Seasonal Fluctuations in Rainfall, Food and Abundance of Tropical Insects

Abstract

SUMMARY (1) Light trap data, covering over 3 years, are discussed for some groups of insects in the lowland tropical monsoon forest on Barro Colorado Island. The groups concerned are Homoptera, Tettigoniidae and Mantidae. (2) The data are compared with information on rainfall and leaf production. It is shown that, especially for those groups of Homoptera that have nymphs feeding on the foliage, there is a good relation between leaf production and the demography of the species concerned.