Diversidade de entomobryoidea (Collembola: Entomobryomorpha) epiedáficos em uma nascente perene do Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades, Piauí, Brasil

Abstract

Collembola are arthropods that range in length from 0.12 to 17 mm. They are widely found in terrestrial ecosystems, and more than 9,400 species have been described to date. The aim of this research is to describe the diversity of epiedaphic Entomobryoidea in a riparian forest area of a perennial spring in the Sete Cidades National Park, evaluating which environmental parameters influenced species diversity in the sample area. Additionally, the results were compared with those from two other previously studied areas within the park to provide a broader perspective on the diversity and distribution of these animals in the environment. Pitfall traps were used to collect specimens, distributed at eleven sampling points along a 100 m transect. The material collected in the field was processed at the Biology Laboratory of the Pedro II Campus, where the specimens were mounted on slides and identified. The total observed abundance was 271 individuals, distributed among 11 species, one family, and eight genera. The genus Seira stood out for its higher richness, with a total of three species, and the species Trogolaphysa sp.1 was the most representative, with a total of 131 individuals. Furthermore, a species accumulation curve showed a stabilization trend, indicating satisfactory sampling. Consequently, the Shannon-Wiener index was calculated at 1.72, the Simpson index at 0.72, and Pielou’s evenness at 0.71. The environmental variable that best explained the observed diversity was litter height.