Abundance and diversity of Collembola (Enthognatha), in rice soils, in Panama, Republic of Panama

The susceptibility of Collembola samples at different edahic variables, defines itself as a group of artropods bioindicators of health and soil quality. The abundance and diversity of edaphic arthropods was determinated specifically in the order Collembola, and the families Isotomidae, Sminthuridae, associated to rice soils in Panama. The samples were obtained by means of ten pitfall traps, placed randomly in the locations of Dos Bocas (Herrera), Barro Blanco (Chiriquí) and Tocumen (Panama). The collected specimens were separated and transfered into vials with 70% alcohol, to be mounted in slides. The samples were identified by means of taxonomic keys, for families and neotropical geners. The diversity index, entropic diversity and sililarity, were determinated, using  Shannon - Wiener ecological diversity indexes, entropic diversity of Brooks & Wiley and Similarity coefficient of Sorensen, respectively. The experimental location that presented greater abundance was Barro Blanco (Chiriqui), enhancing its production area with better health and soil quality for rice production. In this sense, the Sminthuridae and Isotomidae families predominated in the production zone of Bugaba (Chiriqui). The similarity index of Sorensen, confirmed the sesamblance in diversity of samples by family, existing among the locations of Barro Blanco (Chiriqui) and Tocumen (Panama).