Gastropod species found in birds' nests from Argentina

Abstract

Los nidos de aves son ejemplos de hábitats ocupados por un conjunto de invertebrados, como insectos, arañas, pseudoescorpiones, etc. Por primera vez se presenta una lista de gasterópodos encontrados en nidos aviarios de la Argentina. Un total de 138 especímenes pertenecientes a 11 especies, 10 géneros y 8 familias fueron hallados en 42 nidos de 6 familias de aves en 6 provincias. Sólo Pupisoma latens, representado por 58 especímenes de diferentes tamaños, fue encontrado vivo en un nido, siendo un nuevo hábitat de la especie, previamente encontrada en partes aéreas de árboles. El resto de las especies estaban representadas por animales muertos (fragmentos o conchillas vacías), que podrían estar relacionados a la dieta de las aves. Entre estas, las especies con mayor número de representantes (mayoritariamente pre-adultos) fueron Bulimulus bonariensis bonariensis y Succinea meridionalis. Los nidos de Anumbius annumbi y Furnarius rufus de la provincia de Buenos Aires tuvieron el número más elevado de ejemplares de gasterópodos. Especímenes de gasterópodos de agua dulce (Heleobia parchappii, Biomphalaria sp. y Drepanotrema sp.) constituyeron 13 % del total.

Bird's nests are specialized habitats that are inhabited by a diverse suite of invertebrates, such as insects, spiders, pseudoscorpions, and ticks. This study presents a list of gastropods found in birds' nests from Argentina for the first time. A total of 138 specimens of gastropods, belonging to 11 species, 10 genera and 8 families of snails were present in the nests of 42 birds from 6 families in 6 provinces in Argentina. Fifty eight specimens of the snail Pupisoma latens of different sizes were found alive in a nest, representing a new habitat for this species, which has been previously described from the aerial parts of trees. The remaining species were represented by dead specimens (fragments or empty shells), which can be tentatively attributed to bird diets. Among these, the most abundant species were Bulimulus bonariensis bonariensis and Succinea meridionalis, both as pre-adults. The nests Anumbius annumbi and Furnarius rufus from the province of Buenos Aires had the highest number of specimens. Freshwater snails (Heleobia parchappii, Biomphalaria sp., and Drepanotrema sp.) comprised 13% of the snail species found.