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Use of colored pan traps method for monitoring insect (Diptera and Hymenoptera) diversity in the Southern Tropical Andes of Ecuador

Abstract:

Insects are a dominant part of the megadiversity of the Tropical Andes but monitoring and studying them has been challenging. Here we employ colored pan trap method for collecting insects (Diptera and Hymenoptera) in the Andes of Ecuador in order to explore the use of the colored pan traps method. Sixty white, yellow, and blue colored pan traps were used twice every month for 24 months. A total of 17,661 insects were collected, of which 12,872 belong to Diptera (72.9%) and 4789 to Hymenoptera (27.1%).The sampled individuals belonged to a total of 90 families, of which 55 belonged to Diptera and 35 to Hymenoptera. There was not a significant difference between the number of families of each order collected by the differently colored traps. However, some families showed a distinct preference for a certain pan trap color. This study shows, that colored pan traps could be a useful method for collecting and monitoring insects (Diptera and Hymenoptera) in the Andes. Our results are of special importance today, as insects have been reported to dramatically declining around the world. Therefore, studies that focus on understanding insect diversity and population dynamics are key for implementing conservation measures in the future to protect this exceptionally diverse and poorly known fauna.