Arthropods of the Limari basin (Coquimbo region, Chile) agricultural importance in agricultural ecosystems

Arthropods are an important group of organisms in agricultural ecosystems due to their ecological impact as pollinators and agents of natural pest control. Some species, however, may damage crops and be vectors for diseases or reservoirs of zoonoses that may affect human populations. The economic impact of arthropods may be a limiting factor of production and development in fragile and vulnerable ecosystems, as is the case of the Limarí basin in the Coquimbo region – an important agricultural area within the semiarid region of Chile. In view of the limited amount of information available about potential pests and natural enemies of the main crops cultivated in the Limarí Valley, we analyzed the agricultural importance of arthropods in the Limarí basin. After reviewing historical data, specimen collections, and the literature, a total of 412 arthropods species of agricultural importance were recorded, 92.5% of them insects and the rest (31 species) arachnids. Around 25% of the species were quarantined species in foreign markets, and 21.8% were species that may have a positive impact on agriculture. Within Insecta, the genera Aleurothrixus, Trialeurodes (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), and Pseudococcus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) were the main groups associated to agricultural crops containing species of quarantine importance for foreign markets. We hope that this species inventory serves as a basis for identifying biological vulnerabilities in a basin, which has seen a continuous expansion of productive land in recent years.