Composição, riqueza e diversidade de invertebrados em cavernas de Dianópolis (TO)

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the structure of terrestrial invertebrate communities in four limestone caves in the municipality of Dianópolis, Tocantins state. In addition to the faunal composition, richness, diversity, and temporal and spatial similarity, we qualified macroscopic organic resources and anthropogenic impacts inside and surrounding the caves (250m). The collections were held in the dry and wet periods (June and November 2012, respectively), and a total of 431 invertebrates species was found, belonging to at least 97 families. The taxa Hexapoda (281 spp), Arachnida (112 spp) and Myriapoda (23 spp) had the highest richness, and the orders Coleoptera (70 spp), Araneae (62 spp), Diptera (54 spp), Hymenoptera (49 spp) and Acari (30 spp) were the richest orders. Among the observed species, one Isopoda (Styloniscidae), one Coleoptera (Scydmaeninae), two spiders (Nesticidae, Symphytognathidae - Anapistula sp.), one Hymenoptera (Formicidae: Amblyopone sp) and one Diplopoda (Polydesmida) presented troglomorphic traits. The average richness was 53,5±14 species, the average diversity was 3,7±0,46 and the average evenness corresponded to 0,93±0,085. The four caves presented a high species turnover. In general, the caves presented an excellent status of conservation, although some epigean impacts were observed, probably causing physical and biological changes in the landscape.