Faunistic records of proturans from Argentina (Insecta: Protura)

Registros faunísticos de proturos en Argentina (Insecta: Protura)

SCIENTIFIC NOTES

Faunistic records of proturans from Argentina (Insecta: Protura)

Registros faunísticos de proturos en Argentina (Insecta: Protura)

Andrzej Szeptycki^I; José C. Bedano^II

^IInstitute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals P.A.S., ul. Slawkowska 17, 31-016 Kraków, Poland [e-mail]

^IIDepto. Geología, Univ. Nacional de Río Cuarto. Ruta 36, km 601, X 5804 BYA, Río Cuarto, Argentina [e-mail]

ABSTRACT

Berberentulus nelsoni Tuxen, 1976 and Gracilentulus sp. are recorded in soils from Argentina. For our knopwledge, the two acerentomids reported in this paper represent the first records of both species from Argentina. Specimens were collected in Córdoba province, during the months of November 2000 and April 2001.

Key words: Berberentulus nelsoni, Gracilentulus, Cordoba, natural soil

RESUMEN

Berberentulus nelsoni Tuxen, 1976 y Gracilentulus sp. son registrados en suelos de Argentina. Estos dos acerentomidos reportados en este trabajo probablemente representan el primer registro de ambas especies para Argentina. Los especímenes fueron colectados en la provincia de Córdoba, durante los meses de noviembre de 2000 y abril de 2001.

Palabras-clave: Berberentulus nelsoni, Gracilentulus, Córdoba, suelo natural

Protura are very small hexapods, from less than 0.5 mm to 2 mm in length, more or less sclerotised (white till yellow, or even brown). The basic systematic of the group was proposed by Tuxen (1964) and recently developed by Yin (1999). Proturan fauna of Argentina has been poorly researched and was unknown until Alzuet et al. (1963) who recorded the first species of this order from this country identified as Acerentulus sp. The next record was that of Condé (1963) who described "Acerentulus" rapoporti Condé 1964 (which probably belongs to the genus Andinentulus Tuxen, 1984). Najt and Vidal Sarmiento (Najt & Vidal Sarmiento 1970, 1972a,b and Vidal Sarmiento & Najt 1971a,b) described six species: Proturentomon nitrarius Najt & V.Sarmiento, 1972, P. dorae Najt & V.Sarmiento, 1972, P. acrasia V.Sarmiento & Najt, 1971, Acerentulus nemoralis Najt & V.Sarmiento, 1970, Eosentomon alcirae Najt & V.Sarmiento, 1972, and E. crassus V.Sarmiento & Najt, 1971. In 1984, Tuxen added three more species: Brasilidia sanmartini Tuxen, 1984, Andinentulus ebbei Tuxen, 1984 and Amphientulus cf. ambiguous (Tuxen, 1967). We (Szeptycki & Bedano 2003) added one more species: Brasilidia auleta Szeptycki & Bedano, 2003.

The genera Gracilentulus and Berberentulus were erected by Tuxen (1963). After the former revisions (Tuxen 1977, 1981) they currently comprise eighteen and eleven species respectively (Szeptycki 2003).

This paper represents the first report of the species Berberentulus nelsoni Tuxen, 1976 and Gracilentulus sp. and the first report of both genera for Argentina. The collecting site represents the southernmost locality for both taxa in America.

This contribution is based on the study of 19 specimens extracted from natural mollisols during the development of a research project on the soil fauna of Córdoba, Argentina. B. nelsoni was found in the upper horizon of natural soils in two localities: Sol de Mayo (33º 20' S.; 64º 18' W.), Córdoba province, Argentina at 400 m a.s.l. and Río de los Sauces (32º 32' S.; 64º 36' W.), Córdoba province, Argentina at 600 m a.s.l. Gracilentulus sp. was only found in Río de los Sauces.

Both soils were undisturbed, uncultivated and covered with the typical winter deciduous dry woodland of the Espinal phytogeographical region which has been impoverished by human activities. Dominant arboreal species are Prosopis sp. (algarrobo), Celtis tala (tala) and Acacia caven (espinillo) with grasses intermingled (Cabrera 1976).

Soils were sampled at random by iron shovel and undisturbed samples were transported to laboratory. Extraction of soil fauna was carried out in modified Berlese-Tullgren funnels, during ten days. Samples were stored in 70% ethanol. Later the specimens were mounted on permanent slides using the liquid of Swan. Identification to species was made using the original description (Tuxen 1976) and the keys in Tuxen (1977, 1984).

In materials collected from those soils we found two species new to the country. They are listed below.

Berberentulus nelsoni Tuxen, 1976

MATERIAL EXAMINED. One female, Río de los Sauces, ......Córdoba Province, 21.IV.2001; eight females and three ......maturi juniors, Sol de Mayo, Córdoba Province, 11.X.2000.

Till now, the species was recorded from Brazil (Tuxen 1976) ......and from Kermadec Islands (New Zealand) Tuxen (1986).

Gracilentulus sp.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Five females, one maturus junior and ......one larva I, Sol de Mayo, Córdoba Province, 11.X.2000.

The genus Gracilentulus sensu Tuxen (1981) is widely ......distributed in Holarctic Region (Europe, Far East, Northern ......America) but only few records exist from the Southern ......Hemisphere (South Africa, Australia, New Zealand see ......Tuxen 1986). The data from Neotropical Region ......(Gracilentulus tuxeni Nosek & Hüther, 1974 from Brazil) ......concern the genus Baculentulus Tuxen, 1977 (Tuxen 1977).

All specimens are preserved in the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals P.A.S. (Poland). From the data presented here, it is not possible to establish if Gracilentulus sp. is a new species or if it corresponds to one of those previously described in other countries. However, the significance of the finding reported herein is that for the first time the genus Gracilentulus has been found in Argentina. Further studies are being developed to determine the taxonomic status of this organism.

Acknowledgments

Field work was supported by the SECyT-UNRC, A.C.C. and ELANEM (INCO-ERB3513 PL973261) projects and a CONICET postgraduate fellowship.

Literature Cited

Received 06/VIII/04. Accepted 07/III/05.

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• Nosek, J. & W. Hüther. 1974.Gracilentulus tuxeni a new species of Protura from Brazil. Rev. Suisse Zool. 81: 53 55.
• Szeptycki, A. 2003. Check list of the World Protura [on line]. Updated August 2003. < http://www.isez.pan.krakow.pl>
• Szeptycki, A. & J.C. Bedano. 2003.Brasilidia auleta sp. n., a new species from Argentina (Protura: Acerentomidae s.l.). Zootaxa 336: 1-10.
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• Tuxen, S.L. 1981. The systematic importance of "the striate band" and the abdominal legs in Acerentomidae (Insecta: Protura). With a tentative key to acerentomid genera. Entomol. Scand. Suppl. 15: 125 140.
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Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  04 Jan 2006
• Date of issue
  Oct 2005

History

• Accepted
  07 Mar 2005
• Received
  06 Aug 2004