Riqueza estacional de insectos en estiércol vacuno en la cuenca Tapia-Trancas, Provincia de Tucumán, Argentina

LIZARRALDE DE GROSSO, M.; CHANI POSSE, M.; TERÁN, A.

Acta Zoologica Lilloana

Centro Editorial Fundación Miguel Lillo

Lugar: San Miguel de Tucumán; Año: 1999 vol. 45 p. 129 - 137

0065-1729

A 2-year research project (1994-1996) was developed in the open fields of Trancas, Tucumán, northwestern Argentina, being the main objective to determine the natural enemies of a pest fly, the horn fly Haematobia irritans irritans (L.), a cattle ectoparasite whose immature stages inhabit cattle dung. Two series of dung samples were taken monthly according to their humidity and examined in the laboratory by two procedures: one series under scope and the other using Berlese. In both cases, the insect fauna obtained was fixed in alcohol. Insects collected regularly at dung belong to the following groups: 1) Coprophagous: Staphylinidae (Oxytelinae); Scarabaeidae (Copriinae, Scarabaeinae); Aphodidae. Among Diptera: Sepsidae larvae; Muscidae and Stratiomyidae. 2 Predators: Histeridae; Staphylinidae and Sarcophagidae: Raviniini. 3) Parasitoids: Figitidae; Pteromalidae; Braconidae; Scelionidae: (Teleasinae) and Staphylinidae (Aleocharinae). The highest specific richness occurs between Staphylinidae. Coprophagous groups show a well marked seasonally, contrasting with predators whose presence is regular all year round.