Biodiversity of true bugs (Heteroptera) from Rincón Santa María Reserve (Ibera macrosystem, Corrientes, Argentina)

MELO, M.C.; MONTEMAYOR, S.I.; DELLAPÉ, P.M.; COSCARON, M.C.

Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires

Jornada; SeŽptima Jornada Multidisciplinaria de Biologia; 2005

Sociedad Argentina de Biologia

The Hemiptera currently ranks as the fifth most specious order ofinsects, after beetles, flies, wasps, and moths (Wilson 1992). Theremay be some 37.000 described species of Heteroptera, and perhaps25.000 species remaining to be described (Schaefer & Panizzi2000). The knowledge of biodiversity gives the basic informationabout richness, abundance and distribution of taxa; this data is necessaryto take decisions about conservation and studies on ecosystems,ecology and cladistic biogeography. With the purpose to makea quali and quantitative inventory of terrestrial Heteroptera fromRinc—n Santa Mar’a Reserve, Ituzaingo (27¼28Õ S- 56¼34Õ W) (Iberamacrosystem, one of the most developed wetlands of the warmclimate biosphere), Corrientes, Argentina; two entomological expeditionswere done. We used four collecting methods: sweepingnets, beating nets, Malaise trap, mercury vapor light trap. We collected349 spp. belonging to 24 families: spp. of 6 Alydidae, 4Anthocoridae, 1 Aradidae, 2 Berytidae, 4 Blissidae, 24 Cydnidae,2 Cymidae, 1 Colobathristidae, 15 Coreidae, 4 Geocoridae, 4Largidae, 12 Lygaeidae, 74 Miridae, 5 Nabidae, 1 Oxycarenidae, 5Pachygrontidae, 48 Pentatomidae, 3 Pyrrhocoridae, 51 Reduviidae,13 Rhopalidae, 48 Rhyparochromidae, 8 Scutelleridae, 19Schyzopteridae and 13 Tingidae. These results are biased by thecollecting methods used, there are groups with very specific habitsor behaviours that cannot be contempled by them, such us hematophagous,geophilous and laminophilous Heteroptera that werenot found. Anyway, comparing these amounts with the recorded110 gen. and 146 species from Corrientes (Coscaron 2003), weassume that the actual biodiversity is higher.