Scorpions of the insular sierras in the Llanos District (Province of La Rioja, Argentina) and their zoogeographical links

MATTONI, C.I. & L.E. ACOSTA

BIOGEOGRAPHICA (PARIS)

Lugar: Paris; Año: 1997 vol. 73 p. 67 - 80

1165-6638

The results of scorpiofaunal surveys, carried out in mountain systems of central-southern province of La Rioja (Sierras de Malanzán, de Los Llanos, de Chepes y de Ulapes), are given. These chains show typical sierra chaco, and are surrounded by the dry-chaco. Nine scorpions species have been recorded, of them four are typical of sierra environments (Zabius fuscus, Bothriurus cordubensis, Bothriurus aff. burmeisteri y Brachistosternus borellii) and the remaining ones to the chaco plain (Brachistosternus ferrugineus, Brachistosternus pentheri, Timogenes dorbignyi, Timogenes elegans y Tityus confluens). For two sierra species (Zabius fuscus and Brachistosternus borellii), morphological and morphometrical comparisons with populations from their main ranges (Sierras de Córdoba and Precordillera de Mendoza y San Juan, respectivelly), have been made. The probable zoogeographical links of these mountains were determined trough panbiogeographical analysis; both these chains and the Sierrras de Córdoba-San Luis are deemed to be biogeographical nodes.