The terrestrial arthropod fauna of Cierva Point SSSI, Danco Coast, northern Antartic Peninsula

CONVEY, PETER; QUINTANA, RUBEN DARIO

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOIL BIOLOGY

ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER

Lugar: Paris; Año: 1997 vol. 33 p. 19 - 29

1164-5563

We report the composition of terrestrial arthropod collections made at Cierva Point Site of Special Scientific Interest, Danco Coast (northern Antaretic Peninsula, 64´ IOS 60´57´W), during the 1994/5 and 1995/6 austral summers. A total of 15 free living micro arthropod species were found in hand collections and heat extractions of 12 different substrate types, including one Diptera, three Collembola and 11 Acari. In ac1dition, one vertebrate parasitie tick was recorded (Acari, Metastigmata), one probably introduced lIsnow seorpion fly" (Insecta, Mecoptera), and at least one species of Astigmata (Acari), which may be cither parasitic or nidicolous. Greatest diversity was found in mosses and algal mats (13 species), although within individual samples ¡t was similar (5 6 species per sample) from most low altitude vegetated or open habitats. Greatest population densities were recorded from mats of the alga, Prasiola crispa. With the exception of vertebratc associated species, which were obtamed from nest material or in the vicinity of bircl colonies, most micro arthropods were generally distributed, although with widely varying abundance. Species diversity was slight1y lower than, but similar to, that obtained in recent detailed studies of other sites in the maritinie Antarctic. This indicates a terrestrial arthropod fauna representative of the maritime Antaretic in general, although two species, the collembolan Isotoma octooculata and the oribatid mite Globoppia loxofineata, were present more widely than reported eleswhere.