Recolecta de artrópodos para prospección de la biodiversidad en el Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

A bioprospecting study in the Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica, identified 642 arthropod species across 21 orders and 95 families as potential sources of new medicines. The research, conducted between 1994 and 1998, collected 1800 samples (6-10 g each) using low-impact methods such as manual collection, light traps, and insect breeding, prioritizing the separation of life stages to avoid contamination in screening processes. Lepidoptera dominated the samples (49.72%), followed by Coleoptera (15.75%) and Hymenoptera (13.33%). The strategy of diversifying samples based on ecological and behavioral factors yielded a broad range of materials, including frass, to enhance pharmaceutical research potential.

Nielsen, V., Hurtado, P., Janzen, D. H., Tamayo, G., & Sittenfeld, A. (2014). Recolecta de artrópodos para prospección de la biodiversidad en el Área de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Revista de Biología Tropical, 52(1), 119. https://doi.org/10.15517/rbt.v52i1.14760