Diversity and Community Structure of Terrestrial Invertebrates in an Irrigated Rice Ecosystem

Abstract

Diversity and community structure of terrestrial invertebrates in rice ecosystems were studied in rice fields under irrigated condition from January to April 2011. The research revealed that terrestrial invertebrate fauna comprised 84 species of insects in 72 families and 10 orders. Arachnids are the most abundant with 18 species in 10 families, amounting to a total of 102 terrestrial invertebrate species from irrigated rice ecosystem in Khon Kaen. The majority of insects belonged to Order Hymenoptera (29 species) followed by Homoptera (15 species), Coleoptera (11 species) and Diptera (9 species). The community structure of terrestrial invertebrates consisted of natural enemies (70 species) followed by insect pest (26 species), insect visitor (5 species) and scavenger (2 species).