Diversity of Diptera (Insecta) in a preserved fragment of Atlantic semi-deciduous Forest, at Sertãozinho, São Paulo State

Abstract

This project is included in two broader ones, that have received financial support from FAPESP, and are parts of the BIOTA Special Program: (I) "Biota fragments", aimed to inventory many taxonomic groups, including terrestrial invertebrates from Northeastern S. Paulo State (Proc. 2004/04820-3); (2) "Biota-Diptera" (Proc. 2003/10.274-9), intended to use biological material collected with standardized methods along the Atlantic Forest, with emphasis on the state of São Paulo, to delimit areas of endemism of Diptera groups and to apply phylogenetic and biogeographic methods of analysis to study congruence among these patterns, and also establishing their causes. This Project aimed to know and to characterize the dipterofauna (Insecta: Diptera) from one Atlantic Semi-deciduous Forest fragment, at Sertãozinho, SP, relative to its species diversity and richness, testing the hypothesis that the dipteran elements in Semideciduous forests of the Atlantic Forest correspond to endemic elements separate from the Atlantic Forest along the Serra do Mar. To accomplish this, the Diptera will be collected using a standard protocol for two types of traps, besides entomological sweeping nets, in fortnightly collects, along two years. The Diptera adults will be sorted to three larger groups, to be worked with individually in three research labs (UNESP/ Jaboticabal; USP/R.P e USP/SP) by the researchers associated to this Project (Dra. Vera C. Silva -Acalyptratae; Dr. Dalton de S. Amorim - Basal Diptera, and Dr. Carlos J. E. Lamas - Basal Brachycera). The data of geographic distribution will be directly added to"Biota fragments" Project, and also will help the development of the biogeographic analysis, inside the context of "Biota-Diptera" Project, delimiting endemism in the studied families and helping to establish the relationships between their areas. (AU)