Sylvatic Mosquito Viromes in the Cerrado Biome of Minas Gerais, Brazil: Discovery of New Viruses and Implications for Arbovirus Transmission.

Studies on animal virome have mainly concentrated on chordates and medically significant invertebrates, often overlooking sylvatic mosquitoes, constituting a major part of mosquito species diversity. Despite their potential role in arbovirus transmission, the viromes of sylvatic mosquitoes remain largely unexplored. These mosquitoes may also harbor insect-specific viruses (ISVs), affecting arboviral transmission dynamics. The Cerrado biome, known for rapid deforestation and its status as a biodiversity hotspot, offers an ideal setting for investigating mosquito viromes due to potential zoonotic spillover risks from land use changes. This study aimed to characterize the viromes of sylvatic mosquitoes collected from various locations within Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The total RNA was extracted from mosquito pools of Psorophora albipes, Sabethes albiprivus, Sa. chloropterus, Psorophora ferox, and Coquillettidia venezuelensis species, followed by high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Bioinformatic analysis included quality control, contig assembly, and viral detection. Sequencing data analysis revealed 11 near-complete viral genomes (new viruses are indicated with asterisks) across seven viral families and one unassigned genus. These included: Xinmoviridae (Ferox mosquito mononega-like virus* and Albipes mosquito Gordis-like virus*), Phasmaviridae (Sabethes albiprivus phasmavirus*), Lispiviridae (Pedras lispivirus variant MG), Iflaviridae (Sabethes albiprivus iflavivirus*), Virgaviridae (Buriti virga-like virus variant MG and Sabethes albiprivus virgavirus 1*), Flaviviridae (Psorophora ferox flavivirus*), Mesoniviridae (Alphamesonivirus cavallyense variant MG), and the genus Negevirus (Biggie virus variant MG virus and Coquillettidia venezuelensis negevirus*). Moreover, the presence of ISVs and potential novel arboviruses underscores the need for ongoing surveillance and control strategies to mitigate the risk of emerging infectious diseases.

Redescription of the enigmatic myriapod Hanseniellachilensis (Hansen, 1903) (Symphyla, Scutigerellidae) based on scanning electron microscope images of Chilean specimens.

Hanseniellachilensis is the only myriapod of the class Symphyla known from Chile. This garden centipede, or pseudocentipede, was described more than 120 years ago based on morphologically incomplete specimens collected in central Chile, a well-known biodiversity hotspot. In this study, we redescribe this species based on morphologically complete specimens collected near the type locality using scanning electron microscope images. Our study provides the description of diagnostic characters hitherto unknown in this species such as macrochaetae of the tergites and spinnerets of the cerci. We also include a new record from central Chile and discuss the presumed presence of this species in Argentina and Madagascar.

Genetic Diversity in Natural Populations of the Near-Threatened Species Lignobrycon myersi (Characiformes, Triportheidae): Implications for Species Conservation.

The river basins of Brazil contain a highly diverse ichthyofauna of remarkable endemism, including several threatened species. Accordingly, Lignobrycon myersi is a fish species distributed only in a few rivers from the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. Since this species is classified as Near Threatened and is poorly studied, efforts to understand the genetic structure of populations and putative cryptic forms should help define efficient strategies of management and conservation. Herein, the molecular identification and the population genetic diversity of specimens of L. myersi across their range (Almada, Contas, and Cachoeira river basins) were assessed using mitochondrial markers (16S rDNA and D-Loop, respectively). The inferences based on phylogenetics, genetic distance, and species delimitation methods invariably identified all samples as L. myersi. In addition, sequencing of D-loop fragments revealed significant haplotype diversity and a considerable level of population genetic structure. Despite their geographic isolation, these data suggested that populations from Almada and Contas rivers represent a single evolutionary lineage that could be managed as a whole. In contrast, the population from Cachoeira River was highly differentiated from the others and should be managed separately as a unique and endemic unit, particularly focused on the conservation of native habitats.

New patterns of the tree beta diversity and its determinants in the largest savanna and wetland biomes of South America.

Clear and data-driven bioregionalizations can provide a framework to test hypotheses and base biodiversity conservation. Here we used occurrence and abundance data in combination with objective analytical methods to propose two bioregionalization schemes for tree species of the Cerrado and the Pantanal in South America. We also evaluated the contribution of three sets of determinants of the occurrence- and abundance-based subregions. We compiled data on tree species composition from 894 local assemblages based on species occurrences, and from 658 local assemblages based on species abundances. We used an unconstrained community-level modelling approach and clustering techniques to identify and map tree subregions for the occurrence and the abundance data sets, separately. Hierarchical clustering analyses were conducted to investigate floristic affinities between the subregions and to map broader floristic regions. We used multinomial logistic regression models, deviance partitioning, and rank-sum tests to assess the main subregion correlates. We identified 18 occurrence- and four abundance-based subregions in the Cerrado-Pantanal. The hierarchical classifications grouped the occurrence-based subregions into nine floristic zones and abundance-based subregions into two broad floristic zones. Variation in subregions were explained mainly by environmental factors and spatial structure in both occurrence and abundance data sets. The occurrence- and abundance-based subregions are complementary approaches to disentangle macroecological patterns and to plan conservation efforts in the Cerrado and the Pantanal. Our findings based on occurrence data revealed more complex and interdigitated boundaries between subregions of tree species than previously reported. The environment, historical stability, and human effects act in a synergetic way on the distribution of the subregions. Finally, the relevance of contemporary environmental factors to the subregion patterns we found alert us to the profound impact global warming may have on the spatial organization of the Cerrado-Pantanal tree flora.

Invasive Plant Species Driving the Biotic Homogenization of Plant-Frugivore Interactions in the Atlantic Forest Biodiversity Hotspot.

Although biological invasions are a common and intensively studied phenomenon, most studies often ignore the biotic interactions that invasive species play in the environment. Here, we evaluated how and why invasive plant species are interconnected within the overall frugivory network of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, an important global biodiversity hotspot. To do this, we used the recently published Atlantic Frugivory Dataset to build a meta-network (i.e., a general network made of several local networks) that included interactions between 703 native and invasive plant species and 331 frugivore species. Using tools derived from complex network theory and a bootstrap simulation approach, we found that the general structure of the Atlantic Forest frugivory network (i.e., nestedness and modularity) is robust against the entry of invasive plant species. However, we observed that invasive plant species are highly integrated within the frugivory networks, since both native and invasive plant species play similar structural roles (i.e., plant status is not strong enough to explain the interactive roles of plant species). Moreover, we found that plants with smaller fruits and with greater lipid content play a greater interactive role, regardless of their native or invasive status. Our findings highlight the biotic homogenization involving plant-frugivore interactions in the Atlantic Forest and that the impacts and consequences of invasive plant species on native fauna can be anticipated based on the characteristics of their fruits.

Landscape factors and allochthonous congeneric species influence Callithrix aurita occurrence in Brazilian Atlantic Forest remnants.

The buffy-tufted-ear marmoset (Callithrix aurita) is a small primate endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome, and one of the 25 most endangered primates in the world, due to fragmentation, loss of habitat, and invasion by allochthonous Callithrix species. Using occurrence data for C. aurita from published data papers, we employed model selection using Akaike Information Criterion corrected for small samples and cumulative AICc weight (w +) to evaluate whether fragment size, distance to fragments with allochthonous species, altitude, connectivity, and surrounding matrices influence the occurrence of C. aurita within its distributional range. Distance to fragments with C. jacchus (w + = 0.94) and nonvegetated areas (w + = 0.59) correlated negatively with C. aurita occurrence. Conversely, the percentage of agriculture and pasture mosaic (w + = 0.61) and the percentage of savanna formation (w + = 0.59) in the surrounding matrix correlated positively with C. aurita occurrence. The findings indicate that C. aurita is isolated in forest fragments surrounded by potentially inhospitable matrices, along with proximity of a more generalist and invasive species, thereby increasing the possibility of introgressive hybridization. The findings also highlighted the importance of landscape elements and allochthonous congeneric species for C. aurita conservation, besides indicating urgency for allochthonous species management. Finally, the approach used here can be applied to improve conservation studies of other endangered species, such as C. flaviceps, which is also endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and faces the same challenges.

First national assessment of wildlife mortality in Ecuador: An effort from citizens and academia to collect roadkill data at country scale.

Ecuador has both high richness and high endemism, which are increasingly threatened by anthropic pressures, including roads. Research evaluating the effects of roads remains scarce, making it difficult to develop mitigation plans. Here, we present the first national assessment of wildlife mortality on roads that allow us to (1) estimate roadkill rates per species, (2) identify affected species and areas, and (3) reveal knowledge gaps. We bring together data from systematic surveys and citizen science efforts to present a dataset with 5010 wildlife roadkill records from 392 species, and we also provide 333 standardized corrected roadkill rates calculated on 242 species. Systematic surveys were reported by ten studies from five Ecuadorian provinces, revealing 242 species with corrected roadkill rates ranging from 0.03 to 171.72 ind./km/year. The highest rates were for the yellow warbler Setophaga petechia in Galapagos (171.72 ind./km/year), the cane toad Rhinella marina in Manabi (110.70 ind./km/year), and the Galapagos lava lizard Microlophus albemarlensis (47.17 ind./km/year). Citizen science and other nonsystematic monitoring provided 1705 roadkill records representing all 24 provinces in Ecuador and 262 identified species. The common opossum Didelphis marsupialis, the Andean white-eared opossum Didelphis pernigra, and the yellow warbler Setophaga petechia were more commonly reported (250, 104, and 81 individuals, respectively). Across all sources, we found 15 species listed as "Threatened" and six as "Data Deficient" by the IUCN. We recommend stronger research efforts in areas where the mortality of endemic or threatened species could be critical for populations, such as in Galapagos. This first country-wide assessment of wildlife mortality on Ecuadorian roads represents contributions from academia, members of the public, and government, underlining the value of wider engagement and collaboration. We hope these findings and the compiled dataset will guide sensible driving and sustainable planning of infrastructure in Ecuador and, ultimately, contribute to reduce wildlife mortality on roads.

Ecuador tiene gran riqueza y alto endemismo de especies, mismas que están amenazadas por presiones antrópicas como las carreteras. Sin embargo, la investigación en este campo es escasa, dificultando el desarrollo de planes de mitigación. Presentamos la primera evaluación nacional de mortalidad de fauna silvestre en carreteras que nos permite 1) estimar tasas de atropellamiento por especies, 2) identificar especies y áreas afectadas, y 3) revelar vacíos de información. Compilamos datos de estudios sistemáticos y esfuerzos de ciencia ciudadana en Ecuador para presentar una base de datos que comprende 5010 registros de atropellamientos correspondientes a 392 especies, también proveemos 333 tasas de atropellamiento estandarizadas para 242 especies. Monitoreos sistemáticos fueron reportados por diez estudios de cinco provincias del Ecuador, revelando 242 especies con una tasa de mortalidad que varía entre 0.03 y 171.72 ind./km/año. Las tasas de atropellamiento más altas correspondieron a la reinita amarilla Setophaga petechia en Galápagos (171.72 ind./km/año), el sapo de la caña Rhinella marina in Manabí (110.70 ind./km/año), y la lagartija de lava de Galápagos Microlophus albemarlensis (47.17 ind./km/año). La ciencia ciudadana y monitoreos no sistemáticos proporcionaron 1705 registros representando a las 24 provincias de Ecuador y a 262 especies identificadas. La zarigüeya común Didelphis marsupialis, la zarigüeya orejiblanca andina Didelphis pernigra y la reinita amarilla Setophaga petechia fueron las más reportadas (250, 104 y 81 individuos respectivamente). Considerando todas las fuentes de datos encontramos 15 especies clasificadas como amenazadas y seis como datos insuficientes por la UICN. Recomendamos mayores esfuerzos de investigación en áreas donde la mortalidad de especies endémicas o amenazadas puede ser crítica para las poblaciones, como en Galápagos. Esta primera evaluación de mortalidad silvestre en carreteras ecuatorianas representa contribuciones de varios sectores, incluidos la academia, ciudadanía y el gobierno, resaltando el valor de una mayor participación y colaboración. Esperamos que estos hallazgos y la base de datos guíen la planificación sostenible de infraestructuras viales en Ecuador y contribuyan a reducir la mortalidad animal en las carreteras por medio de una conducción vehicular más cautelosa.

NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES: A dataset of occurrence and abundance of freshwater fishes in the Neotropics.

The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data. The number of species for the most numerous orders are as follows: Characiformes (1289), Siluriformes (1384), Cichliformes (354), Cyprinodontiformes (245), and Gymnotiformes (135). The most recorded species was the characid Astyanax fasciatus (4696 records). We registered 116,802 distribution records for native species, compared to 1802 distribution records for nonnative species. The main aim of the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set was to make these occurrence and abundance data accessible for international researchers to develop ecological and macroecological studies, from local to regional scales, with focal fish species, families, or orders. We anticipate that the NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set will be valuable for studies on a wide range of ecological processes, such as trophic cascades, fishery pressure, the effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, and the impacts of species invasion and climate change. There are no copyright restrictions on the data, and please cite this data paper when using the data in publications.

Evolutionary history of marginal habitats regulates the diversity of tree communities in the Atlantic Forest.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot is a complex mosaic of habitat types. However, the diversity of the rain forest at the core of this complex has received far more attention than that of its marginal habitats, such as cloud forest, semi-deciduous forest or restinga. Here, we investigate broad-scale angiosperm tree diversity patterns along elevation gradients in the south-east Atlantic Forest and test if the diversity of marginal habitats is shaped from the neighbouring rain forest, as commonly thought. METHODS: We calculated phylogenetic indices that capture basal [mean pairwise phylogenetic distance (MPD)] and terminal [mean nearest taxon distance (MNTD)] phylogenetic variation, phylogenetic endemism (PE) and taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity (BD and PBD) for 2074 angiosperm tree species distributed in 108 circular sites of 10 km diameter across four habitat types i.e. rain forest, cloud forest, semi-deciduous forest and coastal vegetation known as restinga. We then related these metrics to elevation and environmental variables. KEY RESULTS: Communities in wetter and colder forests show basal phylogenetic overdispersion and short phylogenetic distances towards the tips, respectively. In contrast, communities associated with water deficit and salinity show basal phylogenetic clustering and no phylogenetic structure toward the tips. Unexpectedly, rain forest shows low PE given its species richness, whereas cloud and semi-deciduous forests show unusually high PE. The BD and PBD between most habitat types are driven by the turnover of species and lineages, except for restinga. CONCLUSIONS: Our results contradict the idea that all marginal habitat types of the Atlantic Forest are sub-sets of the rain forest. We show that marginal habitat types have different evolutionary histories and may act as 'equilibrium zones for biodiversity' in the Atlantic Forest, generating new species or conserving others. Overall, our results add evolutionary insights that reinforce the urgency of encompassing all habitat types in the Atlantic Forest concept.

Density and habitat use of one of the last jaguar populations of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Is there still hope?

The jaguar (Panthera onca) plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity and ecological processes. We evaluated the status of a jaguar population in one of the last stronghold habitats for its conservation in the Atlantic Forest, the Rio Doce State Park (RDSP). We used a random survey design from 2016/17 to estimate jaguar abundance and density as well as its occupancy and detection probabilities in the entire Park's area. To monitor for temporal fluctuations in density and abundance, we used a systematic survey design in the southern portion of the Park where jaguars were more recorded when using the random approach. We then conducted two surveys in 2017/18 and 2020. Our 2016/17 random survey revealed that jaguar density (0.11 ± SE 0.28 individuals/100 km2) was the lowest obtained for the species across the Atlantic Forest. We noticed that jaguar density increased three times from 2017/18 (0.55 ± SE 0.45 individuals/100 km2) to 2020 (1.61 ± SE 0.6 individuals/100 km2). Jaguar occupancy and detection probability were 0.40 and 0.08, respectively. The low jaguar occupancy probability was positively associated with smaller distances from lakes and records of potential prey. The detection probability was positively associated with prey detection, the rainy season, and smaller distances from lakes. Our work contributes to a growing awareness of the potential conservation value of a protected area in a human-dominated landscape as one of the last strongholds for jaguars across the Atlantic Forest.

New Species and Conservation Status of the Genus Group Scotussae (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the Atlantic Forest.

Two new brachypterous species of the genus Scotussa, with restricted distributions, are described for one of the most important and greatly threatened biodiversity hotspots, the Atlantic Forest. These species belong to the genus group Scotussae, a diverse group regarding mobility and oviposition habits. It has been mentioned that these characteristics could lead to restrictions in the species distribution. Based on these antecedents and considering the importance of biodiversity conservation within the Atlantic Forest, we performed novel conservation indices for this group. The rapid assessment indices calculated herein are based upon Red List status, endemism, dispersal capacity, and life-history traits that allowed us to identify areas for conservation for this group of grasshoppers. For a better understanding of the conservation status of the group, the results of the indices were compared with protected areas and Key Biodiversity Areas. Moreover, historical biome stability was also considered since it has been associated with different distributional and diversification patterns within the genus group Scotussae. The approach applied indicates that the indices recovered different but complementary information. The Grasshopper Biotic Index (GBI) determined important regions for conservation within the richest region of the group while the GBI/SiteScore located regions with lower diversity values for the group but with high importance regarding endemisms.

ATLANTIC ANTS: a data set of ants in Atlantic Forests of South America.

Ants, an ecologically successful and numerically dominant group of animals, play key ecological roles as soil engineers, predators, nutrient recyclers, and regulators of plant growth and reproduction in most terrestrial ecosystems. Further, ants are widely used as bioindicators of the ecological impact of land use. We gathered information of ant species in the Atlantic Forest of South America. The ATLANTIC ANTS data set, which is part of the ATLANTIC SERIES data papers, is a compilation of ant records from collections (18,713 records), unpublished data (29,651 records), and published sources (106,910 records; 1,059 references), including papers, theses, dissertations, and book chapters published from 1886 to 2020. In total, the data set contains 153,818 ant records from 7,636 study locations in the Atlantic Forest, representing 10 subfamilies, 99 genera, 1,114 ant species identified with updated taxonomic certainty, and 2,235 morphospecies codes. Our data set reflects the heterogeneity in ant records, which include ants sampled at the beginning of the taxonomic history of myrmecology (the 19th and 20th centuries) and more recent ant surveys designed to address specific questions in ecology and biology. The data set can be used by researchers to develop strategies to deal with different macroecological and region-wide questions, focusing on assemblages, species occurrences, and distribution patterns. Furthermore, the data can be used to assess the consequences of changes in land use in the Atlantic Forest on different ecological processes. No copyright restrictions apply to the use of this data set, but we request that authors cite this data paper when using these data in publications or teaching events.

Factors influencing the habitat use by ocelots in one of the last large Atlantic Forest remnants in southeastern Brazil.

Ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) are widely distributed throughout the Americas, being dependent on forested areas to survive. Although ocelot ecology is broadly studied throughout the species range distribution, studies concerning factors that may affect ocelot occupancy in the Atlantic Forest are still scarce. We used camera traps to evaluate factors influencing the probabilities of detection and occupancy of ocelots in a protected area of the Atlantic Forest, the Rio Doce State Park (RDSP), southeastern Brazil. To assess ocelot occupancy and detection probabilities, we measured the distances between sampling stations and rivers, lakes, cities, pasture, and Eucalyptus plantations. In addition, we recorded the mean rainfall levels for each sampling occasion, and native grassland areas within a 500 m-buffer around each sampling station. We found a strong and positive association between ocelot detection and the dry season, which might be due to a higher number of individuals moving through the Park during this season. Moreover, we found a strong and positive association of ocelot detection with native grassland areas around lakes, which may be related to the ocelot behavior of searching for prey in these areas. Conversely, the ocelot occupancy probability was intermediate ( Ψ ^  = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.36-0.69) and was not strongly associated with the evaluated covariates, which may be explained by the high-quality of forest habitats and water resources that are homogeneously distributed within the Park. Our study indicates that the RDSP still provides a structurally suitable forest habitat for ocelots, but because of the current worrying scenario of over fragmentation, reduction of forest cover, and weakness of the protective legislation of this biome, the long-term persistence of the species in RDSP is uncertain.

Bird-friendly wine country through diversified vineyards.

Vinecology, the integration of ecological and viticultural practices, focuses on the working landscapes of the Mediterranean-climate biomes to make wine-grape production compatible with species conservation. We examined how maintaining remnant native vegetation and surrounding natural areas in and around vineyards, two primary practices of vinecology, may influence bird community richness and composition across a vineyard landscape. We conducted bird surveys over spring and summer (October-January) at 120 sites across a wine-grape growing region in central Chile. The sites were equally divided across vineyards with and without remnant native vegetation, and sites had varying amounts of adjacent natural land cover. We used generalized linear mixed models to examine individual species responses to remnant vegetation in the vineyard at plot scale (within a 50-m radius) in the surrounding natural area (within a 500-1000 m radius). We used the Horn similarity index to explore overall community differences to quantify variations in endemic species, guild detection levels, and species richness between site types. At the plot scale, 9 out of 30 species were positively associated with the proportion of remnant vegetation and 3 species were negatively associated. Six were positively influenced by the proportion of native vegetation in the surrounding landscape and 3 species were negatively associated with proportion of native vegetation. Although overall total detections and richness were significantly greater in continuous mixed Mediterranean forest, 84.9% of these species were also detected in forest remnants within vineyards. Endemics, insectivores, granivores, and omnivores were all more abundant in vineyards with remnant native vegetation than in vineyards without remnant native vegetation. Our results show the value of maintaining and restoring natural vegetation remnants in vineyards as a tool for bird conservation that can be applied in working landscapes of the New World Mediterranean climate regions.

Campos Vitivinícolas Amigables con las Aves mediante Viñedos Diversificados Resumen La vinecología, la integración de prácticas ecológicas y vinícolas, se enfoca en los paisajes productivos de los biomas pertenecientes al clima mediterráneo para lograr que la producción de uvas sea compatible con la conservación de especies. Analizamos cómo la conservación de la vegetación nativa remanente y las áreas naturales vecinas dentro y alrededor de los viñedos, dos prácticas primordiales de la vinecología, pueden influir sobre la riqueza y composición comunitaria de aves en todo un paisaje vinícola. Realizamos censos de aves durante la primavera y el verano (octubre - enero) en 120 sitios a través de una región en la que se cultivan uvas en la zona central de Chile. Los sitios estuvieron divididos de manera igualitaria en viñedos con y sin vegetación nativa remanente. Los sitios también tuvieron cantidades variables de cobertura natural de suelo adyacente. Usamos modelos lineales mixtos generalizados para examinar las respuestas individuales por especie a la vegetación remanente en el viñedo a escala de parcela (dentro de un radio de 50m) en el área natural vecina (dentro de un radio de 500-1000m). Usamos el índice de similitud de Horn para explorar las diferencias comunitarias generales para cuantificar las variaciones en las especies endémicas, los niveles de detección de gremios y la riqueza de especies entre los tipos de sitio. A escala de parcela, nueve de cada 30 especies estuvieron asociadas positivamente con la proporción de vegetación remanente y tres especies estuvieron asociadas negativamente. Seis especies fueron influenciadas positivamente por la proporción de la vegetación nativa en el paisaje vecino y tres especies estuvieron asociadas negativamente con la proporción de vegetación nativa. Aunque el total general de detecciones y de la riqueza fueron significativamente mayores en el bosque mediterráneo mixto continuo, el 84.9% de estas especies también fue detectada en los bosques remanentes dentro de los viñedos. Las especies endémicas, insectívoras, granívoras y omnívoras fueron más abundantes en los viñedos con vegetación nativa remanente que en los viñedos sin ésta. Nuestros resultados muestran la importancia de la conservación y restauración de los remanentes de vegetación nativa en los viñedos como herramientas para la conservación de aves que pueden ser aplicadas en paisajes funcionales en las regiones con clima mediterráneo del Nuevo Mundo.

Land-use changes affect the functional structure of stream fish assemblages in the Brazilian Savanna

We investigated the mechanisms involved in the relationship between land-use changes and aquatic biodiversity, using stream fish assemblages of the Brazilian Savanna (i.e., Cerrado) as a study model. We tested the prediction that landscape degradation would decrease environmental heterogeneity and change predominant physical-habitat types, which in turn would decrease the functional diversity and alter the functional identity of fish assemblages. We sampled fish from 40 streams in the Upper Paraná River basin, and assessed catchment and instream conditions. We then conducted an ecomorphological analysis to functionally characterize all species (36) and quantify different facets of the functional structure of assemblages. We detected multiple pathways of the impacts from landscape changes on the fish assemblages. Catchment degradation reduced the stream-bed complexity and the heterogeneity of canopy shading, decreasing assemblage functional specialization and divergence. Landscape changes also reduced the water volume and the amount of large rocks in streams, resulting in decreased abundances of species with large bodies and with morphological traits that favor swimming in the water column. We conclude that land-use intensification caused significant changes in aquatic biodiversity in the Cerrado, reinforcing the need to pay special attention to this global hotspot.(AU)

Investigamos os mecanismos envolvidos na relação entre mudanças de uso da terra e biodiversidade aquática, utilizando a ictiofauna de riachos do Cerrado como modelo de estudo. Testamos a predição de que a degradação da paisagem reduz a heterogeneidade ambiental e muda os tipos predominantes de habitat, por sua vez, diminuindo a diversidade e alterando a identidade funcional de comunidades de peixes. Amostramos 40 riachos da bacia do Alto Rio Paraná, e avaliamos as condições da drenagem e do habitat físico local. Em seguida, conduzimos uma análise ecomorfológica para caracterizar funcionalmente todas as espécies (36) e quantificar diferentes facetas da estrutura funcional das comunidades. Detectamos múltiplos caminhos de impacto das alterações da paisagem sobre a ictiofauna. A degradação das bacias de drenagem reduziu complexidade do leito e heterogeneidade no sombreamento pelo dossel, diminuindo especialização e divergência funcional das comunidades. Alterações na paisagem também reduziram volume de água e quantidade de pedras grandes nos riachos, resultando em diminuição na abundância de espécies de maior porte e com atributos morfológicos que favorecem a natação na coluna d'água. Concluímos que a intensificação dos usos da terra causa alterações significativas para a biodiversidade aquática no Cerrado, reforçando a necessidade de especial atenção a este hotspot global.(AU)

Land-use changes affect the functional structure of stream fish assemblages in the Brazilian Savanna

We investigated the mechanisms involved in the relationship between land-use changes and aquatic biodiversity, using stream fish assemblages of the Brazilian Savanna (i.e., Cerrado) as a study model. We tested the prediction that landscape degradation would decrease environmental heterogeneity and change predominant physical-habitat types, which in turn would decrease the functional diversity and alter the functional identity of fish assemblages. We sampled fish from 40 streams in the Upper Paraná River basin, and assessed catchment and instream conditions. We then conducted an ecomorphological analysis to functionally characterize all species (36) and quantify different facets of the functional structure of assemblages. We detected multiple pathways of the impacts from landscape changes on the fish assemblages. Catchment degradation reduced the stream-bed complexity and the heterogeneity of canopy shading, decreasing assemblage functional specialization and divergence. Landscape changes also reduced the water volume and the amount of large rocks in streams, resulting in decreased abundances of species with large bodies and with morphological traits that favor swimming in the water column. We conclude that land-use intensification caused significant changes in aquatic biodiversity in the Cerrado, reinforcing the need to pay special attention to this global hotspot.(AU)

Investigamos os mecanismos envolvidos na relação entre mudanças de uso da terra e biodiversidade aquática, utilizando a ictiofauna de riachos do Cerrado como modelo de estudo. Testamos a predição de que a degradação da paisagem reduz a heterogeneidade ambiental e muda os tipos predominantes de habitat, por sua vez, diminuindo a diversidade e alterando a identidade funcional de comunidades de peixes. Amostramos 40 riachos da bacia do Alto Rio Paraná, e avaliamos as condições da drenagem e do habitat físico local. Em seguida, conduzimos uma análise ecomorfológica para caracterizar funcionalmente todas as espécies (36) e quantificar diferentes facetas da estrutura funcional das comunidades. Detectamos múltiplos caminhos de impacto das alterações da paisagem sobre a ictiofauna. A degradação das bacias de drenagem reduziu complexidade do leito e heterogeneidade no sombreamento pelo dossel, diminuindo especialização e divergência funcional das comunidades. Alterações na paisagem também reduziram volume de água e quantidade de pedras grandes nos riachos, resultando em diminuição na abundância de espécies de maior porte e com atributos morfológicos que favorecem a natação na coluna d'água. Concluímos que a intensificação dos usos da terra causa alterações significativas para a biodiversidade aquática no Cerrado, reforçando a necessidade de especial atenção a este hotspot global.(AU)

Mexico ants: incidence and abundance along the Nearctic-Neotropical interface.

Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, with an important proportion of endemism mainly because of the convergence of the Nearctic and Neotropical biogeographic regions, which generate great diversity and species turnover at different spatial scales. However, most of our knowledge of the Mexican ant biota is limited to a few well-studied taxa, and we lack a comprehensive synthesis of ant biodiversity information. For instance, most of the knowledge available in the literature on Mexican ant fauna refers only to species lists by states, or is focused on only a few regions of the country, which prevents the study of several basic and applied aspects of ants, from diversity and distribution to conservation. Our aims in this data paper are therefore (1) to compile all the information available regarding ants across the Mexican territory, and (2) to identify major patterns in the gathered data set and geographic gaps in order to direct future sampling efforts. All records were obtained from raw data, including both unpublished and published information. After exhaustive filtering and updating information and synonyms, we compiled a total of 21,731 records for 887 ant species distributed throughout Mexico from 1894 to 2018. These records were concentrated mainly in the states of Chiapas (n = 6,902, 32.76%) and Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave (n = 4,329, 19.92%), which together comprise half the records. The subfamily with the highest number of records was Myrmicinae (n = 10,458 records, 48.12%), followed by Formicinae (n = 3,284, 15.11%) and Ponerinae (n = 1,914, 8.8%). Most ant records were collected in the Neotropical region of the country (n = 12,646, 58.19%), followed by the Mexican transition zone (n = 5,237, 24.09%) and the Nearctic region (n = 3,848, 17.72%). Native species comprised 95.46% of the records (n = 20,745). To the best of our knowledge, this is the most complete data set available to date in the literature for the country. We hope that this compilation will encourage researchers to explore different aspects of the population and community research of ants at different spatial scales, and to aid in the establishment of conservation policies and actions. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using its data for publications or teaching events.

A new species of Aphonopelma (Araneae: Mygalomorphae: Theraphosidae) from the Madrean pine-oak woodlands of northeastern Sonora, Mexico.

The tarantula spider genus Aphonopelma Pocock, 1901 has received considerable attention in recent years but the group's diversity remains poorly understood in Mexico, particularly in the pine-oak woodlands of the Sierra Madre Occidental and associated Madrean "Sky Islands". A pair of tarantulas discovered from an unsampled region in the Sierra de Bacadéhuachi (the westernmost range of the Sierra Madre Occidental) in northeastern Sonora was found to be closely related to four species from the Madrean "Sky Islands" in Arizona and New Mexico. An integrative approach for delimiting species (incorporating data from molecular phylogenetics, morphology, distributions, and breeding periods) suggests that the specimens from Sierra de Bacadéhuachi belong to an undescribed species that is herein named Aphonopelma bacadehuachi sp. nov. This new species adds to our knowledge of an increasingly diverse assemblage of Aphonopelma from the Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands Hotspot. Collaborations between Mexican and American researchers are needed to accelerate discovery and description of the group's remaining diversity, particularly in light of the many threats facing the ecoregion including habitat degradation and climate change.

Diversity of wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata: Vespidae) along an altitudinal gradient of Atlantic Forest in Itatiaia National Park, Brazil

ABSTRACT Surveying the diversity of stinging wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) provides an important information base to assist in biodiversity conservation and the management of forest reserves, as wasps depend on and maintain the population balance of several other groups of insects. In accordance, this paper presents an altitudinal survey of wasps (Hymenoptera, Aculeata, Vespidae) in Itatiaia National Park, Brazil, which is a protected area covered by Atlantic Forest in a mountainous landscape, with altitudes ranging between 540 and 2791 metres above sea level. Six altitudinal zones were sampled with entomological net, and the abundance and diversity of the species were indicated by zones. Field sampling took 288 h of discontinuous activity, which was randomly conducted from December 2012 to December 2013. A total of 398 individuals belonging to 29 species and two subfamilies (Eumeninae and Polistinae) were sampled. Eight species are new records for the state of Rio de Janeiro. We found a monotonic decrease in wasp diversity in relation to altitude, and the number of captured individuals differed significantly between the low and high altitudes.

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest.

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events.