PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE DIVERSITY OF INSECTS OF HADEJIA- NGURU WETLANDS

Abubakar, M. M., Kutama, A.S. and Sulaiman, M. I.

Department of Biological Sciences

Federal University Dutse, Nigeria

E-mail: mmabubakar2005@gmail.com

Abstract: Threats to the aquatic ecosystem by human activities constitute threats to the biodiversity of such ecosystem, which affect the quality of human life in the wetland area, either directly or indirectly. The Hadejia-Nguru wetlands consist of several temporary and permanent floods and drylands. Aquatic insects and the aquatic stages of some terrestrial insects were sampled using water net, plankton net, sweep net, pitfall traps and pooters from seven locations in the wetland. Collected insects were identified using several keys. Twenty species of aquatic insects belonging to seven orders were recorded. With the highest diversity observed at Nguru Lake which is a permanent water body. The order hemiptera is the most represented taxa in the wetland. Factors such as draught, pollution, macrophyte cover, nature of substratum were implicated as affecting the diversity and species richness of the aquatic insects in the wetland. It was recommended that the present survey be extended to cover a seasonal and spatial study of the insects, as well as investigating the interaction within and between species, in order to establish vital links among insects and other organisms that inhabit the wetland.