Records of Arthropod Species Sampled from Avocado Plant (Persea americana Mill) in Small-scale Agro-ecosystems at Taita Hills and Mount Kilimanjaro

Avocado, Persea americana Mill, plays a central role in distribution of both beneficial and detrimental arthropods thereby influencing local species diversity in agro-ecosystems adjacent to Afromontane forests at Mount Kilimanjaro in North-eastern Tanzania and Taita Hills in South-eastern Kenya. However, little is known about arthropod species that inhabit avocado trees in the two study areas despite the fact that the crop forms the major part of agro-ecosystem in the East African highlands. A novel survey was, therefore, carried out for two years between August 2012 and July 2014 to establish arthropod species in avocado orchards along South-eastern slopes of both Mount Kilimanjaro and Taita Hills. A total of sixty one species of arthropods were recorded from the avocado crop through fruit observation and canopy sampling. The present arthropod checklist provides baseline knowledge for scientists in evaluating beneficial and pest status of each species inhabiting avocado plant in the East African agro-ecosystems.