Atlantic Rainforest Biome Research Articles

Land cover effects on regenerants density and richness in restoration treatments in the Atlantic Rainforest biome

There is good evidence that the results of a restoration program depend largely on the landscape context. In restoration projects, it is crucial to consider the previous land uses and covers and landscape configuration as they have a significant impact on the entire process, especially seed dispersal and natural regeneration of sites. Thus, the objective of this work was to verify the effect of landscape (i.e., land use) on restoration success of total planting, seed sowing and natural regeneration sites in the Atlantic Forest biome, southeast Brazil. The methodology employed was based on demonstration units of restoration. The focus was on regenerant richness and abundance indicators, along with land use and land cover data (class area) from 2010, 2015, and 2020, obtained from the MapBiomas Project. Generalized linear models and correlation analysis were used for the study. We hypothesize that a landscape with more forest and natural regeneration cover (mosaic of agriculture and pasture) would positively affect regenerants in restored sites, which we only observed for natural regeneration treatment sites. In active restoration treatment sites, mosaic of agriculture and pasture was negatively and farming was positively associated to regenerants. We also found greater density and richness of regenerants in natural regeneration treatment sites than in seed sowing and seedling planting. The influence of the surrounding landscape, particularly mosaic, played a crucial role in this success. In addition, land use cover history, as we observed in classes in the last five and ten years, did explain regenerants in studied sites. Thus, results show that the characterization of landscape context and previous land-use history is essential to understand the limitations to succession and define cost-effective restoration strategies.

Molecular Detection of Rickettsia parkeri Strain Atlantic Rainforest in Ticks Parasitizing Small Mammals in Northeastern Brazil.

Small mammals are important reservoirs of ticks and their pathogens in nature. However, studies reporting these associations are still rare in Brazil. In the present study, we investigated the presence of Rickettsia DNA in ticks parasitizing rodents and marsupials captured in different areas throughout the Atlantic rainforest biome, Bahia, Northeastern (NE), Brazil. The study was conducted in five municipalities within of the Atlantic Forest biome, Bahia state, in NE Brazil. Two campaigns were done in each municipality. For host captures Sherman and Tomahawk traps were used, and pitfall traps. After being captured, the hosts were anesthetized and their entire body examined for ticks. When ticks were detected, they were manually removed and stored in eppendorf tubes (1.5ml) containing absolute PA ethanol for future laboratory analysis (identification of ticks and detection of Rickettsia spp.). A total of 609 mammals were captured. Overall, 208 ticks of the genus Amblyomma and Ixodes were collected: A. ovale, I. loricatus and A. varium. Rickettsia DNA was detected in A. ovale and it was 99-100% of identity to the sequence deposited in GenBank as Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantica rainforest. These results suggest that R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest occurs in the region, and A. ovale is likely the vector.

Occurrence, ecological risk assessment and prioritization of pharmaceuticals and abuse drugs in estuarine waters along the São Paulo coast, Brazil.

The pollution of the surface waters by pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) has attracted worldwide attention, but data regarding their occurrence and potential risks for the aquatic biota on tropical coastal rivers of South America are still scarce. In this context, the occurrence and the preliminary ecological risk assessment of eleven pharmaceuticals of various therapeutic classes (including cocaine and its primary metabolite, benzoylecgonine) were investigated, for the first time, in five rivers of São Paulo, southeast Brazil, covering a coastline of about 140 km, namely Perequê River, Itinga River, Mongaguá River, Itanhaém River and Guaraú River. Although these five rivers are born in well-preserved areas of the Atlantic rainforest biome, on its way to sea and when they cross the urban perimeter, they receive untreated sewage discharges containing a complex mixture of contaminants. In addition, a “persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity” (PBT) approach allowed to pre-select the priority PPCPs to be monitored in this coastline. Identification of several PPCPs in the samples was done using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Ten PPCPs were successfully quantified in all five rivers, namely caffeine (9.00–560.00 ng/L), acetaminophen (<LOQ–22.24 ng/L), benzoylecgonine (0.30–14.93 ng/L), atenolol (0.12–13.22 ng/L), losartan (0.10–8.42 ng/L), diclofenac (0.76–3.93 ng/L), cocaine (0.05–3.22 ng/L), furosemide (<LOQ–3.16), carbamazepine (0.04–0.50 ng/L) and orphenadrine (<LOQ–0.14 ng/L). From an ecological risk perspective, caffeine, acetaminophen and losartan can be considered as priority PPCPs because they showed low to moderate risks to algae, crustacean and fishes. However, using the PBT approach, carbamazepine and orphenadrine were also classified as priority compounds, followed by furosemide, acetaminophen, cocaine and losartan (all in second position) and caffeine, atenolol, diclofenac and benzoylecgonine (all in third position). This study provides valuable information to reinforce the importance of continuous monitoring of the coastal rivers of South America (containing PPCPs and illicit drugs) whose diffuse loads flow continuously into the marine ecosystems. Furthermore, ecotoxicological studies (especially with tropical marine organisms) to assess the long-term toxicity of these bioactive compounds are urgent.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11356-022-21945-w.

A three-year Herpetofauna survey from one of the largest remnants of the Atlantic Rainforest Biome (Reserva Natural Vale)

Here we present a three-year survey of amphibian and reptile species registered in the Vale Natural Reserve (VNR), located in the north of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. The VNR, along with the Sooretama Biological Reserve (SBR) and other surrounding areas, form a forest block that constitutes one of the largest remnants of continuous forest in the Atlantic Forest biome. We systematically sampled the herpetofauna community from 2015 to 2018, using the method of active search method in 27 plots of RAPELD distributed in the different types of vegetation present in the area. We recorded 39 species of amphibians belonging to the order Anura, distributed in seven families and 40 species of reptiles belonging to 20 families distributed in three orders: Crocodylia, Testudines and Squamata. The supplementation the samplings with those records from occasional encounters was important for the survey of the region's herpetofauna, mainly for reptiles. We added four species (two lizards, one amphisbaenid and one snake) to the known list for the VNR-SBR forest block: Micrablepharus maximiliani, Strobilurus torquatus, Amphisbaena alba and Tantilla sp. We demonstrated that VNR contains a high species richness of amphibians and reptiles, with a high number of anurans being endemic to the Atlantic Forest biome. The present species inventory provided the most current approximation of known the richness and composition of species of the existing herpetofauna at Vale Natural Reserve, since the period of the gathering of records is quite recent (2015-2018). Also, it brings the knowledge of some community parameters as species richness and composition not only for the whole area of the Vale Natural Reserve, but also for its different vegetation types, with no inclusion of environments outside this reserve. Furthermore, the presence of threatened species, the addition of four species to the current list, and the potential for new species to occur, reinforce the role of VNR as an important area for the protection of amphibian and reptile biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest.

A new species and a new combination for the subfamily Cunaxinae (Acari: Cunaxidae)

A new species of Cunaxidae, namely Cunaxa bagualensis Wurlitzer &amp; Ferla sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on females and males collected in soil and leaf litter in the Atlantic rainforest biome in a rural forest fragment in Mormaço county, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Additionally, Armascirus livingstoni Laniecka &amp; Kazmierski, 2021 is transferred to Dactyloscirus based on some observations.

Key toHeterodermia(Physciaceae,Teloschistales) in Brazil, with 15 new species

AbstractThe species ofHeterodermiain Brazil have been revised based on literature reports, public databases and examination of 500 recent specimens from 15 states. So far, 43 species have been reported in the literature, two of which are not accepted here. We report 10 additional species from Brazil and describe 15 new to science, mostly from the Atlantic rainforest biome, raising the total number to 68, including two still undescribed species from Santa Catarina State. A key to all accepted species is given, keying out more species than represented in any previously published key of the genus. Based on new phylogenetic work, we do not accept the split genera that were recently proposed. We do informally recognize an additional group, theH. dactyliza-group. The following species are described as new:Heterodermia amphilacinulataM. F. N. Martins &amp; M. P. Marcelli,H. caneziaeM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. delicatulaM. P. Marcelli &amp; M. F. N. Martins,H. dissecticodiademataM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. dissecticoflabellataM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. flavodactylizaM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. flavuliferaM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. labiataM. P. Marcelli &amp; M. F. N. Martins,H. macrosoraliataM. P. Marcelli &amp; M. F. N. Martins,H. minorM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. neocroceaM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. nigromarginataM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. phyllalbicansM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot,H. spielmanniiM. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot andH. sublinearisM. P. Marcelli &amp; M. F. N. Martins. The following new combinations are also proposed:Heterodermia africana(Kurok.) M. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot andH. borphyllidiata(Kalb &amp; Meesim) M. F. Souza &amp; Aptroot. Dissectic acid was found in species belonging to three different groups and was not restricted to (and characteristic of) one subgroup, as previously reported.

What does the list of Brazilian sociobiodiversity species of food value show us?

Abstract It is necessary understanding the species selected and classified based on sociobiodiversity with food value listed in Interministerial Ordinance n. 284/2018. The aim of the study is to investigate changes in the previously published ordinance and to analyze the current list of sociobiodiversity species based on aspects such as number of species, origin, distribution, species endangerment and plant parts used for consumption. Information available in the list of species published through Interministerial Ordinances n. 163/2016 and n. 284/2018, in technical documents, bibliographies and in the Virtual Herbarium of Flora e Funga do Brasil, were used as the starting point for the present research. It was possible observing that the current list has excluded six species and added 25 species in comparison to the previous one. Thus, the current list comprises 101 species. Although most of the listed species are native to Brazil, seven of them are exotic: one is cultivated for dietary purposes and six are naturalized. Diversity is well represented in Brazilian phytogeographic domains, mainly in Cerrado, Atlantic Rainforest and Amazon Rainforest biomes; however, five species fall into one of the endangered categories. Twelve plant parts used for consumption were reported to be used for dietary purposes, with emphasis of fruit.

A new focus of spotted fever caused by Rickettsia parkeri in Brazil.

ABSTRACTSpotted fever (SF) is a tick-borne zoonosis caused by bacteria of the genus Rickettsia . The disease varies in severity from mild clinical forms to severe cases. In Brazil, Rickettsia rickettsii SF is the most serious rickettsiosis and can result in death if not diagnosed and treated at the onset of symptoms. The SF mild form is caused by Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest, and this etiological agent has been reported in the South, Southeast and Northeast regions of the country, in areas of preserved or little antropized Atlantic Rainforest. Amblyomma ovale is the proven vector and dogs are the hosts associated with the bioagent cycle. During a SF case investigation in Paraty municipality, Rio de Janeiro State, an Atlantic Rainforest biome area in Southeastern Brazil, the human pathogen R. parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest was detected by PCR in a sample of human skin inoculation eschar and in a female A. ovale tick collected from a dog. These results expand the known area of occurrence of this mild form rickettsiosis in Brazil. In addition, the results of the present study indicate the importance of implementing programs to control canine ectoparasites and to raise awareness of the risks of infection, signs and symptoms of SF caused by R. parkeri strain Atlantic Rainforest.

Inter- and intra-population B chromosome variability in Partamona helleri (Apidae: Meliponini)

The stingless bee Partamona helleri (Meliponini) is distributed across the Atlantic rainforest biome in Brazil. Cytogenetic studies on P. helleri have shown a conserved diploid number and the presence of several B chromosome types. Our goal was to investigate the intraspecific karyotypic variation among 21 colonies of P. helleri from 14 different localities across four Brazilian states, using classical and molecular cytogenetics, as well as image cytometry (ICM). All populations had 2n = 34 and up to 5B chromosomes, which showed inter- and intra-population variation in number and size. C-banding evidenced the centromeric/pericentromeric heterochromatin and the partially heterochromatic B chromosomes. GA(15) microsatellite hybridized in the euchromatic arm of the A chromosomes and did not mark the B chromosomes, whereas TTAGG(6) corresponded to the telomeric sequence of the A and B chromosomes. The 18S rDNA and CMA3+ sites varied among the colonies, indicating the karyotype variability of the species. The ICM demonstrated an increase in nuclear genome size regarding the presence of B chromosomes. We highlighted the importance of population studies in species with a wide range of distributions, and how the B chromosomes contribute to the intra- and inter-population variability of P. helleri.

Trends in monthly and annual streamflow related to rainfall and land use at the Atlantic rainforest biome

Understanding trends in rainfall and streamflow over time are essential for water resources planning and management. This study analyzed trends in the streamflow of the Itapemirim river basin (IRB) in Southeastern Brazil and to relate these trends with changes that occurred in rainfall and land use (from 1969 to 2018). Accumulated rainfall decreased in the dry period. In October (considered the beginning of the hydrological year), rainfall amounts decreased in all sub-basins and suggested a shift of the beginning of the rainy period to November. Increasing rainfall was only observed for December and only in the west and northwest portion of the IRB. Average monthly streamflow showed a downward trend and followed downward trends in rainfall depth from the same month or the immediately previous one. Decreases of 25–40% in minimum streamflow occurred in most sub-basins and dated mainly from the 1990's. There was an increasing trend in maximum streamflow of 28–48% in the Braço Norte Direito River and in the Itapemirim River.

Towards the automatic monitoring of deforestation in Brazilian rainforest

Deforestation is considered one of the main environmental threats to the ecological balance on the planet. At the same time, monitoring changes in forest cover is a major challenge, especially in Brazil, a country with continental dimensions, a vast coverage of tropical forests, and an accelerated ongoing process of illegal deforestation. This study aims to propose and present an integrated automatic methodology for monitoring changes in forest cover, to enable “near real-time” monitoring of vast territorial extensions. Based on the application of Fully Convolutional Neural Networks (FCNs) combined with a logistic growth model, the methodology is aimed at allowing accurate detection of changes in forest cover based on the multitemporal assessment of satellite images. The results show that the combination of the two approaches make the methodology able to pinpoint deforestation processes. The applicability of the methodology is demonstrated for the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes, which are important areas of tropical forests in Brazil. In addition to enabling the agile and accurate identification of forest cover losses and providing efficient computing, the comparative results show that the methodology can be applied to issue alerts of suspected deforestation activity in standalone automatic monitoring systems, and also as a complementary tool to existing systems currently under operation.

Jurasai ypauoca sp. nov., the sixth species of Jurasaidae, with a key to species of the genus (Coleoptera: Elateroidea)

ABSTRACT Jurasaidae are a small family of elateroid beetles. Jurasai Rosa, et al. 2020 is composed of four species, all occurring in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest and Caatinga biomes. Here, I describe the sixth species of the family, Jurasai ypauoca sp. nov., collected in a sample from a Malaise trap from the continental island of Ilha Grande, Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. I provide detailed illustrations of the new species morphology, along with a map of Jurasaidae species distribution. A key to the identification of Jurasai species is also presented. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C324AC50-1A8D-408A-B4A5-3394EEB4F202

EXTENDING THE LIMITS OF CAMPOS RUPESTRES IN BRAZIL

Campos rupestres are typical ecosystems of rock outcrops with high biodiversity and endemism, located in Brazilian territory, with vegetation analogous in Africa and Australia. The campos rupestres cover deeply dystrophic soils on highlands inserted in Amazon rainforest, Atlantic rainforest and Cerrado biomes. Despite recognition of campos rupestres as a global biodiversity hotspot, little is known its occurrence in dry forests. So, this work aimed to describe vegetable cover and soil properties in highlands associated to rock outcrops on Caatinga biome. A pristine area in Borborema plateau was chosen as study area. Frequency of species and life forms indicate high vegetable density and herbaceous habits predominance. Although the high similarity of species with Caatinga biome, presence of Albizia, Dalbergia, Poecilanthe e Platymiscium indicates a truly distinct floristic composition. Soils are shallower, less fertile and has lower water storage capacity than predominant soils in Caatinga. This work reveals the presence of campos rupestres beyond the areas previously considered favorable to its presence, extending its occurrence to regions of lower precipitation. The occurrence of the campos rupestres is attributed to an additional supply of water from fog in consonance with organic soils. Therefore, areas with similar characteristics should be prioritized to be preserved.

Scrotal thermographic profile and seminal characteristics of Mangalarga Marchador stallions bred in the Atlantic Rainforest biome

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine the scrotal thermographic profile and to verify the influence of temperature and humidity of the humid tropical climate on testicular temperature and seminal quality of Mangalarga Marchador stallions. The thermal profiles of the proximal, middle, and distal zones of the testicles and total surface temperature (TSTT) were recorded using an FLIR E60bx thermal imager. The average air temperature (°C) and relative humidity (%) were obtained 1, 5, 9, 33, and 66 days before semen collection and showed a mean value of 26.5±2.4 and 80.4±6.0 respectively. The scrotal surface temperature was close to 34°C and there was no variation with the age of the stallion, reproductive activity, and characteristics of the ejaculate (P&gt;0.05). The only significant correlations obtained were between TSTT and minor defects (R = 0.41; P&lt;0.05), between TSTT and total defects (R = 0.46; P&lt;0.01), and between TSTT and percentage of morphologically normal sperm (R = -0.46; P&lt;0.05). It was concluded that the Mangalarga Marchador stallions maintained the testicular temperature within favorable conditions for spermatogenesis, demonstrating the efficiency of testicular thermoregulation mechanisms in the Atlantic Forest biome.

A new species of Pulaeus and the first report of Coleoscirus tuberculatus for the fauna of Brazil (Acari: Cunaxidae)

A new species of Cunaxidae, namely Pulaeus mormacensis Wurlitzer &amp; Silva sp. nov., is described and illustrated based on females and males collected in soil and leaf litter in the Atlantic rainforest biome in a rural forest fragment in Mormaço and Putinga municipalities, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. In addition, we report for the first time and illustrate Coleoscirus tuberculatus Den Heyer from Brazil.

A new species of Euplocania Enderlein (Psocodea, ‘Psocoptera’, Ptiloneuridae), from the Atlantic Rainforest, Brazil

A new species of Euplocania belonging in the Marginata species group, collected in an area of the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazilian states of Bahia is described and illustrated. It differs from all the other species in the Marginata species group in details of the hypandrium and phallosome. This is the first record of a species in the Marginata species group for the Atlantic Rainforest biome and the first record of a Euplocania species for Brazilian states of Bahia.

Spatially Resolved Measurements in Tropical Reservoirs Reveal Elevated Methane Ebullition at River Inflows and at High Productivity

AbstractAn increasing number of rivers is being dammed, particularly in the tropics, and reservoir water surfaces can be a substantial anthropogenic source of greenhouse gases. On average, 80% of the CO2‐equivalent emission of reservoirs globally has been attributed to CH4, which is predominantly emitted via ebullition. Since ebullition is highly variable across space and time, both measuring and upscaling to an entire reservoir is challenging, and estimates of reservoir CH4 emission are therefore not well constrained. We measured CH4 ebullition at high spatial resolution with an echosounder and bubble traps in two reservoirs of different use (water storage and hydropower), size and productivity in the tropical Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest biome. Based on the spatially most well‐resolved whole‐reservoir ebullition measurements in the tropics so far, we found that mean CH4 ebullition was twice as high in river inflow areas as in other parts of the reservoirs, and more than 4 times higher in the eutrophic compared to the oligotrophic reservoir. Using different upscaling approaches rendered similar whole‐reservoir CH4 ebullition estimates, suggesting that highly spatially‐resolved measurements may be more important for constraining reservoir‐wide CH4 estimates than choice of upscaling approach. The minimum sampling effort was high (&gt;250 and &gt;1,700 thirty‐meter segments of hydroacoustic survey to reach within 50% or 80% accuracy, respectively). This suggests that traditional manual bubble‐trap measurements should be abandoned in favor of highly resolved measurements in order to get spatially representative estimates of CH4 ebullition, which accounted for 60% and 99% of total C emission in the two studied reservoirs.

Fire in the Atlantic Rainforest: an analysis of 20 years of fire foci distribution and their social-ecological drivers

The Atlantic Rainforest biome, where fire events were originally less frequent, is now increasingly at risk of burning due to anthropogenic influences on the climate and landscape. Identifying fire patterns and their leading causes in tropical forests is essential to improve prevention and fire management. We applied a filtering algorithm to remove redundant heat signals from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) fire foci database, generate fire density maps after validating the data, and build Random forest (RF) regression models to identify fire risk and the variables that best explain the fire patterns. Results showed high redundancy of heat signals and that the minimum detection size for fire scars was lower for forests than other land covers. Mean annual temperature higher than 22ºC was associated with a high risk of fire and tree cover greater than 80% with low fire risk. Our study reveals a fire pattern that can expose the last remnants of the Atlantic Rainforest in Rio de Janeiro to fire, including inside Protected Areas. Highlights The redundance in the fire foci dataset was ∼46%; Protected areas have alarmingly high densities of heat signals compared to the unprotected landscape; The minimum fire scar size detected was lower for forests than agriculture or grasslands land cover; Temperature higher than 22 °C was an important threshold to determine fire risk; High tree cover (>80%) characterized areas with the lowest densities of heat signals.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Assemblages in Conservation Unit of Atlantic Forest Areas Under Native Vegetation and Natural Regeneration.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in the dynamic of plant community in the south American Atlantic Rainforest biome. Even in protected areas, this biome is under several anthropic impacts, which can cause shifts in the soil microbiota, including AMF. This study aimed to determine the structure and composition of AMF community in areas of native Atlantic Forest and in natural regeneration and to identify which abiotic factors are influencing this community in these areas. Soil samples were collected at Monte Pascoal National and Historical Park, in Southern Bahia, in native and natural regeneration areas of Atlantic Forest in two seasons (rainy and dry). Greater number of glomerospores and richness and diversity of AMF were found in the area under regeneration, with differences between seasons being observed only for the number of glomerospores. Seventy-seven species of AMF were recorded, considering all areas and seasons, with Acaulospora and Glomus being the most representative genera. Greater abundance of species of the genera Acaulospora, Claroideoglomus, and Septoglomus was found in the regeneration area. The AMF community differed between the study areas, but not between seasons, with soil attributes (pH, K, Al, Mg, m, and clay) structuring factors for this difference in the AMF community. Atlantic Forest areas in natural regeneration and the soil edaphic factors provide changes in the structure and composition of the AMF community, increasing the richness and diversity of these fungi in conservation units.

The Biology of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Szelenyiopria talitae&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae): Larval Parasitoid of the Leaf-Cutting Ant &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Acromyrmex subterraneus&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The biology of a koinobiont parasitoid of leaf-cutting ant larvae, Szelenyiopria talitae (Hymenoptera: Diapriidae), was studied from naturally infested Acromyrmex subterraneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) nests. Nests were collected in the field from the Atlantic rainforest biome in the state of Rio de Janeiro. A total of fifty-three nests were collected from 2015 to 2018. Parasitized nests were only found during the months of September and October. Approximately 22% of the nests collected over a four-year period were found to have been parasitized by S. talitae. The mean within-nest parasitism rate was 66.3%. This diapriid displayed both solitary (14%) and gregarious parasitism (86%), with up to a maximum of 12 parasitoids developing within a single host. Gregarious parasitism with two (29%) or three (21%) S. talitae per host was most frequently observed. There was a positive correlation between the number of parasitoids per host and host size (dry weight), indicating that S. talitae females oviposited a higher number of eggs in larger hosts. There was also a negative correlation between S. talitae pharate adult size and the number of parasitoids per host, which could have been caused by sibling competition for limited host resources. The high levels of parasitism seen here had a debilitating effect on the colonies. Acromyrmex subterraneus is a serious pest in Brazil, and these studies lay the foundation for understanding the impact of S. talitae on ant populations.