Epigean Tenebrionids (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Leones, Tova and Tovita Islands, Chubut, Argentina

CHELI GERMAN HORACIO; MARTINEZ FERNANDO; PAZOS GUSTAVO; UDRIZAR SAUTHIER DANIEL; CORONATO FERNANDO; FLORES GUSTAVO E.

Mendoza

Simposio; IV International Symposium on Tenebrionoidea; 2015

CCT MENDOZA-CONICET

TheInterjurisdictional Marine Coastal "Patagonia Austral" National Park (PIMCPA)protects over 180 kmof Patagonian Atlantic coastline in northern San Jorge gulf including an archipelagothat comprises more than 39 islands of which the biggest are Leones,Tova and Tovita. Birds and marine mammals of thearea have been the subject of many researches over the last25 years. However, the entomological fauna that inhabits the islands isunknown. In this work darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) are reported for thefirst time in the islands, its species assemblage is described and theirrelationships with mainland entomofauna are studied. Between March 2013 andDecember 2014 three entomological surveys were performed to these islands usingpitfall traps and manual collecting. The insular fauna assemblage was studiedand compared in relation to those to the mainland using MDS, ANOSIM and PCA. Theoccurrence of eight species, arranged in eight genera and four tribes, is recorded.Six species were common to the three islands, Psectrascelis sulcicollis Waterhouse was recorded as exclusive toTova and Tovita Islands,while Platesthes burmeisteriHaag-Rutenberg was only present on Leones Island. Although there were no endemicspecies, the islands exhibit a different tenebrionid species assemblagewith respect to the continent. It is mainly composed by nocturnal orcrepuscular species (including Praocis(Hemipraocis) fimbriata Burmeister, Patagonogeniusquadricollis Fairmaire, Emmalloderacrenaticostata crenaticostata Blanchard and Scotobius akidioides Waterhouse), while several diurnal species of Nyctelia Berthold are the most commonand diverse darkling beetles among mainland fauna.