Diversity and distribution of insects in different regional habitats of Punjab - Komal Abid; Naureen Rana; Waqar Majeed; Noura J. Alotaibi; Hammad Ahmad Khan; Saba Manzoor; Sadia Maalik; Rabia Kiran; Muhammad Zahid Ehsan Arif (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2024)
The diversity of insects in wetland areas is considered a key and necessary ecosystem element. Climatic conditions affect the distributional patterns of nocturnal insects as changes in weather influence the population dynamics and abundance of insect populations. The present study was designed to ascertain the differences in faunal diversity in different areas of Punjab, Pakistan. Insects were collected monthly for one year using light traps. Data were collected considering climatic conditions like temperature, humidity, and wind speed. Samples were then brought to the laboratory and shifted to vials. After that, the specimens were identified using taxonomic keys and literature. The maximum population recorded from the Hafizabad district was 75.66% (N=14509), and the less population from the Faisalabad district was 24.34% (N=4667). Insects belonging to 11 orders, 68 families, 123 genera, and 140 species were recorded from Hafizabad, while ten orders, 77 families, 145 genera, and 177 species were recorded from Faisalabad. Tanytarsus sp. was the most abundant taxon from both localities. The Shannon diversity (H') index was recorded as 3.600 and 2.747 from Faisalabad and Hafizabad, respectively. Evenness was recorded highest from Faisalabad (0.6955), and dominance was maximum from Hafizabad (0.4440). The diversity of species was determined to be significantly different from both ecological regions, while abundance from Faisalabad was less due to environmental variable differences. Since insect biomass reduction is a critical environmental issue in the contemporary world, in-depth studies on insect diversity patterns are helpful for insect conservation plans.
Keywords: journal article; Diversity; Environment; Effects; Habitats; Insects