Invertebrates Diversity in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and Nearby Farmland at Gede, Kilifi County, Kenya

Authors

  • Simon Musila Mammalogy Section, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-00100, GPO Nairobi, Kenya
  • Ivan Castro Arellano Department of Biology, Texas State University-San Marcos, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 7866-4684
  • Robert Syingi Mammalogy Section, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658-00100, GPO Nairobi, Kenya
  • Nathan Gichuki School of Biological Sciences, University of Nairobi, Chiromo-Nairobi, Kenya

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/jzr.v4i2.4666

Abstract

Insectivorous bats mainly feed on various types of invertebrates. The authors studied the abundance and diversity of invertebrates in the farmland in the eastern part of Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, mainly to assess their availability to insectivorous bats occurring in the two study sites. Solar powered light traps were used to attract aerial invertebrates to a white suspended cloth sheet used as a landing surface. The sampling was conducted for four hours in one trapping station each night, and in twelve different stations both in the ASF and farmland. A total of 6,557 invertebrates individuals were trapped, which included 48% in ASF and 52% in the farmland. The two most common invertebrate orders were Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps and sawflies) represented by 38.1%, and Coleoptera (beetles, 28.1%). The interior of ASF had higher invertebrate species diversity (Shannon-Weiner index 1.72 ± 0.1), than the farmland (1.41 ± 0.1). Although the farmland (260.5 ± 52.9, N=12) had higher mean number of invertebrates trapped per night, than the interior of ASF (200.3 ± 36.4, N=12), there was no significant difference between the medians of invertebrates captured in the two study areas (Mann-Whitney U-Test, U=61: P>0.544). Thus, the farmland and the interior of ASF had the same invertebrate abundance. This study indicates the value of human-modified areas (agricultural and human settlements) landscapes, always ignored in biodiversity surveys, in sustaining diverse invertebrates that are preyed by different species of insectivorous bats that occur in the two study areas.

Keywords:

Light traps; Sampling; Hymenoptera; Coleoptera; Abundance; Insectivorous bats; Prey

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Vol. 4 , Iss. 2 (April 2022)

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