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ABSTRACT In 2022, we published an article in this journal entitled “Cave-dwelling gastropods (Mollusca: Gastropoda) of Brazil: state of the art and conservation”. In that study, we compiled all the available information about cave-dwelling gastropods in the country, including terrestrial and freshwater species. We focused on the troglobites but also included information regarding some troglophilic species that we deemed worthy of discussion. In 2023, Ferreira et al. also in this journal, raised concerns regarding our article. We respond to their observations here.

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ABSTRACT The present study analyzed the vertical stratification of hawkmoths in an area of the Dense Ombrophylous Forest in the Amazon. The moths were captured through light traps with ultraviolet lamps F15 T12 LN installed in three strata (canopy, midstory, and understory) from 6 pm to 7 am, during the first quarter to new moon period, on three consecutive nights per month during May 2019 to February 2020, in the Tapajós National Forest located in the state of Pará, Brazil (02°51’23.3”S, 54°57’31.0”W). This study analyzed 33 species (S) and 775 specimens (N) of Sphingidae. The sphingofauna had a high concentration, mainly in the upper strata, with greater emphasis on richness (S = 28), abundance (N = 687), and Berger Parker dominance (BP = 0.72) found in the forest canopy. The canopy’s dominance stood out because the species Erinnyis ello (Linnaeus, 1758) was more abundant in this stratum (N = 492). PERMANOVA analysis indicated significant differences in all strata. Therefore, our study provided important information about the vertical distribution of moths, showing that their richness, abundance, and species composition are distinct between strata.

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ABSTRACT Length-weight (LWR) and length-length (LLR) relationships are widely used in management programs and monitoring of fish stocks. We estimated the LWR and LLR of 10 fish species sampled from nine streams of the lower reach of the Iguassu River Basin, Paraná, Brazil. All LWR fits were significant, with b values ranging from 2.37 to 3.62 and an average value of 3.07. Most species showed isometric growth. Significant differences in the LWR between sexes were observed only for Phalloceros harpagos Lucinda, 2008 in the Três Barras stream. All LLR fits were significant, with b values ranging from 0.98 to 1.25 and an average value of 1.15. Significant differences between sexes for the LLR were observed for Rhamdia voulezi Haseman, 1911 in the Arroio Passo Liso stream. First records of the LWR for four species - Ancistrus mullerae Bifi, Pavanelli & Zawadzki, 2009, Bryconamericus pyahu Azpelicueta, Casciotta & Almirón, 2003, Cambeva stawiarski (Miranda Ribeiro, 1968), and Cambeva taroba (Wosiacki & Garavello, 2004) - and the LLR for six species - A. mullerae, B. pyahu, C. davisi, C. stawiarski, C. taroba, and P. harpagos - and a new record of maximum standard length for two species - C. taroba and B. pyahu - are presented.

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ABSTRACT In this study, we conducted a survey of researchers studying flies in Brazil, with the aim of acquiring up-to-date information about them, across multiple aspects, i.e., demographics, opinions, needs, and the main challenges they face. We developed an online questionnaire and collected the responses between September and November 2019; 126 responses were received. Most of them held a Ph.D. and identified themselves as males. Nearly all respondents worked exclusively in public institutions, and most were financially reliant on scholarships provided by public agencies. All of them studied at least one of the 81 dipteran families known to occur in Brazil, with most respondents working on families that included taxa of public health importance. Additionally, most work conducted by these researchers was rooted in systematics/taxonomy. A specific portion of the respondents (i.e., students) felt less integrated into the research community and found it challenging to publish high-impact research. However, some concerns were shared across all respondent subgroups, such as the need for increased funding and a more seamless integration within the research community. Academic professionals highlighted limited funding and inadequate infrastructure as barriers to research. Nevertheless, some subgroups expressed concerns about their career prospects. Although there may be limitations in the sampling process underpinning this study, our survey provides valuable insights into the demographic characteristics of Brazilian dipterist community, thus facilitating the development of policy strategies.

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ABSTRACT Stegomyia aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) vectors arboviruses of public health concern in urban areas of tropical countries, so it is necessary to reduce its population. Among the control methods used, chemically synthesized molecules have been widely employed, nonetheless, the over usage of the same mechanism of action can result in the resistance selection. Considering the influence of insect resistance with the success of chemical control of vectors, this study aims to assess the susceptibility to organophosphorus of a population of S. aegypti from Paranaguá (Paraná, Brazil), after intense use of malathion during a dengue outbreak. World Health Organization susceptibility tests and expression of Acetylcholinesterase ace-1, cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP6N12, and α-esterases CCEae3A genes were evaluated. The mortality rate of wild females (66.5%) indicated their resistance status, furthermore, a new discriminant concentration was detected in this population (3.41%). Exclusively CYP6N12 gene was overexpressed in malathion-resistant females indicating its possible contribution to the transformation of this insecticide. Constant monitoring of insecticide resistance of current and past molecules, mainly in port areas where there is a large flow of species, is crucial for effective use of insecticide in vector control programs.

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ABSTRACT The ovary of sexually mature females involves oogenetic process for follicular development, ovulation, and luteinization (gametogenic function), which in turn relate to stages of the estrous cycle (EC), as well as the production and biotransformation (steroidogenic function) of sexual steroid hormones (SSH) during EC, pregnancy, and lactation. Depending on their concentrations, SSH play different functions to elicit such reproductive events, but little is known about this in free-living wild species. Here we used ELISA to assess intraovarian concentrations of progesterone, androstenedione, testosterone, and estradiol, during EC, pregnancy, and lactation in wild adult females of Peromyscus melanotis J.A. Allen & Chapman, 1897 and Peromyscus difficilis (J.A. Allen, 1891), immediately after their capture. Results of intraspecific ANOVA showed statistical differences between concentrations of different SSH in the same reproductive stage or event and between the stages or events for each SSH, according to the steroidogenic Δ 4 pathway. Although ANOVA analyses showed no interspecific differences of the same SSH in the same event, except for more testosterone in P. melanotis during heat, profiles of production curves suggest intraspecific peculiarities and interspecific differences that need to be further investigated. Our results contribute to physiological-endocrine evidence during the four stages of EC and first and second part of pregnancy in species of Peromyscus, and are the first documentation for overall lactation in wild rodents.

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ABSTRACT Chrysichthys nigrodigitatus (Lacépède) specimens were sampled in the Sanaga River and in the Dibamba River. Three new species, Protoancylodiscoides edeaensis sp. nov., P. yombai sp. nov. from both rivers, and P. dibambaensis sp. nov. from the Dibamba River alone, are described. Protoancylodiscoides edeaensis sp. nov., close to P. mansourensis El-Naggar, 1987 and P. chrysichthes Paperna, 1969 by the morphology of the haptor sclerotised parts, differs from these species by the penis length and the morphology of the vagina. Protoancylodiscoides yombai sp. nov. is close to P. edeaensis sp. nov., P. mansourensis, and P. chrysichthes by the morphology of some sclerotised parts of the haptor (ventral bar, ventral anchors, dorsal onchium and hooks). However, it differs from these species by the morphology of the vagina, of the outer root of the dorsal anchor, and the size of some sclerotised parts (dorsal anchor total length, dorsal bar length, ventral anchor length, and penis length). Protoancylodiscoides dibambaensis sp. nov. is close to P. ivoiriensis Bouah, N’Douba & Pariselle, 2021 by the lack of the onchium and the morphology of some sclerotised parts of the haptor. However, it differs from this species by the morphology of the dorsal bar, penis length, dorsal bar length, and of the ventral anchor total length. This study on monogeneans raises the question of ichthyofauna exchange between adjacent streams; it also reveals a longitudinal gradient of Protoancylodiscoides species richness in the Sanaga River.

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ABSTRACT Parental division of offspring care in the post-fledging stage of passerines is scarcely studied, especially for neotropical species. We describe the division of parental care in the post-fledging stage of the pale-breasted thrush, Turdus leucomelas Vieillot, 1818, focusing on the food provisioning rate, its effects on fledgling vocalization and foraging, as well as the way parents divide their brood for care. We made direct observations on 13 fledglings from eight families (mean ± standard deviation: 1.88 ± 0.83 fledglings per family) for 70.2 hours. We found no differences in food provisioning rate between adult males and females, nor was it affected by brood age or size. Food provisioning rate was not associated with the frequency of foraging and vocalization by fledglings; foraging was the only behavior that varied with brood age, increasing in frequency. Although there was no difference between parents in food provisioning, pale-breasted thrushes presented four different arrangements of fledgling care: male-only care (while females incubated a new clutch), brood division between the two parents, female-only care (in the absence of a new nesting attempt), and biparental care (both adults take care of the same fledgling). The mode of parental care (uniparental or biparental) did not affect the rate of food provisioning to fledglings. The diversity in modes of brood division between parents was greater than expected, which calls for further studies to uncover the underlying reasons for such variation.

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ABSTRACT Habitat loss and land use changes resulting from urbanization in residential communities are among the greatest threats to wild mammals. Identifying anthropogenic factors determining mammal diversity and composition can help coordinate socio-economic development with ecological conservation. In this study, we used transect surveys to compare the mammal assemblages near human-disturbed communities with those in the natural off-community area around Beijing, a major metropolis. We assessed the variables affecting the mammals’ presence using 19 environmental indicators. Of the twelve mammal species detected in the area, three vulnerable species have obtained legislative protection. In 58% of the observations, mammals were discovered around communities closer to croplands and located at slightly higher elevations with less vegetation, and these are the main environmental variables contributing to more mammals’ presences in the disturbed near-community area. The selection of croplands for the mammals in the suburb should be a trade-off between feeding benefits and predation risks, and with the rise of protection willingness, green zones near residential communities can serve as additional habitats for mammals facing the expansion of urbanization.

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ABSTRACT Changes in Neotropical bat taxonomy in the past two decades have caused significant shifts in our understanding of the diversity and distribution of the group. Taxonomic revisions have shown that the once widespread Platyrrhinus helleri (Peters, 1866) represented a species complex, which resulted in the elevation of Platyrrhinus helleri incarum (Thomas, 1912) to the species level for cis-Andean South America and the restriction of P. helleri to Central America and northern South America west of the Andes. Nevertheless, some studies still mention P. helleri for Brazil. Aiming to investigate if P. helleri occurs in Brazil, we collected specimens of small-sized Platyrrhinus in the Cerrado and Pantanal ecosystems, and revised vouchers in museum collections. Based on DNA sequence data and analysis of the pelage and craniodental morphology, we confirm that the only small Platyrrhinus species occurring in Cerrado and Pantanal of central Brazil corresponds to P. incarum. This is the first study to provide sequence data for Brazilian P. incarum. We also provide new records of P. incarum, extending its range by 390 km to southeast and 480 km to the east in Brazil.

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ABSTRACT The knowledge of the diversity and distribution of Opiliones in Brazil can be considered suitable. However, while the harvestmen fauna of the southern Atlantic Forest is also well-known, several gaps remain and they are still far from complete, notably those in Paraná. Thus, investigations on regional assemblages focused on primary data are critical for promoting many key research fields such as taxonomic and phylogenetic studies, as well as encouraging conservation efforts. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the knowledge on diversity, distribution, and the history of Opiliones research from the state of Paraná. Knowledge gaps are identified and the background of taxonomic studies, highlighting the key contributors, is also discussed. A total of 1115 records were compiled, with 584 from Paraná for 118 species belonging to five families. This compilation allowed to identify 60 endemic species and 106 type localities (including invalid specific names) for the state. Despite being one of the three Brazilian states with the greatest diversity of harvestmen, this knowledge is concentrated in a small region in the First Plateau and is the result of the efforts of a few researchers and collectors over a few decades. To overcome these limitations further sampling is required in the state’s western region. This study is a very first step toward to achieve a comprehensive database of knowledge about Opiliones from one of the richest hotspots for these invertebrates in the world. We encourage similar approaches that consider the state of art for other research fields such behavior, ecology, and natural history in the state, as well as to other neotropical areas.

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ABSTRACT Sturnira, known as the yellow-shouldered bat, has a wide geographical distribution and encompasses 24 distinct species. Within Phyllostomidae, Sturnira is the most diverse, with four species in Brazil: S. lilium, S. magna, S. tildae, and S. giannae. Sturnira species occur on the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjacent Amazonian lowlands, spanning from Colombia to northern Bolivia, the Brazilian Amazon, the southern lowlands of Venezuela, and the Guianas. In the present study the following were investigated: the phylogenetic relationships of Sturnira, employing the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene as a marker; the phylogeography of S. lilium and S. giannae, aiming to elucidate their geographical boundaries and phylogenetic positions; the morphology of S. lilium and S. giannae, and their potential distributions. The results indicate that there are two major clades within Sturnira, one including S. lilium, S. parvidens, and S. bakeri as the sister group of S. giannae, S. luisi, and S. paulsoni, and another clade with the remaining species. Morphological analyses showed that the diagnostic characteristics previously advanced for S. lilium and S. giannae overlap. Our findings expanded the known distribution of S. giannae, and show an area where S. lilium and S. giannae overlap in distribution. This area spans from the south of the state of Mato Grosso to the south of the state of Maranhão; the two species are sympatric in northeast Brazil and syntopic in the Pantanal. The comprehensive species distribution model suggested that the sympatry between S. lilium and S. giannae is notably larger than documented here.

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ABSTRACT The knowledge of the bat fauna from Minas Gerais, the largest state in southeastern Brazil, has greatly changed in recent years due to increased sampling and taxonomic revisions with reports of range extension and/or new species descriptions. The first annotated list of bats for the state dates to over 10 years ago. Our study aimed to update it by incorporating new localities sampled since then and by adding new species records to the list. We also conducted a comprehensive review of the literature and museum databases and analyzed 691 specimens collected in the state from all mesoregions and ecosystems deposited in collections. We documented the occurrence of 99 bat species from nine families, distributed in 181 municipalities, covering all mesoregions and biomes of the state. This is an increment of 30% in bat richness and of 241% in locality sites with bat records in Minas Gerais, when compared with the previous compilation. We report two previously unrecorded species for the state, the phylostomids Rhinophylla pumilio Peters, 1865 and Trinycteris nicefori (Sanborn, 1949). The mesoregions with the largest number of bat collection localities were “Metropolitana” (46), “Zona da Mata” (26), and “Norte de Minas” (21). The Atlantic Forest had the largest number of collection sites compared to the other biomes present in the state (102). There are a lot of sampling gaps in the state, and most of the conservation areas have not yet been sampled for bats. In face of that and based on the recent findings of several new species and records as a result of sampling and revisionary efforts, we suggest the implementation of rapid survey programs accompanied by taxonomic studies within the conservation units of Minas Gerais. Long-term monitoring programs, including bats, are also completely missing in the state.

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ABSTRACT Kora Simone, 2012, currently includes three species known only by shell morphology. They are distributed in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais in central Brazil, where they occur in association with limestone outcrops. Features used to identify them include micro-ornamentation of the protoconch, color pattern, and morphometric data. This paper expands the characterization of the genus through the description of the internal anatomy of two of its species. These features also distinguish a new species, which is described herein. Material was collected manually during several field expeditions to Parque Nacional Cavernas do Peruaçu in northern Minas Gerais. Total height and maximum width, and height and width of the aperture, were measured; the number of whorls determined; and staining patterns typified. The digestive and reproductive systems and pallial complex were characterized for Kora rupestris Salvador & Simone, 2016 and Kora arnaldoi sp. nov., which are distinguished by the latter possessing a protoconch with a smooth first ½ whorl, a more tapered profile, a jaw with 18 folds, a buccal bulb with a short radular core, and a fertilization complex with only one tubular fold. The two species share a very peculiar pattern of radula teeth compared to other genera of the family, given that they are rupicolous but do not live inside caves. Diagnostic knowledge of the genus was expanded.

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ABSTRACT Pterobdella arugamensis (Silva, 1963) is a marine leech that can be found the Indo-West Pacific region and has shown undesired effects in the aquaculture industry. In the Asia Pacific region, it has infested predominantly on the cultured hybrid groupers. Despite its known distributional range, the dispersion and transportation mechanisms of P. arugamensis are still poorly known. Hence, analyzing the DNA sequences of P. arugamensis may shed some light on this enigmatic leech, which will aid in mitigating the leech-associated issues faced by the aquaculture industry. This study analyzed the mitochondrial cytochrome b (CYTB) gene sequences of P. arugamensis from Brunei, China and Indonesia. The results provided further confirmation that P. arugamensis from these sites showed variation within the overall population but significant differences in its distribution across the region were not observed, which could be due to its introduction via the aquaculture industry or due to natural migration.

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ABSTRACT The hairy-tailed bolo mouse, Necromys lasiurus (Lund, 1841), which is typical of the Cerrado (CE), has been recorded in some open areas within the Atlantic Forest (AF) domain of the Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro (RJ). In the CE, N. lasiurus is a known reservoir of zoonotic agents, and is the reservoir of an orthohantavirus genotype, Araraquara virus (ARAV), the etiological agent of Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). Given this, the presence of N. lasiurus has potentially negative implications for public health in the state, and therefore it is important to elucidate the origin of its populations in RJ and their connections with populations outside the AF known to carry the ARAV. In the present study we combined phylogenetic and phylogeographic approaches to elucidate the evolutionary history of N. lasiurus populations in RJ, and to test if their dispersal into the AF domain is recent or ancient. These analyses were based on sequences of the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene, obtained from N. lasiurus specimens from the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro (AF-RJ), together with all the sequences of this gene available for N. lasiurus in GenBank. In addition to the phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses, the sequences were used to test among five hypothetical demographic scenarios, proposed to explain the evolutionary history of the hairy-tailed bolo mouse in the state of RJ. The results of all the analyses indicated that populations from AF and the Arid Diagonal (AD) of South America, which includes the CE, diverged in the Late Pleistocene but reconnected in the Holocene. The RJ population (AF-RJ) resulted from this recent genetic admixture among diverging populations from AF and AD. Despite the recent reconnection, no evidence has been found that the AF-RJ N. lasiurus population acts as a reservoir of ARAV, although the continued genetic connectivity with those from AD highlight the need to reinforce the public health monitoring of orthohantavirus in this rodent, especially given the potential spillover of other genotypes. Overall, then, the results of the present study provide important new insights into the evolutionary history of N. lasiurus, which should contribute to the surveillance of orthohantaviruses, and the development of more effective measures for the prevention and control of this zoonosis.

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ABSTRACT The earliest fossil member of Bothrideridae, Alveoderes yamamotoi Li & Cai gen. et sp. nov., is reported from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. Alveoderes gen. nov. appears to be most similar to extant Deretaphrus in the 3-segmented antennal club and pronotal morphology, but is also distinctive among the whole Bothrideridae in having a large cavity (possible glandular opening) at each anterior pronotal angle. Our discovery of a definitive bothriderid beetle from the late Mesozoic highlights the antiquity of the family. A key to the extant and extinct genera of Deretaphrini is added.

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ABSTRACT The tribe Scatellini comprises 247 species (plus five nomina dubia) that are distributed in all biogeographical regions except Antarctica. The tribe currently includes nine genera. One genus, Scatella Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, includes six subgenera. To test the monophyly of Scatellini and to understand the phylogenetic relationships among the included genera, a cladistic analysis was performed. The optimization criterion chosen was parsimony using implicit character weighting, and the analysis was based on the morphological characters of adult males and females. The species of eight of nine genera of Scatellini from different geographic regions were studied. Species of the other tribes of Ephydrinae were also included to provide insight on the phylogenetic position of Scatellini within this subfamily. The implied weighting analysis showed that the tribe Scatellini, as currently characterized, is a monophyletic group, as are all the genera included in it. From this analysis, two major lineages emerged: 1. Scatella and its included subgenera; 2. All other genera of Scatellini. The latter clade includes (Thinoscatella (Lamproscatella + Haloscatella)) and the clade (Amalopteryx (Philotelma (Limnellia + Scatophila))). Five subgenera of Scatella were recovered as monophyletic groups: Parascatella Cresson, Synhoplos Lamb, Apulvillus Malloch, Scatella, and Teichomyza Macquart. Neoscatella Malloch is synonymized with Scatella sensu stricto. In the implied weighting analysis, Ephydrini and Scatellini are sister-groups. Based on this phylogenetic reconstruction, the taxonomy of Scatellini is presented at the generic level. A key to the included genera and subgenera is also presented.

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ABSTRACT Despite their large size and intimidating appearance, most mygalomorph spiders do not cause severe envenomation in Brazil. “Programa Estadual de Vigilância de Acidentes por Animais Peçonhentos da Secretaria de Estado da Saúde do Paraná”, through the “Sistema de Notificação de Animais Peçonhentos” (SINAP), documents the occurrence of synanthropic species captured by the public and reported to municipal health services. In this study, we present a list of the mygalomorph species received by Secretaria de Saúde do Estado do Paraná (SESA) and their distribution across the state of Paraná, based on the SINAP reports. A total of 575 mygalomorph specimens were identified, originating from all 22 Regional Health Centers (RS) of SESA-PR. We identified species of four families: Actinopodidae (on species: Actinopus itapitocai); Dipluridae (1 species: Diplura catharinensis; Pycnothelidae (two species: Psalistopoides emanueli, and P. fulvimanus); and Theraphosidae (10 species in four genera: Acanthoscurria paulensis, Eupalaestrus campestratus, Grammostola actaeon, Pterinopelma longisternale, Tekoapora wacketi, Vitalius dubius, V. lucasae, V. paranaensis, V. sorocabae and V. vellutinus). Of the aforementioned species, Vitalius paranaensis has the widest distribution, occurring in all Regional Centers of Health except Paranaguá. The other most frequently collected species were Pterinopelma longisternale, Vitalius sorocabae, and Psalistopoides emanueli. In total, the 575 records resulted in only 12 accidents. The results highlight the broad distribution of some species; contributes to the identification of the main species encountered by the population and reported to SINAP in Paraná; and helps to bring attention to the low number of accidents caused by these large-sized spiders.

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ABSTRACT The eight species of Bondarius Rosado-Neto, 2006 are distributed in South, Central and North America, and the Caribbean: B. tuberculatus (Boheman, 1836), B. subrufus (Fiedler, 1936), B. breyeri (Brèthes, 1910), B. fuscoaeneus (Boheman, 1843), B. sublaevicollis (Hustache, 1939), B. nitidus (Champion, 1902), B. spinipes (Champion, 1902) and B. pectoralis (Suffrian, 1872). This study presents a taxonomic review of the genus and redescription of the known species, provides illustrations of the external morphology, mouthparts and genitalia of males and females, and an identification key to species.

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ABSTRACT Two new species, Pseudoazya mirabilis sp. nov. and Pseudoazya massayo sp. nov., both from Northeast Brazil, are described. Pseudoazya is distributed in other localities of Brazil. The new species of Pseudoazya Gordon, 1980 are described based on the external morphology and genitalia of the adults. The genus is distinguished from Azya Mulsant, 1850, the only other genus of Azyini, by prosternum with intercoxal process flat, not elevated, and apex of penis bifid.

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ABSTRACT The evolution of woodpecker behaviors in association with their morphological adaptations is not well understood. This investigation aimed to determine the relationship between the anatomy of the jaw apparatus, the type of food consumed and the foraging mode of these birds. We present detailed anatomical descriptions of all parts of the jaw apparatus of true woodpeckers. Their characteristics were mapped into a consensus phylogenetic tree to describe woodpecker evolution. When morphological analyses were associated with feeding/foraging behavior, distinct patterns emerged. The protractor quadrati and pterygoideus systems are more developed in species that adopt pecking/hammering behaviors, even as secondary habits. By comparing Hemicircus (frugivorous with a poorly developed jaw apparatus) with the last common ancestor of Picinae, the early evolution of the jaw apparatus was found to be related to the type of food consumed. However, it became more complex in the ancestral lineage of Picinae, which enabled these birds to catch insects by gleaning/probing. It is hypothesized that the jaw apparatus of Picinae has evolved in response to foraging tactics and not to the type of food consumed. Pecking/hammering, as a secondary behavior, has evolved independently in Dryocopus, Celeus, and Dendropicus. Moreover, it has become more complex in Piculus and the clade comprising Blythipicus/Reinwardtipicus/Camphephilus, as they utilize pecking/hammering as their primary behavior.

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ABSTRACT The Amazon Basin harbors one of the most diverse avifaunas in the world, especially in the interfluvial region between the Madeira and Tapajós rivers, with many endemic and recently described species. Even though ornithologists have visited the region since the 19th century, there is little basic information about the local birds. Herein, the ornithological results of a scientific expedition carried out in the central and upper regions of the Abacaxis River are reported. A total of 356 bird species were recorded, including two that are threatened and five that are endemic to the region. The avian community of this species-rich region is very similar to more eastern communities, but the Abacaxis River does not form a geographic barrier for birds. The rapid loss of forest in the Amazon Basin makes it necessary to generate the type of of information provided in this study, to aid in conservation efforts.

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ABSTRACT There are few literature publications on the species of Cerodontha Rondani, 1861 that occur in Brazil. This contrasts with the situation in the Nearctic region and Europe, where the genus is well-studied. We analyzed specimens of Cerodontha from two important collections in Brazil: Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia and Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. As a result, we found and describe two new species: Cerodontha (Poemyza) teresopoliensis sp. nov. and Cerodontha (Poemyza) rafaelii sp. nov., that both can be recognized for some specific character, as the darker body coloration and form of the male genitalia. We also provide new records and additional characters to diagnosis for the Cerodontha (Butomomyza) orcina Spencer, 1973 and Cerodontha (Butomomyza) obscurata Martinez, 1992. The descriptions are illustrated with images of the external morphology of the adult and male genitalia. A key to the Brazilian species of the subgenera Butomomyza and Poemyza are also provided.

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ABSTRACT Pemphredoninae are a very large lineage of crabronid wasps with more than a thousand species. In this lineage, the subtribe Spilomenina stand out for containing the smallest apoid wasps and by exhibiting relatively complex social behavior such as female nest-sharing and even eusocial colonies. One of the most conspicuous features of this subtribe, and which seems to be associated with its social behavior, is the presence of silk spinnerets that are used for lining and nest building. In the present study, we conducted Bayesian inference and parsimony analyses with a subset of a previously established morphological data matrix of Pemphredoninae. Our phylogenetic results indicate that Spilomena subterranea McCoquodale & Naumann, 1988, an Australian spilomenine species that presents nest-sharing behavior but lacking silk apparatus represents an independent lineage, recognized here in a new genus, Australomena gen. nov. Our results indicate that Australomena gen. nov. is sister group of the remaining Spilomenina (Arpactophilus, Microstigmus, Spilomena and Xysma). The females of Australomena gen. nov. shows clear adaptations for ground nesting, such as a pygidial plate and basitibial plates on the hind legs, that means that nest-sharing behavior arose very early in Spilomenina evolution, apparently long before the emergence of the silk apparatus.

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ABSTRACT Peru holds a high mammalian diversity in its Amazonian region, with 326 species. However, our knowledge about the actual diversity is still considered incomplete, and the molecular information for those species in genetic databases is even less comprehensive. To assess the availability of genetic information for Peruvian Amazonian mammals relative to known diversity, we surveyed the Amazonian mammals with at least one molecular marker in the most widely used repositories for nucleotide sequences, GenBank and BOLD Systems. Our survey focused on widely used molecular markers in evolutionary biology-cytochrome b [cyt-b], cytochrome oxidase I [COI], 12S ribosomal RNA [12S], and the mitogenome [mit]-derived from Peruvian Amazon mammals. Additionally, to gain insights into the current mammalian sampling effort in Peruvian Amazonia, we generated a map of unique sampling localities and a heat map, utilizing 41951 records, which identified six major information gaps. This comprehensive analysis found 1597 genetic sequences corresponding to 180 mammalian species (55.2% of Peruvian Amazonian species): COI (38 species), cyt-b (167 species), 12S (56 species), and mitogenome (16 species). Taxonomically, Rodentia (53 species, four markers), Chiroptera (63 species, three markers), and Didelphimorphia (27 species, four markers) represented most molecular data, with a concentration of molecular markers in the orders Chiroptera (703) and Rodentia (499). Geographically, the Loreto department has the largest genetic information (530 records, 99 species). These results confirm a worrying underrepresentation of Peruvian Amazonian diversity in molecular databases. Consequently, we advocate for the use of scientific collections as an alternative source to systematically generate genetic information for the Amazonian mammal diversity in Peru to compensate for the current underrepresentation.

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ABSTRACT The increase in urbanization poses a significant threat to biodiversity, leading to the alteration of natural habitats and intensified competition between native and exotic species. The house sparrow, Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a globally widespread exotic and invasive species known for its environmental adaptability. However, recent studies have indicated that degrees of urbanization and microhabitat characteristics can influence house sparrow populations in diverse ways. In this study, we investigated the abundance, temporal variation, and microhabitat use of house sparrows across three areas with varying degrees of urbanization: urban areas (consisting of residential areas, paved streets, and squares), anthropic fields (including pastures and cultivated fields), and forests in Jacaraú, Northeastern Brazil. From October 2017 to September 2018, we employed the point count method to compare the abundance of house sparrows among the different areas. A total of 1880 records of house sparrows were obtained, with 56.3% observed in urban areas, 43.7% in anthropic fields, and none in the forest, indicating significant variations among the study areas. Throughout the year, active birds were observed in both urban areas and anthropic fields. Although no variations in bird abundance were found among the months in urban areas, a significant difference was observed in March (higher abundance) and October (lower abundance) in anthropic fields. The most frequently utilized microhabitats by house sparrows were ground surfaces, man-made structures, and artificial perches, whereas trees were the least used microhabitats. Our findings confirm that both habitat and microhabitat characteristics play crucial roles in determining the abundance and distribution patterns of the species in Brazil. Furthermore, our results suggest that house sparrows avoid using forests, and these environments can act as barriers to the species’ distribution. These findings enhance our understanding of the ecological dynamics of house sparrows in Brazil and provide valuable insights for management.

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ABSTRACT Experiments with artificial nests are widely used to gain insights into the behavioral and ecological factors affecting the survival of natural nests. Undesired effects on nest success may arise from variations in nest and egg characteristics (e.g., dimensions, texture, and color). Still, evaluating these potential factors is seldom considered in the design of artificial nest studies, particularly in tropical regions. We assessed the effect of two nest types (cup-shaped and dome-shaped) and two egg types (differing in size and color) on the survival of artificial nests. The egg types included smaller (22-25 mm), variously colored eggs of blue-breasted quails, Synoicus chinensis (Linnaeus, 1766) and larger (25-30 mm), white-spotted-with-brown eggs of Japanese quails, Coturnix japonica Temminck & Schlegel, 1848. The experiment took place within a coastal shrubland (restinga) in southeastern Brazil, from August 16-31, 2017. This period coincides with the onset of the breeding season for most insectivorous bird species in the region. The nests were observed for 15 days to assess predation, revealing higher survival rates in dome-shaped nests than cup-shaped ones. Egg type, however, did not affect survival rates. This suggests that coastal shrubland nest survival is influenced by factors seen in other Neotropical environments, where dome-shaped nests are likewise less vulnerable to predation. Interestingly, egg color and size did not impact nest predation in this environment. We suggest that future studies on artificial nests should incorporate variations in nest types and validate the selection of egg types.

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ABSTRACT The biological parameters of Necrobia rufipes (DeGeer, 1775) are estimated under controlled temperature and relative humidity. The adults, collected from industrial canine food at a supermarket in Campina Grande, state of Paraíba, Brazil, were taken to the Laboratory of Insect Systematics and Bioecology at the Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, in order to ascertain the matrix creation. The individuals were placed in boxes with hermetic sealing, each containing 20 adults, and were fed a diet of 1.8 g of fish flour, a slice of bacon, and four dog food pellets. A total of 160 eggs were individualized in the plastic recipient in a base of paper filter, covered with voil tissue, and secured with an elastic cord. The containers were placed in a B.O.D. camera at temperatures of 20, 24, 28, and 32 °C and relative humidity of 70%. The larvae received a diet composed of 0.45 g of fish flour, a slice of bacon, and dog food pellet. The development of phases was monitored daily. The life cycle from egg to adult was completed in four temperatures and encompassed four larval instars. The development speed at all stage phases was affected by temperature. Higher thermal conditions increase development speed and consequently reduce the duration of the immature and adult stages. The development of N. rufipes was completed at 20 and 32 °C, two temperatures that are not considered optimal for insect development. The fact that N. rufipes is a pest of storage grains, however, may explain why this insect is able to tolerate and develop under suboptimal temperatures.

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ABSTRACT The Island of Santa Catarina is the largest island on the Brazilian coast. Within the Atlantic Forest domain, it serves as a model for investigating the decline in biodiversity within this ecosystem. This decline is associated with the loss of a large part of forest cover and mammalian species. Although the forest environment in the island has recovered more in comparison to the rest of the Atlantic Rainforest (66% versus 28%, respectively), the isolation typical of islands has hindered the recolonization of sensitive species, particularly those that are threatened. Two decades after the first publication of the mammal list of the Island of Santa Catarina, we revised past data to identify which species became extinct and which native and exotic species remain, focusing on the inclusion of Chiroptera. Through bibliographical reviews, scientific collections and field surveys, a total of 59 species of native mammals, non-volant and volants, were confirmed. Among these, eight species were determined to be extirpated, all threatened with extinction, including large ungulates and top cats, in addition to the occurrence of nine domestic and exotic invasive species. Studies employing specific methodologies and sampling techniques in inadequately assessed environments have the potential to augment species richness, particularly among rodents, marsupials, and bats.

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ABSTRACT: The study of fossil and subfossil birds in Brazil is still in its early stages despite its relatively abundant material. The remains are represented by bones, feathers, mummified specimens, eggs, coprolites, pellets, and tracks found in all Regions of the country starting in the 1830s. They are known from the Early Cretaceous to the latest Holocene, albeit several temporal gaps exist, and the most expressive diversity and quantity are concentrated in a few but important sites. Our survey and review of the literature and some previously unpublished specimens resulted in a list of 670 records demonstrating that the country’s known past avifaunas are essentially modern and rely mostly on provisional determination methods. Despite this, 15 extinct genera and 20 extinct species were newly described, demonstrating this field’s potential. The proper study of numerous long-stored materials from both paleontological and archeological contexts and eventual new remains can contribute significantly to our understanding of avian evolution and their taxonomic diversity throughout time, besides furnishing paleobiogeographic and paleoenvironmental information.

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ABSTRACT Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle & Manceaux, 1908) is a highly prevalent zoonotic protozoan parasite found globally in various bird and mammal species, including humans. Migratory birds play an important epidemiological role by facilitating the spread of pathogens, including T. gondii, to new regions. Armenia is particularly significant in this context being located at the crossroads of three global migration flyways; however, research on T. gondii infection in wild birds in this region has not been previously conducted. This study marks the first molecular detection of active T. gondii infection in the blood of wild birds, assessing the prevalence associated with the risk factors such as age, sex, migratory status, and feeding habits of birds. Research was carried out in the Megri Region of Syunik Province in 2013, 2014, and 2018 in the breeding season. The presence of parasite in 116 Passerines was determined using PCR with specific primers derived from the RE gene with mean prevalence of T. gondii in 12%. The highest infection rates were observed in Upcher’s Warbler, Hippolais languida (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833), at 36% (4 out of 11), Eastern Black-eared Wheatear, Oenanthe melanoleuca (Guldenstadt, 1775), at 33% (2 out of 6), and Eastern Orphean Warbler, Curruca crassirostris (Bates, 1936), at 19% (5 out of 27). Long-distance migrants exhibited a higher frequency of T. gondii occurrence compared to resident birds (χ2 = 7.11, DF = 2, p = 0.029). The infection rates did not show a dependence on the sex or age of the birds. The relationship between infection and feeding behavior in local toxoplasmosis distribution remains unclear, necessitating further research with new methodologies, additional animal species, broader geographic coverage, and larger sample sizes.

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ABSTRACT Evagetes, with 18 species from China, is reviewed. One new species from Xinjiang, China, Evagetes truncantennus Dong & Ma, sp. nov. is described and illustrated. Ten newly recorded species from China are illustrated: E. transbaicalicus Lelej, 1995, E. subglaber (Haupt, 1941), E. iconionus Wolf, 1970, E. orientalis Lelej & Loktionov, 2009, E. crassicornis (Shuckard, 1837), E. dubius (Vander Linden, 1827), E. littoralis (Wesmael, 1851), E. pectinipes (Linnaeus, 1758), E. trispinosus (Kohl, 1886), E. proximus (Dahlbom, 1845), E. deirambo Ishikawa, 1960, E. liane Schmid-Egger, 2019 and E. shwangtashanus Yasumatsu, 1935, and 17 known species from China receive updated diagnoses. Additionally, a key to the Chinese species of Evagetes is provided. A few diagnostic morphological characters are found useful in species’ identifications, further enhancing the understanding of biodiversity within this genus. This study increased the number of known species of Evagetes, and expanded the known distribution of the genus to China.

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ABSTRACT A new theraphosid species, Vitalius ornatissimus sp. nov., is described based on one male and one female from Brazil. The new species is distributed in the Brazilian states of Tocantins, Goiás, Distrito Federal, and the western state of Bahia, living in areas of the Cerrado biome. It is closely related to and resembles Vitalius chromatus (Schmidt, 2004) in appearance, with a general black coloration and whitish rings or stripes on the legs and palp in both sexes. With V. chromatus, it shares the presence of a row of spines on the distal-retrolateral edge of palpal tibia of male, but differs by the tibial apophysis and metatarsus I shape. Vitalius ornatissimus sp. nov. is the first species of Vitalius Lucas, Silva Jr & Bertani recorded exclusively in central Cerrado.

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ABSTRACT The tortricid genus Cydia Hübner, 1825 is widely distributed and includes important pests of agriculture and forestry. Most of the research related to natural history and morphology of the immature stages of this genus involves species of economic importance. Thus, there is a lack of knowledge about non-pest species. Herein, we describe the morphology of the immature stages (eggs, larvae and pupae) and natural history of Cydia tonosticha (Meyrick, 1922), a widely distributed moth in the Neotropics and an important seed predator of Cassia leptophylla Vogel (Fabaceae). Scanning electron microscope images illustrating morphology of the immature stages are provided for the first time for a Neotropical Cydia species. This study contributes to our overall understanding of morphology, ecology, and consequently, evolutionary traits in Tortricidae.

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ABSTRACT Monstrilloid copepods are endoparasites of marine benthic invertebrates (i.e., polychaetes, molluscs) during their juvenile stages. A final copepodite stage V preadult leaves the host and moults into a non-feeding, reproductive planktonic adult. The taxonomy of Monstrilloid copepods has been historically complex. The current list of species of Brazilian Monstrilloida is available from the “Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil” website (CTFB), an on-line database with taxonomic information on the species known to occur in Brazil. Based on current taxonomical contributions, a total of 14 valid nominal species of Monstrilloida have been recorded from Brazil, including six endemic species (43%). Species of Cymbasoma (five species: 36%) and Monstrilla (six species: 43%) total up to 78% of the Brazilian monstrilloid species diversity. Monstrillopsis and Caromiobenella are both represented by three species. Records of Monstrilloida are concentrated in the East, Southeast, and Northeast regions of the country, with an absence of records for the Rio Grande region. The records of Monstrilloid copepods should be revised in the light of evidence suggesting that widespread nominal species like Cymbasoma longispinosum Bourne, 1890, Cymbasoma rigidum Thompson I.C., 1888, Monstrillopsis dubia (Scott T., 1904), and Monstrilla grandis Giesbrecht, 1891 probably represent species complexes. A better knowledge of the taxonomy, distribution, and biology of the Brazilian Monstrilloida taxa is important to support their conservation. The revision of previous records, the occurrence of species complexes among the Brazilian monstrilloid fauna, the discovery of hosts, and reliably matching males and females of monstrilloids are pending assignments to significantly improve our knowledge of the group.

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ABSTRACT The Tunicata, despite the relatively low species diversity among the invertebrates, has always received attention not only due to their ecological importance, especially in fouling communities, but also for several species that are studied as models for genetics and the evolution of development, as well as being a prolific source of natural products. In Brazil, research during the last 60 years has considerably increased our knowledge of benthic and planktonic tunicates, resulting from the work of several research teams. In this review, we provide information on the biodiversity of coastal Brazil along with an analysis of geographic distribution, sampling effort, the locations and status of taxonomic collections, and research specialists working on this group.

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ABSTRACT Taxonomic data about Brazilian hydraenids are currently available open access at the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna (Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil - CTFB) website, an online database with taxonomic information on the animal species occurring in Brazil. Based on taxonomic contributions published until September 2023, a total of 34 valid Hydraenidae species have been recorded from Brazil, 27 (79%) of which are endemic. Foreign authors have dominated the description of Brazilian Hydraenidae species (eight out of 10), and Dr. P.D. Perkins from the United States has authored the highest number of species described from Brazil (20). While the primary type specimens of species described from Brazil are predominantly deposited in non-Brazilian institutions (65%), the collection of Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil, has the most Hydraenidae type species (11) in the country. So far, Hydraenidae have been recorded in 19 Brazilian states. The two states with the highest hydraenid biodiversity are Minas Gerais and Bahia, with 12 and seven species, respectively. Species distribution by Brazilian biomes reveals that the Atlantic Forest is the most diverse, with 24 species (21 endemic), followed by the Amazon rainforest, with nine species (five endemic). In this study we also analyzed the potential distribution of the four Hydraenidae genera occurring in Brazil using ecological niche modeling. Our results indicate that Hydraena Kugelann, 1794 and Ochthebius Leach, 1815 have a wide potential distribution, covering a large part of the country. Otherwise, Adelphydraena Perkins, 1989 would be restricted to the Amazon and Parhydraenida J. Balfour-Browne, 1975 to the mountains of the Brazilian Shield. The knowledge on the Brazilian hydraenid fauna is still very poor: There are significant knowledge gaps, and many areas have been under-sampled. This deficiency should be addressed in future studies.

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ABSTRACT An updated list of the biting midges recorded from the 26 Brazilian states and the Federal District is provided based on the data available in the “Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna” (Portuguese CTFB). The Brazilian Ceratopogonidae fauna is represented by 529 known species, corresponding to 40% of the Neotropical fauna. A table showing the number of species of Ceratopogonidae genera in the Neotropical region, Brazil, and Brazilian Amazon is included. In accordance with the family knowledge worldwide, the subfamily Ceratopogoninae is the best represented in the number of species due to the study of Culicoides, which has sanitary importance. The analysis of the diversity in each region and in the Brazilian states indicates the need for further studies in the five Brazilian geopolitical regions, especially in the Midwest and Northeast, which are home to the natural biomes of Cerrado, Pantanal, and Caatinga.

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ABSTRACT Meiofauna is a guild of microscopic organisms (delimited by the mesh width of two sieves, upper 500 μm and lower 44 μm) that inhabit the sediment grains and periphyton of aquatic environments (both freshwater and marine). Despite the fact that this definition is based on size, all the environments inhabited by these microorganisms present similar ecological challenges, which suggests that the meiofauna is a biologically and ecologically independent entity. Currently, meiofaunal organisms are represented in 23 of the 34 known metazoan phyla, including Tardigrada, Gastrotricha, and Kinorhyncha. The goal of this study was to compile information on the diversity and distribution of these phyla in Brazil. Based on the taxonomic contributions published until July 2023, a total of 97 Tardigrada species, 88 Gastrotricha species, and five Kinorhyncha species have been recorded. They are distributed throughout five biomes, eight hydrographic regions, 10 terrestrial biogeographic provinces, three marine biogeographical provinces, and 15 political states in Brazil. The species accumulation curve suggests that there are still many Tardigrada and Gastrotricha species to be discovered with increasing sampling effort, as the rate of discovery of new species is linearly increasing. Unfortunately, knowledge of the biodiversity of these meiofaunal groups is still limited due to sparse information on identity and distribution. We recommend future studies dealing with meiofauna taxa to prioritize redescribing endemic species based on integrative taxonomy and increase the number of the type series deposited in Zoological Museums (e.g., specimen photos). Furthermore, the training of researchers specialized in these taxa is a priority, as some of these phyla do not have any Brazilian specialists.

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ABSTRACT We present an overview of horseflies in Brazil. For this, we compiled and analyzed the data available in the Taxonomic Catalogue of the Brazilian Fauna (“Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil” - CTFB). A total of 496 valid species in three subfamilies and 44 genera are recorded from Brazil, of which 46.3% are endemic to the country. The genera with the highest numbers of described species are: Tabanus Linnaeus (15.5%), Fidena Walker (12.9%), Catachlorops Lutz (9.8%) and Dichelacera Macquart (7.8%). The taxonomy of Tabanidae in Brazil began with European researchers in 18th and 19th centuries. Brazilian taxonomists, beginning with Adolph Lutz, started publishing on Tabanidae only in 1907. A total of 50 researchers of different nationalities first authored the description of the Brazilian species. Of these, only seven were women. Approximately 45% of the primary types of Brazilian species are deposited in Europe, 33% in Brazil, 16% in the USA, and other 6% in South American countries or their repository is unknown. In Brazilian collections, 98% of the primary types are distributed in only four collections. Species distribution records in Brazil indicate that the regions with the highest number of recorded species (in the North and Southeast) are those that harbor the main collections of Tabanidae, as well as the states with the highest number of species, namely Amazonas, Pará and São Paulo. The Brazilian Atlantic Forest (233 spp.) and the Brazilian Amazon (222 spp.) are the most diverse regarding the distribution of species in those biomes, although the Brazilian Amazon has a greatest number of endemic species (131 spp.). The taxonomic changes proposed in this work are to revalidate the combination of Chrysops lynchi Brèthes, 1910 stat. reval., Stypommisa serena (Kröber, 1931) comb. reval., and the Tabanus ornativentris Kröber, 1929 sp. reval.

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ABSTRACT We present an updated checklist of Brazilian bats, commenting on the endemic and threatened status of the species listed and providing information on recent taxonomic and nomenclatural changes. The bats of Brazil comprise 186 species, 68 genera, and nine families, with 13 species exclusive to the country. From the previous checklists, we add eight species to Brazil: Artibeus amplus, Choeroniscus godmani, Glossophaga bakeri, Lichonycteris obscura, Platyrrhinus guianensis, Trachops ehrhardti, Molossus melini and Myotis pampa. The latter is reported for the country for the first time in this study. The Brazilian list of threatened species includes three species as vulnerable (Furipterus horrens, Lonchophylla bokermanni, and Natalus macrourus) and Lonchophylla dekeyseri as endangered. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Natalus macrourus as “near threatened”, and Lonchophylla bokermanni and L. dekeyseri as “endangered”. Twenty-two additional species are probable for the country. Compared to previous lists, five species are now considered doubtful records and 19 are considered erroneous records. We reinforce the importance of a continuous update of the bat checklists in all Brazilian states as well as taxonomic revisions and bat inventories in unsampled areas.

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ABSTRACT A comprehensive overview of Scarabaeoidea in Brazil is provided based on the Taxonomic Catalogue of the Brazilian Fauna (CTFB). Data in CTFB include 2,532 valid species within 345 genera, belonging to 21 subfamilies and 10 families. Those have been described by 272 authors from 1758 to 2023. Among these authors, Carl Hermann Conrad Burmeister (1807-1892), George Frey (1902-1976), Friedrich Ohaus (1864-1946), Julius Moser (1863-1929), and Edgar von Harold (1830-1886) stand out as the most prolific, collectively accounting for approximately 43% of all known Brazilian species of Scarabaeoidea. For taxa occurring in Brazil, we also provide a dichotomous key for use identifying Scarabaeoidea families and subfamilies, along with diagnosis, remarks, and comments on their natural history.

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ABSTRACT The limited temporal completeness and taxonomic accuracy of species lists, made available in a traditional manner in scientific publications, has always represented a problem. These lists are invariably limited to a few taxonomic groups and do not represent up-to-date knowledge of all species and classifications. In this context, the Brazilian megadiverse fauna is no exception, and the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil (CTFB) (http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/), made public in 2015, represents a database on biodiversity anchored on a list of valid and expertly recognized scientific names of animals in Brazil. The CTFB is updated in near real time by a team of more than 800 specialists. By January 1, 2024, the CTFB compiled 133,691 nominal species, with 125,138 that were considered valid. Most of the valid species were arthropods (82.3%, with more than 102,000 species) and chordates (7.69%, with over 11,000 species). These taxa were followed by a cluster composed of Mollusca (3,567 species), Platyhelminthes (2,292 species), Annelida (1,833 species), and Nematoda (1,447 species). All remaining groups had less than 1,000 species reported in Brazil, with Cnidaria (831 species), Porifera (628 species), Rotifera (606 species), and Bryozoa (520 species) representing those with more than 500 species. Analysis of the CTFB database can facilitate and direct efforts towards the discovery of new species in Brazil, but it is also fundamental in providing the best available list of valid nominal species to users, including those in science, health, conservation efforts, and any initiative involving animals. The importance of the CTFB is evidenced by the elevated number of citations in the scientific literature in diverse areas of biology, law, anthropology, education, forensic science, and veterinary science, among others.

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ABSTRACT The members of the subfamily Triatominae (Heteroptera, Reduviidae) are important because they feed on vertebrate blood, acting as vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas, 1909), the protozoan that causes Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis. There are currently 158 species, 155 extant and three extinct species, within 18 genera and five tribes in Triatominae. The sustainable control of the vector transmission of Chagas disease closely relies on the availability of data on the triatomine species present in a specific region, their distribution patterns, the natural infection rate of T. cruzi, synanthropic tendencies, and ecobiological characteristics. The taxonomic catalog of the Brazilian fauna (CTFB) is an online platform available at http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br, which brings taxonomic information on Brazilian fauna. Based on information from the platform, in the present paper, a checklist of genera and 64 currently known Brazilian species is given, as well as updated geographic distribution information. We provide a summary of each species’ public health importance, drawing from relevant literature.

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ABSTRACT In 2000, Cleide Costa published a paper presenting the state of knowledge of the Neotropical Coleopte ra, with a focus on the Brazilian fauna. Twenty-four years later, thanks to the development of the Coleoptera section of the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna (CTFB - Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil) through the collaboration of 100 coleopterists from all over the globe, we can build on Costa’s work and present an updated overview of the state of knowledge of the beetles from Brazil. There are currently 35,699 species in 4,958 genera and 116 families known to occur in the country, including representatives of all extant suborders and superfamilies. Our data show that the Brazilian beetle fauna is the richest on the planet, concentrating 9% of the world species diversity, with some estimates accounting to up to 15% of the global total. The most diverse family in numbers of genera is Cerambycidae (1,056 genera), while in number of species it is Chrysomelidae (6,079 species). Conotrachelus Dejean, 1835 (Curculionidae) is the most species-rich genus, with 570 species. The French entomologist Maurice Pic is the author who has contributed the most to the naming of species recorded from Brazil, with 1,794 valid names in 36 families, whereas the Brazilians Ubirajara R. Martins and Maria Helena M. Galileo are the only ones among the top-ten authors to have named species in the 21st century. Currently, approximately 144 new species of Brazilian beetles are described each year, and this average is projected to increase in the next decade to 180 species per year, or about one new Brazilian beetle every two days.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Data from the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna provides an overview of the present knowledge of Diptera diversity in Brazil and an insight into the historical development of the taxonomy of a megadiverse animal order in a large country. Diptera represents 9.3% of the known Brazilian fauna, with 1,986 genera and 12,194 valid species in 102 families. The 15 most species-rich families, with over 300 species each, correspond to 66.5% of all Brazilian known species diversity, of which Phoridae is the richest, followed by Tachinidae, and Chironomidae. The number of species reported grew sharply from the late 19th century. So far, the most productive decade sequence was from 1910 to 1960, when over half of the presently known Brazilian dipterofauna was described. The most productive decade alone was the 2010s, with almost 1,300 species described. Thomas Borgmeier was the most prolific author of species in Brazil (585), followed by Charles Paul Alexander (559), and John Lane (481). Species names based on geographical localities often derive from “Brazil/Brasil” (154), “Amazonia” (57), and “state of São Paulo” (41). The top three honored people with species names are Fritz Plaumann (69), Hugo de Souza Lopes (57), and John Lane (49). In the last 20 years, the number of Brazilian dipterists studying the fauna has increased, with the establishment of several research groups across the country, more authors collaborating in papers describing species, and interconnection between the Brazilian research groups, resulting in more complex studies.

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ABSTRACT We provide an overview of the taxonomic history and systematics of Bibionomorpha families with occurrences in Brazil, focusing on Anisopodidae, Bibionidae, Cecidomyiidae, Diadocidiidae, Ditomyiidae, Keroplatidae, Lygistorrhinidae, Mycetophilidae, Rangomaramidae, and Sciaridae. The study evaluated the Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls in the Brazilian fauna using the Taxonomic Catalog of the Fauna of Brazil (CTFB) database, until December, 2023. The analysis included species diversity and distribution patterns across states and biomes. Our results showed varied levels of taxonomic knowledge and distribution across families, highlighting the need for precise policies in terms of science funding and priorities. The study underscores the importance of ongoing projects, such as CTFB, to consolidate and disseminate taxonomic information for the next generations of researchers and biogeographers interested in the Brazilian and Neotropical fauna.

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ABSTRACT Histerid beetles represent a group that has historically received little attention from entomologists, especially in Brazil, which makes it difficult not only to understand biodiversity and its conservation, but also to develop research using these beetles in applied areas. Here we present an overview of the biodiversity of Histeridae in Brazil, focusing on the following information i) historical data and the current richness known for Brazil, including a list of species; ii) the main authors who described the Histeridae biodiversity recorded in the Brazilian territory, and in relevant entomological collections; iii) the literature to identify Histerids; iv) the known biological associations and collection methods; v) and the conservation of Brazilian species; in addition, to proposing goals for future studies. Most of the data presented comes from the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna (TCBF), part Histeridae, a Brazilian initiative to generate knowledge about the faunal biodiversity present in the country. Our data indicate that to date six subfamilies, 16 tribes, 132 genera, 607 species and one subspecies are known in Brazil. We believe that the development of taxonomic tools that contribute to the knowledge of biodiversity, as well as the increase in taxonomic revisions, constitute the guiding principle to boost research in Histeridae.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT The elaboration of the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna allowed the recognition of Phoridae as the family of flies with most species recorded for Brazil. The phorids are incredibly diverse morphologically, numerous in Malaise trap samples and have diverse ecological interactions with other organisms. Therefore, they are an interesting model to study different biological questions. However, the study of the family has considerable challenges ranging from the lack of specialists relative to its huge diversity to practical difficulties as the minute size of the specimens. To call attention for the opportunities of studying phorids in Brazil, we elaborated this overview of the family in the country focusing on the main aspects of its diversity, distribution and general knowledge. We evaluated how the knowledge of the Brazilian phorid fauna is distributed taxonomically (number of species per genera) and geographically (number of species per State) discussing its possible biases and the total number of species that may exist in the country. We also highlighted interesting discoveries of Phoridae biology in Brazil and provided curatorial techniques for preparing, conserving and identifying phorids. We emphasize how recent advances in the study of the family have opened new possibilities of studies. Hopefully, the potential benefits of better knowing the phorids discussed here bring more attention and researchers to this interesting group of flies.

Abstract in English:

ABSTRACT Data from the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna provides an historical review of Embioptera diversity and distribution in Brazil and allow to understand the knowledge of species diversity in this oligodiverse order of insects. Brazilian embiopterans represent around 10% of the world’s fauna with a total of 58 species in five families. Of these species, around 64% are known only for Brazilian territory, while another 36% are shared with neighboring countries. Archembiidae is the most species-rich family (32 spp.) followed by Anisembiidae (13 spp.), Teratembiidae (7 spp.), Clothodidae (5 spp.) and the invasive Oligotomidae (1 sp.). Brazil has never had a taxonomist in the order and it was only in 2016 that the first species was described by Brazilian researchers. Two foreign researchers are responsible for describing approximately 80% of the species recorded in Brazil. Brazilian institutions keep 52% of the primary types of the species of Embioptera that occur in Brazil, while 38% were deposited in USA and 10% in Europe. About distribution records, only two Brazilian states (Amazonas and Pará) have more than 10 known species, and in four states the order has not yet been formally registered. Amazonia is the most diverse biome, followed by Atlantic Forest and Cerrado. Despite of the little knowledge about Embioptera in Brazil, it is expected that the expansion of sampling and the training of specialized human resources will be responsible for expanding data on the diversity and distribution of the order in the near future.

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ABSTRACT The sponge fauna of Brazil is highly diverse and still underestimated. Until 2011, 443 species were recorded, representing 5.3% of the Porifera diversity worldwide. Nowadays, the complete list of sponge species in Brazil is available online at the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna (CTFB). This study aimed to present the current state of knowledge about the Porifera biodiversity in Brazil based on the list of valid extant sponge species up to December 2022 in the CTFB and World Porifera Database (WPD). By then, a total of 612 species of sponges were listed from Brazil, including 551 marine and 61 freshwater sponges. Demospongiae is the most diverse class, with 508 species, followed by Calcarea (68), Hexactinellida (19) and Homoscleromorpha (17). Among the Brazilian sponge fauna, 310 species are endemic (50%), with the majority belonging to the Class Demospongiae (256). Marine sponges are distributed across all the Brazilian coast and the regions with the highest number of marine species were the Northeast and Southeast regions, with 343 and 229 species, respectively. Among the hydrographic basins, freshwater sponges are more diverse in the Paraná basin, with 33 species recorded. The sponge diversity in Brazil is probably higher, since these numbers are limited by the collection effort in each region.

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ABSTRACT Chironomidae is a remarkably diverse group of aquatic insects with a high number of taxa ende mic to the Neotropical region. As of February 2024, the taxonomic records indicate a count of 668 chironomid species in Brazil. Accessible taxonomic data on Brazilian chironomids can be found on the Taxonomic Catalog of Brazilian Fauna (CTFB) website, an online repository housing comprehensive taxonomic information on the country’s animal species. The Chironomidae family section within the CTFB presents a catalog of species documented in Brazil, with synonymic lists and distribution data across its six biomes and 27 States (including the Federal District). This dynamic database undergoes continuous updates to incorporate the latest findings. In the context of our present study, we undertook a comprehensive examination of the taxonomic efforts about Brazilian chironomids, drawing from the CTFB database’s current data. An examination of the accumulation curve, charting species descriptions and records by year, underscores a prominent upward trajectory over the past two decades. This trend strongly suggests the existence of numerous undescribed chironomid species in Brazil. An analysis of species distribution across Brazilian biomes reveals the Atlantic Forest as the most diverse, with 412 species (160 of which are endemic), followed closely by the Amazon Forest, hosting 306 species (with 206 being endemic). It is worth noting that these prevalences may be influenced by more extensive collecting efforts in these two biomes. Nevertheless, the notable percentage of endemic chironomid species, especially in Orthocladiinae in the Atlantic Forest, is remarkable.

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ABSTRACT The present study provides a comprehensive overview of the Megaloptera fauna in Brazil. A total of 27 species-25 extant and two extinct-distributed into two families, Corydalidae and Sialidae, and six genera, are recorded from Brazil. The historical timeline of Megalopteran records in Brazil spans 180 years, from 1842 to 2022, and unfolds into three distinct periods: the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century dominated by European authors, the second half of the 20th century dominated by Mexican and US-born authors, and the 21st century dominated by Brazilian authors. Currently, about 75% of the type specimens of Brazilian Megaloptera are housed in foreign institutions. Among Brazilian states, Minas Gerais boasts the highest number of megalopteran records, with eight, while eight states have no records. The biome of Atlantic Forest exhibits the greatest richness of Megaloptera, with 15 species, whereas Pampas and Pantanal lack records of the order. The Amazon Basin leads with ten recorded species, although three Brazilian hydrographic basins remain with no records. Impressively, only ten Brazilian Megaloptera species have known immature stages.

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ABSTRACT The leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) are one of the most species-rich family of herbivorous beetles with about 45,000 species worldwide. Based on the contributions of chrysomelidologists to the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna - CTFB, the family comprises 6,079 species in 562 genera of which 951 species are endemic to Brazil, standing out as the most diverse, representing 4.8% of the Brazilian fauna and 17.1% of the beetle species. Chrysomelidae has twelve subfamilies with nine reported to Brazil: Galerucinae, the richest with 1,916 species in 202 genera, followed by Cassidinae, Eumolpinae, Cryptocephalinae, Chrysomelinae, Bruchinae, Criocerinae, Lamprosomatinae and Sagrinae - this with only one species. Most of these subfamilies need urgent revision, since many species are poorly characterized, and polymorphism is frequent in some groups. The Czech couple Jan and Bohumila Bechyně were the researchers who described most species from Brazil. Furthermore, despite the increase of research on biology, natural history, host plants, genetics, ecology from 1980’s much still need to be investigated to better known the Brazilian Chrysomelidae and probably many new species are yet to be discovered.

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ABSTRACT A taxonomic history of Geoplana, one of the most popular names for land planarians, is presented. The number of species within the genus has varied significantly since its unnoticed establishment in 1847. The number rose to 339 species in the 1980s before declining to 61 species, including 48 species incertae sedis. Eight diagnoses of Geoplana have since been proposed, resulting in the inclusion or removal of species. Accordingly, the genus underwent changes in its geographic range, expanding to encompass several continents in 1899 but ultimately being reduced to its current presence in Southeast Brazil. The genus is considered monophyletic, though it still houses 48 species incertae sedis. To better understand Geoplana, it is necessary to reassess the taxonomic status of these 48 species and describe several undescribed species.

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ABSTRACT To date, two species of land planarians, Diversibipalium koreense (Frieb, 1923) and Microplana unilineata (Frieb, 1923), have been recorded for the Republic of Korea. Meanwhile, various morphotypes of land planarians were discovered during the terrestrial invertebrate sampling campaign conducted in 2020, predicting that many species may inhabit the country. Accordingly, we initiated an international collaborative research in 2021 to elucidate the biodiversity of land planarians in the country and to document each species. We grouped more than 70 specimens collected from 2020 to 2022 into 22 morphospecies based on their external appearance. Subsequently, we tested the morphospecies independently in a molecular phylogeny inferred from the mitochondrial COI gene. Maximum likelihood (ML) analysis suggests that the 22 morphospecies are assigned to each clade as follows: (1) Bipaliinae (15 spp.), (2) Microplaninae (6 spp.), and (3) Rhynchodeminae (1 sp.). The Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) analysis predicted that there would be 14 species of Bipaliinae instead of 15, reducing the number of putative species to 21. As previous sampling campaigns have only covered a small portion of the Republic of Korea, the expected number of species should be much higher. We hope that this international collaboration will continue to help reveal the true richness of Korean land planarians.

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ABSTRACT Since 2013, we have undertaken a detailed study of terrestrial flatworms (Geoplanidae) introduced into mainland France (including Corsica). Around ten species have been listed, mapped, and often characterized molecularly. These species include, in alphabetical order, Bipalium kewense, Caenoplana coerulea, Caenoplana decolorata, Caenoplana variegata, Diversibipalium multilineatum, Marionfyfea adventor, Obama nungara, Parakontikia ventrolineata, Platydemus manokwari, and Vermiviatum covidum. Outside of mainland France, we also studied species from the French islands of the Caribbean (Guadeloupe, Martinique), Réunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, as well as New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna in the Pacific. Two new species have been described. The major invasive species in mainland France are Obama nungara, present in two thirds of the country, Caenoplana variegata, and Parakontikia ventrolineata (especially in Brittany). Bipalium kewense and Diversibipalium multilineatum are mainly present in the southwest region of the French Atlantic coast. The origins of invasive species in France are varied and include Argentina (Obama nungara), Australia (Caenoplana variegata and Parakontikia ventrolineata), and Southeast Asia (Bipaliinae). We have characterized and published the complete mitogenomes of 12 species, with unexpected results, such as the very long cox2 gene in Rhynchodeminae. The phylogenies built on the genes of the mitogenomes generally confirm the previous classifications of the subfamilies of Geoplanidae, and individualize the three subfamilies Rhynchodeminae, Geoplaninae, and Bipaliinae. We emphasize the importance of citizen science for obtaining data, and the importance of good communication with the public to obtain significant engagement towards citizen science.

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ABSTRACT Geoplana multicolor Graff, 1899 was described based on the external characters of a single specimen collected in São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Posteriorly, its anatomy was described based on specimens considered conspecific collected in several nearby localities, despite differences in the color pattern. The internal anatomy of the holotype was unknown until now, making identifying G. multicolor problematic, a worrying situation considering its current status as the type species of Paraba. To perform a taxonomic revision, we analyzed the anatomy of the holotype of G. multicolor deposited at the Zoologisches Museum Hamburg and concluded that its morphology matches the current definition of Geoplana. Thus, we propose the revalidation of Geoplana multicolor Graff, 1899 stat. rev. Since the type-species of Paraba returned to Geoplana and Paraba becomes a junior synonym of Geoplana, we propose a new genus, Paraparaba gen. nov., for species previously in Paraba. Considering that the basis for the identification of G. multicolor has been the description of the anatomy of specimens sampled and studied by Marcus (1951), which correspond to a different species now included into Paraparaba, we propose a new nominal species for Geoplana multicolor sensu Marcus, Paraparaba impositrix gen. nov., sp. nov. We suggest a thorough revision of further material studied by subsequent authors, sampled in different Brazilian regions and Argentina, using Marcus’ description as the basis for identification.

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ABSTRACT Knowledge on the regeneration capacity of land planarians is very scarce and focused on a few species. Here we studied the regeneration capacity of 104 animals from 23 species (genera Cephaloflexa, Choeradoplana, Cratera, Geoplana, Imbira, Xerapoa, Luteostriata, Notogynaphallia, Obama, Pasipha, plus an unidentified species) of the neotropical Geoplaninae and also two species (genera Dolichoplana and Endeavouria) of Rhynchodeminae under laboratory conditions. When cut in two, 17 flatworm species regenerated head and/or tail within 5 to 27 days, apparently depending on how flattened their bodies were. Issoca rezendei (Schirch, 1929) was the geoplanin species that regenerated the fastest, while Obama species regenerated the slowest. Five species did not survive long enough to begin regeneration, while Imbira marcusi Carbayo et al., 2013, survived up to 15 days after sectioning but did not form the blastema, seemingly due to its sensitivity to laboratory conditions. The shape of the blastema varied according to the body shape of the species, as did the re-pigmentation of the newly formed tissue, which began in the early stages of regeneration in Obama species. Issoca rezendei showed some characteristics that make it a good candidate species as a model organism for further study of regeneration. In nature, geoplanins often show injuries, some of which may have been caused by predator-prey interactions. This variation in regeneration capacity raises questions such as if their regeneration capacity could also be maintained by direct selection.

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ABSTRACT Developmental plasticity of the planarians is well-illustrated by whole-body regeneration from any tissue fragments and body size scaling regulated by food intake. Here we report another form of developmental plasticity that appears to be shared by multiple planarian species. We have observed developmental defects at rates up to ~10% in batches of Schmidtea mediterranea (Benazzi, 1975) and Schmidtea polychroa (Schmidt, 1862) hatchlings. The most frequent defect is duplicated body parts which occurs in both two species, which can be corrected after amputation and regeneration, supporting that these developmental defects were not caused by genetic mutations. Taken together, our data described a new form of developmental plasticity and an interesting comparison between development and regeneration in the hatchlings of freshwater planarians, that the two processes can have different outcomes.

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ABSTRACT We report a complex community of ectosymbionts in the egg mass of the horsehair crab Erimacrus isenbeckii (Brandt, 1848) from Hokkaido, Japan. We examined eight individual crab pleopods containing eggs and 56 pleopods without eggs. The following ectosymbionts were found: 207 turbellarians, 22 copepods, two nematodes, two ciliates, and one nemertean. Our preliminary morphological observation and molecular phylogenetic analysis based on partial sequences of the 28S rDNA suggested that the turbellarians would belong to the genus Ectocotyla Hyman, 1944, which was nested within Monocelidinae in a maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree along with Minona Marcus, 1946, Monocelis Ehrenberg, 1831, and Pseudomonocelis Meixner, 1943, members of which commonly possess the simplex type of male copulatory bulbs. Further studies on the feeding biology of this monocelidid may lead to its possible impact on the crab egg mass community and/or the host crab’s population dynamics. This study also reveals the crustacean egg mass as a unique habitat for turbellarians.

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ABSTRACT Trace fossils preserved with fossil worm-shaped remains suggest the presence of free-living flatworms during the Ordovician at the latest and their occurrence in terrestrial environments during the Permian. The presence of hooks associated with acanthodian and placoderm fishes indicates the existence of parasitic monopisthocotyleans, with a simple life cycle, during the Devonian. The presence of eggs in shark coprolites suggests the occurrence of eucestode tapeworms, with complex life cycles, during the Permian, possibly even earlier in the Carboniferous. Fossil evidence for trematode flatworms, also with complex life cycles, is more recent, including diverse findings associated with bivalves, lizards, and coprolites of archosaurs in terrestrial environments between 126 and 76 Ma in the Cretaceous. Convincing evidence for gymnophallid trematodes in marine environments appears in the Eocene, with an earlier occurrence in Cretaceous freshwater environments. This chronological pattern of first appearance (Turbellarians > Monopisthocotylea > Cestoda > Trematoda) is surprisingly concordant with some recent molecular phylogenetic analyses. Further evidence to test these hypotheses could be obtained by conducting systematic screenings for resistant remains of platyhelminths such as hooks and eggs as well as characteristic traces such as trails or shell concretions preserved with their producers. Additional study and scrutiny are particularly needed for trace fossils attributed to free-living flatworms that are not associated with their producers. We make recommendations on how different constraints on flatworm evolution can be interpreted and used in future studies.

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ABSTRACT Monogenean parasites belonging to Quadriacanthus have never been reported from Clarias ngamensis, but are commonly found on congeners. In view of the specificity of monogeneans, the genetic proximity and the co-occurrence of C. ngamensis and C. gariepinus in Africa, it is hypothesised that a parasitological survey of C. ngamensis will yield several species of Quadriacanthus as its congeneric host C. gariepinus harbours these parasites. The present study aims to explore the monogenean parasites from the gills of C. ngamensis in the Upper Congo Basin by (i) inventorying their diversity and providing their morphological characterisation, and (ii) analysing their infection parameters. Monogeneans were isolated from the gills, and identified based on morphological analysis of genital and haptoral sclerotized parts. Seven parasite species belonging to Quadriacanthus were found. Among them, two species, Q. aegypticus and Q. allobychowskiella, are both newly reported in the Upper Congo Basin and newly recorded on C. ngamensis. Quadriacanthus amakaliae sp. nov., Q. halajiani sp. nov., Q. domatanai sp. nov., Q. lubandaensis sp. nov., and Q. curvicirrus sp. nov. are new to science and described herein. The most prevalent parasite species was Q. curvicirrus sp. nov. in the Luapula River (prevalence = 66.7%) with mean infection intensity of 6.3 ± 5.8. Quadriacanthus allobychowskiella and Q. aegypticus are known parasites from C. gariepinus and their presence on C. ngamensis is probably the result of lateral transfers. The discovery of five new species from C. ngamensis highlights the parasite diversity still to be explored in the region.

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ABSTRACT Freshwater planarians constitute an important component in aquatic ecosystems as predators. They are, nonetheless, delicate animals used as indicators of water quality. This group has been little studied in The Antilles, where only seven species of Girardia Ball, 1974 have been reported. Those records date from the last two centuries and were identified based on morphology, leaving several specimens unidentified. Furthermore, the anatomical similarities among species and the lack of the copulatory apparatus in fissiparous populations make it necessary to use molecular data to perform accurate species delimitations and phylogenetic studies. The Cuban archipelago is the reservoir of the highest species diversity in the Caribbean. However, only one species of freshwater triclad has been described, Girardia cubana (Codreanu & Balcesco, 1973), which is endemic to Cuba. Recent samplings in the western part of the island molecularly identified Girardia sinensis Chen & Wang, 2015. At present, we are performing broad samplings all around Cuba. As a first result, we here present a phylogeny-based identification of freshwater planarians, collected in four localities of eastern Cuba, inferred using nuclear and mitochondrial markers. The presence of G. sinensis in the eastern part of the island is reported and two other lineages of the genus are identified, at least one could be a new species. Moreover, we found a lineage belonging to Cavernicola, of which there are no previous records in The Antilles. These findings support that the planarian richness of Cuba has been underestimated and new species could be described, providing relevant biogeographic information about the group in the Caribbean.

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ABSTRACT Body weight and vertical stratum utilization are important functional characteristics of species. Several studies have explored the capture success of different traps. These studies, however, did not explore how trappability is influenced by body weight. Here, we investigated the relationship between the weight of marsupial species caught in traps with trap type (wire cage and Sherman) and trap placement (ground and understory). For this we used data from Didelphis albiventris Lund, 1840 (n = 127; 75-958 g) and Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister, 1854) (n = 327; 8.5-46 g) captured in semideciduous forest fragments in central Brazil. The results show that heaviest individuals of D. albiventris (391.01 ± 197.57 g) were captured more often by wire cage traps, regardless of trap placement. In contrast, G. agilis was trapped at similar rates regardless of weight, trap type or trap placement. We conclude that wire cage traps are more efficient at catching large marsupials weighing more than 300 g on average. Furthermore, the size of the individuals captured is not influenced by where the trap is placed (ground or understory). These findings contribute to a better understanding of the natural history and trappability of Neotropical marsupials.

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ABSTRACT To correct errors in previous catalogs and update the Brazilian fauna, thirty-five species of Darwin wasps erroneously reported for Brazil are removed from the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna, belonging to the following subfamilies: Anomaloninae (2 species), Banchinae (1), Campopleginae (8), Cremastinae (2), Cryptinae (8), Phygadeuontinae (3), Pimplinae (8), Tersilochinae (2), and Tryphoninae (1). Most species were incorrectly cataloged due to an incorrect interpretation of the species list created by Costa Lima in 1962, which mentions species occurring in neighboring countries but does not confirm their presence in Brazil. Thus, the Brazilian fauna of Ichneumonidae currently corresponds to 234 genera and 1,038 species.

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ABSTRACT We provide the first record of the giant deep-sea jellyfish Stygiomedusa gigantea (Browne, 1910) from the tropical Southwestern Atlantic, based on a posting made on social media. The image was found during data filtering through the hashtag #aguavivagigante (in English, #giantjellyfish) on Instagram. The jellyfish was seen floating motionless at the surface, presumed dead, off Bahia, Northeast Brazil (12°34’39”S; 38°00’19”W), on August 23rd, 2016. Pygmy killer whales, Feresa attenuata Gray, 1874, were observed in the intermediate area and apparently interacting with the jellyfish. Observations of S. gigantea usually come from submersibles and ROVs. This is the first record extracted from social media, highlighting its potential use to complement information based on traditional scientific methods, and expanding the known geographic distribution of jellyfish. With the growth and development of social media in the coming years, we highlight its potential as a data source from citizen science. We also expect that social media will increasingly contribute to the knowledge of remarkable but poorly known species such as S. gigantea.

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ABSTRACT Binomial nomenclature in Latin is used to name species, allowing communication between scientists but not with the general public. We compiled popular names in Portuguese, Spanish, and English for the rodent species that occur in Brazil, revealing a large gap in Portuguese, where 11.5% of the species do not have common names, or they share a same name, as 66 of the Echimyidae (“toró”), and 57 of the Cricetidae species (“rato-do-mato”). In contrast, almost all species have common names in English, which are generally unique. To highlight the importance of ecosystem services that rodents provide to society, it is essential to provide common names in the local language where the species was described.

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ABSTRACT The retention index (r or ri) is used to compute the amount of similarity in a character that can be interpreted as a synapomorphy on a given cladogram. In the case of autapomorphies, the retention index assumes the form 0 / 0, which is a mathematically indeterminate form. Originally, this issue was resolved by assigning a value of one to the retention index in such cases. However, some authors did not follow this original interpretation and assumed that, in this case, the retention index must assume a value of zero. In this note, we present two arguments supporting the original definition. The first argument is an application of the concept of limit from calculus to determine the assumed value of the retention index function in this specific situation. The second argument is a biological one that invokes the original definitions of autapomorphy and synapomorphy.

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ABSTRACT The names of two genera and eleven species belonging to Hymenoptera are unavailable. They were published by Francisco Dias da Rocha in 1908 for species from the state of Ceará (Brazil) and attributed to William H. Ashmead. The genus names proposed here as nomina nuda are: Mesopteromalus (Pteromalidae) and Rochai (Ichneumonidae). The species names proposed as nomina nuda are Trichoporus abdominalis, Tetrastichus balteativentris (Eulophidae), Eupelmus myrtaceae (Eupelmidae), Eurytoma cearae (Eurytomidae), Mesopteromalus abdominalis (Pteromalidae), Syntomaspis loranthaceae (Torymidae), Urogaster brasiliensis (Braconidae), Rochai achiaemorpha (Ichneumonidae), Leptacis myrtaceae, Polygnotus brasiliensis, and Synopeas rochai (Platygastridae). The probable relationship between Mesopteromalus abdominalis with Jaliscoa nudipennis Bouček, and between Eurytoma cearae and Rileya cearae Crawford are discussed.