Wednesday, December 13, 2006
D0468

A comparison of the Parasitica Hymenoptera in ground level versus elevated yellow pan traps in a beech-maple forest

Thomas Pucci, tpucci@cmnh.org, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Dept. Invertebrate Zoology, 1 Wade Oval Dr, Cleveland, OH

Canopy studies that involve sampling insects generally sort Hymenoptera to family or guild. The present study compared the morphospecies of Parasitica Hymenoptera collected at the ground level to those collected in the subcanopy (~ 10 m). The abundance, diversity, and faunal composition were examined. The following results were conspicuous: Chalcidoidea and Platygastroidea are more abundant in elevated traps; Ichneumonidae, Diapriidae, and alysiine Braconidae were more abundant and diverse at the ground level. A tendency of higher species richness closer to the forest edge was noted.


Species 1: Hymenoptera