Composition of the Arctiidae species (Lepidoptera) in southern Brazil: relationship among vegetation types and among habitat spatial configuration

We describe the beta-diversity pattern of the Arctiidae in Rio Grande do Sul State (RS) and assess whether this pattern is related to similarities in vegetation type or geographic distance among areas. We analysed 9420 specimens in 13 scientific collections, as well as two published checklists. Three hundred twenty nine arctiid species were recorded for 55 localities. This richness corresponded to 5.6% of the Neotropical fauna, and 16.5% of the estimated Brazilian fauna. Fifty two species (15.8%) were recorded for the first time in the state. There was no relationship between beta-diversity (Sorensen distance) and geographic distance among the localities, suggesting that the spatial configuration of the habitat did not influence significantly the locomotion of the Arctiidae moths among landscapes. The multivariate analysis suggested that the Arctiidae fauna differ among vegetation types. The composition of the fauna at the Floresta Ombrofila Mista (Araucaria forest) is very distinct from other vegetation type faunas. Species richness was higher on forest habitats than in open habitats.