Wednesday, June 6, 2007 - 4:30 PM
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A faunal and biodiversity analysis of the Dytiscidae of the Skeleton Coast National Park, Namibia, Africa

Lori B. Robinson1, G. William Wolfe, Ph.D.1, Everette Barman, Ph.D.1, and Kelly B. Miller, Ph.D.2. (1) Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA 31061, (2) Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, 167 Castetter Hall, MSCO3 2020, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001

In May, 2004, 515 specimens representing 16 species of Hydradephaga were collected in the Skeleton Coast National Park in northwest Namibia. The three most abundant species were Canthydrus notula, Hydroglyphus lineolatus, and Hyphydrus inquinatus; 74.5 per cent of all specimens were assigned to one of these three species. Specimen size ranged from 1.99 mm to 28.00 mm; 47.1 per cent of all specimens were less than 2.51 mm and 96.1 per cent of all specimens were 3.00 mm or less in length. The Shannon diversity index varied from .652 to 1.298 and the Brillouin index varied from .543 to 1.246. Rarefaction was used to calculate expected species numbers for each sample and a rarefaction curve was produced. All species richness values were close to the value predicted by the rarefaction curve.