Temporal comparison in richness and composition of gall-inducing insects in the rainforest canopy

Abstract

A comparison (richness and composition) of the galls inducing insects at canopy forest, in the Parque Natural Metropolitano (PNM), a tropical dry forest of the Pacifi c coast of Panama was done, in a difference period of 9 years. Sampling was carried out from January 1997 to March 1998 and from August 2005 to June 2006. The crane from the Smithsonian Institution for Tropical Research (STRI) was used in order to access to the canopy. After the results, there are not significant differences in the number of insects which induce the production of galls (29 and 30 respectively), nevertheless the community from 9 years before, presents the replacement of 16% of the species and is similar in 55% to the present fauna. Environmental changes and anthropogenic activities have produced the proliferation of vines and cecidogens. In both periods of time, the trees as well as the vines have a similar number galls inducing.