Abstract

VALDIVIA, Daniel E.; PIZARRO-ARAYA, Jaime; CEPEDA-PIZARRO, Jorge  and  OJANGUREN-AFFILASTRO, Andrés A.. Taxonomic diversity and density-activity of solpugids (Arachnida: Solifugae) in a coastal desert ecosystem in the northern centre of Chile. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. [online]. 2008, vol.67, n.1-2, pp.1-10. ISSN 0373-5680.

In Chile the order Solifugae is represented by 14 species arranged in 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 the northern centre of Chile and describes variation in their density-activity. 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 (Ammotrechidae), Mummucia sp. and Mummucia variegata (Gervais) (Mummuciidae), and Ammotrechelis goetschi Roewer (Daesiidae). The highest levels of solpugid density-activity 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, 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 density-activity may be determined by biological and ecological factors.

Keywords : Solifugae; Epigeic arthropods; Density-activity; Coastal desert; Chile.

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