Spatial distribution of Black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) immature taxocenoses from the Pedra Branca State Park, Brazil

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between environmental factors and the distribution of black flies (Simuliidae), sampling of immature forms was carried out in the Pedra Branca State Park, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil during the dry season in June 2018. Correlations between environmental factors and abundance of black fly larvae were investigated using a redundancy analysis. Simulium pertinax Kollar 1832, Simulium subpallidum Lutz 1910, Simulium (Thyrsopelma) spp., Simulium (Psaroniocompsa) spp., Simulium (Inaequalium) spp. negatively correlated with light and temperature, and Simulium (Hemicnetha) spp. positively correlated with these variables; Simulium pertinax Kollar 1832, Simulium (Hemicnetha) spp. and Simulium (Thyrsopelma) spp. was positively correlated with altitude. The other species were negatively correlated with this factor. Species richness was determined using pupae in a linear regression with the EPT index. This analysis showed a significant negative correlation, indicating that the most deteriorated sites have a higher species richness than the more conserved sites. Our results suggest that species richness can vary significantly between different degrees of habitat integrity, which also represents a potential indicator of conservation status.