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Abstract:
This work presents a compilation of the research on soil and canopy arthropods in areas dominated by the palm species Attalea phalerata Mart. (Arecaceae), in the Northern region of the Pantanal of Mato Grosso. The taxonomic composition of the arthropods was assessed in different seasons and forest strata. Moreover, the vertical distribution of key taxa (Coleoptera, Formicidae and Araneae) were studied. The soil fauna was sampled using Winkler Extraction, and the fauna of the canopies by means of spraying and fumigation with synthetic pyrethroids. In an area of 40m2 the soil fauna sampled during 4 seasonal periods included 51,211 larval and adult arthropods (1,280.3 ± 168.3 ind. m-²), from which 23,675 (46.2%) were sampled on the ground surface, and 27,536 (53.8%) in litter. These arthropods were distributed between the classes Arachnida (877.5 ind.m-²; 68.5%), Insecta (401.2 ind.m-²; 31.3%), Diplopoda (0.9 ind.m-²; 0.1%), Crustacea (0.5 ind.m-²; < 0.1%) and Chilopoda (0.1 ind.m-²; <0.1%). Arachnida was most abundant on the ground (16,856 ind. ; 71.2%), and litter (18,244 ind. ; 66.2%), followed by Insecta (6,787 ind.; 28.7%). The arboreal fauna was collected in six trees of A. phalerata during the dry and inundation phases. In the dry season, 17,188 arthropods were collected in an area of 72 m² (238.7±80.6 ind.m-²), distributed in 3 classes and 21 orders. The class Insecta (15,613 ind. ; 90.8%) was dominant with 16 orders, with the most representative ones being Coleoptera (27.4%; 65.5±21.6 ind.m-²), Hymenoptera (21.4%; 51.0±41.7 ind.m-²), Collembola (13.6%; 32.4±30.3 ind.m-²), Psocoptera (10.7%; 25.5±7.6 ind.m-²) and Diptera (9.0%; 21.6±12.1 ind.m-²). During the inundation phase, 63,657 arthropods were collected in six canopies, corresponding to an area of 99 m2 (643±259.7 ind.m-²), distributed in 4 classes and 24 orders. The class Insecta (36,119 ind.; 56.7%) represented by 19 orders was dominant with Coleoptera (12.0%; 77.5±64.9 ind.m-²), Psocoptera (9.2%; 59.0±38.0 ind.m-²), Diptera (8.4%; 54.1±18.7 ind.m-²), Collembola (8.3%; 53.4±26.2 ind.m-²) and Hymenoptera (7.9%; 50.6±21.4 ind.m-²) being the most abundant. These data underline the influence of the flooding regime on the composition and structure of the arthropod communities of in soil and tree strata in A. phalerata palm tree stands.
