HERBase: A collection of understorey herb vegetation plots from Amazonia / HERBase: Uma coleção de parcelas de ervas de sub-bosque da Amazônia

Understorey herbs form a diverse and understudied plant assemblage in tropical forests. Although several studies and research teams have long been dedicated to the study of this conspicuous vegetation component in Amazonia, no effort to unify the data has been undertaken to date. In contrast to trees and other life forms for which major data compilations already exist, a unified database dedicated to herbs is still lacking. Part of the problem is in defining what is a herb and how to effectively sample herb assemblages. In this article, we describe the database HERBase, an exhaustive compilation of published and unpublished data on herb inventories in Amazonia. We also describe the structure, functioning, and guidelines for data curation and integration in HERBase. We were able to compile information from 1381 plots from all six Amazonian geographic regions. Based on this dataset, we describe and discuss sampling and knowledge gaps, priority areas for new collections, and recommend sampling protocols to facilitate data integration in the future. This novel database provides a unique biodiversity data repository on understorey herbs that will enable new studies on community ecology and biogeography.(AU)

As ervas do sub-bosque formam um componente diversificado e pouco estudado em florestas tropicais. Embora vários estudos e grupos de pesquisa tenham se dedicado ao estudo desse componente conspícuo na Amazônia, nenhum esforço foi feito até o momento para unificar essas informações. Em contraste com árvores e outros grupos de plantas para os quais já existem grandes compilações de dados, uma base de dados unificada dedicada às ervas ainda não existe. Parte do problema está em definir o que é uma erva e como amostrar comunidados de ervas de forma eficiente. Neste artigo descrevemos a base de dados HERBase, uma compilação exaustiva de dados publicados e não publicados sobre inventários de ervas na Amazônia. Também descrevemos a estrutura, funcionamento e diretrizes para curadoria e integração de dados na HERBase. Conseguimos compilar informações de 1381 parcelas de todas as seis regiões geográficas amazônicas. Com base nesses dados, descrevemos e discutimos lacunas de amostragem e conhecimento, apontamos áreas prioritárias para novas coletas e recomendamos protocolos de amostragem para facilitar a integração de dados no futuro. Essa nova base de dados fornece dados únicos de biodiversidade sobre ervas do sub-bosque que permitirão novos estudos sobre ecologia e biogeografia de comunidades.(AU)

Description of the late- or last-instar larva of Ischyomius Chevrolat, with comments on the family placement of the genus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Pythidae)

Study of recently collected larvae of two species of Ischyomius Chevrolat, 1871 from Napo and Pichincha, Ecuador, tentatively identified as I. denticollis Champion, 1916 and I. singularis Chevrolat, 1871 confirm the classification of the genus Ischyomius within the family Pythidae. Salient larval characters which solidify this placement are: 5 stemmata arranged into an anterior column of 3 and posterior column of 2, parabasal ridges along anterior margins of abdominal tergites, prominent urogomphi with inner urogomphal teeth and various dorsal tubercles, and transverse row of dentiform asperities along anterior margin of sternite 9. Important features of the larva are illustrated with photographs. A key to larvae of world genera of Pythidae is provided as well as natural history information on Ischyomius.(AU)

Description of the late- or last-instar larva of Ischyomius Chevrolat, with comments on the family placement of the genus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Pythidae)

Study of recently collected larvae of two species of Ischyomius Chevrolat, 1871 from Napo and Pichincha, Ecuador, tentatively identified as I. denticollis Champion, 1916 and I. singularis Chevrolat, 1871 confirm the classification of the genus Ischyomius within the family Pythidae. Salient larval characters which solidify this placement are: 5 stemmata arranged into an anterior column of 3 and posterior column of 2, parabasal ridges along anterior margins of abdominal tergites, prominent urogomphi with inner urogomphal teeth and various dorsal tubercles, and transverse row of dentiform asperities along anterior margin of sternite 9. Important features of the larva are illustrated with photographs. A key to larvae of world genera of Pythidae is provided as well as natural history information on Ischyomius.

Description of the late- or last-instar larva of Ischyomius Chevrolat, with comments on the family placement of the genus (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea: Pythidae)

Abstract Study of recently collected larvae of two species of Ischyomius Chevrolat, 1871 from Napo and Pichincha, Ecuador, tentatively identified as I. denticollis Champion, 1916 and I. singularis Chevrolat, 1871 confirm the classification of the genus Ischyomius within the family Pythidae. Salient larval characters which solidify this placement are: 5 stemmata arranged into an anterior column of 3 and posterior column of 2, parabasal ridges along anterior margins of abdominal tergites, prominent urogomphi with inner urogomphal teeth and various dorsal tubercles, and transverse row of dentiform asperities along anterior margin of sternite 9. Important features of the larva are illustrated with photographs. A key to larvae of world genera of Pythidae is provided as well as natural history information on Ischyomius.

A new species of Heliconia (Heliconiaceae) with pendent inflorescence, from Chucantí Private Nature Reserve, eastern Panama.

Heliconia berguidoi (Heliconiaceae), a new species from premontane forest of eastern Panama, is described, illustrated and its conservation status evaluated. Heliconia berguidoi bears pink flowers, an uncommon color in this group. It differs from the Colombian species Heliconia rhodantha and Heliconia sanctae-theresae, the most similar taxa, by the combination of a petiole glabrous except for the woolly base, a very long peduncle, the perianth pubescent at the apex and staminode with cuspidate apex. Heliconia berguidoi is also similar to Heliconia pogonantha in all four of its varieties and to Heliconia ramonensis in two of its four varieties, but differs by a combination of the long peduncle, pink flowers and staminode with cuspidate apex. Fifty-six Heliconia species have been found in Panama, eighteen of them endemic.

ResumenHeliconia berguidoi (Heliconiaceae), una nueva especie de bosque premontano del este de Panamá, es descrita, ilustrada y su estado de conservación evaluado. Heliconia berguidoi tiene flores rosadas, color poco común en este grupo. Difiere de las especies de Colombia Heliconia rhodantha y Heliconia sanctae-theresae, taxones más similares, por la combinación de un pecíolo glabro aunque lanudo en la base, pedúnculo muy largo, ápice del perianto pubescente y estaminoide con el ápice cuspidado. Heliconia berguidoi es también similar a Heliconia pogonantha en sus cuatro variedades y a Heliconia ramonensis en dos de sus cuatro variedades, pero difiere por la combinación de su largo pedúnculo, el color rosado de las flores y el estaminoide con ápice cuspidado. En Panamá se han encontrado cincuenta y seis especies de Heliconia, dieciocho de ellas endémicas.

Notes on the ecology of rolled-leaf hispines (Chrysomelidae, Cassidinae) at La Gamba (Costa Rica).

A total of 301 adult hispine beetles of the genera Cephaloleia and Chelobasis were found in rolled leaves of plants of 17 species of Zingiberales (families Costaceae, Heliconiaceae, Maranthaceae, Musaceae, and Zingiberaceae) during a field study at La Gamba, Golfito region, Costa Rica. Of these beetles, Cephaloleia belti was recorded from 12 potential host plant species, C. distincta from 7, C. dilaticollis from 5, C., Chelobasis bicolor, C. championi, and C. histrionica from 3, Chelobasis perplexa and C. instabilis from 2, whereas C. trivittata from only one. Of the plant species, Heliconia latispatha had 7 beetle species in its leaf rolls, Calathea lutea had 5, H. imbricata and H. rostrata had 4, H. stricta and Musa paradisiaca had 3, H. wagneriana had 2, while on H. vaginalis, H. danielsiana, H. densiflora, H. longiflora, Calathea crotalifera, C. platystachya, Goeppertia lasiophylla, Alpinia purpurata, Costus pulverulentus and Costus barbatus, H. densiflora, H. vaginalis, and H. danielsana only hispines of one species were found. Cephaloleia belti occurred together with beetles of six other hispine species, whereas Cephaloleia trivittata never shared a leaf roll with another hispine species. The remaining beetle species aggregated with one to four other hispines. Adults of C. belti and C. championi were frequently seen, occasionally also with C. dilaticollis, C. histrionica, and Chelobasis perplexa, to co-occur with the carabid Calophaena ligata in the same leaf roll without any sign of interspecific aggression. A comparison of host choices and the phylogeny of the hispines and of their host plants revealed no signs that beetles used species level phylogenetic relationships within the Zingiberales to select food plants. Obviously, within this plant order, rolled-leaf hispines choose their plant hosts in a nearly opportunistic manner. Seemingly, they use differences among plants at higher taxonomic levels but within the Zingiberales, the availability of young - rolled - leaves might be the actual decisive factor.