Arthropod succession and diversity in umbels of Cyperus papyrus L.

Abstract

The arthropods of umbels of papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.) were collected from three sites in the Upemba Swamp region of the Zaire River. Abundance and diversity of arthropods increased with age of umbel and with the purity and vigour of the papyrus stand. Herbivores predominated in the early age classes, predators and detritivores in the later ones. Ants were numerically important and spiders both abundant and diverse. The papyrus ecosystem appears to combine very high primary productivity with very low diversity.