Do disturbed environments affect density of the tunnel-web spider Acanthogonatus 2 centralis (Mygalomorphae: Nemesiidae) from native grasslands in Argentina?

COPPERI, SOFÍA; SCHWERDT, LEONELA; POMPOZZI, GABRIEL; FERRETTI, NELSON

TURKISH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Scientific and Technical research Council of Turkey

Año: 2018 vol. 43 p. 146 - 151

Abstract: Disturbance is an important factor affecting community composition andbiodiversity in natural ecosystems. The Ventania hilly system from central Argentina presents several ecosystem disturbances. Spiders are good candidates for studies related to human impact and conservation, and can result in good biological indicators of certain ecosystems. Therefore, we tried to elucidate if the abundance and spatial distribution of the mygalomorph spider Acanthogonatus centralis (Nemesiidae) are affected by different degrees of disturbance in this hilly grasslands. We studied three sites with different levels of disturbances located in Ventania system in southwestern Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. We did not find differences in the mean density of A. centralis among sites. The highest density of this spider species was found in the site with highest disturbance. In addition, the spatial arrangement indicated an aggregate distribution. In conclusion, we found that A. centralis populations are not affected by different levels of disturbances.