Abstract

MORA-ESTRADA, León Felipe de la et al. Diversity of true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera) in secondary pine-oak forests of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2017, vol.88, n.1, pp.86-105. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmb.2017.01.016.

Pine-oak forests of Chiapas have been exposed for centuries to a low magnitude but high frequency of human disturbance regime, resulting in a fragmented forest landscapes that probably have impact on structure and composition of insect communities. In this study the community of Heteroptera was described in 3 secondary forest of pine-oak with different historical disturbance regimen. The insects were sampled with sweep net at 18 plots, and the Hill numbers were calculated as estimators of Heteroptera diversity. At each plot was recorded the presence of extraction of soil, wood, firewood, and solid waste. We grouped the insect by size and trophic class, as an approximation to functionality of Heteroptera community. A highest abundance and species richness was found in the secondary forest with intermediate disturbance level. There was an inverse relationship between diversity and altitude. The biggest insect and highest diversity of trophic groups were observed in the forest with intermediate disturbance level. We conclude that the regime of disturbance contribute to determinate the community of heteropterous in the secondary pine-oak forest studied.

Keywords : Anthropogenic disturbance; Insect ecology; Fragmentation; Functional groups; Insect-plant interaction; Miridae; Trophic guilds.

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