Records of Collembolans (Arthropoda, Hexapoda) from Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil

Abstract

The state of knowledge of collembolans in Brazil is deficient and most biomes are poorly sampled. This paper provides a list of species of Collembola from Rio Grande do Norte State. The samplings were carried out in the municipalities of Extremoz, Natal, Parnamirim and Serra Negra do Norte, by using pitfall traps, light traps and direct collections. Sixteen species of springtails were recorded, distributed in 12 genera and seven families. The family with the highest diversity was Entomobryidae, with seven species. The most speciose genus was Seira, with four species. Only two species were recorded in Caatinga and they both were also reported to areas of Brazilian Atlantic Forest. However, these species are new to science, which indicates the urgency of a full inventory in Caatinga, an underestimated domain. Five new species of Collembola were found in the State.