"jejenes" (Diptera: Simuliidae) of Nahuel Huapi Natural Park, Patagonia, Argentina: Preliminary results

HERNANDEZ, LUIS M., FERNANDA MONTES DE OCA, MALCOLM PENN, JULIETA MASSAFERRO, ANALÍA GARRÉ AND STEPHEN J. BROOKS

REVISTA DE LA SOCIEDAD ENTOMOLóGICA ARGENTINA

SOCIEDAD ENTOMOLÓGICA ARGENTINA

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2009 vol. 68 p. 193 - 200

0373-5680

ABSTRACT. The Simuliidae is a family of Diptera with approximately 2072described species worldwide. The females of the majority of the species feedfrom vertebrates´ blood, which makes them a significant plague that affects bothmen as well as cattle, birds, and other vertebrates. The objective of this paper isto create an inventory of Simuliidae and to reveal certain aspects of the biologyand distribution of this family of aquatic insects in the Nahuel Huapi NationalPark. Moreover, information on the zoogeography of Simuliidae in Patagonia isprovided. Five genera, 3 subgenera and 32 species Simuliidae are recordedfrom Patagonia: Cnesia (three spp.), Cnesiamima (one sp.), Gigantodax (14spp.), Paraustrosimulium (one sp.), Simulium (Ectemnaspis) (one sp.), S.(Psaroniocompsa) (one sp.) and S. (Pternaspatha) (11 spp.), At present, wehave collected all five genera, one subgenus of Simulium (Pternaspatha), and19 species of Simuliidae in the park, wich amounts to 57% of the Simuliidaefauna in this area. Puerto Blest, a characteristic area of the High-Andeanphytogeographical province (humid Forest), showed the highest diversity ofSimuliidae.