Variation in Abundance and Assemblage Composition of Pollinating Insects in Two Protected Areas of Western Haiti

Understanding the contribution of protected areas to pollinating insect conservation is crucial, especially in Haiti because of intense deforestation and environmental degradation. To that end, we assessed the importance of two relatively small, protected areas in Western Haiti, the suburban Wynne Farm Ecological Reserve (WFER) and the Urban National Park of Martissant (UNPM). Using colored pan-traps, we compared the abundance and assemblage composition of pollinating insects both between the two sites and between habitats (forest patches, agroforestry, and agricultural crops) within each site. We collected 3,722 insects from six orders, with 68.2% identified to family level due to taxonomic limitations. Overall insect abundance was significantly higher at WFER compared to UNPM, with inconsistent differences between habitats within sites. Site, habitat, and their interaction significantly influenced insect composition. However, both sites had a similar proportion of domestic bees among all identified hymenopterans. Among 118 identified families, only 30.51% were shared between sites, indicating that the combination of the two protected areas conserves a wider and more even diversity of pollinating insects than either area on its own. We provide the first report of the presence of Cosmosoma odilae in Haiti. Finally, we report observations for Haiti of endemic lepidopteran and hymenopteran species of cultural importance and conservation interest, thus emphasizing the importance of protected areas and the need for enhancing entomological expertise in the country.