Diversity and distribution of Collembola (Arthropoda: Hexapoda) of Brazil

Objectives of this study are to summarize the current state of knowledge of the diversity and distribution of Collembola in Brazil; to identify areas of most importance, interest, and need of additional research; and to enable development of experimental hypotheses for future research on Collembola in this region. The total number of collembolan species currently known from Brazil is 199, distributed among 19 families and 80 genera. The greatest numbers of species have been recorded from the states of Rio de Janeiro and Amazonas (with 69 and 56 species, respectively). Few or no species are known from most Brazilian states. Most of the species for which specific Brazilian environmental habitat information is available (93, 66%) are known only from forest environments. Most of the species (127, 64%) are known only from Brazil (most likely being endemic); 33 species (17%) are known only from Brazil and other neotropical areas; and 39 species (20%) have a distribution beyond the neotropical region. Results of this study indicate that much remains to be learned about the Brazilian collembolan fauna. This is especially true for areas of the northeastern, central-western, and southern regions. Studies to determine the species composition of collembolan communities in specific environments in Brazil are needed. The great diversity of Collembola species in Brazil is largely unknown and there are many opportunities for additional research on these environmentally important organisms in this area. Such additional research on the Collembola in Brazil is also essential for a better understanding of the neotropical (and world) collembolan fauna.     

New systematic position of Itatingamyia Albuquerque (Diptera,Muscidae) based on molecular evidence,and description of the female of I. couriae

Itatingamyia Albuquerque, 1979 is rare in collections, with only nine specimens preserved in museums. Two species are known, and their placement within Muscidae was never tested using molecular data. Here, we estimate the position of Itatingamyia within Muscidae with mitochondrial (COI) and nuclear (AATS, CAD, and EF1-α) markers using Maximum likelihood and Bayesian posterior probabilities as optimality criteria. According to our results, we propose to classify Itatingamyia as a Cyrtoneurininae. We also describe the previously unknown female and egg of Itatingamyia couriae Haseyama and de Carvalho, 2011 and expand the known distribution of this species to the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, through the discovery of 13 new specimens there. We also argue that Itatingamyia distribution is restricted to Atlantic Forest areas.     

Toxic benthic freshwater cyanobacterial proliferations: Challenges and solutions for enhancing knowledge and improving monitoring and mitigation

1. This review summarises knowledge on the ecology, toxin production, and impacts of toxic freshwater benthic cyanobacterial proliferations. It documents monitoring, management, and sampling strategies, and explores mitigation options.
2. Toxic proliferations of freshwater benthic cyanobacteria (taxa that grow attached to substrates) occur in streams, rivers, lakes, and thermal and meltwater ponds, and have been reported in 19 countries. Anatoxin- and microcystin-containing mats are most commonly reported (eight and 10 countries, respectively).
3. Studies exploring factors that promote toxic benthic cyanobacterial proliferations are limited to a few species and habitats. There is a hierarchy of importance in environmental and biological factors that regulate proliferations with variables such as flow (rivers), fine sediment deposition, nutrients, associated microbes, and grazing identified as key drivers. Regulating factors differ among colonisation, expansion, and dispersal phases.
4. New -omics-based approaches are providing novel insights into the physiological attributes of benthic cyanobacteria and the role of associated microorganisms in facilitating their proliferation.
5. Proliferations are commonly comprised of both toxic and non-toxic strains, and the relative proportion of these is the key factor contributing to the overall toxin content of each mat.
6. While these events are becoming more commonly reported globally, we currently lack standardised approaches to detect, monitor, and manage this emerging health issue. To solve these critical gaps, global collaborations are needed to facilitate the rapid transfer of knowledge and promote the development of standardised techniques that can be applied to diverse habitats and species, and ultimately lead to improved management.

     

An overlooked source of fungal diversity: novel hyphomycete genera on trichomes of cerrado plants

Eight monotypic hyphomycete genera new to science are described from the trichomes of native plants growing in the cerrado of Brazil: Trichomatoclava cerradensis, Echinoconidiophorum cerradense, Globoconidiopsis cerradensis, Globoconidium cerradense, Helminthosporiomyces cerradensis, Microtrichosphaera cerradensis, Phragmoconidium cerradense, and Vesiculohyphomyces cerradensis gens. spp. nov. Two of the new genera were found on hosts belonging in Myrtaceae, and one of each of the following families: Icacinaceae, Malphigiaceae, Fabaceae, Dilleniaceae, Chrysobalanaceae, and Caryocaraceae. These discoveries suggest that the trichomes of neotropical plants are an unexplored source of novel fungal diversity, and merit more attention in biodiversity surveys.     

Differential timing of spring passage of Ruby‐throated Hummingbirds along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico

ABSTRACT Hummingbird migration has long fascinated researchers due to the limitations of small body size and high metabolic rate on migratory performance. Yet, few data are available concerning hummingbird migration strategies, especially for species that must negotiate major geographic barriers. To address this problem, we investigated the migration ecology of Ruby‐throated Hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) passing through a coastal banding station in southwest Louisiana following flights across the Gulf of Mexico. Our aims were to describe the phenology of spring migration and explore potential differences in the migration ecology of males and females. During our 10‐yr study (1998–2007), we found that peak hummingbird passage generally occurred in the second half of April and that males preceded females by about three days. However, females arrived in significantly better energetic condition as measured by fat and muscle stores as well as size‐corrected body mass. Most birds did not stay at our study site to refuel, only 2% of individually marked birds were recaptured more than a day after initial capture (range = 1–5 d). Our results suggest that Ruby‐throated Hummingbirds exhibit protandrous migration (i.e., males migrate earlier) and that en route body condition may be a consequence of sexual dimorphism in wing morphology (i.e., lower wing loading in females) that allows females to expend less energy during migration across the Gulf of Mexico.     

Behavioral activities and diet of Azaras’s capuchin monkey,Sapajus cay (Illiger, 1815), in a forest remnant of the Brazilian Cerrado

ABSTRACT

Azaras’s capuchin monkey (Sapajus cay) is a poorly studied species in ecological aspects. We investigated behavioral activities and diet of a group of S. cay in a remnant of the Brazilian Cerrado. We sought to identify the most frequent behavior that the group engaged in, as well as to verify possible differences in behavioral patterns and diet between adult males and females. From January to July 2012 we collected behavioral and foraging data for a group of 21 individuals using scan sampling. Behaviors and food items consumed were analyzed using percentages and two proportions Z-tests to assess differences between males and females. We obtained 878 scans in approximately 202 hours of sampling effort, resulting in 4,159 individual activity records of capuchin monkeys. The group allocated time to traveling (41.3%), resting (25.5%), feeding (14.3%), foraging (13.7%), and social activities (5.1%). Females spent more time foraging and feeding, while males spent more time resting. Fruits (61.4%), invertebrates (15.3%), and seeds (14.3%) were the most common food items consumed. We did not find differences in food consumption between sexes. Behavioral activities may be influenced by habitat quality of the studied area, opportunistic habits, and plasticity in the diet.     

Evaluating character partitioning and molecular models in plastid phylogenomics at low taxonomic levels: A case study using Amphilophium (Bignonieae,Bignoniaceae)

The accurate analyses of massive amounts of data obtained through next‐generation sequencing depend on the selection of appropriate evolutionary models. Many plastid phylogenomic studies typically analyze plastome data as a single partition, or divided by a region, using a concatenate “supergene” approach. The effects of molecular evolutionary models and character partition strategies on plastome‐based phylogenies have generally been evaluated at higher taxonomic levels in green plants. Using plastome data from 32 species of Amphilophium, a genus of Neotropical lianas, we explored potential sources of topological incongruence with different plastid genome datasets and approaches. Specifically, we evaluated the effects of compositional heterogeneity, codon usage bias, positive selection, and incomplete lineage sorting as sources of systematic error (i.e., the recovery of well‐supported conflicting topologies). We compared different datasets (e.g., non‐coding regions, exons, and codon‐aligned and translated amino acids) using concatenated approaches under site‐heterogeneous and site‐homogeneous models, as well as multispecies coalescent (MSC) methods. We found incongruences in recovered phylogenetic relationships, which were mainly located in short internodes. The MSC and concatenated approaches recovered similar topologies. The analysis of GC content and codon usage bias indicated higher substitution rates and AT excess at the third codon positions, and we found evidence of positive selection in 3% of amino acid sites. There were no significant differences among species in site biochemical profiles. We argue that the selection of appropriate partition strategies and evolutionary models is important to increase accuracy in phylogenetic relationships, even when using plastome datasets, which is still the primarily used genome in plant phylogenetics.     

A new species of Cuacuba (Araneae,Theridiosomatidae) from Brazilian caves

ABSTRACT

A new species of the spider genus Cuacuba from Brazil, C. ribeira sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on eighty-six specimens collected from caves in the Vale do Ribeira region, in the states of São Paulo and Paraná. This species is recognized by the hook-shaped median apophysis on the male palp, and females by having invaginations on the sides of the median posterior edge of the epigynal plate. Cuacuba ribeira sp. nov. is the third species recorded for the genus, and like the other two, also comes from Brazilian caves.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:44036D6B-CA3F-4C15-BBA3-3E5FE81FB299