Southeastern Venezuela Research Articles

Tropical Wooded Peatland in Delta Amacuro State, Venezuela

Reconnaissance on edaphological and biological aspects was carried out in a peatland forest near the town of Piacoa in Delta Amacuro State, southeastern Venezuela. Thirteen peat samples were taken in a stratigraphic transect, using Ramsar peat extraction and analysis protocol to study tropical peatlands. Physicochemical parameters were characterized with basic laboratory analysis: color according to the Munsell scale, relative humidity, solubility in water, specific density, pH, conductivity, percentage of organic carbon and percentage of organic matter. Rapid ecological evaluation of vegetation and ichthyofauna associated with aquatic bodies was carried out. Part of a large extension of Orinoco peatlands in delta region, the study area is a marshy wetland which, according to the Ramsar classification, qualifies as forested peatlands (Xp category). Paleoclimatic, palynological and edaphological information in the literature indicates that the peatlands were formed during Holocene processes of marine transgression that occupied settling basins and lowlands where the vegetation was not very different from the current one. Samples collected at different depths (0 to 220cm) clearly show horizons with two color tones: one dark or black (associated with a good surface aeration), and a yellowish brown or brown, associated with an absence or little amount of oxygen as it goes deeper. The pH values decrease with depth (4.25 at the top and 3.9 or 3.5 at depth). The peat has a high water retention that ranges between 60% and 83%. Vegetation in the wetland is diverse: 31 species of plants within 14 families that include tree, shrub and hydrophilic grassland vegetation were identified. In associated water bodies, 41 species of fish grouped within 27 families were found

Phylogenetic relationships and systematics of the bamboo‐specialist Amaurospiza blue seedeaters

The Amaurospiza ‘seedeaters’ are bamboo‐specialized mixed strategists, most often found in bamboos in vegetative state, feeding on buds, shoots, petioles and insects. As bamboos die after flowering, birds may wander in search of live vegetative bamboo. The three currently recognized species of Amaurospiza are allopatrically distributed: the Blackish‐blue Seedeater Amaurospiza moesta in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, and in forest enclaves in the Cerrado; the recently described Carrizal Seedeater Amaurospiza carrizalensis known from a few localities in southeastern Venezuela; and the Blue Seedeater Amaurospiza concolor distributed patchily from Mexico to Peru. Three subspecies are recognized within A. concolor: relicta in southwest Mexico, concolor from southern Mexico to Panama and aequatorialis from southwest Colombia to northwest Peru. Full species status has been advocated for relicta and aequatorialis but evidence supporting their recognition is weak, while relicta was described in the monospecific genus Amaurospizopsis. Here we (1) test the monophyly of Amaurospiza, (2) reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of all its constituent taxa using mitochondrial and nuclear markers, (3) re‐assess species limits in Amaurospiza with the aid of vocalizations and genetic and plumage data, and (4) discuss the link between bamboo life history, biogeographical patterns and extent of genetic differentiation. Amaurospiza was found to be monophyletic in both the ND2 and multilocus analyses. In the ND2 tree A. moesta and A. carrizalensis were sister to each other, A. concolor was found to be paraphyletic because aequatorialis was placed as sister to moesta–carrizalensis, and a clade including nominate concolor and relicta was sister to all the other taxa. The multilocus tree showed the same relationships, but lacked nuclear samples of relicta. Mean ND2 pairwise distance between concolor and aequatorialis (8.3%) was greater than that between moesta and carrizalensis (5.7%), while relicta diverged on average 1.0% from nominate concolor. The South American clade has more slender bills and white underwing coverts, while the Central American clade has thicker bills and bluish underwing coverts. All taxa exhibited typical Amaurospiza songs with quickly delivered, warbled, pure and fairly high‐pitched musical notes. Number of inflections/second exhibited a stepped pattern, with concolor and relicta on the lower end and carrizalensis, aequatorialis and moesta on the upper end. Similarly, moesta, carrizalensis and aequatorialis had overall more inflections per note than concolor and relicta. Linear discriminant analysis using nine acoustic variables correctly assigned all 62 songs to the correct taxon. Morphology, plumage, vocalizations and phylogenetic data indicate that aequatorialis should be afforded full species status as the Ecuadorian Seedeater (A. aequatorialis), suggest keeping relicta as a subspecies of A. concolor and support continued recognition of A. carrizalensis. Our data support merging Amaurospizopsis into Amaurospiza.

Impacts of fishing on the Caribbean white sea urchin, Lytechinus variegatus, in Margarita Island, Venezuela

The Caribbean white sea urchin, L. variegatus, is locally harvested in Margarita Island and other locations of southeastern Venezuela. The recent reduction of densities raises concerns about potential impacts for overfishing. Densities of L. variegatus were estimated at Impact and Control locations between late-2012 and mid-2015 to 1) test temporal changes, comparing with 1997–1998 estimations, 2) the effect of seasonal closure on resource recovery and 3) the effect of local expansion. The results suggest that, after a period of fourteen years, an important decrease in L. variegatus densities occurred, as well as a lack of population recovery in fishing areas during seasonal closures. Furthermore, during the monitoring program, it was observed fishing activities in one Control location that subsequently showed clear patterns of population depletion, like other Impact locations. Fishing impact on L. variegatus populations is severe, persistent and expands over time without evidence of recovery, therefore it is expected that local populations of L. variegatus would collapse under current exploitation levels. However, due to the L. variegatus life history and its distribution range, recovery of impacted populations could be possible via recruitment of planktonic larvae if effective management actions are imposed. It is recommended to exercise more regulations on fishing activities and to execute management measures that allow recovering the stocks to maintain local populations of sea urchin.

A rare new species of Leptohyphes Eaton (Ephemeroptera: Leptohyphidae) from the Lost World.

A new species of Leptohyphes Eaton (Ephemerotera: Leptohyphidae) is described, diagnosed and illustrated from nymphs collected in the Pantepui region in Southeastern Venezuela. Leptohyphes kukenan sp. nov. is similar to Leptohyphes populus Allen because they share a unique character for the genus: male compound eyes are divided. Other unique characters for the new species include a plesiomorphic gill structure, with imbricated ventral lamellae, and paired subapical denticles on tarsal claw. The new species show a unique combination of characters that distinguish it from L. populus and all other species of Leptohyphes: fore and hind margin of femora with spines on strong elevated sockets, part of body and legs covered by small pale spots, tarsal claws with 4-5 marginal denticles and a subapical pair of submarginal denticles, pronotum with large rounded lateral projection, hind wing pads absent in female, gill formula 8/7/7/4/1, operculate gill with imbricated ventral lobes, and gill V without ventral extension on dorsal lamella.

Mining against the State? Gold Mining and Emerging Notions of Territoriality in Southeastern Venezuela

The current economic crisis in Venezuela has drawn members of Pemón communities to the practice of informal (illegal) gold mining, as mining, undertaken alongside other ‘traditional’ economic activities, is a more effective source of income than waged jobs. The increased involvement of Pemón people in informal mining has encouraged their partial retreat from the state's frontiers, and it reveals transformations in the ways in which local people imagine and relate to the Venezuelan state. These transformations are embodied in both a reorganisation of the space, and in burgeoning notions of land ownership.

New species of Curimatopsis from the río Caroni, Orinoco basin, Venezuela, with comments on C. macrolepis (Characiformes: Curimatidae)

ABSTRACT A new species of Curimatopsis is described from the highlands of the western Guiana Shield in the río Carapo and río Paragua, tributaries of the río Caroni in the Orinoco basin, southeastern Venezuela. The new species belongs to the Curimatopsis macrolepis clade due to its possession of a long lower jaw that projects past the anterior margin of the upper jaw, and separate first and second hypurals. The new species is diagnosed from remaining species of the Curimatopsis macrolepis clade by having a small-sized inconspicuous dark spot on the midlateral surface of the caudal peduncle, by details of body and fin pigmentation, and by additional morphometric characters. The distribution of C. macrolepis in the Amazon and Orinoco basins is updated based on the examination of museum specimens.

Venomics and antivenomics of the poorly studied Brazil's lancehead, Bothrops brazili (Hoge, 1954), from the Brazilian State of Pará.

ABSTRACTBackground:The Brazil’s lancehead, Bothrops brazili, is a poorly studied pit viper distributed in lowlands of the equatorial rainforests of southern Colombia, northeastern Peru, eastern Ecuador, southern and southeastern Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, and northern Bolivia. Few studies have been reported on toxins isolated from venom of Ecuadorian and Brazilian B. brazili. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the qualitative and quantitative protein composition of B. brazili venom from Pará (Brazil), and to carry out a comparative antivenomics assessment of the immunoreactivity of the Brazilian antibothropic pentavalent antivenom [soro antibotrópico (SAB) in Portuguese] against the venoms of B. brazili and reference species, B. jararaca.Methods:We have applied a quantitative snake venomics approach, including reverse-phase and two-dimensional electrophoretic decomplexation of the venom toxin arsenal, LC-ESI-MS mass profiling and peptide-centric MS/MS proteomic analysis, to unveil the overall protein composition of B. brazili venom from Pará (Brazil). Using third-generation antivenomics, the specific and paraspecific immunoreactivity of the Brazilian SAB against homologous (B. jararaca) and heterologous (B. brazili) venoms was investigated. Results:The venom proteome of the Brazil’s lancehead (Pará) is predominantly composed of two major and three minor acidic (19%) and two major and five minor basic (14%) phospholipase A2 molecules; 7-11 snake venom metalloproteinases of classes PI (21%) and PIII (6%); 10-12 serine proteinases (14%), and 1-2 L-amino acid oxidases (6%). Other toxins, including two cysteine-rich secretory proteins, one C-type lectin-like molecule, one nerve growth factor, one 5'-nucleotidase, one phosphodiesterase, one phospholipase B, and one glutaminyl cyclase molecule, represent together less than 2.7% of the venom proteome. Third generation antivenomics profile of the Brazilian pentabothropic antivenom showed paraspecific immunoreactivity against all the toxin classes of B. brazili venom, with maximal binding capacity of 132.2 mg venom/g antivenom. This figure indicates that 19% of antivenom's F(ab')2 antibodies bind B. brazili venom toxins. Conclusion:The proteomics outcome contribute to a deeper insight into the spectrum of toxins present in the venom of the Brazil’s lancehead, and rationalize the pathophysiology underlying this snake bite envenomings. The comparative qualitative and quantitative immunorecognition profile of the Brazilian pentabothropic antivenom toward the venom toxins of B. brazili and B. jararaca (the reference venom for assessing the bothropic antivenom's potency in Brazil), provides clues about the proper use of the Brazilian antibothropic polyvalent antivenom in the treatment of bites by the Brazil’s lancehead.

Molecular Detection and Species Determination of Malaria Parasites, Venezuela.

In southeastern Venezuela, malaria cases have increased since 2013. We found that 46% of 352 blood samples from symptomatic patients in 1 municipality tested positive for Plasmodium spp. In addition, the number of cases increased by 10 times in 4 years (2014–2017) and by 3 times in 1 year (2016–2017).

Dos nuevas especies de árboles molinillo (Magnolia: Magnoliaceae) de la Serranía de los Yariguíes, departamento de Santander, Colombia

Two new species of Magnolia from the northern part of Serrania de los Yariguies, Santander, Colombia, are described: Magnolia resupinatifolia and Magnolia betuliensis . The first belongs to the section Talauma, subsection Talauma and morphologically resembles M. sambuensis , from which it is distinguished by the foliar bud with a sericeous copper colored indumentum, flowers with three bracts, smaller petals, ripe spheroid fruits, axis of the fruit obovoid to spheroid, and carpels in fruits with a convex external wall. The second species is associated with the section Talauma, subsection Dugandiodendron, and differs from M. coronata and M. yarumalemsis, in the inconspicuous prefolation scars, longer petioles, and fewer stamens and carpels. Magnolia chimantensis , from Chimanta Massif in southeastern Venezuela, is excluded from the flora of Colombia, which was registered for the country based on poorly identified sterile material corresponding to M. betuliensis .

Cockfighting in Venezuela: Capitalist Paroxysm within a State Controlled Economy

In 2014 in Guasipati, an agricultural and cattle town in Southeastern Venezuela, I witnessed a group of men of all generations who staged themselves through the orgasmic rite of cockfights. In Geertz's famous ethnography of cockfighting in Bali, the ‘irrationality’ of betting appears at first as surprising. But cockfighting is a game that dramatizes status and tests group solidarity, it is a measure of moral import and of meaning. This photographic record of masculinities at play in cockfighting builds on Geertz’ interpretation. The images were taken in the gallera (cockpit) of Guasipati during a clandestine night. It is here that the participating men engage in a form of capitalist communication that directly questions the Bolivarian Revolution. Many are workers within socialist enterprises, and they tremendously enjoy this illegal and transgressive activity. Within this space, the patterns of exchange become competitive and inscribed in subterranean capitalist circuits, evoking a symbolism of masculine power disputes (who is a man and who not) vis-à-vis the prohibitions of socialism. It is here that illegal enrichment that serves as a source and mark of status within the state controlled economy is effectively played out. Behind the individual and collective euphoria seen in the photographs, there are even more euphoric social tensions of betting and status at work.

Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Globulosis García, 2001 (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Acidocerinae).

The Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Globulosis García, 2001 is revised. Originally described from a single male specimen from southeastern Venezuela, the genus has since been found in localities across the Guiana Shield region and beyond, including Colombia, Suriname, Guyana, and Brazil. The genus is redescribed. Morphological characters and genetic data from the mitochondrial gene COI from ten populations across its range provide support for two distinct species, corresponding loosely to geography. The type species, G. hemisphericus García, is redescribed and newly recorded from Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil (Amazonas, Para). One new species is described, Globulosis flavus sp. n. from southwestern Venezuela (Amazonas, Bolivar). The genus is associated with lotic habitats, and typically found along the margins of small to medium sized streams. High-resolution habitus and aedeagal images and distribution maps for all species are provided.

A reassessment of the vocalization and distribution of Scinax exiguus (Duellman, 1986) (Anura: Hylidae) in the Amazonian savanna of Roraima, northern Brazil, with the description of its aggressive call

Scinax exiguus was described from the Gran Sabana, southeastern Venezuela, and its distribution is associated with the one Amazonian savanna region in northern South America. Herein, we describe the aggressive call and redescribe the advertisement call of S. exiguus, including recordings from the type locality. Also, we report on intraspecific variation between Venezuelan and Brazilian populations and we make remarks on its distribution in Brazil. Advertisement calls from the type locality (Bolívar, Venezuela) mainly differ in temporal traits from those of the two Brazilian populations, especially in duration and pulse organization. In contrast, calls from both Brazilian populations had remarkable differences from each other in the dominant frequency. Body size also varied between the type series (Venezuela) and a Brazilian population. We suggest that the acoustic variation in S. exiguus might be explained partly by differences in temperature and varying degrees of motivational state of calling males. One of our study sites (Cantá, Roraima) now represents the southernmost record for the species in comparison to the previous record (Boa Vista). Additional research and conservation measures are required in the Guyanan savanna in northern South America for the protection of its endemics.

Three new Neotropical species ofNilothauma Kieffer, 1921 (Diptera: Chironomidae)

Nilothauma canaima n. sp. from Bolivar State in southeastern Venezuela, Nilothauma granma n. sp. from Granma Province in eastern Cuba and Nilothauma soka n. sp. from Amazonas State in Brazil are described and figured as males. N. canaima can be grouped with Nearctic Nilothauma verrucum Adam and Saether, but can be separated based on its small size as it has a wing length can be grouped with Nearctic Nilothauma babiyi (Rempel) and Neotropical Nilothauma matogrossense Mendes and Andersen, but can be separated from both as it has a wing with distinct, dark areas. N. soka can be grouped with Neotropical Nilothauma aripuanense Mendes and Andersen, but can be separated based on the shape of the superior volsella as it has a boot-shaped superior volsella with microtrichia only. A key is given to the males of Nilothauma from the New World.

A new species of Parakari (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae) from Guiana Highlands.

The genus Parakari was described from Guiana Highlands in southeastern Venezuela by Nieto & Derka in 2011 for two species inhabiting streams draining isolated, flat-topped table mountains called tepuis. A description of a third representative, Parakari roraimensis sp. n., is given here based on material collected from a coldwater stream at the foothills of Roraima-tepui (SE Venezuela). Detailed morphological descriptions of mature nymph and female adult are given. A differential diagnosis and a key to nymphs of the three Parakari species are provided.

BelladessusMiller and Short (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini), New Genus for Two New Species from Northern South America: Parthenogenetic Diving Beetles?

Belladessus Miller and Short, new genus, is described to include two new species of diving beetles, B. femineus Miller and Short, new species (southeastern Venezuela and Suriname) and B. puella Miller and Short, new species (western Venezuela). The genus is placed in the dytiscid tribe Bidessini due to the presence of a distinctive spermathecal spine, among other diagnostic features. The genus is characterized by the absence of an occipital line, presence of basal pronotal striae, presence of a basal elytral stria, absence of a sutural elytral stria, absence of a transverse carina on the elytral epipleuron at the humeral angle, and presence of a distinct marginal bead on the anterior clypeal margin. No male specimens are present among the more than 125 specimens known, and, from this, it is hypothesized that the species are likely parthenogenetic.

New records of mosquitoes (Diptera: culicidae) from bolívar state in South eastern Venezuela, with 27 new species for the state and 5 of them new in the country.

This is the first part of a series of studies related to mosquito ecological and biogeographic aspects. A total of 69 mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) was collected in 16 localities sampled in the Gran Sabana Municipality, Canaima National Park, and Venezuela. Twenty-seven mosquito species are recorded for the first time from Bolívar State, Venezuela. Five of them species are reported for the first time in Venezuela: Anopheles malefactor Dyar and Knab (1907); Chagasia bonneae Root (1927); Chagasia ablusa Harbach (2009); Culex anduzei Lane (1944), and Uranotaenia leucoptera Theobald (1907). Their medical importance is commented, and ecological and epidemiological aspects are discussed. A checklist of the mosquito species reported in the Gran Sabana County is given.

Terraranans of the Lost World: a new species of Pristimantis (Amphibia, Craugastoridae) from Abakapá-tepui in the Chimantá massif, Venezuelan Guayana, and additions to the knowledge of P. muchimuk.

A new frog of the genus Pristimantis is named and described from the summit of Abakapá-tepui in the Chimantd massif, south-eastern Venezuela. The new species is known from two adult specimens and is the second craugastorid species described from this massif. It can be readily distinguished from all congeners inhabiting the highlands of the Guiana Shield by the unique combination of the following characters: dorsal skin shagreen and ventral skin coarsely areolate, tympanum small and ill-defined, vocal slits absent in males, finger I shorter than II, thumbs with two whitish and non-spinous nuptial pads in adult males, fingers and toes with broad lateral fringes, basal webbing between all toes, throat and chest nacreous white in life. Also, based on five specimens of Pristimantis muchimuk recently collected from Churi-tepui, we provide new information on this little known species, including an amended diagnosis, notes on morphology, color variation, advertisement calls, and natural history.

A New Diagnosis and Description ofAnomaloglossus roraima(La Marca, 1998) (Anura: Aromobatidae: Anomaloglossinae), with Description of Its Tadpole and Call

Abstract. The frog Anomaloglossus roraima was originally described as Colostethus roraima by E. La Marca in 1998 on the basis of a single immature female collected at 2700 m elevation on the upper slopes of Mount Roraima, a tepui (table mountain) located in southeastern Venezuela. We herein provide a redescription of the species on the basis of new material from Wei-Assipu-tepui and Maringma-tepui in Guyana. The redescription includes the first descriptions of the tadpole and vocalization. Anomaloglossus roraima is a small-sized species mainly distinguished from its known congeners in having Finger I < II; fingers with narrow pre- and postaxial unfolded fringes; toes unwebbed (although rudimentary webbing is sometimes present between Toe III and IV) with narrow pre- and postaxial unfolded fringes; symmetrical cloacal tubercles present; dorsolateral stripe usually present, often inconspicuous; ventrolateral stripe absent; oblique lateral stripe absent; no obvious sexual dichromatism in throat, chest and ve...

Description of Neblinichthys peniculatus, a new species of loricariid catfish from the río Paragua drainage of Venezuela

Neblinichthys peniculatus is described from specimens collected in the río Carapo (río Paragua - río Caroni drainage), which drains the southern flank of Cerro Guaiquinima in southeastern Venezuela. Neblinichthys peniculatusdiffers from all congeners by having mottling on the caudal peduncle consisting of dark spots and dashes (vs. caudal peduncle all about the same color or light below and dark above) and by having spots on the head (spots less conspicuous in nuptial males as the head is darker; vs. no spots). Uniquely among Neblinichthys for which nuptial males are known, the hypertrophied odontodes on the snout are rather short, none as large as the eye diameter.

A new species of the genus Spiritiops Lugo-Ortiz &amp;amp; McCafferty (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae) from the Pantepui biogeographical province

The genus Spiritiops was described by Lugo-Ortiz &amp; McCafferty in 1998. Since then, only the type species, S. silvudus,was reported from different countries, such as Brazil, French Guiana, Surinam and Venezuela. In the last years, variousinternational speleological expedition explored summits of some table mountains called tepuis in Guyana region in south-eastern Venezuela. Here we describe a new species of the genus Spiritiops, found at three tepuis (Auyán-tepui, Churí-tepui and Mt. Roraima) during above mentioned speleological expeditions.