Moth Communities in Montane Papua New Guinea

Abstract

Night flying Lepidoptera were sampled using light-traps along an altitudinal transect in undisturbed montane rainforest. Species richness declined with altitude. About 800 spp. were present at 2200 m, and 400 spp. at 2800 m. Species diversity as measured by .alpha. [a parameter of the log series distribution] declined from about 180 at 2200 m to 75 at 2800 m. The moth communities in these habitats are apparently aseasonal. Adults of individual species fly year round. The Shannon-Weaver diversities calculated for these communities exceed those expected on the basis of Preston''s canonical hypothesis. An inverse relationship between equitability and species richness may not exist.