RCAAP Repository

Despite repeated references to the species in Paraguay, the status of the Dusky-legged Guan Penelope obscura in the country has been the subject of much debate. In an attempt to clarify the available data, a thorough review of literature records is provided and details of new and previously unpublished records that confirm that the nominate subspecies is present in Paraguay are given. With the species limits in the obscura complex poorly defined, we provide a brief discussion of the potential importance of Paraguayan populations for the conservation of the species.

Rodents and Marsupials are an important component of the fauna in the Neotropical region. Studies about richness and abundance of these animals in the Araucaria Forests are scarce, and here we present an inventory at Piraí do Sul National Forest. This area has approximately 150 ha, surrounded by pastures and Pinus plantations. Pitfall, Shermann and Tomahawk traps were disposed at the main vegetation types found in this National Forest. At least a pair of each species were collected. As a result, during 5.892 traps.night we had a total of 1.049 captures, representing 17 species: Akodon montensis, Bibimys labiosus, Brucepattersonius iheringi, Cryptonanus sp., Didelphis albiventris, D. aurita, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Juliomys ossitenuis, Monodelphis americana, M. scalops, Myocastor coypus, Nectomys squamipes, Oligoryzomys nigripes, Oxymycterus judex, O. nasutus, Sooretamys angouya and Thaptomys nigrita. Pitfall represented 67% of the total, and eight species were recorded only by this method. Akodon montensis, O. nigripes and T. nigrita were the most abundant species.

Myrsidea serini (Séguy, 1944) é registrada de três passarinhos distintos como hospedeiros na Argentina e Chile: Carduelis barbata (Molina, 1782) (Fringillidae), Chrysomus thilius petersi (Laubmann, 1934) e Agelaioides badius badius (Vieillot, 1819) (Icteridae). Características somáticas e medidas corporais de exemplares disponíveis dessas populações de hospedeiros são comparados com os registrados a partir de hospedeiros do Velho Mundo, com apenas pequenas diferenças em algumas medidas no corpo (aqui interpretadas como relacionado a diferença entre o tamanho dos hospedeiros), mas similares com relação a sua quetotaxia. Esta espécie foi encontrada em sinoxenia com Myrsidea psittaci Carriker, 1955 parasitando C. t. petersi em pelo menos duas localidades na Província de Buenos Aires, Argentina. Estudos comparativos da superfície coriônica dos ovos, sítios preferenciais de oviposição, e prevalência foram realizados para ambas as espécies, além de algumas observações sobre uma espécie ainda problemática, Myrsidea argentina (Kellogg, 1906), originalmente registrada em Carduelis magellanica (Vieillot, 1805).

In this paper, we provide an updated diagnosis for Pseudopaludicola giarettai based on the morphometric and acoustic variation observed with the assessment of new populations, plus an expansion of its distribution range. Our results support that all acoustic variation observed might be attributed to intraspecific variation. The variation in body size and dorsal stripe patterns observed for Pseudopaludicola giarettai reinforces that the distinctive whistling advertisement call pattern is the most reliable evidence line to diagnose it from its congeners, whereas morphological (robust body, glandular dorsum) and morphometric (body size) features vary considerably within and among populations so that they should no longer be employed as diagnostic features of Pseudopaludicola giarettai.

The small passerine Cyclaris gujanensis can tear into small pieces large or heavy-bodied preys that could not be swallowed whole such as frogs, snakes, bats and birds. However there are few studies on the cranial anatomy of this species. Thus, we focused on the description of the cranial osteology to contribute to the anatomical knowledge of this species and to make some assumptions about functional anatomy. The fossa temporalis is shallow but broad and the fossa of os palatinum is deepened. The os quadratum processes are long and thick. The os pterygoideum is enlarged and the upper jaw is strongly inclined ventrally (140°) with reference to the skull. The rostral extremity of rhamphotheca is hooked with ventral concavity to fit the mandible (pincer form). The mandible fossae are deepened and broad and its bulky medial process probably provides mandible stability and strong support to the muscles attached on it. All these peculiar characteristics probably indicate a considerable force in the C. gujanensis jaws and partially explain its distinctive feeding habit compared with the other Vireonidae. Nevertheless, new studies with functional approaches to analysis the forces of the muscle fibers and the cranial kinesis are needed to prove the hypotheses mentioned above.

En el presente estudio a partir de 107 egagrópilas de la lechuza, determinamos el consumo de 300 presas agrupadas en 21 especies, las egagrópilas fueron colectadas en dos localidades de diferente ambiente Los Santiagos y La Ciénaga, en las provincias de Chimborazo y Manabí, al occidente de Ecuador. Nuestros análisis revelaron una dieta compuesta mayoritariamente de mamíferos pequeños, sobre todo roedores, quienes constituyeron el 80%. Entre las presas más abundantes se encontró a Oligoryzomys sp. que representó el 38.7% de la dieta en las muestras de Los Santiagos y Sigmodon peruanus 33.6% en La Ciénaga, siendo el 22,5% y 41% respectivamente de la biomasa total consumida para cada sitio. La rata cangrejera Ichthyomys hydrobates es reportada por primera vez en la dieta de la lechuza y también en la localidad de Los Santiagos, ampliando el rango distribucional de este roedor para el centro-sur al occidente de Ecuador en aproximadamente 200 km.

Micronycteris is divided into four subgenera, Micronycteris, Leuconycteris, Xenoctenes, and Schizonycteris. The latter includes Micronycteris (Schizonycteris) minuta, Micronycteris (S.) schmidtorum, Micronycteris (S.) sanborni and Micronycteris (S.) yatesi. Little is known of the biology of M. (S.) sanborni, which is widely distributed in the dry forests of South America, but is known from only few sites. The scarcity of records of M. sanborni appears to be at least partly related to the difficulty of differentiating this species from the other members of the subgenus Schizonycteris. The present study identifies the key traits that distinguish this species from other Schizonycteris, reviews the geographic distribution of the species, and presents some notes on breeding patterns. Six new localities are presented for M. sanborni, and are analyzed together with those available in the literature, providing new insights into ecological and zoogeographic patterns. A number of the diagnostic features established by Simmons (1996) in the description of M. sanborni proved to have little taxonomic value, especially for the differentiation of M. minuta and M. yatesi, which it closely resembles. The primary external difference is the pure white color of the ventral pelage and the proportion of the white base (2/3-4/5) of the dorsal hair in M. sanborni, in contrast with dirty white or pale gray and a much shorter white base of the dorsal hair in the other species. A number of cranial traits are also important. The distributional data now indicate that M. sanborni occurs mainly in mesic and open areas, including disturbed habitats, in the Caatinga scrublands and the Cerrado savannas of northeastern Brazil, especially in areas with rocky outcrops. Micronycteris sanborni appears to be monoestrous, with births coinciding with the rainy season.

Lepidocolaptes angustirostris habita principalmente regiões abertas como a Caatinga, o Cerrado e o Chaco. Oito subespécies são atualmente reconhecidas, baseadas em padrões da plumagem e distribuição geográfica. Uma análise morfológica e uma revisão taxonômica nunca foram realizadas nesta espécie. O objetivo deste estudo é desenvolver uma revisão taxonômica de L. angustirostris utiliazndo caracteres morfométricos e de plumagem, e análises de modelagem (GLM) foram feitas para identificar variáveis ambientais que possam explicar esta variação. Os resultados indicam que as diferentes populações de L. angustirostris que habitam as áreas abertas da Caatinga, Cerrado e Chaco (mais as populações amazônicas) não têm um nível significativo de diferenciação mofológica e nem de plumagem para serem consideradas como táxons válidos. Nas análises do GLM, duas variáveis climáticas explicaram a variação geográfica no táxon, a sazonalidade térmica e a precipitação no trimestre mais quente. As leis ecogeográficas de Bergmann e Gloger podem ser aplicadas para explicar esta variação, assim como a lei de Allen, esta de forma mais restrita. Assim, as populações do arapaçu-do-cerrado tendem a ser maiores ao sul da distribuição. A proposta apresentada aqui é de manter o status taxonômico de L. angustirostris como uma espécie única, sem qualquer outro táxon subordinado. Apesar do polimorfismo identificado nos padrões da plumagem, o elevado nível de intergradação e a baixa resolução dos limites geográficos entre as populações não suportam a divisão deste táxon.

The present study deals with Brazilian material of four sponge-dwelling species of the pontoniine shrimp genus Typton Costa, 1844: T. distinctus Chace, 1972, T. fapespae Almeida, Anker & Mantelatto, 2014, T. prionurus Holthuis, 1951, and T. vulcanus Holthuis, 1951. Typton distinctus and T. fapespae are recorded for the first time from Rio de Janeiro, representing a significant southward range extension for the former species (previously known only from Pernambuco) and a slight northward extension for the latter species (previously known only from São Paulo). Typton prionurus and T. vulcanus are recorded for the first time from Bahia. The former species was previously known from Brazil based on a single questionable record from the coast of Pará, whereas the latter species is recorded from Brazil and the southwestern Atlantic for the first time. Illustrations are provided for T. prionurus and T. vulcanus.

ABSTRACTNew fossil specimens of amphibians and reptiles found in several localities of the Cerro Azul Formation (Upper Miocene) from La Pampa province are described. The new records include a fragmentary skull remain assigned to the frog genusCeratophrys, carapace fragments of the tortoise genusChelonoidis, vertebrae referred to the lizardTupinambis, and a trunk vertebra of a colubroid snake compared with the living colubroid genusPhilodryas. Previous Tertiary records of genera of amphibians and reptiles, as well as the studied assemblage from the Upper Miocene of La Pampa, indicate that almost the modern genera that conform the Neotropical herpetofauna were well in progress by the Miocene, a similar pattern observed in other parts of the world.

RESUMOO presente catálogo apresenta uma lista dos espécimes tipo de abelhas (Hymenoptera, Apidaes.l.) depositados no Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil (MZSP). A coleção de Hymenoptera do MZSP representa uma das mais importantes coleções para a fauna brasileira e Neotropical, incluindo um número relativamente grande de tipos e táxons representados. A coleção de Apidae abriga um total de 473 espécimes-tipo (101 holótipos, 30 lectótipos, 190 parátipos, 34 paralectótipos e 119 síntipos) pertencentes a 257 espécies classificadas em 88 gêneros, 22 tribos e cinco subfamílias (Andreninae, Apinae, Colletinae, Halictinae, e Megachilinae). São apresentadas as informações das etiquetas, informações adicionais a partir dos registros do MZSP e da literatura publicada, e cometários taxônomicos. Fotografias em alta resolução dos holótipos e lectótipos estão disponibilizadas digitalmente através de links para o Specimage (banco de dados de imagens da Ohio State University).

ABSTRACTSpecies of Cerambycidae were inventoried in an area of Caatinga (dryland) vegetation in the municipality of Aracatu, Bahia State, Brazil, between August/2012 and July/2013. The insects were collected using light traps, active searches, and white cloth trapping. A total of 716 specimens of Cerambycidae were collected; 665 of them were identified as belonging to 107 species, 84 genera, 30 tribes, and 3 subfamilies. The speciesPhaedinus carbonelli Monné, 1999,Lepturges (Lepturges) fasciculatoides Gilmour, 1962,Hoplistonychus bondari Melzer, 1930,Ataxia arenaria Martins & Galileo, 2013 were new records for Bahia;Nesozineus obscurus Hoffmann, 1984 is new record for Brazil. The subfamily Cerambycinae demonstrated the greatest richness, with 56 species. These results contribute to our knowledge of the Cerambycidae fauna of Brazil.

RESUMOUma sinonímia esquecida entreStenocorus vittatus Fabricius, 1801 eCerambyx globosus Olivier, 1795 (=Xystrocera globosa) é corroborada. Consequentemente, a primeira é removida deAlloesia Chevrolat, 1862 e formalmente excluída da fauna brasileira.

RESUMO Stenostomum são pequenos vermes que vivem em água doce e normalmente se reproduzem assexualmente por paratomia. Eles estão na base da filogenia dos platelmintes. Por mais de um século, espécies desse gênero, especialmente S. leucops, vêm sendo empregadas em estudos biológicos, principalmente sobre regeneração. Entretanto, alguns aspectos básicos da biologia destes vermes são ainda pobremente conhecidos. Neste estudo, caracterizamos uma linhagem que vem sendo mantida no laboratório por cinco anos. O tempo necessário para reprodução assexuada e completa formação de zoóides, a 28°C, é de aproximadamente 42,5 horas. O número de células nos zoóides, logo após a paratomia, é de aproximadamente 2.500. O número de zoóides presentes nos vermes é uma característica variável e depende das condições de cultivo. Em alguns procedimentos de cultivo de S. leucops, apenas cadeias com dois zoóides são formadas. No entanto, em outras condições de cultivo, cadeias de até cinco zoóides podem ser observadas. Análise filogenética empregando sequência do gene de Citocromo C Oxidase (COI) mostrou que S. leucops e S. grande constituem um complexo de espécies cujas linhagens mostram altas divergências intraespecíficas.

Este trabalho fez uma análise bibliométrica da repercussão internacional do livro "Studies on termites from the Mato Grosso State, Brazil", de AGA Mathews (1977). O número de citações aumentou ao longo dos anos após a primeira citação. O livro de Mathews foi citado em artigos e revisões, teses e dissertações, livros e capítulos, resumos em anais de eventos e notas científicas. A maioria destes trabalhos é empírico e descritivo. Os estudos foram realizados em 35 países das regiões Neotropical, Paleártica, Afrotropical, Neártica, Australásia e Indomalaia. Entretanto, 55% dos trabalhos foram realizados no Brasil. As revistas Sociobiology e Insectes Sociaux, cujo escopo é publicar pesquisas sobre insetos sociais, apresentam o maior número de artigos que citaram Mathews. A maioria dos 71 autores que citaram Mathews mais de duas vezes é brasileiro. Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Silvestri) foi a espécie mais estudada em 80% dos trabalhos que abordaram Isoptera. As palavras-chave mais frequentes (termite, Isoptera, taxonomy), são termos generalistas que foram associadas à maioria dos países. A maioria das pesquisas foi executada em laboratórios e em áreas de vegetação nativa. Estudos em agroecossistemas foram realizados predominantemente no Brasil. Este estudo mostra a diversidade de aplicações (citações) do livro Mathews, e que o número de citações tende a aumentar devido à grande quantidade de informações apresentadas pelo autor.

This study provides data on the morphological characteristics of second and third larval instar from Dynastes hercules occidentallis Lachaume, 1985 (Coleoptera, Melolonthindae, Dynastynae), bred in captivity, a species highly manageable potential from the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador. Chaetotaxy, mouthparts, internal and external structures of each tagma, weight, height, etc., are analyzed to produce a detailed characterization that allows precise differentiation of larval stages.

Bahuaja Sonene National Park protects the unique sample of subtropical humid savannas in Peru, which are known as “Pampas del Heath” with 6,136 hectares of area. Many endangered species and/or endemic from savannas occur there, however studies about the diversity of mammals in Pampas del Heath are limited and only three assessments there have been carried out since mid‑1970s. Therefore we surveyed mammals in three habitat types of the Pampas del Heath (savanna, ecotonal area and forest) during late 2011. We used several methods of record for the different mammal groups including 1) capture techniques with mist nets, snap traps, Sherman traps, Tomahawk traps and pitfall traps, 2) and detection techniques direct by means of camera traps, visualization of mammals during long walk, observation of tracks and interviews to local people. Total capture efforts totalized 6,033 trap/nights, 136 mist-net/nights and 108 cameras/nights. Sixty-nine species of mammals were recorded: 33 in savanna, 33 in ecotonal area and 38 in forest. Sixteen species are new records for the Pampas del Heath and three are new records from Peru (Cryptonanus unduaviensis, Rhogeessa hussoni and Rhogeessa io). Analyses on the sampling effort, relative density, diversity and community structure of small mammals were made for the three habitats types. Moreover eight species are Threatened and 24 are listed in CITES. The new records here presented elevated the previous known mammal species richness in Peru from 538 to 541, and show the importance to conduct inventories to describe the biodiversity in remote areas, like the Pampas del Heath.

Land planarians (Platyhelminthes) are likely important components of the soil cryptofauna, although relevant aspects of their ecology such as their density remain largely unstudied. We investigated absolute and relative densities of flatworms in three patches of secondary Brazilian Atlantic rainforest in an urban environment. Two methods of sampling were carried out, one consisting of 90 hours of active search in delimited plots covering 6,000 m² over a year, and the other consisting of leaf litter extraction from a 60 m² soil area, totaling 480‑600 l leaf litter. We found 288 specimens of 16 species belonging to the genera Geobia, Geoplana, Issoca, Luteostriata, Obama, Paraba, Pasipha, Rhynchodemus, Xerapoa, and the exotic species Bipalium kewense and Dolichoplana striata. Specimens up to 10 mm long were mostly sampled only with the leaf litter extraction method. Absolute densities, calculated from data obtained with leaf litter extraction, ranged between 1.25 and 2.10 individuals m‑². These values are 30 to 161 times higher than relative densities, calculated from data obtained by active search. Since most common sampling method used in land planarian studies on species composition and faunal inventories is active search for a few hours in a locality, our results suggest that small species might be overlooked. It remains to be tested whether similar densities of this cryptofauna are also found in primary forests.

Feeding relationships of birds with mammals are diverse and range from using mammals as hunting perches to feeding on their carcasses. We studied the natural history of associations between birds and capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) at an urban recreational park and focused on three main questions: (1) How many and what are the bird species that associate with capybaras? (2) What resources used by the birds are provided by capybaras? (3) What are the behaviours of birds and capybaras during the different associations? Additionally, we summarised the associations of birds with capybaras recorded to date, which include commensal, mutualistic and semi parasitic relationships. We recorded 10 bird species (mostly non-passerines) associated with capybaras. The birds used the capybaras as: (a) hunting perches; (b) beaters that flushed arthropods and fish; (c) attractors of flies; (d) sources of organic particles, external parasites, blood, diseased tissue, and carcasses. Birds and capybaras interacted mostly when the former picked ticks, or fed on blood and diseased tissue. When the birds picked ticks, the capybaras adopted poses that allowed the birds to reach body parts otherwise inaccessible. However, when the birds pecked at wounds to take blood or diseased tissue, the mammals tried to discourage the birds with avoidance movements of the body or head, and sometimes retreated. When the birds used the capybaras as perches or attractors, the mammals seemed oblivious to the birds’ presence. Twenty-one bird species are presently reported to associate with capybaras. Thus, the numbers we found in the urban and restricted study site are remarkable, and our findings strengthens the importance of so-called green areas to harbour the remaining wildlife in our increasingly anthropised environment.

In this study we present the results of inventory efforts of non-volant mammals in Sangay National Park (SNP), one of the least studied regions of Ecuador. We conducted inventories at 9 locations between December 2010 and June 2015 along a gradient of elevations between 1.300 and 3.650 m. To document the presence of non-volant mammals we used capture techniques (Sherman, Tomahawk, and pitfall traps) and direct and indirect detection techniques (track and sign surveys, interviews). The trap effort consisted of 5.730 trap/nights. We detected 86 species in the study area of which rodents were the most diverse group with 36 species (41.8%). The small mammals Chilomys instans, Neusticomys vossi, Ichthyomys cf. stolzmanni, Thomasomys fumeus, Dactilomys dactylinus and Echimys saturnus, the marsupial Marmosa rubra were detected in the SNP for the first time. The shrew-opossum Caenolestes sangay, shrew Cryptotis montivaga and rodents Phyllotis haggardi, Thomasomys fumeus, T. hutsoni, T. cf silvestris, Rhipidomys sp. nov., y Cavia patzelti are endemic species that speak to the biogeographic importance of SNP. Our results with additions from other published studies indicate the presence of 103 species of non-volant mammal, positioning it as the most diverse natural area in the Andes of Ecuador, and as the second most diverse of the tropical Andes.