Preliminary observations on the affinities and composition of the insect fauna of Aldabra

Abstract

Preliminary observations on the insect fauna of Aldabra are made, based primarily on the extensive collections made by the authors during the Royal Society Expedition to Aldabra 1967—8. Information from past records, together with the available results from recent collections suggests that the total number of insect species on the atoll exceeds 1000. Figures for the comparative affinities of the components of the Aldabran insect fauna as a whole are given and these are contrasted with a more detailed account of the affinities of the Lepidoptera Rhopalocera of the Aldabra group of islands. The composition of the fauna is considered and factors affecting the composition and aspects of the fauna of particular interest are briefly reviewed.