Diversidad de coleopteros acuaticos en Chile

Abstract

For water beetles of Hydradephaga and Polyphaga suborders, the diversity of family, genera and species richness present in Chile is analyzed. Hydradephaga its represented by Dytiscidae, Gyrinidae and Haliplidae families and the Polyphaga by Hydrophilidae, Hydraenidae, Elmidae and Psephenidae. Exceptionally, Lancetes is the genus most diversified with 14 species. The most of taxa of both suborders are monospecific. In relation to biogeographic aspects, Chile does not present endemic families. Nevertheless endemism situation to species level has been described for the Archipiélago de Juan Fernández (Lancetes backstroni, Anisomeria bistriata), and Isla de Pascua (Bidessus skottsbergi). In the continent, elements of tropical and Australian origin exist; as it is the case of Tropisternus and Austrolimnius of neotropical distribution and Lancetes with Australian, New Zealand and Tasmania relations. In this work, ecological aspects of the families and their use as bioindicators are given.