The biggest Triozocera Pierce, 1909 (Insecta: Strepsiptera, Corioxenidae, Triozocerinae) in the Americas: a new species from Brazil and an updated key to the American species

Lycidae are among the better studied groups in the superfamily Elateroidea, however despite the progress in the taxonomic understanding of the Neotropical fauna, much still remains unknown and undescribed in the region. The description of the new genus Xenolycus gen. nov., from Serra dos Órgãos, a subrange of the Serra do Mar mountain range, in the Atlantic Rainforest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, contributes to the knowledge of the Neotropical Lycidae fauna. The new genus can be distinguished from all other known Calopterini and Neotropical Lycidae by the combination of a pronotum with a wide, deep and strongly visible longitudinal cell in the disc area, the filiform antennae, the dehiscent elytra with reticulation strongly reduced and bearing only two weakly developed elytral costae and the mouthparts partially reduced, with rudimentary, barely visible mandibles. The type species, Xenolycus costae sp. nov., is illustrated and diagnostic characters and a discussion on the tribal placement of the new genus are provided.

Our objective was to study and evaluate the richness and diversity of Phlebotominae fauna in the Duas Bocas Biological Reserve (DBBR) in the state of Espírito Santo, in southeastern Brazil. Sand fly collections were carried out during four consecutive nights each month between August 2007 and July 2008 at DBBR by using CDC automatic light traps and an illuminated Shannon trap. Specific richness (S) and Shannon diversity index (H) was calculated for each trap. We collected 18,868 sand flies belonging to 29 species and 13 genera. Nyssomyia yuilli yuilli was the most abundant species followed by Psychodopygus ayrozai, Ps. hirsutus, Psathyromyia pascalei, and Ps. matosi. We recorded Brumptomyia cardosoi, Br. troglodytes, and Ps. geniculatus for the first time in the state of Espírito Santo. We discuss the differences in diversity and richness of the sand flies in both traps and in relation to other Brazilian localities and biomes. We also discuss the possibility of wild transmission of Leishmania in the DBBR and the influence of the sand fly species in leishmaniasis transmission to the adjacent areas of the reserve.

Air contamination by legacy and current-use pesticides in Brazilian mountains: An overview of national regulations by monitoring pollutant presence in pristine areas

Plant-diversity hotspots on a global scale are well established, but smaller local hotspots within these must be identified for effective conservation of plants at the global and local scales. We used the distributions of endemic and endemic-threatened species of Myrtaceae to indicate areas of plant diversity and conservation importance within the Atlantic coastal forests (Mata Atlântica) of Brazil. We applied 3 simple, inexpensive geographic information system (GIS) techniques to a herbarium specimen database: predictive species-distribution modeling (Maxent); complementarity analysis (DIVA-GIS); and mapping of herbarium specimen collection locations. We also considered collecting intensity, which is an inherent limitation of use of natural history records for biodiversity studies. Two separate areas of endemism were evident: the Serra do Mar mountain range from Paraná to Rio de Janeiro and the coastal forests of northern Espírito Santo and southern Bahia. We identified 12 areas of approximately 35 km(2) each as priority areas for conservation. These areas had the highest species richness and were highly threatened by urban and agricultural expansion. Observed species occurrences, species occurrences predicted from the model, and results of our complementarity analysis were congruent in identifying those areas with the most endemic species. These areas were then prioritized for conservation importance by comparing ecological data for each.

<p><span>Debris flows represent great hazard to communities and infrastructures, since they move quickly and are very destructive. In Brazil, debris flows mainly occur in the Serra do Mar Mountain Range, where thousands of casualties were reported in the last two decades due to these phenomena. This study aims at estimating the magnitude of a debris-flow event that occurred in Serra do Mar on February 2017, at the Pedra Branca watershed in the State of Paraná. Debris-flow magnitude refers to the volume of material discharged during an event and is an important aspect of debris-flow hazard assessment. The Pedra Branca event was initiated by rainfall-triggered shallow landslides, damaging local oil pipelines and farms. The magnitude estimation is based on the combination of empirically based equations and the geomorphic features of the debris flow, acquired from <em>in situ</em> and aerial investigation. 28 cross-sections were made along the river channel, considering post-event channel width, erosion and accumulation depth, as well as depositional features. Sediment sources and accumulation areas were identified and delimitated based on high-resolution (1:500) aerial drone photographs. The results indicate that the landslides that initiated the event released approximately 26,884.5 m<sup>3</sup> of sediments (V<sub>i</sub>) into the main channel of Pedra Branca and that the volume eroded (V<sub>e</sub>) and accumulated (V<sub>d</sub>) along the channel are, respectively, 82,439 m<sup>3</sup> and 22,012 m<sup>3</sup>. The estimated total solids volume (V<sub>s</sub>) is 87,274 m<sup>3</sup>, assuming that V<sub>s</sub> = V<sub>i</sub> + V<sub>e</sub> - V<sub>d</sub>. Moreover, considering a solids concentration of 57% calculated according to empirically-based equations for Serra do Mar, the debris flow had a total magnitude of 153,113 m<sup>3</sup>. These estimations suggest that the February 2017 debris flow mobilised great volume of material and that 15% of the total volume accumulated on the channel bed, which can be remobilised by future events. Further research on debris-flow dynamics and recurrence at the Serra do Mar Mountain Range is recommended to mitigate future hazards.</span></p>

Four species of pumpkin toadlets are currently recognized by the extreme condition of hyperossification in the skull and vertebral column within the genus Brachycephalus. In addition to their larger body size, relative to other congeneric species, Brachycephalus darkside, Brachycephalus ephippium, Brachycephalus garbeanus, and Brachycephalus margaritatus share remarkable osteological features, such as the large paravertebral plates forming an ornamented dorsal bone shield, visible through the integument. We add to the current knowledge of this group by analyzing its diversity and describing a new hyperossified species from some important Atlantic Forest remnants in southeastern Brazil, including those bordering Sao Paulo, the largest and most populous city in South America. The new species is diagnosed by a combination of morphological, osteological, and bioacoustic characters, with further evidence of mtDNA sequences to confirm its distinction from the other congeners. The parotic and paravertebral bone plates externally bordered with a rough and pale contour can readily distinguish the new species from the other hyperossified species within Brachycephalus. The new species is widely distributed along the Serra do Mar mountain range, including the regionally named Serra de Paranapiacaba, in elevations from 700 to 1000 m above sea level (a.s.l.), in the central coast of the state of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil. We discuss valuable morphological characters within this group of species, reinforce the need for further studies, and highlight the relevance of protected areas for biodiversity conservation in metropolitan regions.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons assessment in sediment of national parks in southeast Brazil

The Serra dos rgos National Park (PARNASO) is a federal conservation unit located in Rio de Janeiro State, within the Atlantic Forest biome. This biome is one of the worlds biodiversity hotspots and has high diversity and endemism of caddisfly taxa. Here, we present a checklist of caddisflies from PARNASO, including the description of two new species of Ochrotrichia Mosely (Hydroptilidae). Ochrotrichia sino sp. nov. and Ochrotrichia papel sp. nov. are assigned to the O. aldama Species Group due to the divided tergum X in male genitalia, although in the first one tergum X is not simple as in most species in this group. Ochrotrichia sino sp. nov. is recognized by tergum X having a broad basal portion bearing a basodorsal spine-like process on the left side and the apical portion with two elongate processes, one curved and crossing the other one underneath. Ochrotrichia papel sp. nov. is distinguished by the elongate inferior appendages, by tergum IX having its posterior margin obliquely emarginate, and tergum X being divided into two processes, the left one longer and almost straight, the right one curved to the left, slightly upturned in lateral view. The list of PARNASO species is based on isolated records in literature and on specimens in the Coleo Entomolgica Professor Jos Alfredo Pinheiro Dutra, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Departamento de Zoologia) [UFRJ (DZRJ)], with samples collected since 2009. A total of 95 species were recorded from the PARNASO, of which eight are new distributional records for Rio de Janeiro State. Hydroptilidae (27 spp.), followed by Hydropsychidae (13 spp.), Leptoceridae, and Philopotamidae (12 spp. each) are the families with highest species richness. Before this work, only about 20 species of caddisflies were formally registered from the park area. In this way, this work is an important contribution to fill the gaps of knowledge caused by Wallacean and Linnean shortfalls.

Parapatry occurs when species exhibit adjacent distributions in space, with contact in their boundaries, with or without overlapping. Many factors can generate this pattern, such as environmental conditions and interspecific competition. Mountains are excellent systems to study parapatry because they exhibit large environmental heterogeneity within a small geographical area. Phanaeus splendidulus and P. dejeani are two similar dung beetle species with apparent sympatric distributions at geographical scale, but with a hypothesized parapatric distribution in mountains. We assessed whether P. splendidulus and P. dejeani indeed exhibit a parapatric distribution in two mountain ranges in the Atlantic Forest. We also tested the effects of environmental conditions and interspecific competition on the observed pattern of abundance for both species for one mountain. We placed pitfall traps at every 50 m of elevation from 600 to 2400 m a.s.l. at Itatiaia National Park and from 100 to 2050 m a.s.l. at Serra dos Órgãos National Park in Brazil. We used temperature, vegetation cover, litter volume and soil granulometry as environmental predictors of each species abundance and the abundance of its congeneric species as a measure of interspecific competition. Phanaeus splendidulus and P. dejeani indeed exhibited a parapatric distribution and a small overlapping area, with P. splendidulus reaching up to 1450 m a.s.l. in Itatiaia National Park and 1250 m a.s.l. in Serra dos Órgãos National Park, and P. dejeani occurring above to 1000 m a.s.l. Only maximum temperature was significantly related to species abundance. Maximum temperature affected positively P. splendidulus abundance and negatively P. dejeani, suggesting that these species have opposite climate preferences. The abundance of the congeneric species was not significant for either species. Understand species distributions and what drives them is critical to understand the evolution of species interaction, their responses to the environment and for conservation, in a world of climate change.

We conducted a floristic survey of Non-Conventional Food Plants (Plantas Alimentícias Não Convencionais (PANC)) on the trail of Travessia Petrópolis–Teresópolis in Serra dos Órgãos National Park, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wild food plants with food potential were collected along a sinuous transect of 27 km in length and 3 m in width. The collected material was identified in virtual herbariums by specialists, and later, a literature review on the food use of the identified plants was carried out. Thus, 90 food and potential food species were identified, belonging to 54 genera and distributed in 34 families present along the trail, including the Asteraceae (10), Begoniaceae (9), Passifloraceae (8), Piperaceae (7), and Cactaceae (6) families, which showed the greatest species richness. We conclude that the diversity of the PANC found in a protected area demonstrates enormous potential for future domestication to produce food from the native flora of Brazil. Another potential use is in educational activities and pedagogical tourism, highlighting the gastronomic dimension of plant diversity present in protected areas.

The family Helicopsychidae comprises only two genera, the monotypic Rakiura McFarlane 1973 and the diverse Helicopsyche von Siebold 1856. Johanson (1998) provided a phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis for Helicopsyche, and ranked all other previously Helicopsychidae genera as subgenera of Helicopsyche. Currently, Helicopsyche is subdivided into six subgenera: Helicopsyche, Petrotrichia Ulmer 1910, Galeopsyche Johanson 1998, Saetotrichia Brauer 1865, Cochliopsyche Müller 1885, and Feropsyche Johanson 1998. Johanson (2002, 2003) provided revisions to Neotropical species of Helicopsyche. These species belong to the subgenus Cochliopsyche (currently with 16 species) or to the subgenus Feropsyche (with about 100 species), both endemic to the Neotropics. According to Johanson & Malm (2006), the Neotropical fauna can be divided into three regions: One that includes the West Indies, where 33 Helicopsyche species are recorded, another including Central America, with 25 Helicopsyche species, and finally, another one that includes South America, with 41 Helicopsyche species. In Brazil, only 19 species are recorded, of which six are from the southeastern region (Santos et al. 2013). However, the Brazilian fauna is underestimated and possibly much richer than these numbers indicate, especially when it is compared to regions of Central America or South America, such as Venezuela (28 spp.) and Mexico (18 spp.) (Johanson & Malm 2006). In this work, a new species of Helicopsyche (Feropsyche) is described from southeastern Brazil. Specimens were collected at Serra dos Órgãos (Rio de Janeiro State), a mountain range that includes a large remnant of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Additional specimens were identified from São Paulo State, in an area that, along with the Serra dos Órgãos, is a part of the forest corridor of the mountain range named Serra do Mar.

Sedimentary records are important to understand the evolution of river systems. Morphostratigraphic studies associate sedimentary records with landforms. Mud and debris flows, common in the Serra do Mar mountain range, have a marked impact on the morphostratigraphy of adjacent alluvial plains. The objective of this study was to analyze morphostratigraphic units in an alluvial plain affected by recent mud and debris flows. The study area was the Jacareí River alluvial plain (coast of Paraná State, Brazil) which was hit by extreme gravitational events in March 2011. Geospatial and field survey data were analyzed in a GIS environment to produce a morphostratigraphic map. Units were identified in three contexts: formed earlier than 2011, formed by the 2011 mud and debris flows, and formed after 2011. The deposits instantly formed in 2011 present rocks and pebbles (debris flows) and massive sandy facies (mud flows), with a thickness of between 0.5 and 1 meter. They are easily identified due to abrupt changes in particle size, color, presence of roots, and quantity of organic matter. The results shed light on the evolutionary processes at work in the Jacareí River coastal plain landscape, withthe 2011 event representing a phase of the sedimentary cycle of alluvial plains along the Serra do Mar mountain range.

Evaluation of shallow landslide susceptibility and Factor of Safety variation using the TRIGRS model, Serra do Mar Mountain Range, Brazil

Mass movements are amongst the main problems related to natural disasters in Rio de Janeiro State. The cities which suffer most due to these events remain on alert during each rainy season. Many surveys have been conducted to map hazard risk areas. Many authors associate these phenomena with geological characteristics, and some recognize the role of soil properties. This paper outlines the soil indicators which contribute to hillslope destabilization in the Serra do Mar mountain range. A hillslope was selected and soil samples collected from six trenches, along the slope. Soil micromorphological and physico-chemical analyses were conducted to assess mass movement hazard. The presence of gibbsite on the upper third of the slope is one of the factors that can decrease horizon permeability and therefore destabilize slopes. On the lower third of the slope, structures demonstrate that part of this soil is formed by material originating from the upper slope.

We analysed pollen and macro-charcoal from a sediment core representing the last 9840 cal yr BP, collected at 2003 m a.s.l. in a patch of upper montane Atlantic Rain Forest (UMARF) embedded in a campos de altitude (high-elevation grassland) matrix in the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, southeastern Brazil. From 9840 to 4480 cal yr BP, campos de altitude (CDA) was the dominant vegetation at the site, indicating that the climate was relatively cool and dry. However, pollen data document that UMARF was near the core site throughout the recorded Holocene. Relatively frequent high-magnitude fires occurred during the Early Holocene but became rarer in the Mid-Holocene after 4480 cal yr BP, when the climate became wetter. In the Mid-Holocene, UMARF and tree fern taxa became slightly more frequent at the site, but CDA vegetation continued to dominate most of the high-mountain landscape. A climatic change to wetter and warmer conditions during the last 1350 cal yr BP is evidenced by an increase in UMARF and even lowland forest taxa in our core, as well as the near complete absence of fire after this date.