Efficiency of Different Techniques in Collecting Insects in Environments Exposed to Palm Oil and Spent Engine Oil Effluents in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State

Abstract

This study investigates the ecological consequences of palm oil and spent engine oil effluents on insect populations, employing a comparative analysis of two widely used collection techniques: pitfall traps and sweep netting. The aim was to assess the effectiveness of these methods in capturing and quantifying insect diversity and abundance in polluted environments. The research was conducted in selected sites exposed to palm oil and spent engine oil effluents, with corresponding control sites for comparison. Pitfall traps and sweep netting were deployed simultaneously to collect insects across various habitats impacted by the aforementioned effluents. The collected specimens were then identified to the lowest taxonomic level possible, and population data were analyzed to evaluate the relative impact of each effluent type on insect communities. Furthermore, statistical analyses were employed to compare the efficiency of pitfall traps and sweep netting in detecting changes in insect populations. The study revealed that pitfall traps recorded significantly higher number of insects (72.93%) than sweep nets (27.07%) in sites exposed to palm oil effluent (P<0.05). The result obtained in the site exposed to spent engine oil effluent showed that pitfall traps recorded significantly higher number of insects (80.61%) than sweep nets (19.39%) (P<0.05). This study contributes to the ecological repercussions of industrial effluents on insect populations, offering a methodological comparison that can enhance the precision of future insect-related environmental assessments.