Gastropods living in a bird nest, and others pulmonate shells found in avian nests of Argentina

Resumen

Gastropods living in a bird nest, and others pulmonate shells found in avian nests of Argentina

Abstract: Bird’s nests are examples of specialized habitats that are inhabited by a diverse suite of invertebrates, such as insects, spiders, pseudoscorpions, and ticks. A list of gastropods found in birds’ nests from Argentina are presented 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 44 birds’ nests from 6 families in 6 provinces from Argentina. Only one population of Pupisoma latens, integrated by 58 specimens of different sizes, was found alive in a bird nest, being a new habitat of this species, described from aerial parts of trees. The rest of the species were dead specimens (fragments or empty shells), that can be tentatively related to bird diets. The most abundant species were pre-adults of Bulimulus b. bonariensis, and Succinea meridionalis. The nests of Anumbius  annumbi, and Furnarius  rufus from Buenos Aires province have the highest number of specimens. Specimens of freshwater snails (Heleobia parchappii, Biomphalaria sp. and Drepanotrema sp.) were 13% in the total. This kind of list was known in Canada, United States and France.