New findings of terrestrial arthropods from the Azorean Islands.

Abstract

The knowledge on taxonomic diversity of arthropods is key to better understanding the biodiversity patterns and processes and guiding sustainable conservation strategies and practices. In the Azores, terrestrial arthropods are relatively well-inventoried following the publication of comprehensive checklists that have been regularly updated. Nevertheless, every year, new species are found as a result of new arrivals to the Archipelago and from addressing specific taxonomic lacunae. Here, we update the taxonomic terrestrial arthropod biodiversity of the Azores by reporting for the first time 13 species for the Archipelago, namely Oligonychusperseae Tuttle, Baker & Abbatiello, 1976, Textrixpinicola Simon, 1875, Pholcommagibbum (Westring, 1851), Schistocercagregaria (Forsskål, 1775), Phoracantharecurva Newman, 1840, Diachusauratus Fabricius, 1801 Phyllotretaprocera (Redtenbacher, 1849), Phyllotretastriolata (Fabricius, 1803), Diboliaoccultans (Koch, 1803), Pseudolynchiacanariensis (Macquart, 1839), Hermetiaillucens (Linnaeus, 1758), Dryocosmuskuriphilus Yasumatsu, 1951 and Ectemniuscephalotes (Olivier, 1792), and several new species records for specific islands. These species benefitted from the increase in transportation of goods and commodities, both from outside the Archipelago and between islands, to arrive and spread across the Archipelago with some of them posing new challenges to local agriculture, forestry and biodiversity conservation management.