Assessment of the diversity of terrestrial insect species in terrestrial habitats of Busitema university Nagongera campus, Tororo district Uganda.

Abstract

The research study was conducted in Busitema University Nagongera Campus in Tororo Uganda and it covers a total land area of 850acres (340hectares). This research was purposely done to assess the diversity, insect richness and abundance of insect species in Forested and Grassland area. Sampling was done after every three days using pitfall, sweep net and quadrat and hand picking for a period of three weeks. Insects collected were first killed using 70% ethanol, counted and then representative samples taken to the Biology laboratory for pinning, drying, identification and preservation. A total of 487 insects which belonged to 9 orders and 30 families were recorded. The most dominant order was Orthoptera with a relative abundance of (26.02%) and, the least was Mantodae (1.23%). The most dominant insect family was Termitidae (14.37%) followed by both Gryllidae and Corambycidae (5.95%), followed by Nabidae (5.54%), followed by both Tettigoniidae and Tetrigidae (4.52%), followed by Pyrgomorphidae (4.31%), followed by Carabidae (4.11%) and Tettigoniidae (3.70%). Families such as Pieridae and Pompilidae (0.62%) and Margarodidae (0.82%), Mantidae (1.23%), both Lygacidae and Nymphalidae (1.44%), both Shecidae and Blattidae (1.64%) had a small relative abundance table3. The highest species diversity was observed in the order Orthoptera (Shannon, H=3.105) while Mantodea (0.013) and Dictyptera (0.019) had the least. However, the habitat with the highest species richness and evenness was observed in the Forested land (20.841) and (0.126) respectively. In this study, I assessed the insect species of Busitema University Nagongera Campus in relationship to their diversity, abundance and distribution with respect to human development processes and from the results obtained, Forestland had a high insect richness, diversity and abundance compared to Grassland area. However, Environmentalists should regulate agriculture and other human activities like deforestation as it was observed near the river stream of Forestland and more research should be conducted using more sampling techniques, expanding the geographical scope of the study and also during the rainy season to compare the differences in the seasons on the diversity and abundance of insects since the research study was carried out only during the dry season.