Seasonality of Psocoptera in Two Tropical Forests in Panama

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Light-trap data are discussed for Psocoptera in 2 climatically different localities Panama, Barro Colorado Island (DCI) and Fortuna. In BCI, the site with a pronounced 4 mo. long dry season, psocid species varied in their seasonal fluctuations in abundance, but were on the average as seasonal as other insects studied there. In Fortuna, the relatively non-seasonal site, the psocids were markedly less seasonal than in BCI. In some species a clear seasonal pattern can still be observed. Most of the within-year variation in abundance at this site appears to be non-seasonal in that the fluctuation pattern in 1 yr is not repeated in the next. In BCI Psocoptera show a much less pronounced seasonal variation in abundance that the individual species. This is because different species have their maxima at different times of the year. There are some indications that seasonal variatons in abundance are more pronounced in the canopy than at a low level in the forest. At the species level this suggestion is not confirmed. In terms of changes in changes in abundance from year to year, tropical Psocoptera are just as stable, or variable, as temperature ones.