Links between the Environment, Abundance and Diversity of Andean Moths

Ideas on the spatial variation of biodiversity often imply a causal link between the abundance and species richness of organisms. We investigated this 'more individuals hypothesis' using light-trapping data of three unrelated groups of moths (Arctiidae, Geometridae and Pyraloidea) from the Ecuadorian Andes. We analyzed environmental correlates of specimen densities found in different habitats, finding effects of temperature, moonlight, forest succession, elevation and season. We corrected abundance data for light-trapping artefacts, and we measured species diversity with various metrics known to be unbiased by undersampling. We found significant positive correlations between abundance and species diversity for all three taxonomic groups. We discuss implications for a general evaluation of species-energy theory as well as for a better understanding of ecological processes in montane habitats of the Andes.