found which were divided into 8 orders of 11 families of 14 species. The highest abundance was found in rubber agroforestry land, the highest insect diversity was in secondary forests. The types of insects found attacking the rubber tree trunks, both dead and alive, were Coptotermes curvignathus in rubber agroforestry and Reticulitermes flavipes in secondary forest and rubber plantations.

Fallows benefit beetle conservation in a traditionally managed grassland landscape

Insect biodiversity is declining at the global scale, with agricultural intensification representing a major driver of this development. Traditionally managed grassland, such as hay meadows, can support high insect and plant diversity but is often converted into more productive cropland or silage grassland. We evaluated the effects of agricultural intensification and conservation measures on beetle assemblages in a traditional landscape dominated by grassland in western Germany. We investigated a total of 45 grassland sites including long-term (abandoned) grassland fallows with natural vegetation cover, three types of hay meadows, and intensively used silage grassland, using different sampling methods targeting ground-dwelling, flower-visiting, and vegetation-dwelling beetles. Species richness and diversity were highest on grassland fallows, while variation among different types of managed grassland was very low. Thus, fallows outperformed even unfertilised hay meadows cut after July 15th in terms of species richness. Beetle assemblages of fallows and silage grassland were both distinct from all other management regimes, while the three types of hay meadows did not differ substantially. Effects of on-site management regime were strong, but environmental parameters and surrounding land cover were of minor importance only. Our results suggest that long-term fallows are important for beetle conservation, even in landscapes with overall low land-use intensity. We suggest that grassland fallows should be considered in subsidised agri-environmental schemes.

An unusual preservation of a new species of Cicadomorpha (Auchenorrhyncha) from the Crato formation, Lower Cretaceous of Brazil

ABSTRACT The Crato Formation boasts an extremely high diversity and abundance of fossil insects with many families preserved in the limestone beds, and several yet unnamed taxa. Here, we present a new insect species found in the Crato Formation limestone associated with branches and leaves of Ruffordia goeppertii, a small creeping plant of Leptosporangiate ferns. The insect is assigned as a member of the Cicadellidae family and is named Hallex martinsnetoi sp. nov. based on morphological description based also on SEM images. The new specimen is articulated and preserved in three-dimensionality, suggesting a relatively fast burial preventing the contact with decomposers or preservation in local anoxic conditions. This fossil shows a rare example of preservation involving Ruffordia goepertii leaves and the Cicadellidae (leafhopper) specimen. The fact that Hallex martinsnetoi sp. nov. was preserved in one leaf, and could be interpreted as some type of insect-plant interaction, but it could also be a taphonomic artefact. The occurrence of Cicadomorpha is consistent with the present interpretation that the limestone of the Crato Formation was formed in lacustrine conditions, and ideal habitat for this group of insects that might be more diverse in this deposit than previously thought.

Can reed harvest be used as a management strategy for improving invertebrate biomass and diversity?

The succession-driven reed bed habitat hosts a unique flora and fauna including several endangered invertebrate species. Reed beds can be managed through commercial winter harvest, with implications for reed bed conservation. However, the effects of winter harvest on the invertebrate community are not well understood and vary across studies and taxonomic levels. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of reed harvest on invertebrate communities. Ground-dwelling and aerial invertebrates were continuously sampled for 10 weeks in the largest coherent reed bed of Scandinavia in order to assess how time since last reed harvest (0, 3, and 25-years) influences invertebrate biomass, biodiversity and community structure across taxonomic levels. Biomass was measured and all specimens were sorted to order level, and Coleoptera was even sorted to species level. The invertebrate community showed distinct compositional differences across the three reed bed ages. Furthermore, biomass of both aerial and ground-dwelling invertebrates was highest in the age-0 reed bed and lowest in the age-25 reed bed. Generally, biodiversity showed an opposite trend with the highest richness and diversity in the age-25 reed bed. We conclude that it is possible to ensure high insect biomass and diversity by creating a mosaic of reed bed of different ages through small-scale harvest in the largest coherent reed bed in Scandinavia. The youngest red beds support a high invertebrate biomass whereas the oldest reed beds support a high biodiversity. Collectively, this elevate our understanding of reed harvest and the effects it has on the invertebrate communities, and might aid in future reed bed management and restoration.

Crop heterogeneity is positively associated with beneficial insect diversity in subtropical farmlands

Abstract Increasing crop configurational heterogeneity—smaller crop fields with more field margins—has been repeatedly found to support farmland biodiversity. But research on compositional crop heterogeneity—the number and evenness of crop types—has usually shown only weak effects. However, much of this research has been conducted in large‐scale temperate agroecosystems. We examined smallholder subtropical agroecosystems in southern China to assess the effects of crop heterogeneity on beneficial insect biodiversity. In addition to pollinators (bees, apoid and vespid wasps, and butterflies), we studied dung beetles and dragonflies/damselflies, which are not usually considered in cropland heterogeneity studies, but are abundant in these multi‐functional agroecosystems. We sampled these taxa in 468 transects placed inside 52 farms across three seasons (summer, spring and winter), collecting data on 27,245 insects belonging to 160 species. We found a strong positive effect of crop compositional heterogeneity (measured by Shannon–Wiener index) on dung beetle and dragonfly/damselfly diversity. Bee/wasp and butterfly diversity, conversely, was positively affected by crop configurational heterogeneity (measured by cumulative field margin length). Field margin type, categorized by the structure of the dominant crop types, was consistently an important explanatory variable, with weedy margins having high insect diversity. The presence of a vegetable crop on one side of the field margin, compared to non‐vegetable monocultures on both sides, increased diversity in 3/4 taxon‐season comparisons made for rice and 6/9 comparisons made for sugarcane or corn. Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate that crop compositional heterogeneity can support insects that respond to differences among crop types, including taxa that play a key role in nutrient cycling (dung beetles) and natural pest control (dragonflies/damselflies). Incorporating structurally diverse crops into monoculture Asian agroecosystems can reduce the adverse effects these intensive systems have on beneficial insects, and increase crucial ecosystem services.

Flight among the Lilliputians

If you think that fruit flies are tiny, please reconsider. Spectacular radiations of miniaturized beetles, flies and wasps dominate the insect fauna and are characterized by body lengths well below that of the biologist's friend Drosophila melanogaster (∼3 mm). Most remarkably, the smallest flying insect described to date has a length of just 0.16 mm. But just how does flapping flight work at such small scales? The viscous effects of air on a wing increase at smaller sizes and a 1 mm insect moves through the air as would a bumblebee move through mineral oil. Lift forces generated by swirling air around the wing are accordingly impeded given the relative stickiness of the fluid, and alternative mechanisms of force production must be at play. How then do very small insects create the aerodynamic forces necessary to offset body weight and also to generate horizontal thrust to intentionally move about?Xin Cheng and Mao Sun, from Beihang University, China, took on this question by describing the detailed kinematics of forward flight in the tiny wasp Encarsia formosa, which has a wing length of only 0.5 mm. Writing in 1973 in JEB, Torkel Weis-Fogh first described the novel clap-fling aerodynamic mechanism utilized by this species; Cheng and Sun have now built on their earlier computational work on hovering in E. formosa to analyze its forward flight kinematics and associated forces, albeit at the humble airspeed of ∼0.3 m s−1. They identified a distinctive pattern of wing motions very different from that of larger insects (including the fruit fly). First, the wings accelerate backward at very high incidence angles relative to oncoming flow (‘impulsive paddling’), and then close up on the right and left sides while at the same time moving upward. Then in the downstroke, the wings quickly rotate about their posterior edges (which Weis-Fogh referred to as the ‘fling’) and sweep downward and forward, again moving at high incidence angles to the surrounding air.But what do these odd features of wing flapping yield in terms of force production? Cheng and Sun used computer simulations to reveal two means by which the effects of small size and fluid stickiness were largely overcome. Firstly, the fast backward acceleration of the wings at high incidence to the air produces a large thrust but also some vertical force supporting the body weight. Secondly, the ‘flinging’ motion produces a low-pressure region of rapidly swirling air which persists through the downstroke, creating the majority of the vertical force required to offset gravity. Thus, the insects employ distinctive wing motions to offset the otherwise formidable effects of increased viscosity. The associated forces last just milliseconds but, at a wingbeat frequency of ∼350 Hz, are clearly sufficient for routine flight. They may be even more effective during maneuvers, a topic destined for future investigation.Miniaturization is one of the dominant themes in insect evolution and largely underpins the high extant diversity of small insects (and also of their parasitoids). This computational study of aerodynamics in one such lilliputian species suggests that additional fluid dynamic novelties await discovery and analysis by flight biomechanists. Fringed wings with much reduced supporting veins are also well known among the miniaturized fliers, but have largely unknown aerodynamic consequences. Often at the mercy of gentle breezes, these insects live in physical, behavioral and ecological domains supremely distant from our own personal experiences. This aerodynamic study should help us to close that conceptual distance.

Comparison of Diversity and Community Structure of Aquatic Insects Based on Habitat Class in Johor

Aquatic insects had been well used as a tool in monitoring water quality and this study is aimed to gauge their potential in Johor. The rapid development in the state of Johor may cause pollution to water resources that require a more efficient water quality monitoring program. The objectives of this study were to (i) collect, identify, determine and produce aquatic insect diversity data in selected rivers in Johor, (ii) relate the presence of aquatic insect diversity with some of the physical features of rivers in Johor. Seven sampling areas were selected based on their importance to local communities and geographical distribution: Taman Negara Johor Endau Rompin (PETA) (TNJER-PETA), Taman Hutan Lagenda Gunung Ledang (THLGL), Hutan Lipur Soga Perdana (HLSP), Hutan Lipur Gunung Belumut (HLGB), Hutan Lipur Sungai Bantang (HLSB), Hutan Lipur Gunung Pulai 1 (HLGP1) and Sungai Sayong Pinang. Insect samples were collected using a kick net method and slight modifocation made according to type of microhabitats. A total of 11,647 individuals of aquatic insects consisting of 68 families from nine orders were sampled. About 69% of insects collected were indicators of good water quality; among them are families Hydropsychidae from order Trichoptera, Baetidae from Order Ephemeroptera, and Simuliidae from Order Diptera. Based on family diversity analyzed using Shannon Index (H’), TNJER-PETA is recorded having the highest index (H’ = 3.215) followed by HLSP (H’ = 2.791) and HLGB (H’ = 2.482). Comparison made and based on physical characteristics, the study sites were classified into three categories (i) the most preferred sites by aquatic insects (HLSB, THLGL, HLGP1, and HLGB), (ii) intermediate preferred sites (TNJER-PETA and HLSP) and (iii) least preferred site (Sg. Sayong). In conclusion, community structure of benthic organisms were influenced by many factors such as presence of variety of microhabitat, predation, surrounding environments, food availability, physical and chemical characteristics of water. Moreover, higher heterogeneity of habitat promote high abundance and diversity of aquatic insects. Any changes happened that involves human interference in the habitats, will affect the abundance of aquatic insects. Last but not least, results suggested that the quality of river water in Johor can be monitored using insects as biological indicators due to the abundance, distribution, and rapid response of aquatic insects to environmental conditions.

Host specificity and species colouration mediate the regional decline of nocturnal moths in central European forests

The high diversity of insects has limited the volume of long‐term community data with a high taxonomic resolution and considerable geographic replications, especially in forests. Therefore, trends and causes of changes are poorly understood. Here we analyse trends in species richness, abundance and biomass of nocturnal macro moths in three quantitative data sets collected over four decades in forests in southern Germany. Two local data sets, one from coppiced oak forests and one from high oak forests included 125K and 48K specimens from 559 and 532 species, respectively. A third regional data set, representing all forest types in the temperate zone of central Europe comprised 735K specimens from 848 species. Generalized additive mixed models revealed temporal declines in species richness (−38%), abundance (−53%) and biomass (−57%) at the regional scale. These were more pronounced in plant host specialists and in dark coloured species. In contrast, the local coppiced oak forests showed an increase, in species richness (+62%), while the high oak forests showed no clear trends. Left and right censoring as well as cross validation confirmed the robustness of the analyses, which led to four conclusions. First, the decline in insects appears in hyper diverse insect groups in forests and affects species richness, abundance and biomass. Second, the pronounced decline in host specialists suggests habitat loss as an important driver of the observed decline. Third, the more severe decline in dark species might be an indication of global warming as a potential driver. Fourth, the trends in coppiced oak forests indicate that maintaining complex and diverse forest ecosystems through active management may be a promising conservation strategy in order to counteract negative trends in biodiversity, alongside rewilding approaches.

Diversity and Abundance of Insects at the Campus of Higher Polytechnic Institute of Manica, Mozambique

The aim of this study was to assess insect diversity and abundance at the Campus of Higher Polytechnic Institute of Manica, Mozambique. Collection of insects was carried out by pitfall traps a long linear transects and sweep nets during 21 days of October 2019. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical and Shannon diversity index. A total of 1780 individuals of insects belonging to 8 orders, 15 families and 27 species were collected. Highest relative abundance was observed in Hymenoptera order (92.64%), and the least were Blattodea (2.70%), Diptera (2.13%), Coleoptera (0.82%), Orthoptera (1.52%), Phasmatodea (0.06%), Mantodea (0.28%) and Hemiptera (0.11%). The abundant specie was Crematogaster peringueyi (Hymenoptera) with 89.83% follwed by Macrotermes natalensis (Blattodea) and Chrysonmya chloropyga (Diptera) with 2.47% and 1.63% respectively. Higher insect diversity was observed in Orthoptera order (Shannon, H'=1.76), while the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Blattodea, Phasmatodea, Hemiptera, had the lowest diversity (Shannon, H'<1). Further work need to be done in the study area, expanding the duration of the study and applying diversity sampling techniques.

Powerline right-of-way management and flower-visiting insects: How vegetation management can promote pollinator diversity.

Loss in the availability of early successional habitat is a threat to pollinator populations. Given that powerline rights-of-way (ROW) must be managed to maintain early successional habitat, preventing vegetation from interfering with electrical lines, they have the potential to provide conservation benefits for wild pollinators. Moreover, it is possible to provide conservation benefits with no additional cost to land managers. We surveyed flower-visiting insects over two years in different vegetation management treatments in a long-term research ROW to determine which best promoted pollinator abundance and species richness. We found that the ROW had stabilized in an early successional state soon after its establishment and that this early successional state could be maintained with low levels of periodic maintenance. We collected a high diversity of flower-visiting insects (126 bee species and 179 non-bee morphospecies) in six ROW plots. Higher levels of herbicide application had a negative effect on bee species richness, but low levels of herbicide application were compatible with a high abundance and species richness of flower-visiting insects, including several rare species. Moreover, this effect was seen only in the bee community, and not in non-bee flower-visiting insects. Our results suggest further research into the conservation value of ROW for pollinators is warranted. We demonstrate that there is substantial potential for pollinator conservation in ROW, compatible with low-cost vegetation management.