Abstract

A study of the muscicolous communities of beetles is carried out in central Chile, around 33 degrees S, including the Andean foothills, the central valley, the coastal mountain range and the coastal plain. Four sampling locations were defined, each one representative of preandean, central valley, costal range, and coastal plain and located in protected areas: Rio Clarillo National Park, Laguna Caren Park, La Campana National Park and Lago Penuelas National Reserve. In each of the locations, six interception traps for epigeans insects were installed in association to terrestrial moss meadows. The traps remained in operation from July to November 2017, trying to cover the biological activity cycle of the mosses. 2,115 beetle specimens were captured, represented by 29 families and 126 species. Eleven families were the most abundant and frequents in the moss communities studied: Byrrhidae, Carabidae, Corylophidae, Cryptophagidae, Curculionidae, Hybosoridae, Latridudae, Leiodidae, Ptinidae, Staphylinidae, and Tenebrionidae. Byrrhidae species are recognized as strictly bryophilous. Species of Corylophidae, Cryptophagidae, some Curculionidae, Hybosoridae, Latridudae, Leiodidae, Ptinidae and Staphylinidae thrive in the moss, but can also be present in other environments. Although there is a general assemblage of muscicolous species, the different localities studied present differences in the composition of species that characterize them, probably due to their geographical location, vegetation type, and/or local climatic conditions. According to the above, the epigeans beetle fauna of central Chile contributes at the local level, with some complementary and accessory elements, to the studied muscicolous beetle assemblages.