Species composition and abundance of solpugids (Arachnida, Solifugae) in ecotopes of the Transitional Coastal Desert of Chile

DANIEL EUGENIO VALDIVIA; JAIME PIZARRO ARAYA; RAUL BRIONES; ANDRES ALEJANDRO OJANGUREN AFFILASTRO; JORGE CEPEDA PIZARRO

REVISTA MEXICANA DE BIODIVERSIDAD

INST BIOLOGIA

Año: 2011 p. 1234 - 1242

1870-3453

The taxonomic composition and abundance of solpugids in several ecotopes of Chile’s transitional coastal desert was studied using pitfall traps. The study was performed in the area around Punta de Choros (29º15`S, 71º26`W), and in Los Choros Archipelago (29º32`S, 67º61`W), during years 2005 and 2006. Five species were recorded in both areas: Procleobis sp.; Sedna pirata Muma, 1971 (Ammotrechidae); Mummucia sp. Roewer, 1934; Mummucia variegata (Gervais, 1849) (Mummuciidae); and Ammotrechelis goetschi Roewer, 1934 (Daesiidae). Solpugids abundance was higher in the continent (65%) than in the islands (35%). The ANOSIM applied to the Bray-Curtis and Jaccard matrices showed no differences when considering site as a factor (R=0.097, p=0.13, R=0.032, p=0.63). The similarity dendrogram obtained from the Bray-Curtis matrix showed three clusters: coastal steppe, coastal dunes, and an association of pedological units. Based on this data, we presume that the taxonomical diversity of solpugids is related to plant structure, and that the specific abundance is determined by each ecotope’s degree of specific richness. This latter is presumably due to the interspecific interaction among solpugids that is based on food and associated with biological factors that depend on the pedological conditions.