Abstract
To evaluate the effects of forest disturbances on flying insects, samples were taken at three selected disturbed sites in a mountainous area in Trawas, East Java. Changes in the abundance, family richness and composition of flying insects were monitored during the 2003 wet season and 2004 dry season using window traps. A total of 4947 individuals of insects, representing 82 families, were collected. The overall abundance and family richness of flying insects declined with increasing site disturbance. Community composition was also remarkably different among the sites. Herbivorous insects, such as Chrysomelidae and Orthoptera, and scavenging beetles, such as Scolytidae and Nitidulidae, were the most sensitive to disturbance. In contrast, some agricultural insects were found in highly-disturbed site. These results indicate that forest disturbances change flying insect composition.
