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Arthropods of forestry and medical-veterinary importance in the Limarí basin (Coquimbo region, Chile)Artículo de revistaThe Limarí River valley, located in the Coquimbo Region of Chile, is an important area for agricultural production that pertains to the transverse valleys ecoregion, known as Norte Chico. In recent decades, the continuous expansion of agriculture towards the dryland areas has favored the introduction and establishment of potential pests, such as arthropods, that may affect forestry crops and transmit zoonotic diseases. We analyzed the arthropod assemblages that were of forestry and medical-veterinary importance in the Limarí basin. After reviewing historical data, specimen collections, and the available literature, a total of 10 families, 39 genera, and 51 species of arthropods of forestry importance were recorded, 43.1% of which were of quarantine importance. Xylophagous groups of quarantine importance to the US included Cryptotermes brevis (Kalotermitidae), Neoterius mystax (Bostrichidae), Tyndaris planata (Buprestidae), Rhyephenes humeralis (Curculionidae) and Phoracantha recurva (Cerambycidae). Other quarantine insects of forestry importance recorded in the area included were Micrapate scabrata and Polycaon chilensis (Bostrichidae). In addition, the groups of medical-veterinary importance were represented by 11 families, 14 genera, and 18 species, 9 of which were arachnids and 9 were insects. Among the identified arachnids, the most important genera were Loxosceles (Sicariidae), Latrodectus, Steatoda (Theridiidae) and Rhipicephalus (Ixodidae), whereas among the identified insects, the most important were Triatoma and Mepraia (Reduviidae), Pediculus (Pediculidae), and Ceratophyllus (Ceratophyllidae). We hope this study serves as a basis for the development of forest pest monitoring and control programs as well as an understanding of the potential risks posed by zoonotic agents and their implications for public health. Description of Bothriurus mistral n. sp., the highest-dwelling Bothriurus from the western Andes (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae), using multiple morphometric approachesArtículo de revistaWe describe Bothriurus mistral n. sp. (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae) from the Chilean north-central Andes of the Coquimbo Region. This is the highest elevational discovery for Bothriurus in the western slopes of the Andes. This species was collected in the Estero Derecho Private Protected Area and Natural Sanctuary as part of the First National Biodiversity Inventory of Chile of the Integrated System for Monitoring and Evaluation of Native Forest Ecosystems (SIMEF). Bothriurus mistral n. sp. is closely related to Bothriurus coriaceus Pocock, 1893, from the lowlands of central Chile. This integrative research includes a combination of traditional morphometrics and geometric morphometric analyses to support the taxonomic delimitation of the species. A Fine-Scale Hotspot at the Edge: Epigean Arthropods from the Atacama Coast (Paposo-Taltal, Antofagasta Region, Chile)Artículo de revistaThe Atacama Desert at its margins harbors a unique biodiversity that is still very poorly known, especially in coastal fog oases spanning from Perú towards the Atacama coast. An outstanding species-rich fog oasis is the latitudinal fringe Paposo-Taltal, that is considered an iconic site of the Lomas formation. This contribution is the first to reveal the knowledge on arthropods of this emblematic coastal section. We used pitfall traps to study the taxonomic composition, richness, and abundance of terrestrial arthropods in 17 sample sites along a 100 km section of the coast between 24.5 and 25.5 southern latitude, in a variety of characteristic habitats. From a total of 9154 individuals, we were able to identify 173 arthropod species grouped into 118 genera and 57 families. The most diverse group were insects, with 146 species grouped in 97 genera and 43 families, while arachnids were represented by 27 species grouped into 21 genera and 14 families. Current conservation challenges on a global scale are driving the creation and evaluation of potential conservation sites in regions with few protected areas, such as the margins of the Atacama Desert. Better taxonomic, distributional, and population knowledge is urgently needed to perform concrete conservation actions in a biodiversity hotspot at a desert edge.