First Report of Arthropod Fauna in Flooded Plains of Northern Patagonia (38° S, Araucania Region Chile)

Abstract

In northern Patagonia, there is a kind of water body characterized as fl ooded plains (vegas), resulting from heavy rains. Th ey have submerged vegetation that sustains aquatic insects and crustaceans, including burrowing crayfi sh of the genus Parastacus. Th e object of the present study was to present the fi rst description of the community structure of three such water bodies. Th e results revealed the existence of seven species in the only site with Parastacus pugnax Poeppig, 1835, whereas in the sites where P. pugnax was absent there were one and three species respectively. Th e niche-sharing null model revealed the absence of niche-sharing due to interspecifi c absence. Th is kind of habitat presents marked heterogeneity, attributable to specifi c micro-environmental variations