摘要

Brazilian Atlantic rainforest is one of the largest hotspots of biodiversity in the world, with the highest number of harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) species per given area. Currently, however, information on the species richness or spatial distribution of these arachnids in this northeastern Brazilian biome is extremely scarce. We conducted a field study to examine the microhabitat use of harvestmen in a fragment of the highland Atlantic rainforest. Harvestmen fauna and the microhabitat preference were assessed by nocturnal active search across 3 months (September to November 2011). Three hundred and eighteen individuals of eight harvestmen species from seven microhabitats were sampled. Four species were categorized as generalists, colonizing five or six microhabitats, whereas three species showed microhabitat specificity, being found in only one or two microhabitats. The forest ground microhabitat revealed higher harvestmen species richness, indicating that the majority of the harvestmen assemblage is composed of ground-dwelling species.

  • 出版日期2016-5