The Trichoptera of Surinam

Surinam (or Dutch Guiana) lies on the northeastern coast of South America between French Guiana on the east, Guyana on the west, and Brazil on the south. It is roughly rectangular in shape, about 350 kilometers (210 miles) wide by under 400 kilometers (240 miles) from north to south. Most of the country is less than 200 meters (650 feet) in elevation. The mountainous regions lie along the southern border with Brazil, and extend northwesterly into the center of the country, reaching their highest elevation, 1280 meters (4200 feet), at Julianatop in the Wilhelmina Mountains. The country is drained by five major river systems: from east to west they are the Marowijne, the Suriname, the Saramacca, the Coppename, and the Corantijn. Stated succinctly, the climate is hot and humid. The mean temperature along the coast is about 27°C (80°F), with the temperatures rising somewhat just inland of the coast and then moderating in the central highlands. The rainfall along the coast decreases from about 2,440 millimeters (94 inches) at the eastern border to about 1,800 millimeters (70 inches) at the western. The rainfall inland apparently averages somewhat higher, and is probably over 2,500 millimeters (100 inches) in many localities. The rainfall occurs in two maxima, one in May-August and the other in December-January, with the minima in September-October and February. The northeast trade winds prevail over the country (summarized from REED, 1928).