Life cycle of Lampyridae and planning mismatch in peri-urban interfaces of northwestern Argentina

Abstract

 
 
 

Territorial planning in peri-urban interfaces primarily regulates land through occupancy, building intensity, setbacks, and zoning, whereas ecological processes depend on conditions operating across different spatial and temporal dimensions. This study examines that mismatch in the Greater Salta agglomeration, Argentina, using the family Lampyridae as a focal taxon because of its extended larval stage and its simultaneous dependence on edaphic, light, and connectivity conditions. A qualitative case-study design was applied. Four habitat conditions were derived from the ecological literature: darkness during the reproductive period, soil moisture and leaf-litter persistence, low substrate disturbance, and connectivity between habitat fragments. The regulatory instruments currently in force in Salta Capital, San Lorenzo, Vaqueros, and La Caldera were then examined through structured content analysis using a double-entry matrix and four regulatory-coverage categories. Of the sixteen cells analyzed, three were classified as regulated, three as partially regulated, one as regulated in the opposite direction, and nine as unregulated. None of the four municipalities includes specific environmental regulation of nocturnal darkness. The findings indicate that the mismatch is not explained solely by jurisdictional fragmentation, but also by the limited capacity of planning instruments to represent ecological conditions distributed across space and whose effects may become apparent beyond the moment of project approval. The study proposes incorporating the life cycle of focal species as a complementary unit for environmental planning.