Dataset of the Baetidae (Ephemeroptera) and Elmidae (Coleoptera) families of the Yungas of Argentina. Collection IBN

Study Extent

All records of this work is located within the Yungas, a mountain rain forest. Yungas are phytogeographical province, extending from the south of Venezuela into NW Argentina along the Andean mountain range. In Argentina they are distributed discontinuously within the provinces of Salta, Jujuy, Tucumán and Catamarca, along part of the subandean chains, and they represent one of the most species-rich biogeographic provinces. Four types of forests can be differentiated along the altitudinal gradient according to the vegetation physiognomy and species composition. The Premontane Forest (Selva Pedemontana), with high diversity of tree species, characterizes the lowest altitudinal level (between 400 and 700 m) of the Yungas. On the east side of this formation transitional forests are in contact with and give way to another ecoregion, the dry Chaco. To the west and up the mountains, the Premontane Forest gives rise to the Montane Humid Forest (Selva Montana), rich in tree species, which expands between 700 and 1500 m a.s.l. Above the Montane Humid Forest start the Upper Montane Forests and Open Woodlands (Bosque Montano), which expand up to 2500-3000 m. Above this altitude the high altitude Foggy Montane Grasslands (Pastizales de Neblina) arise. To the west of the Yungas, the high Andes are characterized by arid mountain tops and plateaus with bare ground and scarce vegetation (the High Andean Grasslands and rocky outcrops).

Sampling

Larvae and adults were collected using standardized methods with kicknet, D- frame net, Surber sampler (300 μm mesh) and light traps. The specimens were fixed in 4% formalin or 96% ethyl alcohol and conserved in 70% or 96% ethyl alcohol. Taxonomic identifications were made to genus level using available keys.

Method steps

1. Biodiversidad Neotropical (IBN), (CONICET – UNT), Argentina. The dataset was made with LibreOffice and the data was cleaned with the OpenRefine 3.2 program, both programs are open access. All the data of the labels of the samples were transcribed in the database. The samples are preserved in 70% or 96% ethyl alcohol, inside glass vial. If the genitalia of some specimen were studied, it was conserved into a different eppendorf inside. For subsequent DNA studies, some of the samples were stored in a freezer. Each vial was designated a unique collection code, consisting of three parts: name of the abbreviated institution, taxonomic order category and vial number (eg. IBN-E-300). Each vial may contain more than one specimen and in some case, more than one species. All vials are deposited in metal cabinet, in a room without windows with constant humidity and temperature of 50% and 23°C (air conditioning and dehumidifier). The strong point of our collection is that most of the collectors are present, so the georeferencing and the absence of data on the labels were efficiently supplied and verified using digital cartography. The dataset was exported on DarwinCore v.1.4, postvalidation was applied using DARWINTEST software and the metadata was integrated to the dataset in DarwinCore Archive format.

The Yungas or the Subtropical Mountain Forest.