Vertical stratification of beetles (Coleoptera) using flight intercept traps in a lowland rainforest of Sabah, Malaysia

This study investigated the beetle assemblages, using flight intercept traps set up at different levels (ground, 6 m and 12 m) of an aluminium-alloy tower in a lowland dipterocarp forest in Sabah. A total of 215 morphospecies from 48 families were recorded from 12 samplings between March and September, 2000. Staphylinidae and Scarabaeidae (mainly dung beetles) were the most prominent families, sampled mainly at the ground level. Species richness and abundance of beetles were significantly lower in both 6-m and 12-m levels compared to the ground level. Sampling with mist-blowing from previous study was compared, and the study has shown that the sampling technique is vital in determining prominent beetle groups to be sampled. The high number of beetle singletons sampled in lowland rainforest suggested that beetles generally resemble non- interactive communities, which can be regarded as non-equilibrium communities.