Abundance, distribution and effects of temperature and humidity on arthropod fauna in different rice ecosystems in Uganda

Abstract

The study on abundance, distribution and effects of temperature and humidity on arthropod fauna was conducted in smallholder rice farming areas in three agro ecological zones of Lake Victoria basin, Northern moist farmlands and Western Savannah grasslands in Uganda. Arthropods were collected using a standard sweep net and a total of 17 orders representing 13,272 arthropods were recorded from the three agro – ecological zones during the study. Most arthropod fauna were collected in Bugiri, Lira and Kasese respectively. The most abundant orders throughout the survey included Homoptera, Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera and Orthoptera. While the least abundant included Dermaptera, Zoraptera, Phasmatoda, Mantodae, Embioptera and Neuroptera. All orders except Embioptera, Mantodae, Neuroptera and Phasmatoda were collected in all the three agro ecological zones. The orders Diptera (p = 0.0282), Hymenoptera (p = 0.0051), Lepidoptera (p = 0.0149), Odonata (p = 0.0356) showed a significant difference in abundance in the three agro – ecological zones. Temperature and humidity had a significant effect on the arthropod population for example Aranea showed a positive correlation in their abundance with increase in temperature in all the agro – ecologies