The epigaeic arthropod fauna of Buttongrass moorland in Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area
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Published:1999
Penelope Greenslade, Derek Smith, 1999. "The epigaeic arthropod fauna of Buttongrass moorland in Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area", The Other 99%: The Conservation and Biodiversity of Invertebrates, Winston Ponder, Daniel Lunney
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Buttongrass moorland was found to have an abundant and diverse epigaeic arthropod fauna in summer. The characteristic elements are a predominance of spiders and aquatic insect groups such as Trichoptera, Tipulidae, Dolichopodidae, Ephydridae, Empididae, all these taxa being species-rich and abundant. Collembola were numerous but dominated by very few species. There were a disproportionately smaller number than expected of Formicidae and Orthoptera species and individuals. The conservation significance of the fauna lies in the taxa restricted to cool, moist vegetation types which tend to belong to Gondwanan groups or older and have affinities to New Zealand and/or South America.