A preliminary checklist of some insects (Coleoptera, Odonata, Hymenoptera) from Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Kenya

Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, located South of Gede in Kilifi County, at c. 400 km2 is the largest, most intact coastal forest in East Africa. It is globally renowned as a biodiversity hotspot and not least for invertebrates. However, very little is known about the entomological fauna that occur in the forest other than butterflies. The checklist presented here lists 225 taxa of Coleoptera, Odonata and Hymenoptera that were found and identified during several visits to the forest between 1992 and 1998. These represent the only confirmed list of Coleoptera, Odonata and Hymenoptera for the locality, and could be the basis for further research in the area and for its conservation management. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the following taxa new to science were described on the material found in Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, a testimony to its rich biodiversity. Coleoptera: Siopelus demeyeri (Carabidae); Dromica kenyana, Elliptica kenyana, Lophyra neglecta sublittoralis (Carabidae Cicindelinae); Brachida bartolozzii, Diplopleurus dilatatiapex, Tyloplatyola bartolozzii, Zyras malindicus, Zyras pardii, Zyras perarcuatus (Staphylinidae); Coccimarygmus arabukosokokensis, Hyboproctus pardii, Lyprochelida ugolinii, Platydema alessandrae, Strongylium alessandrae (Tenebrionidae); Conoxilus alessandrae, Litopus kenyensis (Cerambycidae); Lemuricedus continentalis (Anthribidae); Hymenoptera: Stenomutilla alessandrae, Smicromyrme kilifiana, Smicromyrme plurifasciata (Mutillidae); Mesa silvana (Tiphiidae); Lepisiota n. sp. (still unpublished)(Formicidae). Three species of Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Scarabaeinae (Euoniticellus inaequalis, Garreta azureus and Sisyphus ocellatus) are present in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.