The Arthropod Community of Potato Fields in New Brunswick, 1979–1981

The arthropod fauna of New Brunswick potato fields was surveyed using pitfalls, yellow pan traps, ground cloths, and sweepnets. Of the more than 560 species or group-species identified during the 3-year study, at least 80% were transient ones indicating a loosely structured community of insects. Terricolous arthropods typically had a lower number of species and a more even distribution than aerial arthropods but a similar index of diversity. The proportion of parasitic and predatory species was high suggesting a potential for the use of native biological control techniques in potato pest management programs.