Diversidad taxonómica y denso-actividad de solífugos (Arácnida: Solifugae) asociados a un ecosistema desértico costero del centro norte de Chile.

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

REVISTA DE LA SOCIEDAD ENTOMOLóGICA ARGENTINA

INCA

Lugar: Mendoza; Año: 2008 vol. 67 p. 1 - 11

0373-5680

ABSTRACT. In Chile the order Solifugae is represented by 14 species and 10 genera distributed among the three families described for South America: Ammotrechidae, Mummuciidae and Daesiidae. The present work documents the taxonomic composition of solpugids in a desert coastal ecosystem of north-central Chile and describes variation in their activity-density. The study was carried out in the coastal sector of Punta de Choros (29°21'S, 71°10'W; 17 masl) during June, August, October and November 2005. The 249 captured specimens represented three families, four genera, and five species: These were Procleobis sp. and Sedna pirata Muma, 1971 (Ammotrechidae), Mummucia sp. and Mummucia variegata (Gervais, 1849) (Mummuciidae), and Ammotrechelis goetschi Roewer, 1934 (Daesiidae). The highest levels of solpugid  activity-density occurred in October (ca 30 % of the total captured) and November (ca 41 % of the total captured). Five species were captured in October, and three species in November. While some species were active throughout the study (e.g., Ammotrechelis goetschi), others showed occasional activity. For example, Mummucia variegata showed activity between August and November, Sedna pirata between October and November, and Procleobis sp. and Mummucia sp. only in October. The diversity and activity-density may be determined by biological and ecological factors.