Aims We aim to document elevational richness patterns of geometrid moths in a globally replicated, multi‐gradient setting, and to test general hypotheses on environmental and spatial effects (i.e. productivity, temperature, precipitation, area, mid‐domain effect and human habitat disturbance) on these richness patterns. Location Twenty‐six elevational gradients world‐wide (latitudes 28° S to 51° N). Methods We compiled field d...

Local species diversity of insect herbivores feeding on rainforest vegetation remains poorly known. This ignorance limits evaluation of species extinction patterns following various deforestation scenarios. We studied leaf‐chewing insects feeding on 59 species of woody plants from 39 genera and 18 families in a lowland rainforest in Papua New Guinea and surveyed all plants with a stem diameter at breast height of ≥5 cm in a 1‐...