Amazon insects
Encyclopedia
The Amazon Rainforest
and surrounding region is the most biodiverse on earth and no life form is more diverse than the insects of the Amazon. No one can put any accurate figure on how many species
there are but it has been estimated to be around 30 million, with 700 species of beetle
discovered on just one tree
. There are 7,000 species of butterfly
compared to 20,000 worldwide. One acre
may have 70,000 species of insects alone. The rate of new species being discovered annually is around 10,000 with a majority in the Amazon River
basin. The insects in the Amazon, like all tropical biomes, are larger and more colorful than their temperate counterparts.
The rainforest Canopy
is where the greatest abundance of species of insects can be found. The canopy has only been explored for the last 20 years and is poorly documented; almost all species are entirely new to science and rarely can two specimens be found of the same species. Methods of collecting insects include fogging the trees with insecticide
s or by netting them.
The reason for such high diversity
is the age of the forest which is around 100 million years old. Also the stable climate has allowed life forms to fill and create more niches in the ecosystem
. But most of all is the relation with insects and plant
, insects are almost inseparable from plants because they require each other to survive. In the Amazon most species of plants have only one species of moth or beetle to pollinate them successfully. So the enormous number of species of insects is obvious by the number of plant and tree species in the rainforest; 100,000 trees and 400,000 plants are known in the rain forest
with many more waiting to be discovered.
Unfortunately the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest is driving many insect species to extinction
before they can even be identified or seen by man. Each day dozens are going extinct because many species only live on a few acres range.
Amazon Rainforest
The Amazon Rainforest , also known in English as Amazonia or the Amazon Jungle, is a moist broadleaf forest that covers most of the Amazon Basin of South America...
and surrounding region is the most biodiverse on earth and no life form is more diverse than the insects of the Amazon. No one can put any accurate figure on how many species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
there are but it has been estimated to be around 30 million, with 700 species of beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
discovered on just one tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
. There are 7,000 species of butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
compared to 20,000 worldwide. One acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
may have 70,000 species of insects alone. The rate of new species being discovered annually is around 10,000 with a majority in the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
basin. The insects in the Amazon, like all tropical biomes, are larger and more colorful than their temperate counterparts.
The rainforest Canopy
Canopy (forest)
In biology, the canopy is the aboveground portion of a plant community or crop, formed by plant crowns.For forests, canopy also refers to the upper layer or habitat zone, formed by mature tree crowns and including other biological organisms .Sometimes the term canopy is used to refer to the extent...
is where the greatest abundance of species of insects can be found. The canopy has only been explored for the last 20 years and is poorly documented; almost all species are entirely new to science and rarely can two specimens be found of the same species. Methods of collecting insects include fogging the trees with insecticide
Insecticide
An insecticide is a pesticide used against insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against the eggs and larvae of insects respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and the household. The use of insecticides is believed to be one of the major factors behind...
s or by netting them.
The reason for such high diversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
is the age of the forest which is around 100 million years old. Also the stable climate has allowed life forms to fill and create more niches in the ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
. But most of all is the relation with insects and plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
, insects are almost inseparable from plants because they require each other to survive. In the Amazon most species of plants have only one species of moth or beetle to pollinate them successfully. So the enormous number of species of insects is obvious by the number of plant and tree species in the rainforest; 100,000 trees and 400,000 plants are known in the rain forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
with many more waiting to be discovered.
Unfortunately the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest is driving many insect species to extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
before they can even be identified or seen by man. Each day dozens are going extinct because many species only live on a few acres range.