Aquatic diptera in the department of Chocó, Colombia

Abstract

We present a preliminary report on the richness and distribution of aquatic Diptera in the department of Chocó, from 490 specimens (larvae and pupae) kept in the Chocó Limnological Collection (CLCH-Insec), corresponding to 18 municipalities (between 5 and 3202 m a.s.l.), 46 water streams of different order and 14 lentic ecosystems of the Atrato, San Juan and Baudó Rivers basins. There are 12 families and 30 genera, of which 4 families and 16 genera are recorded for the first time for Chocó. Chironomidae is the most abundant and most widely distributed family, while Dixidae and Sciomyzidae are the families with lowest abundance and distribution. The highest taxonomic richness is recorded for the families Culicidae and Ceratopogonidae, with five genera each. Macrophytes are the substrate with the greatest specific richness. The largest taxonomic record is found in the Atrato River basin, with 11 families and 24 genera. These results show the enormous diversity of aquatic Diptera in the department of Chocó and the need to develop new research that will broaden their taxonomic and ecological knowledge in the region.

Keywords

• CLCH
• Diptera
• Ecosistemas acuáticos
• Insecta