The insect fauna of Tenompok Forest Reserve in Sabah, Malaysia

The insect fauna in Tenompok Forest Reserve, adjacent to Mount Kinabalu in Sabah was surveyed.  Nocturnal insect diversity was moderately high, compared to other forest reserves surveyed earlier.  Species richness, however, was moderate, with an average of 73 species from 84 individuals recorded from a 1m2 area of the light-trapping cloth.  At least 20 Bornean endemic insect species were recorded from this rapid biodiversity assessment, which include 19 moth species and one beetle species.  The endemics and other insects of conservation interest recorded during the survey provide salient information to enhance the conservation effort of this forest which connects Kinabalu Park and the Crocker Range Park.  Such information provides inputs towards recommendations on high conservation value (HCV) of the area that would be incorporated in the formulation of the forest management plan.  Issues affecting the insect fauna and recommendations on insect diversity enhancement and conservation are highlighted in this paper.