Geometroid moth abundance, species richness, weather and plant phenology were monitored monthly
for 3 y in the lowland dipterocarp forest at Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia. The intensity of tree
flowering in the previous month (with mass events triggered in response to El Niño Southern Oscillations) was an
important environmental factor positively correlated with the numbers of species and individuals of geometroid moths
that emerge in any month. Abundance for geometroid moths was greater in months with high flowering and flushing
in the previous month but low flowering in the month before that. Important weather parameters that influenced moth
abundance were monthly rainfall, relative humidity and minimum temperature in previous months. High rainfall 3 mo
previously led to an increase in moth abundance (perhaps by stimulating an increase in fresh plant material), whereas
high rainfall and relative humidity thereafter served to decrease abundance, possibly by encouraging the spread and
activity of pathogens: all these factors impacted on early life-stage survivorship. Similar trends were observed for
individual geometroid families and subfamilies. The diversity measurement for the geometroid moths, α from the
log-series, was correlated more with weather parameters than with tree phenology.