Colecciones de Invertebrados del LOUNAZ

Data Records

The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 5,059 records.

This IPT archives the data and thus serves as the data repository. The data and resource metadata are available for download in the downloads section. The versions table lists other versions of the resource that have been made publicly available and allows tracking changes made to the resource over time.

Versions

The table below shows only published versions of the resource that are publicly accessible.

How to cite

Researchers should cite this work as follows:

Paucar Cabrera A (2025). Colecciones de Invertebrados del LOUNAZ. Version 1.4. Museo de Zoología LOUNAZ de la Universidad Nacional de Loja. Occurrence dataset. https://doi.org/10.60545/qjwv7m

Rights

Researchers should respect the following rights statement:

The publisher and rights holder of this work is Museo de Zoología LOUNAZ de la Universidad Nacional de Loja. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) License.

GBIF Registration

This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: df46acb0-2797-4e8b-a081-911aa5bbbf3f.  Museo de Zoología LOUNAZ de la Universidad Nacional de Loja publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by GBIF Ecuador.

Keywords

insecta; Ecuador

Contacts

Geographic Coverage

The invertebrate collection of the Museo de Zoología at the Universidad Nacional de Loja, LOUNAZ, a foundational dataset compiled from 2019 over a four-year period, as part of the initial efforts to document the invertebrate fauna of southern Ecuador. The 5059 records correspond to physical specimens collected across various ecosystems and elevational gradients, following standardized sampling protocols. The database includes key georeferenced information (coordinates, elevation, locality) and basic taxonomic data (class, order, family). Specimens were collected in locations such as Yantzaza (Zamora Chinchipe) at 811 m a.s.l., in Amazonian tropical humid forest; the Numbami, Higuerones, and Río Nea reserves, located in the Jamboé River Valley at 1300 m a.s.l., within evergreen piedmont forest; the Madrigal del Podocarpus Reserve in Loja Province, between 2200 and 3300 m a.s.l., characterized by montane cloud forest and páramo; the El Carmen micro-watershed in the Loja basin, with an elevational range of 2076 to 3412 m a.s.l.; the city of Loja at 2100 m a.s.l., with a temperate climate; and Oil Block 66 (Tiguino), in Orellana Province, within the Ecuadorian Amazon.

Taxonomic Coverage

The LOUNAZ invertebrate collection holds specimens in the class Insecta, identified to order, genera and species level.

Temporal Coverage

Project Data

The invertebrate collection of the Museo de Zoología at the Universidad Nacional de Loja, LOUNAZ, a foundational dataset compiled from 2019 over a four-year period, as part of the initial efforts to document the invertebrate fauna of southern Ecuador. The 5059 records correspond to physical specimens collected across various ecosystems and elevational gradients, following standardized sampling protocols. The database includes key georeferenced information (coordinates, elevation, locality) and basic taxonomic data (class, order, family).

The personnel involved in the project:

Sampling Methods

In the city of Yantzaza, the diversity of nocturnal insects was evaluated according to the location, intensity, and type of artificial light, using modified light traps based. In the reserves of the Jamboé River Valley, the diversity of Hymenoptera insect families was determined in two conservation levels of the Jamboé Valley. For specimen collection, Malaise traps were used—one in each zone, with a total of six traps (three in primary forest areas and three in recovering areas). In the Madrigal Reserve of Podocarpus, the diversity of hymenopterans was assessed as indicators of ecological restoration progress in response to degradation processes; in addition, the richness and abundance of fireflies (Lampyridae) were determined in relation to environmental conditions. For insect collection, six Malaise traps were used for Hymenoptera in both conserved and restoring areas, while twelve black Malaise traps were used for Lampyridae in different types of vegetation cover: grassland, forest under restoration, primary montane forest, and páramo. In the El Carmen micro-watershed, aquatic macroinvertebrates were monitored as indicators of water quality. Sampling points were established for each type of land use. In the city of Loja, three sites were selected along an urban gradient with abundant presence of the mistletoe Psittacanthus nervosus, which infects the willow tree (Salix humboldtiana Willd.). Arthropods were collected from five trees infected with the mistletoe and five uninfected trees, in order to assess the variation in arthropod community composition according to the parasitic load of the trees.

Method step description:

1. Sampling Methodologies Yantzaza • Modified light traps based on Borror, Triplehorn, and Johnson (1989) were used. • Composition: Two white sheets (one vertical: 2 x 2.40 m and one perpendicular: 1.50 x 2.40 m). • Location: Under streetlights, from ground level up to 2 meters high. • Sampling period: September and October, six days per month (two nights per zone). • Collections were conducted during a waxing crescent moon phase with 17% luminosity (F. Gaona pers. comm., 2019). VALLE DEL RÍO JAMBOÉ - Two conservation levels were identified in each reserve: primary forest and recovery zone (~12 years of passive restoration). - Malaise traps were installed (one per zone, six in total) within established vegetation monitoring plots. - Strategic trap placement: o Avoiding edge effects o On slopes not exceeding 30% o In homogeneous areas with reduced slopes (0–5%) o Along insect flight paths - Each trap contained a collection jar with 70% ethyl alcohol. - Sampling was conducted between February and March 2022, with biweekly replacements (four samples per trap). MADRIGAL DEL PODOCARPUS - Twelve Malaise traps were installed (3 per vegetation type: grassland, burned forest, natural forest, páramo). - Locations selected randomly with a 100 m separation between traps. - Sampling period: 4 months, with biweekly sample collection. - Preservation in 96% alcohol (Magurran, 2003). - Two additional traps were added in the second month in Natural Forest and Grassland. HYMENOPTERA IN MADRIGAL DEL PODOCARPUS - White Malaise traps were used to collect flying insects (Márquez, 2005). - Two study areas were identified with the help of a local guide: conserved area and restoration area. - Three traps were installed in each area, separated by 128–248 m within each zone. - Study areas were separated by 312 m. - Traps were placed in areas with reduced slope (0–5%). - Insects were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol (Zumado & Azofeifa, 2018). - Sampling lasted 8 weeks (October–December 2022) with biweekly replacements. MICROCUENCA EL CARMEN A stratified random sampling was implemented across three zones: upper (conserved), middle (semi-conserved), and lower (non-conserved), with 10 georeferenced sampling points in each zone (Acosta et al., 2014). This design reflects differences in vegetation cover, anthropogenic pressure, and land use characterizing each segment of the micro-watershed. Macroinvertebrates were sampled using a 500-micron D-net combined with the kick sampling technique within a 50 × 50 cm quadrant (Roldán, 2012; Acosta et al., 2014). Organisms were preserved in 90% alcohol and identified in the laboratory using specialized taxonomic keys (Carrera & Fierro, 2001; Encalada et al., 2011; Roldán, 2012). CITY OF LOJA 1. Study Sites Three sites were selected along the urban gradient of Loja: Jipiro Recreational Park, Ciudad Alegría, and Punzara. Selection was based on the abundant presence of mistletoe (P. nervosum) infecting willow trees (Salix humboldtiana Willd), a common exotic species in the city (Aguirre & Yaguana, 2013; Mendoza, 2023; Merino, 2024). 2. Tree Selection At each site: - 5 willows infected with P. nervosum - 5 non-infected willows Selection criteria: - Distance greater than 5 meters between trees (Maruyama et al., 2012) - Larger basal area (Merino, 2024) - Similar parasitic load (moderate infestation level) The 6-class evaluation system by Hawksworth (1977) was applied: - Division of the tree into 3 thirds - Scoring each third (0: no infection, 1: light infection, 2: severe infection) - Summing values for a total score - Classification: 1–2 (light), 3–4 (moderate), 5–6 (severe) 3. Sample Collection During April–May: - One mistletoe plant (35–90 cm diameter) collected per infected willow (Lázaro-González et al., 2017) - One branch from an infected willow with similar dimensions - One branch from a non-infected willow with similar dimensions Procedure: - Independent in situ bagging - Application of non-residual pyrethrin insecticide (Burns, 2009) - Transport to the Museum of Zoology (LOUNAZ) - Specimen preservation in 70% alcohol - Arthropod identification to order level (Triplehorn & Johnson, 2005) Total: 15 samples of infected branches, 15 non-infected branches, and 15 mistletoe plants.

Collection Data

Additional Metadata