Artropodofauna associada a epífitas aéreas Aechmea tinctoria no interior do campus da UFRA

Abstract

The phylum Arthropoda is the dominant group of animals on earth, representing about 90% of known species. Included in this phylum are spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites, centipedes, and insects, among others, which use various forms of food. They are found in all kinds of environments, and plants are an important resource for thousands of arthropods, being found inhabiting the leaves of bromeliads (Aechmea tínctoría). In our region there is a great variety of epiphytic plants, where several arthropods are found; however, there are few studies about this diversity. Due to this, there is a need to study the diversity and the food chain of the arthropods associated to Aechmea tínctoría. In this context, this work aims to collect and identify the fauna of arthropods found among the leaves of bromeliads (A. tínctoría). The collection was carried out in an experimental plantation of Hervea brasiliensis (rubber tree), located inside the campus of the (UFRA), Belém-PA. Fifty bromeliads were collected and their heights were measured, as well as the distance from the road to the collection site, the maximum and minimum environmental temperatures, and the removal of an average of 50 ml of water, with a pipette, for physical-chemical analysis. The sorting of the material was done with the help of tweezers and brush. The sorted fauna was placed in glass flasks, properly identified, containing 75% alcohol to preserve the material, and then sent to the laboratory for identification at the family level. The bromeliads collected had an average height of 3.53 m, 54 leaves and 688.82 ml of water, 1.41 ppm of ammonia, 0.28 ppm of nitrate, 9.39 of dissolved oxygen and 6.4 of pH. From the collected bromeliads, 1,537 individuals belonging to 23 families from 14 different orders were identified, these being: Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Blatodea, Isoptera, Orthoptera, Hemiptera, Mantodea, Araneae, Scolopendromorpha, Opiliones and Scorpiones.