Seasonal and Annual Variation of Insect Abundance in the Nairobi National Park, Kenya

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Abstract
A Malaise trap erected at the interface of grassland and forest in the Nairobi National Park was used to monitor insect abundance for 5 yr. Annual rainfall patterns during the study were extremely variable and included periods of major drought. Increases in insect density that followed the rains were largely due to an increase in the number of individuals per species, but the number of species also increased as much as 3-fold. The timing of peak seasonal abundance of phytophagous insects (grasshoppers and leafhoppers) and parasitic Hymenoptera was variable from year to year, suggesting dependence on environmental variables such as rainfall or host density. Several insect groups less dependent upon plants showed distinct seasonal peaks of abundance that were quite consistent each year. One annual peak of abundance was observed among Chrysopidae, Psocidae, Tabanidae and Sarcophagidae. Two peaks were recorded for Asilidae and Satyridae.

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