Seasonal variations of diptera assemblages in urban green patches of córdoba city, argentina: Same richness, different composition

Abstract

Seasonality can have a direct influence on the structuring of insect communities due to different preferences or tolerances to the climatic conditions of the species that compose them. The aim of this study was to evaluate seasonal changes in adult Diptera assemblages of urban green patches in a southern temperate region. Dipterans were sampled from vegetation with a G-VAC (aspirator) in urban green patches in Córdoba city, Argentina, during the summer and winter of 2014. Overall, dipterans were more abundant in summer than in winter but globally, their richness was similar. However, richness per site was significantly lower in the winter, reflecting a heterogeneous distribution and higher family turnover during this season. Family composition and/or their relative abundances differed between seasons, reflecting the seasonal segregation of several Diptera families in this temperate region of the southern hemisphere.