ANT DIVERSITY (HIMENOPTERA: FORMICIDAE) IN AN ANTHROPOGENIC DISTURBANCE AREA IN THE PRECORDILLERA OF SAN JUAN, ARGENTINA

AMATTA E; CORTEZ VEGA AR; MURÚA AF; DAMIANI N; ABALLAY F; DÍAZ NIETO LM

Encuentro; XLI Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2023

Anthropic disturbances cause changes on arthropod communities in arid ecosystems. Ants are often used as bioindicators because they are easilycollected and respond quickly to environmental changes. The abundance and richness of ants in their environment are determined by theresponses of each species to various environmental characteristics. The aim of this study to was to carry out a preliminary evaluation antdiversity in Tambolar hydroelectric power plant for future environmental monitoring. This project is located in the Precordillera of San Juan(Argentina), in the south-central part of the province and seeks to take advantage of the bed of the San Juan River, 18.8 km upstream fromthe Los Caracoles Dam. In September 2020 (in spring, the season of peak activity for ants), we set up different points in the project. Twentyfoursampling points were selected based on the criteria of the minimal anthropogenic intervention observed in situ. In each point was set upfour pitfall traps during seven days. Fourteen species of ants of four subfamilies were collected. Ants diversity was high (Simpson´s index:0.75 and Shannon´s index: 1.58). The species with abundance significantly higher were Acromyrmex striatus, Camponotus punctulatus,Pheidole aberrans, Pheidole bergi, Camponotus mus, Forelius chalybaeus (GLM: p