Predicting the pulse of the Amazon: Machine learning insights into deforestation dynamics.

This study aims to analyze deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from 1999 to 2020 using machine learning techniques to assess 16 critical factors. Our approach leverages the capabilities of machine learning, particularly Random Forest, which proved to be the most accurate model in terms of determination coefficient, mean squared error, and mean absolute error. The analysis revealed that the harvested area of permanent crops is the most influential variable in predicting deforestation, followed by the area of temporary crops. Furthermore, our findings indicate a significant inverse relationship between public spending and deforestation rates. These results contribute to understanding deforestation dynamics and offer potential strategies for improving conservation efforts.

Bacterial genomes recovered from litter's metagenomes in Amazonian Dark Earths.

Here, we report 27 metagenome-assembled bacterial genomes (MAGs) from litter samples of a secondary forest located in Brazil over an Amazonian Dark Earth pool. The data set includes members from the phyla Pseudomonadata (14 MAGs), Actinomycetota (7 MAGs), Bacteroidota (4 MAGs), Bacillota (1 MAG), and Bdellovibrionota (1 MAG).

"Hg distribution and accumulation in soil and vegetation in areas impacted by artisanal gold mining in the Southern Amazonian region of Madre de Dios, Peru."

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is the primary global source of anthropogenic mercury (Hg) emissions. It has impacted the Amazon rainforest in the Peruvian region of Madre de Dios. However, few studies have investigated Hg's distribution in terrestrial ecosystems in this region. We studied Hg's distribution and its predictors in soil and native plant species from artisanal mining sites. Total Hg concentrations were determined in soil samples collected at different depths (0-5 cm and 5-30 cm) and plant samples (roots, shoots, leaves) from 19 native plant species collected in different land cover categories: naked soil (L1), gravel piles (L2), natural regeneration (L3), reforestation (L4), and primary forest (L5) in the mining sites. Hg levels in air were also studied using passive air samplers. The highest Hg concentrations in soil (average 0.276 and 0.210 mg kg-1 dw.) were found in the intact primary forest (L5) at 0-5 cm depth and in the plant rooting zones at 5-30 cm depth, respectively. Moreover, the highest Hg levels in plants (average 0.64 mg kg-1 dw) were found in foliage of intact primary forest (L5). The results suggest that the forest in these sites receives Hg from the atmosphere through leaf deposition and that Hg accumulates in the soil surrounding the roots. The Hg levels found in the plant leaves of the primary forest are the highest ever recorded in this region, exceeding values found in forests impacted by Hg pollution worldwide and raising concerns about the extent of the ASGM impact in this ecosystem. Correlations between Hg concentrations in soil, bioaccumulation in plant roots, and soil physical-chemical characteristics were determined. Linear regression models showed that the soil organic matter content (SOM), pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) predict the Hg distribution and accumulation in soil and bioaccumulation in root plants.

Vertical Stratification of Solitary Bees and Wasps in an Urban Forest from the Brazilian Amazon.

Solitary bees and wasps that nest in cavities in tree trunks are important components of terrestrial ecosystems, providing pollination services, and in the case of wasps, the regulation of their prey populations. However, little is known about the vertical strata where bees and wasps build their nests. This is especially the case of urban forest remnants in the Amazon, which is relevant in the context of the global crisis in insect losses. We investigated the existence of vertical stratification in the nesting of solitary bees and wasps in an urban forest in Rio Branco, state of Acre, in the western Brazilian Amazon. We focused on whether wood temperature, ants, and termites are predictors of bee and wasp nesting. We sampled bee and wasp nests in the forest using trap-nests made with wooden blocks containing cavities with three different diameters for twelve months. Trap-nests were installed randomly at three heights in the forest. We collected 145 nests of 25 species, belonging to 11 genera and 6 families. A higher number of nests and species were collected in the upper stratum of the forest, strengthening the hypothesis that there is vertical stratification in the assemblage of solitary bees and wasps. Wood surface temperature and termite attacks on trap-nests were significantly different between strata, which may explain the vertical stratification of bee and wasp assemblages. Considering the importance of these insects for tropical forest ecosystems, the conservation of structurally complex and stratified forests is of paramount importance to maintain the diversity of this insect group.

Deforestation as an Anthropogenic Driver of Mercury Pollution.

Deforestation reduces the capacity of the terrestrial biosphere to take up toxic pollutant mercury (Hg) and enhances the release of secondary Hg from soils. The consequences of deforestation for Hg cycling are not currently considered by anthropogenic emission inventories or specifically addressed under the global Minamata Convention on Mercury. Using global Hg modeling constrained by field observations, we estimate that net Hg fluxes to the atmosphere due to deforestation are 217 Mg year-1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 134-1650 Mg year-1) for 2015, approximately 10% of global primary anthropogenic emissions. If deforestation of the Amazon rainforest continues at business-as-usual rates, net Hg emissions from the region will increase by 153 Mg year-1 by 2050 (CI: 97-418 Mg year-1), enhancing the transport and subsequent deposition of Hg to aquatic ecosystems. Substantial Hg emissions reductions are found for two potential cases of land use policies: conservation of the Amazon rainforest (92 Mg year-1, 95% CI: 59-234 Mg year-1) and global reforestation (98 Mg year-1, 95% CI: 64-449 Mg year-1). We conclude that deforestation-related emissions should be incorporated as an anthropogenic source in Hg inventories and that land use policy could be leveraged to address global Hg pollution.

Taphonomy of harpy eagle predation on primates and other mammals.

The goal of this study is to provide a taphonomic analysis of bone fragments found in harpy eagle nests in the Brazilian Amazonia, utilizing the largest sample of prey remains collected to date. Harpy eagle kill samples were collected from nine nests, between June 2016 and December 2020 in Mato Grosso, Brazil. We identified the specimens, calculated the number of identified specimens (NISP) and minimum number of individuals (MNI). These metrics were used to estimate bone survivability and fragmentation. A total of 1661 specimens (NISP) were collected, representing a minimum number of 234 individuals (MNI). We identified at least nine species of primates, which represent 63.8% of the individuals in the kill sample. Harpy eagles preyed mostly on the medium-sized capuchin and bearded saki monkeys (28.2% of the MNI), and two-toed sloths (17.7% of the MNI). The large woolly monkeys also represented a significant portion of the sample (11.5% of the MNI). Three distinct patterns of bone survivability were found, one characterizing two-toed sloths, another characterizing medium-sized monkeys, and a third typical of woolly monkeys. We conclude that harpy eagle predation leaves an identifiable signature on the prey with a bone survivability pattern specific to each taxon. The intertaxon variations observed in the taphonomic signatures of harpy eagle kills should be taken into account when evaluating the potential influence of these raptors as accumulators of bone material in both paleontological and neontological assemblages.

Insularization drives physiological condition of Amazonian dung beetles.

The fragmentation and degradation of otherwise continuous natural landscapes pose serious threats to the health of animal populations, consequently impairing their fitness and survival. While most fragmentation ecology studies focus on habitat remnants embedded withinn terrestrial matrices, the effects of true insularization remains poorly understood. Land-bridge islands created by major dams leads to habitat loss and fragmentation, negatively affecting terrestrial biodiversity. To assess the effects of insularization, we conducted a study on the key aspects of dung beetle physiological condition and body size throughout the Balbina Hydroelectric Reservoir located in the Central Amazon. We assessed these traits at the population and assemblage levels, collecting dung beetles from both forest islands and continuous forest areas while analyzing various landscape variables. We show that landscapes with higher forest cover positively affected dung beetle body size. Interestingly, dung beetle responses to insularization were species-dependent; larger islands tended to host larger individuals of Deltochilum aspericole, while in Canthon triangularis, smaller islands showed larger body sizes. However, individuals from the mainland were larger than those from the islands. Moreover, the proportion of closed-canopy forest in the landscapes also impacted physiological attributes. It negatively affected the body size of Deltochilum aspericole and the lipid mass of Dichotomius boreus, but positively affected the lipid mass of Canthon triangularis. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how habitat fragmentation in aquatic matrices affects the size structure and physiology of insect assemblages. This is essential in formulating effective conservation strategies for preserving biodiversity loss in tropical forest regions and mitigating the consequences of hydropower infrastructure.

The impacts of political activity on fires and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest: An analysis of social media and satellite data.

Social media has become a one-stop shop for consuming news and expressing political views. Politics has become increasingly emotional, and the ensuing polarization has created echo chambers that favor narratives and stories that repeat only one point of view. In this article, we investigated the role of political activity through Twitter (now 'X') engagement as a predictor of destructive fires and deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA). We used a machine learning approach based on sentiment analysis and satellite data. To test the consistency of the sentiment analysis, we compared the timing of messages related to fire and deforestation events with daily fire data from satellites. When comparing positive and negative comments about fires in the BLA, the results showed that the best model for predicting fire outbreaks is the decision tree regressor. We found evidence that positive comments about agriculture, industry, and the Amazon rainforest in response to speeches and statements by high-ranking Brazilian politicians tend to induce positive comments about fire outbreaks and deforestation. These comments then become good predictors of fire outbreaks with a 6-day lag. These results support the view that high-ranking politicians have enormous power to influence damaging events that can have severe impacts on communities, the environment, and the economy. Brazil has seen an unprecedented increase in deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest in recent years. Our findings contribute to the growing literature on the role of social media in real-world events and how machine learning approaches can be used to address this class of problems.

Exploring the mycobiome and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with the rizosphere of the genus Inga in the pristine Ecuadorian Amazon.

This study explored the composition of the mycobiome in the rhizosphere of Inga seedlings in two different but neighboring forest ecosystems in the undisturbed tropical Amazon rainforest at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station in Ecuador. In terra firme plots, which were situated higher up and therefore typically outside of the influence of river floods, and in várzea plots, the lower part of the forest located near the riverbanks and therefore seasonally flooded, tree seedlings of the genus Inga were randomly collected and measured, and the rhizosphere soils surrounding the root systems was collected. Members of the Fabaceae family and the genus Inga were highly abundant in both forest ecosystems. Inga sp. seedlings collected in terra firme showed a lower shoot to root ratio compared to seedlings that were collected in várzea, suggesting that Inga seedlings which germinated in várzea soils could invest more resources in vegetative growth with shorter roots. Results of the physical-chemical properties of soil samples indicated higher proportions of N, Mo, and V in terra firme soils, whereas várzea soils present higher concentrations of all other macro- and micronutrients, which confirmed the nutrient deposition effect of seasonal flooding by the nearby river. ITS metabarcoding was used to explore the mycobiome associated with roots of the genus Inga. Bioinformatic analysis was performed using Qiime 2 to calculate the alpha and beta diversity, species taxonomy and the differential abundance of fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The fungal community represented 75% of the total ITS ASVs, and although present in all samples, the subphylum Glomeromycotina represented 1.42% of all ITS ASVs with annotations to 13 distinct families, including Glomeraceae (72,23%), Gigasporaceae (0,57%), Acaulosporaceae (0,49%). AMF spores of these three AMF families were morphologically identified by microscopy. Results of this study indicate that AMF surround the rhizosphere of Inga seedlings in relatively low proportions compared to other fungal groups but present in both terra firme and várzea Neotropical ecosystems.

Complete Genome Sequence of Pantoea stewartii RON18713 from Brazil Nut Tree Phyllosphere Reveals Genes Involved in Plant Growth Promotion.

The Amazonian rainforest is a hyper-diverse ecosystem in the number of species and the myriad of intertaxon relationships that are mostly understudied. In order to characterize a dominant and economically important Amazonian species, the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl.), at the genome level, wegenerated high-coverage long-read sequencing data from the leaves of a single individual. The genome assembly revealed an unexpected discovery: two circular contigs that could be assigned to the chromosome and a plasmid of a Pantoea stewartii strain. Comparative genomics revealed that this strain belongs to the indologenes subspecies and displays high synteny with other strains isolated from diseased leaves of the neotropical palm Bactris gasipaes Kunth. Investigation of pathogenicity-related genes revealed the absence of the entire type III secretion system gene cluster in the plasmid, which was otherwise highly similar to a plasmid from an isolate known to cause disease in Dracaena sanderiana Mast. In contrast, several genes associated with plant-growth promoting traits were detected, including genes involved in indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, phosphate solubilization, and biosynthesis of siderophores. In summary, we report the genome of an uncultivated P. stewartii subsp. indologenes strain associated with the Brazil nut tree and potentially a plant growth-promoting bacteria.

Land-use changes in Amazon and Atlantic rainforests modify organic matter and black carbon compositions transported from land to the coastal ocean.

This study assessed black carbon (BC) dynamics, concentrations, and the organic matter (OM) isotopic carbon composition in northeastern South America drainage basin coastal sediments. Paraíba do Sul (PSR; Atlantic Rainforest, Brazil) coastal sediments displayed more 13C-enriched values (-22.6 ± 1.3 ‰ [n = 13]) than Amazon and Sinnamary (Amazon Rainforest in French Guiana and Brazil) sediments (-25.0 ± 3.1 ‰ [n = 14] and - 26.1 ± 1.0 ‰ [n = 6], respectively), indicating that local land-use basin changes have altered the OM composition, i.e., from natural C3 plant to C4 plants contributions. BC contents normalized to total organic carbon (TOC) content were 0.32 ± 0.24 (n = 8), 0.73 ± 0.67 (n = 6), and 0.95 ± 0.74 (n = 13) mg g-1 TOC for Amazon, Sinnamary and PSR samples, respectively, with BC sources appearing to differ according to different drainage basin vegetation covers. With increasing distance from the river mouths, BC contents exhibited different trends between the coastal zones, with values increasing for the PSR and decreasing values for the Amazon samples. BC distribution in Sinnamary coastal sediments did not display specific patterns. Regarding the Amazon coastal zone, BC contents decreased while the B6CA:B5CA ratios did not show a pattern, which could indicate that BC in the area originates from river transport (aged BC) and that the hydrophobic component of dissolved BC is removed. The BC content mostly increased in the PSR coastal zone, while the B6CA:B5CA ratios were not altered for the entire gradient, indicating the BC stability and possible atmospheric deposition of soot. Our findings indicate that different sources, transformation processes, and hydrological conditions affect BC contents within coastal zones. Continuous land cover changes in both the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforests may result in large-scale marine carbon cycling impacts.

Xylans extracted from branches and leaves of Protium puncticulatum: antioxidant, cytotoxic, immunomodulatory, anticoagulant, antitumor, prebiotic activities and their structural characterization.

This work aimed to isolate and characterize xylans from branches and leaves of Protium puncticulatum, in addition to evaluating its in vitro biological and prebiotic potential. The results showed that the chemical structure of the obtained polysaccharides is similar being classified as homoxylans. The xylans presented an amorphous structure, in addition to being thermally stable and presenting a molecular weight close to 36 g/mol. With regard to biological activities, it was observed that xylans were able to promote low antioxidant activity (< 50%) in the different assays evaluated. The xylans also showed no toxicity against normal cells, in addition to being able to stimulate cells of the immune system and showing promise as anticoagulant agents. In addition to presenting promising antitumor activity in vitro. In assays of emulsifying activity, xylans were able to emulsify lipids in percentages below 50%. Regarding in vitro prebiotic activity, xylans were able to stimulate and promote the growth of different probiotics. Therefore, this study, in addition to being a pioneer, contributes to the application of these polysaccharides in the biomedical and food areas. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-023-03506-1.

How drought events during the last century have impacted biomass carbon in Amazonian rainforests.

During the last two decades, inventory data show that droughts have reduced biomass carbon sink of the Amazon forest by causing mortality to exceed growth. However, process-based models have struggled to include drought-induced responses of growth and mortality and have not been evaluated against plot data. A process-based model, ORCHIDEE-CAN-NHA, including forest demography with tree cohorts, plant hydraulic architecture and drought-induced tree mortality, was applied over Amazonia rainforests forced by gridded climate fields and rising CO2 from 1901 to 2019. The model reproduced the decelerating signal of net carbon sink and drought sensitivity of aboveground biomass (AGB) growth and mortality observed at forest plots across selected Amazon intact forests for 2005 and 2010. We predicted a larger mortality rate and a more negative sensitivity of the net carbon sink during the 2015/16 El Niño compared with the former droughts. 2015/16 was indeed the most severe drought since 1901 regarding both AGB loss and area experiencing a severe carbon loss. We found that even if climate change did increase mortality, elevated CO2 contributed to balance the biomass mortality, since CO2 -induced stomatal closure reduces transpiration, thus, offsets increased transpiration from CO2 -induced higher foliage area.

Long-term drought effects on the thermal sensitivity of Amazon forest trees.

The continued functioning of tropical forests under climate change depends on their resilience to drought and heat. However, there is little understanding of how tropical forests will respond to combinations of these stresses, and no field studies to date have explicitly evaluated whether sustained drought alters sensitivity to temperature. We measured the temperature response of net photosynthesis, foliar respiration and the maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv /Fm ) of eight hyper-dominant Amazonian tree species at the world's longest-running tropical forest drought experiment, to investigate the effect of drought on forest thermal sensitivity. Despite a 0.6°C-2°C increase in canopy air temperatures following long-term drought, no change in overall thermal sensitivity of net photosynthesis or respiration was observed. However, photosystem II tolerance to extreme-heat damage (T50 ) was reduced from 50.0 ± 0.3°C to 48.5 ± 0.3°C under drought. Our results suggest that long-term reductions in precipitation, as projected across much of Amazonia by climate models, are unlikely to greatly alter the response of tropical forests to rising mean temperatures but may increase the risk of leaf thermal damage during heatwaves.

Two new species and new records of the genus Nectopsyche Müller, 1879 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) from Pará state, Brazil

ABSTRACT The genus Nectopsyche is widely recognized by its striking adults, with colored setae and scales, even metallic and/or iridescent. It is primarily distributed in the Neotropical region, with a few species found in the Nearctics. Nectopsyche has more than 100 described species, with 26 of them recorded in Brazil. In Pará state, one of the largest Brazilian' states, only three species have been recorded. In contribution to the taxonomic knowledge about the Neotropical caddisflies, especially those of the Amazonian region, we propose two new species of Nectopsyche from Pará state based on male specimens: Nectopsyche tridentata n. sp. and Nectopsyche froehlichi n. sp. In addition, Nectopsyche acutiloba, Nectopsyche adusta, Nectopsyche jenseni, and Nectopsyche quatuorguttata are recorded for the first time in the state of Pará. Our results increase the number of Nectopsyche species recorded in Brazil to 28, and the number of recorded species in the state of Pará to eight.

Description of Pudica wandiquei n. sp. (Heligmonellidae: Pudicinae), a nematode found infecting Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) in the Brazilian Amazon / Descrição de Pudica wandiquei n. sp. (Heligmonellidae: Pudicinae), nematódeo encontrado infectando Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) na Amazônia brasileira

Abstract A new species of nematode parasite of the subfamily Pudicinae (Heligmosomoidea: Heligmonellidae) is described from the small intestine of Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) from the locality of Nova Cintra in the municpality of Rodrigues Alves, Acre state, Brazil. The genus Pudica includes 15 species parasites of Neotropical rodents of the families Caviidae, Ctenomyidae, Dasyproctidae, Echimyidae, Erethizontidae, and Myocastoridae. Four species of this nematode were found parasitizing three different species rodents of the genus Proechimys in the Amazon biome. Pudica wandiquei n. sp. can be differentiated from all other Pudica species by the distance between the ends of rays 6 and 8 and the 1-3-1 pattern of the caudal bursa in both lobes.

Resumo Uma nova espécie de nematódeo da subfamília Pudicinae (Heligmosomoidea: Heligmonellidae) é descrito parasitando o intestino delgado de Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) em Nova Cintra, município de Rodrigues Alves, Estado do Acre, Brasil. O gênero Pudica inclui 15 espécies parasitas de roedores Neotropicais das famílias: Caviidae, Ctenomyidae, Dasyproctidae, Echimyidae, Erethizontidae e Myocastoridae. Destas, quatro espécies de nematódeos foram encontradas parasitando três diferentes espécies do roedor Proechimys no bioma Amazônia. Pudica wandiquei n. sp. é diferente das outras espécies de Pudica pela distância entre os raios 6 e 8 e pelo tipo da bolsa caudal, que é 1-3-1 em ambos os lados.

Description of Pudica wandiquei n sp (Heligmonellidae: Pudicinae), a nematode found infecting Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) in the Brazilian Amazon / Descrição de Pudica wandiquei n sp (Heligmonellidae: Pudicinae), nematódeo encontrado infectando Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) na Amazônia brasileira

A new species of nematode parasite of the subfamily Pudicinae (Heligmosomoidea: Heligmonellidae) is described from the small intestine of Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) from the locality of Nova Cintra in the municpality of Rodrigues Alves, Acre state, Brazil. The genus Pudica includes 15 species parasites of Neotropical rodents of the families Caviidae, Ctenomyidae, Dasyproctidae, Echimyidae, Erethizontidae, and Myocastoridae. Four species of this nematode were found parasitizing three different species rodents of the genus Proechimys in the Amazon biome. Pudica wandiquei n. sp. can be differentiated from all other Pudica species by the distance between the ends of rays 6 and 8 and the 1-3-1 pattern of the caudal bursa in both lobes.

Uma nova espécie de nematódeo da subfamília Pudicinae (Heligmosomoidea: Heligmonellidae) é descrito parasitando o intestino delgado de Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) em Nova Cintra, município de Rodrigues Alves, Estado do Acre, Brasil. O gênero Pudica inclui 15 espécies parasitas de roedores Neotropicais das famílias: Caviidae, Ctenomyidae, Dasyproctidae, Echimyidae, Erethizontidae e Myocastoridae. Destas, quatro espécies de nematódeos foram encontradas parasitando três diferentes espécies do roedor Proechimys no bioma Amazônia. Pudica wandiquei n. sp. é diferente das outras espécies de Pudica pela distância entre os raios 6 e 8 e pelo tipo da bolsa caudal, que é 1-3-1 em ambos os lados.

Description of Pudica wandiquei n. sp. (Heligmonellidae: Pudicinae), a nematode found infecting Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract A new species of nematode parasite of the subfamily Pudicinae (Heligmosomoidea: Heligmonellidae) is described from the small intestine of Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) from the locality of Nova Cintra in the municpality of Rodrigues Alves, Acre state, Brazil. The genus Pudica includes 15 species parasites of Neotropical rodents of the families Caviidae, Ctenomyidae, Dasyproctidae, Echimyidae, Erethizontidae, and Myocastoridae. Four species of this nematode were found parasitizing three different species rodents of the genus Proechimys in the Amazon biome. Pudica wandiquei n. sp. can be differentiated from all other Pudica species by the distance between the ends of rays 6 and 8 and the 1-3-1 pattern of the caudal bursa in both lobes.

Resumo Uma nova espécie de nematódeo da subfamília Pudicinae (Heligmosomoidea: Heligmonellidae) é descrito parasitando o intestino delgado de Proechimys simonsi (Rodentia: Echimyidae) em Nova Cintra, município de Rodrigues Alves, Estado do Acre, Brasil. O gênero Pudica inclui 15 espécies parasitas de roedores Neotropicais das famílias: Caviidae, Ctenomyidae, Dasyproctidae, Echimyidae, Erethizontidae e Myocastoridae. Destas, quatro espécies de nematódeos foram encontradas parasitando três diferentes espécies do roedor Proechimys no bioma Amazônia. Pudica wandiquei n. sp. é diferente das outras espécies de Pudica pela distância entre os raios 6 e 8 e pelo tipo da bolsa caudal, que é 1-3-1 em ambos os lados.

NEW SPECIES OF ALIPPISTRONGYLUS (TRICHOSTRONGYLINA: NIPPOSTRONGYLINAE) FROM THE ELEGANT RICE RAT, EURYORYZOMYS NITIDUS, OF LA CONVENCIÓN, PERU.

A new species of AlippistrongylusDigiani and Kinsella, 2014, was found in the intestines of the elegant rice rat, Euryoryzomys nitidus, collected in the Amazon rainforest. These mammals were preserved in alcohol and archived in the Colección Científica de Mamíferos del Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Mayor de San Marcos and accessed for the observation and investigation for the diversity of their endo-parasites. A total of 857 worms were recovered from the 3 individuals examined. Morphological investigations and comparisons with the only known species of the genus indicate that this is an undescribed species. These nematodes feature the diagnostic characteristic of the genus, being a bifurcated posterior end that consists of a tail and a conical appendage near the level of the vulva and uninterrupted ridges in the synlophe of unequal size. However, the orientation of this conical appendage on the female tail, features of the synlophe, and shape of the copulatory bursa warrant the proposal of an amended diagnosis to include character variability detected in the new species.