10. THE INSECT FAUNA OF LITTLE CAYMAN R.R. Askew L i t t l e Cayman i s seldom mentioneZ i n entoiiiologicali. l i t e r a t u r e . The 1938 Oxford Univers i ty Bio logica l Expedi t ion spen t t h i r t e e n days or, t h e islanc? and r e p o r t s on t h e r e s u l t i n q c o l l e c t i o n d e a l with Odona-ta (F ra se r , 19431, wa-ter-bugs (Hulgerforc?, 1940) , Nemoptera (Banks, 1941) , c icadas (Davis, 19391 , Carabidae (Darl ington, 194'73 , Cerambycidae (F i she r , 1941, 1948) , b u t t e r f l i e s (Carpenter & Lewis, 1943) and Sphingidae (Jordan, 1940j , During t h e 19'75 expedi t ion , i n s e c t s of a l l o r d e r s were s tud i ed over a pe r iod of about f i v e weeks and many a d d i t i o n s w i l l even tua l ly be made t o t h e i s l a n d ' s spec i e s l i s t . A t p r e s e n t , however, i d e n t i f i c a t i o n of t h e i n s e c t s c o l l e c t e d has , wi th t h e except ion of t h e b u t t e r f l i e s which have been considered s e p a r a t e l y , proceeded i n t h e major i ty of cases only a s f a r a s t h e family l e v e l . Appl ica t ion of family names f o r t h e most p a r t fol lows Borror & DeLong (1966) . I n t h i s paper t h e genera l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e i n s e c t fauna a r e descr ibed . Co l l ec t i ng Methods A , General c o l l e c t i n g with sweep-net, pond-net, b u t t e r f l y n e t and search ing f o l i a g e , t r e e t runks and on t h e ground. A cone-net a t t a c h e d t o a v e h i c l e was used on one occasion. Also considered a s being caught by ' gene ra l c o l l e c t i n g ' a r e i n s e c t s found r e s t i n g on wa l l s ad j acen t t o o u t s i d e e l e c t r i c l i g h t s a t P i r a t e s ' Po in t . B. A Malaise t r a p (Model 300 Health-EE-X suppl ied by Entomology Research I n s t i t u t e , Minnesota) was e r e c t e d on 17 th J u l y and opera ted almost cont inuously t o t h e end of t he expedi t ion . I t was s i t u a t e d a t P i r a t e ' s P o i n t , j u s t south of t he lagoon and road , i n a glade between bushes of Conocarpus and o t h e r shrubs growing a t t he base of t h e nor thern f ace of t h e beach r i dge . The ground vege t a t i on was dominated by Sporobolus and Ambrosia. The t r a p was unbai ted; 70% e t h y l a l coho l was used i n t h e c o l l e c t i n g beaker. A t o l l Research B u l l e t i n No. 241: 97-114, 1980. C . A Robinson mercury vapour l i g h t t r a p , powered by a po r t ab le genera tor , was run i n t h e grounds of P i r a t e ' s Po in t on t h e fol lowing occasions: 14th Ju ly (20.00-22.00 h o u r s ) , 15th Ju ly (20.00-22.00), 16th J u l y (20.00-22-00), 17 th J u l y (20.00-22.00), 18-19th Ju ly (22.00-4.00), 19-20th July (21.00-4.00), 21-22nd J u l y (22.00-4.00), 24th Ju ly (20.00-21-30), 27th J u l y (20.00-3.30) and 30th Ju ly (20.30-21.30 hours, when t h e genera tor i r r e p a r a b l y broke down). The t r a p was a l s o run on 28th Ju ly i n t h e c e n t r a l f o r e s t south of Sparrowhawk H i l l from 18.30 t o 21.30 hours. Few i n s e c t s a r r i v e d a f t e r 21 .OO hours. D. Other c o l l e c t i n g methods at tempted, with very poor r e s u l t s , were t h e use of a yellow t r a p , p i t - f a l l t r a p s and e x t r a c t i o n funnel (charged with washed-up t u r t l e g r a s s ) . The Fauna i n General By the methods ou t l ined above, a t l e a s t 613 i n s e c t spec ies were co l l ec t ed . Closer examination of t n e ma te r i a l w i l l probably r evea l f u r t h e r spec ies . Representa t ives of a l l o rders except P ro tu ra , P lecoptera , Embioptera, Zoraptera, Anoplura, S t r c p s i p t e r a , Mecoptera, Trichoptera and Siphonaptera were found. Only a few v e r t e b r a t e s were examined f o r e c t o p a r a s i t e s and Siphonaptera w i l l undoubtedly be p r e s e n t on t h e i s l a n d . The o the r orders l i s t e d , i f p r e s e n t , should have been de tec t ed and it can be concluded t h a t they a r e represented on L i t t l e Cayman a t t h e most by a few, r a r e species . The numbers of spec ies found i n each order a r e shown i n t a b l e 12. The r a t i o of t he number of spec ies (x 100) i n each order t o t h e number of spec ie s recorded i n t h e United S t a t e s north of Mexico (Borror & DeLong, 1966) i s given f o r comparison. Of the l a r g e r o rde r s , t h e Lepidoptera appear t o be b e s t represented although t h e use of a l i g h t t r a p undoubtedly b iased c o l l e c t i n g i n t h e i r favour, The t o t a l of spec ies recorded i s a minimun?; many microlepidoptera caught i n t h e l i g h t and Malaise t r a p s could n o t be i d e n t i f i e d because of t h e i r poor condi t ion . Coleoptera, although t h e second most numerous order i n terms of spec ies caught, i s d i sp ropor t iona te ly poorly represented . Among the smaller o rde r s , Odonata, Orthoptera and Neuroptera a r e a l l well-represented. The curve showing t h e numbers of spec ies recorded over t h e course of t h e expedi t ion ( f i g . 4) only moderately l e v e l s o f f , from which it must be concluded t h a t many more spec ie s remain t o be discovered. In terms of i nd iv idua l s , t he sub jec t ive impression i s t h a t Cul ic idae , Corixidae and Formicidae a r e t h e most abundant groups on t h e i s l a n d ; Aedes taeniorhynchus Wied and a spec ie s of Cor ix id were e a s i l y t h e two most f requent ly encountered spec ies . Famil ies with t h e h ighes t numbers of included spec ies a r e Noctuidae (45 spec ies) and Pyral idae (15) , Formicidae ( 1 9 ) , Cicadel l idae (17) and Staphylinidae (15) . Within some of t h e l a r g e r f ami l i e s t h e r e i s o f t e n a wide range of spec ie s ' s i z e . Table 12. Ordinal d i s t r i b u t i o n of s ~ e c i e s of i n s e c t s found on L i t t l e Cayman. Numbers of species from North America north of Mexico a r e from Borror & DeLong (1966). Number of species found i n Order Collembola Thysanura Ephemeroptera Odonata Orthoptera Isoptera Dermaptera Psocoptera Thysanoptera Hemiptera Heteroptera Hemiptera Homoptera Neuroptera Coleoptera Lepidoptera Diptera Hymenoptera Tota l L i t t l e Cayman N. America Ratio xlOO 2 314 0.6 2 5 0 4.0 613 84061 ( including 0.7 orders not on L.C.) Linear measurements of t h e l a r g e s t and sma l l e s t spec i e s within a fami ly a r e shown i n t a b l e 13. Ind iv idua l s of near average dimensions were s e l e c t e d f o r measurement. Comparable f i g u r e s f o r t he B r i t i s h fauna a r e a l s o included i n t he t a b l e and, remembering t h a t these a r e drawn from a gene ra l ly much l a r g e r fauna, they emphasize t h e o f t e n cons iderable within-family s i z e range of Cayman i n s e c t s . This i s p a r t i c u l a r l y t r u e f o r Lepidoptera , Orthoptera , and f o r some f ami l i e s of Coleoptera b u t n o t Carabidae o r S taphyl in idae . Large Carabids and Staphyl in ids seem t o be absent and t h i s may be because of exc lus ion by t h e many land c rabs on L i t t l e Cayman. The range of s i z e appears t o be g r e a t e s t i n endopterygote f a m i l i e s (except D i p t e r a ) . In t e r r e s t r i a l exopterygote spec i e s , a d u l t s and immature s t a g e s o f t e n have a s i m i l a r biology and t h i s may suppress t he es tab l i shment of spec i e s t h a t a r e small a s a d u l t s . ~ ~ 1 . ~ ~ l a r g e s i z e range u~i t11 i i -1 f a m i l i e s of Cayr~an irzsec-is i s con t r ibu ted t o by both very small and very l a r g e s p e c i e s , b u t espec ia l - ly by t h e l a t t e r , In o rde r s i n which more than two r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s were found, t h e Dip tera and Hymenoptera a r e t h e only ones i n which a B r i t i s h spec i e s exceeds i n l i n e a r dimensions t h e l a r g e s t Cayman spec i e s obta ined . COLLEMBOLA Neanuridae 1 spec ies Entomobryidae 1 spec ie s The Neanurid, a pinkish-orange spec i e s , occurred i n aggregat ions on t h e su r f ace of rain-water i n p i t - f a l l t r a p s . The Entomobryid was found amongst l i t t e r near Spot Bay and, apparent ly t h e same spec i e s , i n accumulations of washed-up t u r t l e g ra s s on t h e shore. Lepismatidae 2 spec i e s Baetidae 1 spec ies A subimaginal sk in and a l i v e l a r v a found i n a rain-water pool on t h e b lu f f south of Crawl Bay. ODONATA Aeshnidae 1 spec ies L ibe l lu l idae 6 spec i e s Dragonfl ies were conspicuous and abundant, e s p e c i a l l y near t o t h e brackish c o a s t a l lagoons and on t h e Sesuvium marsh i n t he e a s t . No Zygoptera were noted on L i t t l e Cayman, a l though two spec ies were found on Grand Cayman toge the r wi th t h r e e spec i e s of Anisoptera n o t encountered on the smal le r i s l a n d . F ra se r (1943) records twelve spec ies of Odonata c o l l e c t e d by t h e Oxford Univers i ty expedi t ion ( s i x Table 13. Within-family s i z e ranges of L i t t l e Cayman and B r i t i s h i n s e c t s . Dimensions a r e body length (excluding antennae and abdominal appendages) except f o r Odonata, Neuroptera and Lepidoptera where wing expanse i s given, and Scarabaeidae f o r which e l y t r a l l eng th i s shown. Dimensions (mm. ) of l a r g e s t spec ies Magnitude range Order Family ( L i t t l e Cayman) L. Cayman Br i t a in Odonata L ibe l lu l idae 82 1 . 5 1 .6 Orthoptera B l a t t i d a e 39 4.6 1.7 Gryl l idae 15 3 - 3 2.5 he te rop te ra Miridae i3omop t e r a C i c a d e l l i d a ~ Neuroptera Myrmeleontidae 118 2 . 1 - Coleoptera Carabidae 10 5 .0 12.4 Staphylinidae 1 2 6.7 11.7 Hydrophilidae 3 8 20.0 20.0 E la t e r idae 2 8 4.7 2.4 Cerambycidae Scarabaeidae Lepidoptera Sphingidae Noctuidae P ie r idae Hesperiidae Diptera Chloropidae 2 1.8 5.0 Hymenoptera Formicidae (workers) 7.1 5 - 1 4.7 Sphe cidae 2 3 5 .1 7.0 Braconidae 9 6.0 9.8 * spec ies found on Cayman Brac from L i t t l e Cayman) although n o t a l l a r e t he same a s those taken i n 1975. The most numerous s p e c i e s , Erythrodiplax naeva (Hagen) , was found a l l over t h e i s l a n d inc luding t h e dry i n t e r i o r . A l a r g e r Panta la spec i e s was a l s o common b u t confined t o t h e v i c i n i t y of c o a s t a l lagoons where l a r g e ' f l o c k s ' were f r equen t ly seen hawking u n t i l sunse t a t a he ight of about f i v e metres. ORTHOPTERA Acrididae 1 spec ie s (Cyr tacanthacr id inae) Te t t i gon i idae 4 spec i e s (2 Conocephalinae, 2 Phaneropter inae) Gry l l i dae 6 spec i e s ( 3 Mogoplistinae, 2 Oecanthinae, 1 Gry l l i nae ) Phasmidae 1 spec ie s B l a t t i d a e 6 spec ies The dominance of t h e t e r r e s t r i a l c r i c k e t s and cockroaches over t h e o t h e r f ami l i e s may be r e l a t e d t o t h e abundance of a rbo rea l l i z a r d s , The Phasmid and t h e two Phaneropter inae, a l l t r e e - l i v i n g , were each found only once. The Acr id id , a l a r g e spec i e s , was widespread i n a l l s t a g e s . An Oedipodine grasshopper with r e d hindwings was c o l l e c t e d on Cayman Srac b u t n o t found on L i t t l e Cayman. ISOPTERA Kalotermit idae, Termit idae, Rhinotermit idae (1 spec ie s each) L i t t l e time was spent i n c o l l e c t i n g t e rmi t e s and more spec i e s a r e t o be expected. DERMAPTERA L a i d u r i d a e 1 spec ie s (Labidura r i p a r i a ( p a l l a s ) ) Labiidae 1 spec ie s (Baryqerax sp. ) Only t h r e e specimens of earwig were found. The order has no t h i t h e r t o been r epor t ed from t h e Cayman I s l ands and t h e Baryqerax spec i e s i s probably undescribed ( t e s t e A. B r ind le ) . P SOCOPTERA The fou r spec i e s f o u ~ d , represented by only fou r i n d i v i d u a l s , a r e n o t y e t i d e n t i f i e d t o family. MALLOP HAGA A s i n g l e b i t i n g louse was taken from a red-footed booby. Few o t h e r b i r d s were examined. THYSANOPTERA Phloeothr ip idae 1 spec ie s Family ? 1 spec ie s No s p e c i a l e f f o r t was made t o l o c a t e t h r i p s and the order i s probably under-represented i n the c o l l e c t i o n s . HEMIPTERA HETEROPTERA Corixidae 2 spec ies Notonectidae 2 Veli idae 1 Anthocoridae 4 Miridae 7 Isome topidae 1 Reduviidae 2 Nabidae 1 Tincjidae 3 Lygaeidae 4 pyrrhocori&e 3 Coreidae 3 Corizidac 3 Saldidae 1. Scu- te l l e r i d a e 4 Pentatomidae 4 Corixidae were exceedingly abundant, coming t o the mercury vapour t r a p i n enormous numbers and o f t e n being seen i n the brackish lagoons. One spec ies dominated t h e c o l l e c t i o n s , b u t more than two spec ies may eventua l ly be found t o be present . Hungerford (1940) records only one water bug, Trichocorixa v e r t i c a l i s (Fieb.) from L i t t l e Cayman. Most of t h e t e r r e s t r i a l spec ies were r a t h e r l o c a l bu t sometimes p l e n t i f u l . One of t h e Pyrrhocorids aggregated i n l a r g e numbers on f a l l e n f r u i t s , and another was common on c u l t i v a t e d bean p l a n t s , HEMIPTERA HOMOPTERA Cicadidae 1 species Membracidae 1 spec ie s Cicadel l idae 17 Tropiduchidae 1 F l a t i d a e 3 Delphacidae 7 Cix i idae 4 Acanaloniidae 1 Aphididae 1 Aleyrodidae 1 S t r i k i n g f e a t u r e s of t h e Homopteran fauna a r e t h e pauci ty of Sternorhyncha and t h e apparent absence of Cercopidae. NEUROPTERA Mantispidae 1 species Chrysopidae 3 spec ie s Ascalaphidae 1 Myrmeleontidae 4 Neuroptera a r e very well-represented, i n s p i t e of t h e absence of Hemerobiidae. This l a t t e r may be r e l a t e d t o the s c a r c i t y of aphids. The ant - l ions were a l l c o l l e c t e d a s a d u l t s a t l i g h t and two spec ie s were common. Banks (1941) r e p o r t s t h e presence on L i t t l e Cayman of Chrysopa t r a n s v e r s a Walker and Myrrneleon i n s e r t u s Hagen only , from m a t e r i a l c o l l e c t e d by t h e 1938 Oxford Un ive r s i t y expedi t ion . Both of t h e s e spec i e s were found i n 1975. No Mantispid has h i t h e r t o been r epo r t ed from t h e Cayman I s l ands . COLE OPTERA Cic inde l idae 2 spec i e s Dyt i sc idae 2 Leptodi r idae 1 Pselaphidae 1 Ci s idae 1 E l a t e r i d a e 5 Heterocer idae 1 Xnizophagidae 2 Pha l sc r idae 1 Coccine l l idae 6 .qnti~i.cidae 1 Oedemeridae 5 Plordellidae 1 Tenebrionidae 1 Bos t r ich idae 2 Cerambycidae 9 Bruchidae 4 Platypodidae 2 Carabidae 11 s p e c i e s Hydrophilidae 9 S taphyl in idae 15 Orthoperidae 1 Cle r idae 2 Buprest idae 1 Derodontidae 1 Si lvanidae 1 La ch r id i i dae 2 Colydi idae 1 Euylenidae 1 Meloidae 1 Al lecu l idae 2 Anobiidae 2 Scarabaeidae 10 Chrysomelidae 3 Curcul ionidae 6 Scoly t idae 2 Two f a m i l i e s of t e r r e s t r i a l c a rn ivo re s , Carabidae and S taphyl in idae , con ta in t h e h ighes t numbers of b e e t l e spec i e s found. Becker (1975) shows t h a t t h e b e e t l e fauna of i s l a n d s t ends t o inc lude a h igher p ropor t i on of t e r r e s t r i a l c a rn ivo re s than does t h e fauna of t h e ad j acen t mainland, and he p o s t u l a t e s t h a t carn ivorous b e e t l e s , being more c a t h o l i c i n food requirements than most phytophagous s p e c i e s , a r e more e a s i l y a b l e t o become e s t a b l i s h e d on i s l a n d s . On L i t t l e Cayman t h e percentage of t e r r e s t r i a l carnivorous s p e c i e s (count ing only C ic inde l idae , Carabidae, S taphyl in idae , C le r idae and Cocc ine l l i dae ) i n t h e t o t a l number of phytophagous spec i e s (Buprest idae, Bos t r ich idae , Cerambycidae, Chrysomelidae, Bruchidae and Curcul ionidae on ly) p l u s t e r r e s t r i a l c a rn ivo re s i s 59. Corresponding f i g u r e s given by Becker f o r Jamaica and Cuba a r e 66% and 41% r e s p e c t i v e l y , w h i l s t percentages f o r mainland L a t i n America range only between 21 and 37. A l l Carabids and S t aphy l in id s found on L i t t l e Cayman a r e f u l l y winged and a l l spec i e s were taken a t l i g h t a t n igh t . The g e n e r a l l y small s i z e of t h e s p e c i e s i s d iscussed above. Another e c o l o g i c a l group of b e e t l e s wel l - represented on L i t t l e Cayman comprises s p e c i e s t h a t f e e d a s l a r v a e i n wood and Cerambycidae a r e e s p e c i a l l y common. Bee t le bor ings were noted i n stems of A v i c e n n i a , Conocarpus and Rhi zophora . LEPIDOPTERA Rhopalocera 23 s p e c i e s ( d e t a i l s e lsewhere) Sphingidae 11 Noctuidae 45 Pericopidae 1 Syntomidae 4 Cossidae 1 Notodontidae 1 Agar is t idae 1 Psychidae 1 Arct i idae 2 Geometridae 13 Pyra l idae 15 'Microlepidoptera ' 39 Family ? 16 Family i d e n t i f i c a t i o n s of the-moths , p a r t i c u l a r l y Microlepidoptera, a r e a s ye t incomplete. There a r e probably many more spec ies of t h e smaller moths than a r e l i s t e d here; many were caught i n t h e l i g h t t r a p and have been badly damaged by t h e enormous numbers of a n t s and Corixids t h a t were a l s o captured. Proper i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h e Microlepidoptera r e q u i r e s a s p e c i a l i s t ab le t o s tudy them fu l l - t ime . f e a t u r e of t h e l i g h t t r a p c o l l e c t i o n s was t h e abundance of small i i l~tils and of -the l a r g e r Sphingidae. The intermediate s i z e range appeared -to be under-represented corr~ppared with samples fro-n! t enpe ra t e Europe. Most of the Noctuidae a re small , bu t a s i n g l e specimen of t h e very i a r y e A s c a l a p k i odoraka (L, j was found dea.d i n t h e house a t P i r a t e ' s Po in t , Jordan (1940j l i s t s f i v e spec ies of Sphingid from L i t t l e Cayman, a l l of which were taken again i n 1975 together with s i x more spec ies . A number of spec ie s captured a t ou t s ide e l e c t r i c l i g h t s were no t represented i n t h e l i g h t t r a p samples. Some of these were among t h e most co lour fu l spec ie s found and included N o r o p s i s h i e r o y l y p h i c a C r . and X a n t h o p a s t i s t i m a i s C r . (Noctuidae). Two b r i g h t l y coloured day-flying spec ies , Composia f i d e l i s s i m a B.-S. (Pericopidae) and U t e t h e i s a spec ie s (Arc t i idae) , were f requent ly seen, and another A r c t i i d , C a l i d o t a s t r i g o s a W I k . , was captured both i n t h e l i g h t t r a p and a t t h e house l i g h t s . Psychodidae 1 species Ceratopogonidae 4 Sc iar idae 3 Stratiomyidae 3 As i l idae 1 Therevidae 3 Dolichopodidae 8 O t i t i d a e 7 Sepsidae 1 Lonchaeidae 3 Drosophilidae 1 Agromyzidae 3 Aste i idae 1+ St reb l idae 1 Sarcophagidae 5 Muscidae 3 Cul ic idae 6 spec ie s Chironomidae 1 Cecidomyiidae 3 Tabanidae 2 Empididae 1 Bombyliidae 6 Syrphidae 4 Tephr i t idae 5 Lauxaniidae 4 Ephydridae 3 Chloropidae 9 Clus i idae 1 Hippoboscidae 1 Cal l iphor idae 2 Tachinidae 9 In terms of numbers of individuals , the Culicidae i s probably the most abundant i n s e c t family on the i s land. A e d e s t a e n i o r h y n c h u s swarmed everywhere except on the beaches and i n the c e n t r a l f o r e s t . I t was espec ia l ly abundant i n mangroves and a t the edges of the brackish lagoons, and females would feed a t any time of day, sometimes on being disturbed from vegetat ion. Numbers increased noticeably on 26th July , th ree days a f t e r t o r r e n t i a l r a in . No spec ia l e f f o r t was made t o c o l l e c t mosquitoes on L i t t l e Cayman. The Mosquito Research and Control Unit has recorded 17 species from L i t t l e Cayman and 29 species from neighbouring Cayman Brac (M.E.C. G i g l i o l i , pers . comm.). Of the higher f l i e s , the only conspicuous species a r e the Bombyliids. These were t o be seen hovering over vegetat ion o r r e s t i n g on the ground, and they seem t o occupy the place f i l l e d by Syrphidae i n temperate regions. Syrphids a r e r a the r scarce although a l a rge species was f requent ly seen, e spec ia l ly i n the i n t e r i o r of the i s l a n d , A species of i f i c r o d o n was taken i n some numbers i n the Malaise t r a p , but not observed elsewhere, A T a b a n u s flew around members of t h e par ty s t i l l wet a f t e r bathing i n the sea but no o ther Diptera were conspicuous i n t h e f i e l d and the numbers of species captured i n the Malaise t r a p was somewhat unexpected. Chloropids, Dolichopodids and Tachinids were f ami l i e s represented by most species i n the Malaise t r a p . Some of t h e species of Sarcophagidae and Tachinidae a r e grey and black f l i e s with reddish apices t o t h e i r abdomens, and they s u p e r f i c i a l l y resemble two Sphecid wasps with s imi lar colourat ion. Two species e c t o p a r a s i t i c on ve r t eb ra tes were found. The Hippoboscid was co l l ec ted i n the Malaise t r a p ; the S t r e b l i d was taken from a specimen of the ba t M a c r o t u s w a t e r h o u s i i Gray. HYMENOPTERA Braconidae 11 species Eulophidae 10 Encyrtidae 1 Torymidae 5 Eurytomidae 2 Cynipidae 2 Scelionidae 3 Bethylidae 1 Muti l l idae 1 Formicidae 19 Pompilidae 1 Megachilidae 1 Halict idae 2 Ichneumonidae 3 species Elasmidae 3 Eupelmidae 1 Pteromalidae 4 Chalcididae 1 Ceraphronidae 1 Diapriidae 1 Tiphiidae 1 Rhopalosomatidae 1 Vespidae 1 Sphecidae 8 Col le t idae 1 Formicidae dominate the hymenopterous fauna on L i t t l e Cayman and a r e probably exceeded i n numbers of individuals only by Culicidae and Corixidae. A l l of the wasp species found (Sphecidae, Pompilidae, Vespidae, Rhopalosomatidae, Mut i l l idae , Tiphiidae) were frequent t o abundant, bu t the bees (Collet idae, Hal ic t idae , Megachilidae) were scarce. Two Bembicine (Sphecidae) wasps were e s p e c i a l l y numerous, t h e l a r g e S t i c t i a s i g n a t a (L.) and a smal le r spec ies . The former is widespread on t h e i s l a n d and n e s t s i n co lon ie s i n sandy ground where dappled shade i s provided by t r e e s and shrubs. The smal le r Bembicine spec i e s is found around t h e c o a s t b u t no t i n t h e i n t e r i o r , again n e s t i n g i n sandy ground but u sua l ly where t h e r e i s no shade. Of i n t e r e s t i s t h e f a c t t h a t f i v e of t h e t h i r t e e n wasp spec i e s p rov i s ion t h e i r n e s t s with c r i c k e t s which a r e wel l - represented on L i t t l e Cayman. These a r e t h e Rhopalosomatid, a g e n e r a l l y r a r e group b u t one spec i e s o f which was taken i n some numbers a t n i g h t i n t h e Malaise t r a p and l i g h t t r a p , and four Sphecid spec i e s (two L a r r i n i , two Ch lo r ion in i - Sphex sp. and P r i o n y x s p . ) . Of t h e remaining wasps, t h r e e prey upon Endopterygote l a rvae ( t he Vespid (Eumeninae) , M u t i l l i d and T i p h i i d ) , t h r e e upon f l i e s ( t he two Bembicini and one Oxybe l in i ) , and two upon s p i d e r s ( t ne Pompilid and S c e l i p h r o n jama icense (F,) ) . The major i ty of spec i e s of p a r a s i t i c Hymenoptera was ob ta ined w h i l s t sweep-netting on t h e d i s tu rbed ground of t h e o l d c o a s t a l p l a n t a t i o n s . I n genera l they a r e r a t h e r s ca rce , an opinion r e in fo rced by t h e small nuvbers caught i n t h e Malaise t r a p . Only Braconidae and Eulophidae were r ep re sen t ed by f a i r l y l a r g e numbers of spec i e s , and t h e i r r e l a t i v e l y h igh frequency i s probably r e l a t e d t o t h e many spec i e s of Microlepidoptera found on t h e i s l a n d . Ichneumonidae a r e d i s t i n c t l y s ca rce and it is suggested t h a t t h e i r n iche on L i t t l e Cayman i s occupied by t h e r a t h e r l a r g e number of Tachinid (Dip te ra ) spec ies . No spec i e s of Symphyta was found. Sweep-net samples Eleven samples were c o l l e c t e d wi th a sweep-net a t va r ious l o c a l i t i e s and on d i f f e r e n t d a t e s . No a t tempt was made t o s t anda rd i se t h e amount of t ime spen t i n c o l l e c t i n g each sample. Catches were small . In seven of t h e samples, Hemiptera Heteroptera a r e t h e most numerous group, i n two Hemiptera Homoptera, and i n one each Coleoptera and Hymenoptera P a r a s i t i c a . Janzen and Pond (1975) p r e s e n t d a t a from s t anda rd i sed sweep-net samples of secondary vege ta t ion i n England and Michigan (U.S.A.). The i r ca tches from Michigan a r e shown i n t a b l e 14 toge the r wi th t h e t o t a l L i t t l e Cayman ca tch . Although d e t a i l e d comparisons between t h e two samples can n o t be made because of d i f f e r e n c e s i n c o l l e c t i n g methods, it is l i k e l y t h a t t h e more marked d i s p a r i t i e s r e f l e c t r e a l d i f f e r e n c e s between t h e two a r e a s . Percentage r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of exopterygotes i s g r e a t e r i n t h e Cayman samples; of endopterygote groups on ly Hymenoptera Aculeata and Coleoptera on L i t t l e Cayman s l i g h t l y exceed t h e i r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n i n t h e Michigan samples. Species of Dip te ra a r e markedly l e s s wel l - represented i n t h e Cayman samples. Janzen and Pond compare t h e i r temperate l a t i t u d e samples wi th t hose c o l l e c t e d i n a comparable manner i n Costa Rica, and draw a t t e n t i o n t o Table 14. Percentage composition of sweep-net samples from L i t t l e Cayman compared with t hose r epo r t ed by Janzen and Pond (1975) from Michigan, U . S.A. Orthoptera Psocoptera Bern. Heteroptera Hem, Bornoptera Thysanoptera Neuroptera Coleoptera Mecopcera Lepidoptera Dip te ra Hym. Aculeata Hym. P a r a s i t i c a N L i t t l e Cayman spec i e s i n d i v i d u a l s Michigan spec i e s i n d i v i d u a l s 1 . 6 0.8 0 0 7.5 12 .1 13-2" 27,E 3 ' many " 0 0 3 . 1 5,O 0 . 3 0. L 4.7 0.8 32.7 1 6 . 1 * Excluding aphids t h e preponderance of Or thoptera and o t h e r l a r g e exopterygotes i n t h e t r o p i c a l sample. They suggest a s a reason t h e lack of seasona l c o n s t r a i n t s upon growth i n t h e t r o p i c s . The sma l l e r exopterygotes (Homoptera and Thysanoptera) a r e probably b e t t e r represen ted i n temperate r eg ions , a l though aphids have been claimed (Janzen, 1973) t o be a prominent f e a t u r e of t h e i n s e c t fauna of Caribbean i s l a n d s . This i s c e r t a i n l y n o t t h e case on L i t t l e Cayman where t h e pauc i ty of aphids resembles t h e s i t u a t i o n i n Costa Rica (Janzen & Pond, 1975) . Ants a r e r e l a t i v e l y very abundant i n t h e t r o p i c s ; e leven of t h e twelve spec i e s of a c u l e a t e Hymenoptera i n t h e sweep-net samples from L i t t l e Cayman a r e a n t s and they comprise a l l b u t one of t h e a c u l e a t e i n d i v i d u a l s swept. I n Michigan only eleven of t h e twenty-six a c u l e a t e s p e c i e s c o l l e c t e d by Janzen and Pond a r e a n t s . The abundance of p a r a s i t i c Hymenoptera i n temperate l a t i t u d e s , compared wi th t h e i r s t a t u s i n t h e t r o p i c s , i s o f t e n remarked upon. Although it was my impression t h a t P a r a s i t i c a were s ca rce on L i t t l e Cayman, they d i d f e a t u r e q u i t e prominently i n the sweep-net c o l l e c t i o n s . I t i s p o s s i b l e , however, t h a t t h e r e was some sampling b i a s towards t h e i r c o l l e c t i o n . The es t imated s p e c i e s d i v e r s i t y of t h e L i t t l e Cayman samples i s l e s s than t h a t of t h e Michigan samples. Marga le f ' s index of spec i e s d i v e r s i t y i s 20.8 f o r L i t t l e Cayman and 38.3 f o r Michigan, a l though t h e Michigan va lue would probably be lower i f aphids and t h r i p s could be inc luded i n i t s c a l c u l a t i o n . Never the less , t h e low va lue f o r L i t t l e Cayman i s r a t h e r s u r p r i s i n g and t ends t o c o n t r a d i c t t h e genera l r u l e t h a t t h e d i v e r s i t y of t r o p i c a l faunas i s g r e a t e r than t h a t of temperate r eg ions . Malaise t r a p samples The IJlaldlse t r a p was opera ted f o r e i g h t !mn-consecut~ve 24-hour pe r iods and f o r f l v e a d d i t i o n a l daytime (6 ,00 - 16,00 hours) pe r iods , Tom1 ca tches ob ta ined a r e given l n t a b l e 15 and, f o r comparison, d a t a presen ted by Matthews tl Matthews (1971) f o r Surinam and Kansas, These l a t t e r f i g u r e s can be compared t o , and be seen t o agree c l o s e l y w i th , t h e 24-hour ca t ches percentage r e p r e s e n t a t i o c of o r d e r s by i n d i v i d u a l s on L i t t l e Cayman. The Kansas sample (Marston, 1965) was ob ta ined over a l e n g t h of t ime s i m i l a r t o t h a t f o r t h e L i t t l e Cayman sample, and it i s i n t e r e s t i n g t h a t t h e t o t a l numbers of i n s e c t s caught a t t h e two p l aces a r e a l s o f a i r l y c lo se . Dip te ra a r e t y p i c a l l y t h e dominant o rde r i n Malaise t r a p samples, wi th Hymenoptera gene ra l l y occupying t h e second p o s i t i o n (Matthews & Matthews, 197'1). In t h e L i t t l e Cayman samples Dip te ra a r e t h e most abundant o r d e r , b u t second p l a c e i s shared by Hemiptera and Hymenoptera, r e i n f o r c i n g t h e view suggested by t h e sweep-net samples t h a t c e r t a i n Remiptera a r e p a r t i c u l a r l y wel l - represented on L i t t l e Cayman. The Surinam sample i nc ludes few Hemiptera. From t h e daytime ca t ch of 900 i n s e c t s i n 60 hours it can be es t imated t h a t t h e 24-hour ca t ches of 2149 i n s e c t s a r e composed of approximately twice a s many i n s e c t s caught dur ing d a y l i g h t than a t n i g h t . Di f fe rences i n percentage r e p r e s e n t a t i o n between t h e 12-hour and 24-hour ca t ches concern e s p e c i a l l y Dip te ra , w i th Nematocera, p a r t i c u l a r l y Cu l i c idae , being more a c t i v e a t n i g h t and o t h e r f l i e s being caught mostly dur ing daytime. Aculeate Hymenoptera a r e a l s o r e l a t i v e l y most f r equen t i n t h e daytime ca tch , b u t t h e l a r g e r percentages o f Lepidoptera , Coleoptera and Or thoptera i n t h e 24-hour ca t ches i n d i c a t e t h a t they , l i k e t h e Nematocera, a r e predominantly noc tu rna l ly a c t i v e . On 20th J u l y t h e Malaise t r a p was emptied a t 6.00 a.m. and thence every two hours u n t i l 6.00 p.m. The g r e a t e s t number of Dip te ra was ob ta ined i n t h e pre-noon pe r iod wi th a depress ion i n numbers dur ing mid-afternoon. Th i s p a r a l l e l s t h e f l y i n g a c t i v i t y of b u t t e r f l i e s d i s cus sed elsewhere. Conversely, Hymenoptera a t t a i n maximum a c t i v i t y i n mid-afternoon, u sua l ly t h e h o t t e s t t ime of day. Table 15. Percentage composition of Malaise t r a p samples from L i t t l e Cayman, and from Surinam and Kansas (Matthews & Matthews, 1971). L i t t l e Cayman Surinam Kansas 24 h r . pe r iods 1 2 hr . (day) pe r iods Odonata spp. i nds . spp. i nds . - P - - 0.6 0 .1 0 0 i n d i v i d u a l s