Nicaragua - 2007
Costa Rica - 2006
Guatemala - 2006
Nicaragua: 2 weeks (23 November–7 December, 2007), jointly funded by the NSF-BS&I Solifugae grant and the NSF-PBI Oonopidae grant (Dr Norman I. Platnick, PI). Carlos Viquez (INBio) and Juan Mata, both from Costa Rica, conducted a trip along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, to collect arachnids for the two grants. Twenty-one localities, in six departments (Chinandega, Granada, Jinotega, León, Matagalpa and Rivas) were visited and collections made using diverse methods (Mini Winkler, UV light and manual collecting) at each. Several localities, e.g. “Finca Alvarez” and Volcán Mombacho, contained an unexpectedly high diversity of species, especially Oonopidae, and warrant revisitation in the future. Although the weather conditions were very dry throughout the trip, ca. 780 specimens were collected, representing more than 80 species in 7 arachnid orders, and various myriapods. Many interesting specimens, including new records for Nicaragua, were collected during the trip, among them Centruroides koesteri (= C. mahnerti), collected at the Volcán Momotombo. This trip to Nicaragua would not have been possible without the help of the Museo de Entomología, León city, and the hospitality of Jean Michel Maes.
Costa Rica: 3 weeks (14 May–4 June, 2006), funded by the NSF AToL grant. Dr. Valerio Vignoli (Dept. of Evolutionary Biology, University of Siena) and Carlos Viquez (INBio, San José, Costa Rica) travelled ca. 1,500 km across the Cartago, Limón, Puntarenas and Guanacaste provinces of Costa Rica. Collecting was conducted in rainforest and tropical dry forest. A total of 841 specimens were collected, including 12 scorpion species in 3 families and 5 genera, several arachnid orders (Amblypygi, Araneae, Opiliones, Pseudoscorpiones, Ricinulei, Schizomida, Uropygi) and myriapods for the NSF AToL and other related projects.
Guatemala: 3 weeks (29 June– 19 July, 2006), funded by the NSF AToL project. Jeremy Huff (AMNH and Rutgers University), Carlos Viquez (INBio, Costa Rica) and David Ortiz (University of San Carlos, Guatemala) traveled over 2,300 km through the Guatemalan departments of Sacatepéquez, Santa Rosa, Escuintla, Zacapa, Izabal, Petén, Baja Verapaz and Alta Verapaz, collecting at elevations ranging from 5–2250 m, in tropical rainforest, oak forest and scrub. Nine arachnid orders were collected including more than 200 spiders, 100 scorpions, 200 opilionids, 30 amblypygids, 14 uropygids, 12 schizomids, 20 pseudoscorpions, two solpugids and numerous Acari. Important taxa included Mayacentrum guatemalae, Mimoscorpius pugnator (including the first recorded female specimens), two Ammotrecha species, Centruroides schmidti, C. thorelli, and three species of Diplocentrus.
Guatemala: 3 weeks (29 June– 19 July, 2006), funded by the NSF AToL project. Jeremy Huff (AMNH and Rutgers University), Carlos Viquez (INBio, Costa Rica) and David Ortiz (University of San Carlos, Guatemala) traveled over 2,300 km through the Guatemalan departments of Sacatepéquez, Santa Rosa, Escuintla, Zacapa, Izabal, Petén, Baja Verapaz and Alta Verapaz, collecting at elevations ranging from 5–2250 m, in tropical rainforest, oak forest and scrub. Nine arachnid orders were collected including more than 200 spiders, 100 scorpions, 200 opilionids, 30 amblypygids, 14 uropygids, 12 schizomids, 20 pseudoscorpions, two solpugids and numerous Acari. Important taxa included Mayacentrum guatemalae, Mimoscorpius pugnator (including the first recorded female specimens), two Ammotrecha species, Centruroides schmidti, C. thorelli, and three species of Diplocentrus.