Main Article Content

Authors

Several aspects concerning the man­grove ecosystem of the Colombian pacific coast have been studied pre­viously, mainly in relation to its vege­tational systematics and to some of the organisms that inhabit it (fishes, mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderm). However, there is no information in the literature about the insects of this region. In this work, information was obtained about mangrove soil-inhabiting insects, especially the importance of Collembola in the litter decomposi­tion process. Insects were collected using pitfall traps and were separated from litter by Berlese-Tullgren funnels. Collembola is the dominant group; the type of soil and litter are key deter­minant elements of its stratification pattern. In a polluted mangrove eco­system, specific diversity is lower than that of a less polluted one, probably because of the abundances in the former of a dominant species complex of Collembola, which exploit an over­supply of food coming from decom­position of remains of mangroves cut previously and from burning of terrestrial vegetation.

MANZANO, M., VARGAS, H., & CANTERA, J. (1989). INSECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE GROUND OF A TROPICAL MANGROVE. Revista Colombiana De Entomología, 15(1), 10–18. https://doi.org/10.25100/socolen.v15i1.10171