Abstract
Thin layers of water running over rocky surfaces are characteristic of madicolous habitats, which harbor a peculiar Chironomidae community. However, information on the identity, distribution, and ecology of madicolous chironomids in the Neotropical region are still sparse. The main purpose of this research is to reveal and contribute to the ecology of madicolous Chironomidae species, especially regarding their altitudinal distribution in the Atlantic Forest. Sampling was performed using our own designed emergence traps deployed from 0 to 2700 m a.s.l. in 70 sites in three mountains in southeastern Brazil. Sixty taxa of chironomids were collected and identified, of which only 22 are known to science. Most of the species showed a wider distribution than previously known, both in terms of geographic and altitudinal ranges, while others showed significant association with particular altitudinal bands (as evidenced by the indicator species analysis). Atlantic Forest mountainous regions are known to harbor one of the richest fauna in the world and have been suffering from several types of environmental impacts, including climate change, which will especially affect taxa living in specialized habitats. The narrow range of tolerance to environmental conditions verified for mountain species, and the fact that many of them are rare and endemic, make the conservation efforts in these areas indispensable.
Highlights
Madicolous habitats are characterized by a thin layer of water that frequently flows over rocky surfaces, and for this reason they are known as hygropetric habitats
The true madicolous inhabitants present morphological and physiological adaptations favoring their survival in such a specific environmental condition, as seen by the presence of strong locomotor appendages to hang on the rocky substrate in larval stages (Trivinho-Strixino et al 2012), presence of strong hooks on the pupal abdomen and the production of silk by the larvae (Boothroyd 2005) or living inside portable cases to avoid water carrying (Fittkau and Reiss 1998)
C. froehlichi was found on marginal rocks of small streams, at 206 m a.s.l. (23°27'52"S, 45°11'55"W) and 1444 m a.s.l. (22°26'51"S, 43°00'48"W), extending the altitudinal range of the species
Summary
Madicolous habitats are characterized by a thin layer of water that frequently flows over rocky surfaces, and for this reason they are known as hygropetric habitats. Most of the progress done on the study of madicolous organisms came out of taxonomic works (Sinclair 1988, Cranston 1998, Roque and Trivinho-Strixino 2004, Short 2009, Short et al 2013, Bilton 2015, Pinho and Andersen 2015, Trivinho-Strixino and Shimabukuro 2017, Shimabukuro et al 2017a, b, Pinho and Shimabukuro 2018), emphasizing the potential of this habitat in harboring a rich and endemic overlooked fauna. The true madicolous inhabitants (eumadicoles) present morphological and physiological adaptations favoring their survival in such a specific environmental condition, as seen by the presence of strong locomotor appendages to hang on the rocky substrate in larval stages (Trivinho-Strixino et al 2012), presence of strong hooks on the pupal abdomen and the production of silk by the larvae (Boothroyd 2005) or living inside portable cases to avoid water carrying (Fittkau and Reiss 1998)
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