Southeastern Region Of Brazil Research Articles

Cancer risk assessment and source apportionment of the gas- and particulate-phase of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a metropolitan region in Brazil

A risk assessment and a source apportionment of the particulate- and gas-phase PAHs were conducted in a high vehicular traffic and industrialized region in southeastern Brazil. Higher concentrations of PAHs were found during summer, being likely driven by the contributions of PAHs in the vapor phase caused by fire outbreaks during this period. Isomer ratio diagnostic and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identified four potential sources in the region, in which the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model confirmed and apportioned as gasoline-related (31.8%), diesel-related (25.1%), biomass burning (23.4%), and mixed sources (19.6%). The overall cancer risk had a tolerable value, with ∑CR = 4.6 × 10−5, being ingestion the major via of exposure (64% of the ∑CR), followed by dermal contact (33% of the ∑CR) and inhalation (3%). Mixed sources contributed up to 45% of the overall cancer risk (∑CR), followed by gasoline-related (up to 35%), diesel-related (up to 15%), and biomass burning (up to 10%). The risk assessment for individual PAH species allowed identifying higher CR associated with BaP, DBA, BbF, BaA, and BkF, species associated with gasoline-related and industrial sources. Higher risks were associated with PM2.5-bound PAHs exposure, mainly via ingestion and dermal contact, highlighting the need for measures of mitigation and control of PM2.5 in the region.

Seascape genetics in a polychaete worm: Disentangling the roles of a biogeographic barrier and environmental factors

AbstractAimSeascape genomic studies aim to understand how environmental variables shape species diversity through genotype–environment associations. Identifying these effects on lecithotrophic larval species that live in intertidal zones is particularly challenging because they are subject to environmental heterogeneity and anthropogenic events. Here, we evaluate how biotic and abiotic features in the Southwest Atlantic littoral zone can affect a high dispersal species' present and historical demography.LocationBrazilian coast, covering more than 3000 km.Taxon Perinereis ponteni. MethodsWe investigated population genetic diversity, connectivity and past dynamics using 23,300 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) generated using genotyping by sequencing. We tested whether environmental abiotic variables could explain the variance found in genotype frequencies using isolation‐by‐environment (IBE) and landscape association approaches. These data, combined with palaeodistribution simulations and oceanic circulation modelling, were used to infer species demographic history and connectivity patterns.ResultsAlong with high levels of connectivity detected, we found a genetic boundary in the southeastern region of Brazil around Cabo Frio (Rio de Janeiro), and a cline trend for some loci. The palaeodistribution simulations reveal a spatial refuge in the southeast during the Last Glacial Maximum (21 kya), with the expansion of the northern region. We identified 1421 SNPs with frequencies associated with eight environmental variables, most of which were related to temperature—the main environmental factor determining IBE.Main ConclusionsPerinereis ponteni, a polychaete with high gene flow capability responds to biogeographic barriers, highlighting the importance of biotic and abiotic factors in shaping population connectivity. Furthermore, the effect of temperature indicates that future climate change and ocean warming can hugely impact this species.

Pteronotus rubiginosus (Wagner, 1843): first record of the bat family Mormoopidae in the Southeastern Region of Brazil

Pteronotus rubiginosus (Wagner, 1843) is a bat species belonging to the family Mormoopidae and has a wide distribution in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes in the Northern, Northeastern, and Central-Western regions of Brazil. In this study, we report the first record of this species from the state of Minas Gerais based on the capture of an individual using mistnets. With this record, we confirm the presence of P. rubiginosus in the Southeastern Region of Brazil, increasing to eight the number of chiropteran families there.

Frugivory of bats in a threatened semiarid region in southeastern Brazil

Fruit bats have a high seed dispersal capacity contributing to the establishment of numerous plant species. In this work we examined the frugivorous diet of phyllostomid bats in the Cavernas do Peruaçu National Park, north of Minas Gerais, Brazil, an ecotone region of Caatinga and Cerrado biomes. Four expeditions were carried out between December 2008 and November 2009, totalling 80 nights of sampling, to collect data and feces from captured bats. The highest number of fecal samples were provided by Artibeus planirostris and Carollia perspicillata. Four plant families were registered, the largest number for Cecropiaceae, followed by Solanaceae; Piperaceae, and Moraceae.

Establishing a critical nitrogen dilution curve for estimating nitrogen nutrition index of potato crop in tropical environments

The critical nitrogen (N) dilution curve (CNDC) ( Nc = A 1 W -A2 ) and the N nutrition index (NNI) have shown to be a robust diagnostic tool to assess crop N status. Several CNDCs were established for potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.) in various conditions. However, it is difficult to know if these different CNDCs reflect a true variability across genotype × environment × management (G×E × M) scenarios, or are rather linked to estimation errors. Therefore, the aims of this study were to (i) estimate and compare CNDCs via a Bayesian statistical approach for different G×E × M scenarios in tropical environments and (ii) assess the uncertainty in the relationship between tuber yield and NNI. Field experiments were conducted in three site-years (SYs) in the southeastern region of Brazil. Treatments consisted of two potato cultivars (Agata and Electra) and five N fertilization managements [differing in the N rates (0 −320 kg N ha -1 ) and/or application timings]. Based on 95% credibility intervals, we found no significant differences between CNDCs across G×E × M scenarios assessed and thus derived a single generic CNDC for both cultivars and all SYs defined by Nc = 3.86 W - 0.34 . This global CNDC was used to compute NNI and discriminate tuber yields obtained under N-limiting and non-N-limiting conditions. An uncertainty analysis revealed that critical NNI threshold values for the tuber yield response to N management were not statistically different among G×E × M scenarios. Therefore, these results support the use of a unique CNDC for estimating the N status (NNI) of potato crop in tropical environments. We found no evidence of the need for SY- or cultivar-specific CNDCs. Future studies should evaluate N dilution curves and NNI for potato across different production environments worldwide. • A new critical N curve was derived for potato in tropical environments. • The critical N curve ( Nc = 3.86 W -0.34 ) was obtained using a Bayesian analysis. • No evidence of variability in the critical N nutrition index threshold for yield. • No evidence of the need for cultivar- or site-specific parameters.

Profile of brazilian research productivity grant holders with a background in pediatric dentistry.

This study outlines the profile of research productivity grant holders of the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico [CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development)] in the field of pediatric dentistry. A cross-sectional study with data collected from the Brazilian academic curriculum vitae database. The eligibility criterion was being a research productivity grant holder in pediatric dentistry from 2018 to 2020. In the period of interest, 215 individuals were research productivity grant holders in the field of dentistry, 33 of whom had graduate degrees (specialization, master's or doctorate) in pediatric dentistry. The period of scientific production and work concluded of advising of scientific initiation, master, doctoral and post-doctoral degrees was 2010 to 2020. Descriptive analysis was performed and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to analyze associations (5% significance level) between productivity grant level (2, 1D, 1C, 1B or 1A) and year of obtainment of the doctoral degree. The VOSviewer (version 1.6.17) was used to present graphically the interinstitutional collaborations. The sample was composed of Level 2 researchers (66.7%), women (66.7%), researchers linked to institutions in the southeastern region of Brazil (81.8%), with a doctoral degree concluded prior to 2002 (51.5%), began working as a professor at a higher education institution prior to 2007 (78.8%) and the title of full professor (45.5%). No significant association was found between productivity grant level and year of conclusion of the doctoral degree (p = 0.10). Median (interquartile range) of scientific articles was 119 (37-312). The prevalence of citations (57.52%) and JCR articles (62.76%) was higher among female researchers. In conclusion, CNPq research productivity grant holders in pediatric dentistry are essentially represented by females from the southeast region of the country (UFMG and USP). However, males have proportionally greater productivity.

Warehouse Location for Product Distribution by E-Commerce in Brazil: Comparing Symmetrical MCDM Applications

The crisis that affected Brazil as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted several businesses. However, the distribution of products sold by e-commerce is one business that had increased its demand on a large scale. The Southeastern Region of Brazil has a wide territorial extension, a high number of inhabitants, and difficulties with transport logistics. Thus, this work presents a solution for choosing a location for the installation of an e-commerce warehouse, considering three possible locations, in two different Brazilian states: Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Our main objective is to identify policies that allow a balance in the trade-off between risks and service levels. Specifically, we seek to decrease logistics costs and ensure improvements in services. The choice of a location for a warehouse is a decision problem that can be solved with multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM). Three methods of MCDM have been applied: Fuzzy Decision Approach (FDA), Multi-Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT), and Multi-Attribute Value Theory (MAVT). The reasons for the application of the MAUT and MAVT methods originate from their easy understanding and use, while the concepts of FDA address the consideration of uncertainty. To maintain the simplicity of MCDM application, the FDA model is symmetric, even with symmetrical and asymmetrical fuzzy sets. Important criteria were the distance from capital cities, distance to ports, distance to airports, distance to highways, and the costs of land. Three different locations were considered for the installation of the warehouse. All three methods, FDA, MAUT, and MAVT, resulted in Location 1 as the best location for the installation of the warehouse for the distribution of e-commerce products. A discussion on conceptual qualitative divergences and the small quantitative divergence of results is also included in the conclusions.

Mechanized Wood Extraction: Impacts on Operators’ Hearing Health

The activity of the mechanized extraction of wood, carried out by means of self-propelled forest machines, consists of moving the wood cut inside the forest stand from the planted forests to the roadside. During displacements, these machines normally travel over forest residues and stumps, which can demand greater motor power from the engine, in addition to the possible increase in occupational noise levels. In this context, we evaluated whether, when operating different self-propelled forest machines in the wood extraction of planted Eucalyptus forests, operators are exposed to different levels of occupational noise, especially to thresholds above those established for prevention purposes. Occupational noise data were collected during the workday, weighing six self-propelled forest machine operators who performed the wood-extraction operation, performed by two forwarders, two self-loading tractors, and two grapple skidders, in three areas with Eucalyptus plantations located in the southeastern region of Brazil. The sound-pressure level was collected using two integrative meters following the strategic measurement criterion recommendation for the whole day in the guidelines of the acoustic determination of occupational noise exposure and analyzed according to the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists. Operators of forest machines for the mechanized extraction of wood were exposed to occupational noise levels above the recommended level, which can affect health and well-being; this occupation also required above-average levels of attention during the execution of work activities.

Emergence and Spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern Delta across Different Brazilian Regions.

ABSTRACTThe SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) Delta was first detected in India in October 2020. The first imported cases of the Delta variant in Brazil were identified in April 2021 in the southern region, followed by more cases in different regions during the following months. By early September 2021, Delta was already the dominant variant in the southeastern (87%), southern (73%), and northeastern (52%) Brazilian regions. This study aimed to understand the spatiotemporal dissemination dynamics of Delta in Brazil. To this end, we employed a combination of maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian methods to reconstruct the evolutionary relationship of 2,264 VOC Delta complete genomes (482 from this study) recovered across 21 of the 27 Brazilian federal units. Our phylogeographic analyses identified three major transmission clusters of Delta in Brazil. The clade BR-I (n = 1,560) arose in Rio de Janeiro in late April 2021 and was the major cluster behind the dissemination of the VOC Delta in the southeastern, northeastern, northern, and central-western regions. The AY.101 lineage (n = 207) that arose in the Paraná state in late April 2021 and aggregated the largest fraction of sampled genomes from the southern region. Lastly, the AY.46.3 lineage emerged in Brazil in the São Paulo state in early June 2021 and remained mostly restricted to this state. In the rapid turnover of viral variants characteristic of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, Brazilian regions seem to occupy different stages of an increasing prevalence of the VOC Delta in their epidemic profiles. This process demands continuous genomic and epidemiological surveillance toward identifying and mitigating new introductions, limiting their dissemination, and preventing the establishment of more significant outbreaks in a population already heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.IMPORTANCE Amid the SARS-CoV-2 continuously changing epidemic profile, this study details the space-time dynamics of the emergence of the Delta lineage across Brazilian territories, pointing out its multiple introductions in the country and its most prevalent sublineages. Some of these sublineages have their emergence, alongside their genomic composition and geographic distribution, detailed here for the first time. A special focus is given to the emergence process of Delta outside the country’s south and southeast regions, the most populated and subjects of most published SARS-CoV-2 studies in Brazil. In summary, the study allows a better comprehension of the evolution process of a SARS-CoV-2 lineage that would be associated with a significant recrudescence of the pandemic in Brazil.

Panorama of the water supply in the Campinas region and a brief comparison with other regions in the Southeast of Brazil

Access to drinking water is one of the most important factors for health. The lack of access to safe drinking water results in a high prevalence of infections, such as bacterial gastroenteritis and outbreaks of diarrhea. This study evaluated the quality of the public water supply in 42 municipalities located in the eastern region of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, from 2016 to 2020. Physical, chemical, and microbiological parameters were investigated. Sample collection, preservation and analyses were carried out in accordance with national and international standards. The results demonstrated non-compliance with Brazilian legislation for apparent color (1.1%), turbidity (0.4%), fluoride content (14.2%), total coliforms (4.4%) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) (0.4%). In a brief comparison with other studies in the southeastern region of Brazil, the highest percentage of unsatisfactory samples is due to the fact that fluorine is below the minimum of <0.6 ppm, demonstrating the need for training in the fluoridation process. The need to invest in the training of health surveillance teams to carry out field analyses (chlorine and pH) was also observed. This study can inform future actions, guiding the adoption of preventive and corrective measures and demonstrating the importance of monitoring water-supply quality.
 Keywords: drinking water, public health, water quality.

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF PHYTOPLANKTON IN A HIGHLY IMPACTED TROPICAL MONTANE RIVER

Rivers, as most bodies of water, are subject to eutrophication and water contamination, mainly from domestic sewage and industrial discharges from urban centers and agricultural areas. These growing human impacts result in a gradual loss of water quality and changes in biotic communities, including phytoplankton. Analyzing the dynamics of phytoplankton is important to understand how, in addition to hydrography and the physical, chemical and biological variables, human impact can be a controlling factor in this dynamic. In this study, we analyzed abiotic variables and zooplankton abundance to identify the factors controlling different phytoplankton attributes at six sampling points, in two climatic periods and three years, in the Piabanha River, a slowly flowing stream with to strong human impact beginning in its upper course, in a mountain region in southeastern Brazil. The results showed homogeneous environmental variables and different phytoplankton attributes along most of the stretch analyzed, except for sampling point 1, located in a preserved forest area but with nutrient concentrations limiting phytoplankton growth. The difference in flow between the two climatic periods (dry and wet) was not sufficient to change the total phytoplankton biovolume. Temperature seemed to strongly affect the phytoplankton response, with larger relative contributions from cyanobacteria in the wet period, with higher temperatures, and from phytoflagellates in the dry period, with lower temperatures. As expected, zooplankton showed no influence on phytoplankton dynamics, with a large contribution from small rotifers. In this tropical montane river, with slow flow and intense human impacts, nutrient concentrations and temperature were the main drivers of the spatial and temporal dynamics of phytoplankton, respectively

Mapping potential risks for the transmission of spotted fever rickettsiosis: The case study from the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.

Spotted fever rickettsiosis is a zoonosis transmitted by ticks, having a varied clinical course that can lead to death if not managed properly. In Brazil it is more commonly observed in the Southeast, being an emerging public health problem. Hazard mapping models are common in different areas of knowledge, including public health, as a way of inferring reality and seeking to reduce or prevent damage. The aim of this study is to offer a spatial heuristic methodology for assessing the potential risk of transmission of spotted fever in the Rio de Janeiro state, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. For this, we used geospatial tools associated with eco-epidemiological data related to the clinical profile of the disease. The results achieved were substantially encouraging, considering that there are territories with greater or lesser expectation of risk for spotted fever in the study area. We observed that there are important distinctions between the two rickettsiosis scenarios in the same geographic space and that the areas where there is a greater potential risk of contracting rickettsiosis coincide with the administrative regions that concentrated the cases of hospitalization and deaths from the disease, concluding that the scenery found are relevant to the case series for the disease and that the planning of surveillance actions can gain in quality if the use of this spatial analysis tool is incorporated into the routine of local health management.

Connecting heavy precipitation events to outgoing long wave radiation variability scales: Case analysis in Brazil

Spatial fields of outgoing long wave radiation (OLR) spectrum variance of the 1979-2016 austral summer months in southern Brazil are analyzed on different timescales: synoptic, sub-monthly, and intra-seasonal. Variability fields differ both in intensity and location and highlight dominant convection cycles in the study area. The results show that the amplitude of sub-monthly variability is greater than that of the other scales in the southeastern region of Brazil, while the synoptic scale prevails in the southern region. The above-mentioned scales show greater amplitudes over the western Pacific Ocean where the Madden-Julian Oscillation plays an important role, along the South Pacific Convergence Zone, and over the storm track areas over the South Pacific Ocean. The influence of spectral OLR scale interaction is also analyzed, associated to the occurrence of two intense rainfall events over the southeastern Brazil in the austral summers of 2011 and 2014 when the South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) was active in both events. The results obtained suggest that spectral OLR scale interaction takes place in such way that it strengthens the SACZ, since the spatial pattern footprints of the two to eight-day timescale (synoptic), 10 to 30-day timescale (sub-monthly) and 30 to 60-day timescale (intra-seasonal) overlap in the study region.

Drug Reconciliation Program as a Patient Safety Initiative in a Specialty Hospital in the Southeastern Region of Brazil: A Study Protocol

A common problem observed in patient safety is the lack of accurate and complete information about medications in regular use during transfers of care between different health facilities. In view of this, medication reconciliation is postulated as a barrier to reducing medication discrepancies and consequently medication errors. This project aims to evaluate the implementation of safe clinical practices conducted by clinical pharmacists. To this end, we will conduct a standardized process to obtain the best possible medication history (BPMH); assessment of the patient's level of understanding of pre-admission therapy; quantification, classification and analysis of discrepancies of unintentional drugs at hospital admission; effect of interventions conducted by clinical pharmacists and impact on patient safety. This prospective, pilot, descriptive, interventional and single-center study will be carried out in the Clinical Pharmacy Department of a large hospital in the state of São Paulo. In order to standardize the process of data collection and reconciliation of prescription drugs, the interview with the patient will be carried out using an adapted and modified form. After collecting information in the structured interview, clinical pharmacists will identify, analyze and classify possible discrepancies. All unintentional discrepancies found without any clinical justification will be considered medication errors. Finally, the degree of impact of each drug discrepancy will be defined as: clinically insignificant; clinically significant; serious and life-threatening.

Concepção dos Trabalhadores de uma Rede Municipal de Saúde sobre a Relação Serviço-Gestão

Abstract The objective of this work was to understand the conceptions of health professionals about the relationship between management and the different services that constitute the public health network of a municipality in the southeastern region of Brazil. It used the Focus Group (FG) technique for data collection. Three FG were held with an average of 12 participants per meeting, totaling 38 participants. The Lexical Descending Hierarchical Classification analysis was applied with the support of the Iramuteq software. The results outlined four classes: Management-Service Relationship; Daily challenges of services; Sustainability of work in the territory and Prioritization of the user. The relationship between health services and management was marked by hierarchical practices. However, it was possible to verify that there are expectations regarding the establishment of a transversal relationship. Collective spaces and user participation in care management are considered as important elements for co-management.

Conicity Index as an Indicator of Abdominal Obesity in Renal Individuals Undergoing Hemodialysis: An Analysis of Latent Classes

ObjectivesTo identify the cutoff point of the conicity index in renal individuals undergoing hemodialysis.MethodsObservational, cross-sectional study with 953 individuals undergoing hemodialysis between February and September 2019 in a metropolitan region in southeastern Brazil. The conicity index (CI) was calculated using the following equation: waist circumference/0.109 x √Weight/Height. To determine the cut-off point, the analysis of latent classes was used by cross-validation through a latent variable (VL) of abdominal obesity. The LV was defined using the pattern of responses of the observed anthropometric variables considering the presence and absence of abdominal obesity: waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio and body shape index. The information criteria: Akaike information criterion (AIC), Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and entropy indicated the most adequate model of two latent classes. The identified cutoffs were elucidated by the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity.ResultsThe cutoff points were similar between the two sexes, with the CI cutoff point being 1275 for men with sensitivity and specificity of 83% and 83.60%, respectively, and 1285 for women with sensitivity and specificity of 78.60% and 89.30%, respectively, with an AUC of 0.921 (P < 0.001) for both sexes. Abdominal obesity, determined by the CI, showed a total of 59.5% of individuals with excess weight (p-value: 0.001).ConclusionsThe cutoff points for the CI for men and women showed good accuracy for the identification of abdominal obesity in renal patients on hemodialysis. In this way, we demonstrate the reliability of its use in clinical practice.Funding SourcesThis study received financial support from the Espírito Santo Research and Innovation Support Foundation (FAPES) No. 35,081.543.19306.18042018. Notice no. 03/2018 - Research Program for the SUS (PPSUS).

Assessing an Ecological Revitalization Project of Urban Streams in Brazilian Southeastern Region by Analytic Hierarchy Process

Assessing an Ecological Revitalization Project of Urban Streams in Brazilian Southeastern Region by Analytic Hierarchy Process

PULMONARY TUBERCUOLOSIS MORTALITY ANALYSIS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN REGION OF BRAZIL, 2015 TO 2020

Objective: To analyze data on mortality from pulmonary tuberculosis and to analyze the incidence for the years 2015 to 2020 in the southeastern region of Brazil. Methods: Ecological descriptive study which data collection consisted of all deaths and hospitalizations for Pulmonary Tuberculosis registered in the Unified Health System, available on the DATASUS. Results: During the years studied, in the Southeastern Region cases of hospitalizations for pulmonary tuberculosis were predominantly higher among men and it is also noted that the age group with the highest number of hospitalizations is between 40 and 59 years old. There was a greater increase in these rates in the state of Rio de Janeiro (B= 4.57; p* =315; r²= 0.24), followed by São Paulo ( β= 8.05; p*= 132; r²= 0.47), and Espírito Santo (β= 0.54; p*= 218; r²= 0.34). Conclusion: The results of the present study show that there was an increase in mortality rates from Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Southeastern Region Brazil.

Wood extraction performance with a farm tractor in a mountainous region of Brazil: cycle time, productivity and costs of two different work crews

Harvesting is a complex and expensive step within forestry operations. In mountainous terrain timber harvesting is complex due to the risks and limitations that the terrain imposes on traditional forms of wood extraction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effective time of work cycle, productivity, operational costs, and production costs of tree extraction by means of a farm tractor with winch, in two work crew compositions: Crew A: one tractor operator and a choker setter; and Crew B: one tractor operator and two choker setters. The study was implemented in the Vale do Ribeira region of south-eastern Brazil, using a full tree-harvesting system through a time and motion study under different conditions of extraction distance (6–135 m), log yard (5–241 m), and ground slope (7–37°). To evaluate the cycles, a regression analysis was conducted for each treatment, and subsequently compared using the Graybill F-test. Next, a regression with a dummy variable was performed. Crew B showed an average productivity of 13.54 m3; per productive machine hour (PMH), which was higher than the 9.50 m3; PMH−1 of Crew A. The operational costs were US$33.52 PMH−1 for Crew A, and US$44.24 PMH−1 for Crew B. Despite the higher operational cost with Crew B, the increase in productivity resulted in a lower production cost up until the scenario of 120 m of winching distance.

Exploring Sisyrinchium (Iridaceae) diversity in the Atlantic Forest Biome: three new species in S. sect. Viperella

The Southern and Southeastern regions of Brazil present the highest species richness of Sisyrinchium, and the taxa are mainly distributed in the Atlantic Forest Biome. Here, three new species belonging to Sisyrinchium sect. Viperella from this biome are described: S. caratuvense is endemic to the high altitude grasslands of eastern Paraná, S. usneoides is endemic to the campo rupestre phytophysiognomy in southern Minas Gerais, and S. iguazuanum has a wider distribution, occurring in the grasslands of western Santa Catarina and Paraná (Brazil), and eastern Misiones (Argentina). Descriptions, illustrations, comparisons to related taxa and conservation status are provided.