Species diversity of Tenebrionidae in mountain tops of extraandean volcanoes of Payunia (Argentina), with descriptions of two new species.

CHELI; FLORES, GUSTAVO; SILVESTRO, V.A; ROIG JUÑENT, SERGIO; CARRARA, RODOLFO

Praga

Simposio; V International Tenebrionoidea Symposium; 2018

Mendel University in Brno

The north of Neuquén province shares with the south of Mendoza province the district Payunia of the Patagonic steppe, which is characterized by the presence of approximately 800 volcanoes. In this work we reported the results of two consecutive years of prospection in high elevational environments of two extraandean volcanoes that are separated by 120 km of distance each other, Tromen (3978 msnm) and Auca Mahuida (2214 msnm). We found that Auca Mahuida harbours a total diversity of 10 tenebrionid species and Tromen 9, with 0.18 percent of species shared between them (Jaccard index of similarity). Two new microendemic species of Tenebrionidae are described: Scotobius sp. nov. (Tenebrioninae: Scotobiini) from Auca Mahuida and Psectrascelis sp. nov. (Pimeliinae: Nycteliini) from Tromen. Photographs for these two new species are included, with comparisons to other known species of these genera. The presence of endemic species of volcanoes occurs in other isolated mountains of Payunia and could be the result of particular habitat condition and isolation that drives the evolution of new species. Also isolation between both mountains could be the reason of low similarity of epigean tenebrionds.