Abstract
The Dry Tropical Forest (DTF) is one of the most diverse yet threatened biomes of Colombia. There is limited information about the richness of the order Pseudoscorpiones (Arachnida) in this ecosystem in the country. Pseudoscorpions are ecologically interesting, as they may be good indicators of habitat conservation. However, it is still necessary to gather more knowledge related to its spatio-temporal variation. In this study, pseudoscorpion diversity variation was assessed in two fragments of the Dry Tropical Forest in the Caribbean region of Colombian: Reserva Campesina La Montaña (RCM) and Reserva La Flecha (RLF). Four samplings were carried out between March and September of 2016 to include the dry and rainy season. Pseudoscorpions were collected using litter sifting (SL) and manual capture (MC). A total of 260 individuals belonging to five families and eight species were collected. The most abundant was Pachyolpium granulatum (Olpiidae) and the richest family was Chernetidae. The collection methods were effective and complementary. Spatial variation was significant, but no temporal variation was observed however, there was a marked difference between the abundance at RCM in the dry season and the rainy season. In contrast, at RLF most individuals were found in the dry season in comparison with the rainy season. These new faunistic data is the first of its order in the Atlántico and Bolívar department.
Highlights
The Dry Tropical Forest (DTF) is a biome that comprises a group of ecosystems similar in their physiognomy and vegetation (Hernández-Camacho 1992)
This study develops an inventory of species of pseudoscorpions in two DTF fragments and relate it with environmental data
A total of 260 individuals belonging to five families and eight species were collected with the two methods, of which the most abundant was Pachyolpium granulatum (Beier, 1954) Olpiidae, with 119 individuals, followed by Paratemnoides nidificator (Balzan, 1888) Atemnidae, with 73 individuals
Summary
The Dry Tropical Forest (DTF) is a biome that comprises a group of ecosystems similar in their physiognomy and vegetation (Hernández-Camacho 1992). Pseudoscorpiones is an order of arachnids currently including more than 3400 species that belong to 437 genera and 26 families (Harvey c2013) They are small animals that range between 0.3 and 12 mm in size. Pseudoscorpions occupy a variety of habitats, including edaphic and cave environments and even canopy forests (Murienne et al 2008, Battirola et al 2017a, b). They display phoretic associations and are frequently found in nest of birds, mammals, and on other animals (Poinar Jr. et al 1998, Mahnert and Adis 2002, Turienzo et al 2010)
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