Entomofauna of the monte biogeographic province

Abstract

Since 1968 an entomology group of the Fundacion Miguel Lillo and the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the National University of Tucumán, has been studying the insects of the ?monte? biogeographic Province, which is a subandean creosote bush desert ranging from Salta Province in the North to the Chubut Province in the South, in Argentina. However nearly all the field work was done in the northern part of this desert from near Chilecito (La Rioja) north to the Quebrada del Toro (Salta). The objectives of this study were: (1) to determine the species found in the zone, especially of Neuroptera, Hymenoptera and certain groups of Coleoptera; (2) to analyse the zoogeographical relationships; (3) to study desert adaptations, especially of the pollinators of characteristic shrubs and trees and the bruchids which attack seed pods and some other group of phytophagous insects.

Data were obtained from Malaise traps installed in five widely separated localities. Two traps were placed at each locality and maintained several years with Samples taken every 15 days. This provided good collections of certain groups of insects as well as information on seasonal flight periods. Field studies were made on insects especially on those related to the characteristic woody species of regional plants.