Seasonal dynamics of arthropod community at tea plantation in Fuzhou

An investigation on the seasonal dynamics of arthropod community was conducted at the tea plantation in the Campus of Fujian Agriculture and Forest University(FAFU) from 2004 to 2005.Altogether,169 arthropod species,belonging to 152 genera, 90 families and 18 orders in Insecta and Arachnida,were found.According to their general food habits,the arthropod community could be divided into3 sub-communities,which were pest,neutral insect and natural enemy.Among them,77 species,belonging to 74 genera,40 families in 9 orders,consisted of the pests;8-10 species,belonging to 7 genera of 3 orders were neutral insects and 83 species belonging to 73 genera,47 families in 11 orders made up the natural enemies.The arthropod community varied with weather,growing phase of tea and farming operations,etc.Since few chemical insecticides were used within the past years,the population densities of arthropod community kept at a comparatively low level throughout the year despite the fact that highest diversity index and eveness index were found from June to July and September to October.The dynamics of natural enemy subcommunity and pest subcommunities were consistent with each other.