Western Panama Research Articles

Birds in urban environments: parks as wildlife refuges in Western Panama

Urban parks play a fundamental role in preserving relict biodiversity in urbanized environments.A study was carried out on the birdlife present in 5 urban Parks in the Western Region of Panama (David): Altos del Morazán, Ivu Primavera, 28 de Noviembre, Plaza Bolívar, Paco García.A total of450 individuals distributed in 8 orders, 18 families and 33 species were reported.The most abundant species were: the Orange-chinned Parakeet (Brotogeris jugularis), the Ruddy ground dove (Columbina talpacoli), the Blue-gray Tanager (Thraupis episcopus), the House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) and the Great-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus).Three migratory species were recorded:Empidonaxsp.,Piranga rubraandSetophaga petechia. The information presented is baseline and contributes to knowledge about biodiversity in urban environments in Western Panama

The first harvestman described from Bocas del Toro Archipelago: a new Poecilaemula (Opiliones: Cosmetidae) and notes about the genus

ABSTRACT The discovery of a new Cosmetidae species from Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama, with unusual sexual dimorphism and colouration, presented an identification challenge due to the limited knowledge of the taxonomy of cosmetids in Central America. The new species is notable for the extensive bright orange blots on the dorsal scutum and by the unusual structure of tibia IV of males, which is not incrassate, and bears two compact rows of strong spines. After examination of both type and non-type specimens of the type species of the genus Poecilaemula Roewer, 1912 (Meterginus signatus Banks, 1909), we decided that the new species should be assigned to this genus, and that the current circumscription of the genus is debatable as a natural group. Here, we propose a new definition of Poecilaemula, which includes three species: the type species from Costa Rica; Poecilaemula iching sp. n. from western Panama; and the species Poecilaemula eutypa (Chamberlin, 1925) comb. n. from eastern Panama, which is newly transferred from Paecilaema C.L. Koch, 1839. Additionally, Paecilaemana reimoseri Roewer, 1933 is considered a new junior subjective synonym of Meterginus signatus Banks 1909 (currently under Poecilaemula). The five South American species currently included in Poecilaemula reveal a geographic discrepancy, and they should be transferred to other genera in future investigations because they do not share any special similarity with the type species of the genus. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0101B1EE-CF5F-4781-96FF-E797C71CF05C

The critically endangered Amphibians from the small Escudo de Veraguas Island Panama

Escudo de Veraguas, a small island in Western Panama, is home to the maritime worm salamander Oedipina maritima and the Costa Rica Stream-welling Frog Craugastor ranoides, both species are in continuing decline in the extent and quality of their habitat. During three monitoring surveys of the island, 50 plots were installed, 25 in forest and 25 in swamps. The population was estimated at 88 ind./ha for O. maritima and 59 ind./ha for C. ranoides. As a conservation measure, we recommend long-term monitoring to guarantee the survival of these Critically Endangered species.

Chemical profile of essential oils of the Costa Rican native tree Myrcianthes storkii (Myrtaceae)

Introduction: The genus Myrcianthes ranges from southern Florida to Chile, including the Caribbean, and the species Myrcianthes storkii is a shrub or tree found in Costa Rica and western Panama, in wet to very rainy, cloud, and oak forests (altitude 1300-3150m). Objective: To identify the chemical composition of essential oils from leaves, floral buds, and twigs of M. storkii of Costa Rica. Methods: We obtained the essential oils through hydrodistillation in a Clevenger-type apparatus. The chemical composition of the oils was done by GC/FID and GC/MS, using the retention indices on DB-5 and Carbowax types of capillary columns in addition to mass spectra. Results: The oils consisted mainly of terpenoids (55,45-87,75%). A total of 281 compounds accounted for 91,27-74,56% of the total amount of oils. The major constituents from the leaf oil were myrcene (17,44%), cis-calamenene (12,60%), α-pinene (5,48%), (E)-caryophyllene (5,16%), limonene (3,91%), p-cymene (3,71%), 1,8-cineole (2,80%), and α-humulene (2,80%). The floral bud essential oil consisted mainly of α-pinene (15,23%), cis-calamenene (12,70%), myrcene (8,59%), 1,8-cineole (4,26%), germacrene B (3,65%), α-humulene (3,55%), and (E)-caryophyllene oxide (2,93%). The major components of twig oil were cis-calamenene (11,31%), palmitic acid (7,99%), (E)-caryophyllene (4,68%), -cadinene (3,28%), cubenol (3,24%), and (Z)-caryophyllene oxide (2,94%). Conclusion: The presence of a significant quantity of myrcene and cis-calamenene seems to be characteristic of this species.

Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratios and Refraction Microtremor Analyses for Seismic Site Effects and Soil Classification in the City of David, Western Panama

The City of David constitutes one of the most important commercial centers of the Republic of Panama. However, it is located on a coastal plane, close to an area with high seismic activity and has been affected by significant earthquakes (18 July 1934, Mw = 7.4 and 12 March 1962, Mw = 6.7). The goal of this study is to estimate the seismic effects and to classify the soil in the City of David. The experimental work entailed the measurement of environmental noise for H/V spectral ratio (HVSR) analyzed at 22 stations. A series of microtremor refraction studies (ReMi) at six stations distributed from north to south of the city was also performed. The stations were distributed around urban areas of the city, which are characterized by the presence of water supply, sewerage, buildings, roads, etc. The spectral analysis of environmental noise allowed the generation of three different types of maps: First, predominant frequency maps (f0) with zones composed mainly of rigid and semi-rigid soils in the southern end of the city and rigid soils in the central and northern regions. Secondly, maximum H/V amplitude maps (A0) which evidence a low range of HVSR amplitude in the city, ranging from 1.1 to 3.8. Finally, liquefaction vulnerability (Kg) maps, with values less than 2 Hz−1, representative of a low liquefaction risk. Soil classification using ReMi and calculation of the corresponding Vs30 reveal type D soils, which correlate well with results obtained using HVSR analyses. A comparison between HVSR and ReMi shows that HVSR curves that exhibit clear peaks tend to be related to ReMi stations that presented relatively large shear-wave velocity contrasts at some depth. The results from this research are intended to aid the decision-making process related to the future development of the city, as well as government level maintenance and mitigation plans.

Phoretic pseudoscorpions associated with the Alston’s Singing Mouse (Scotinomys teguina) in Western Panama

Phoresy is a form of commensalism that has been widely studied, however, limited literature is found about this interaction in Mesoamerican rodents. Rodent trapping in highlands from Western Panama allowed the first report of phoretic pseudoscorpions (Chernetidae), associated with Scotinomys teguina; which also represents the first phoretic record in mammals from Panama.

Two Decades of Wildlife Pathogen Surveillance: Case Study of Choclo orthohantavirus and Its Wild Reservoir Oligoryzomys costaricensis.

The Costa Rican pygmy rice rat (Oligoryzomys costaricensis) is the primary reservoir of Choclo orthohantavirus (CHOV), the causal agent of hantavirus disease, pulmonary syndrome, and fever in humans in Panama. Since the emergence of CHOV in early 2000, we have systematically sampled and archived rodents from >150 sites across Panama to establish a baseline understanding of the host and virus, producing a permanent archive of holistic specimens that we are now probing in greater detail. We summarize these collections and explore preliminary habitat/virus associations to guide future wildlife surveillance and public health efforts related to CHOV and other zoonotic pathogens. Host sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene form a single monophyletic clade in Panama, despite wide distribution across Panama. Seropositive samples were concentrated in the central region of western Panama, consistent with the ecology of this agricultural commensal and the higher incidence of CHOV in humans in that region. Hantavirus seroprevalence in the pygmy rice rat was >15% overall, with the highest prevalence in agricultural areas (21%) and the lowest prevalence in shrublands (11%). Host-pathogen distribution, transmission dynamics, genomic evolution, and habitat affinities can be derived from the preserved samples, which include frozen tissues, and now provide a foundation for expanded investigations of orthohantaviruses in Panama.

The Trichoptera of Panama XXI. Review of the genus Tizatetrichia Harris, Flint, and Holzenthal, 2002 (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae), including two new species, one first country record, and female description of T. panamensis Harris and Armitage, 2019

The genus Tizatetrichia Harris, Flint, and Holzenthal, 2002 (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) was described based on a single male of T. costatricensis Harris, Flint, and Holzenthal, 2002 collected from Guanacaste Province in northwestern Costa Rica. Since then, the second species (T. panamensis Harris and Armitage, 2019) was discovered in a small Caribbean drainage near Chiriquí Grande, Panama. No female of this genus had been described. Recent collections carried out by the Aquatic Invertebrate Research Group (AIRG) at the Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí (UNACHI) now expand our knowledge of this genus. Herein, we describe a female of Tizatetrichia for the first time, comparing it with that of the related genus Bredinia Flint, 1968. In addition, we describe two new species from central and western Panama (T. escabrosa sp. n. and T. paloseco sp. n.), report one first country record (T. costaricensis), provide keys to the identification of Stactobiinae genera and Tizatetrichia species, and discuss the distribution of the genus in relation to altitude. Panama is now the home to all four species of this Neotropical genus, and its endemic status expanded to Central America. The Republic of Panama has 490 species of caddisflies distributed among 15 families and 56 genera.

The Trichoptera of Panama XX. Six new microcaddisflies (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) and two new country records

Six new species of microcaddisflies (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) are herein described and illustrated: Cerasmatrichia armitagei sp. n., Metrichia hocica sp. n., Neotrichia majagua sp. n., N. solapa sp. n., Ochrotrichia latigiza sp. n., and O. ngabebuglea sp. n. These species were collected in western Panama from the Río Majagua watershed descending from Volcán Barú and Quebrada Martínez, a first-order stream in the Río Guabo watershed of the Bosque Protector Palo Seco. Metrichia quadrata (Flint, 1972) and Ochrotrichia filiforma Flint, 1972 are recorded for the first time from Panama. Two recently described species, Metrichia trebeki Harris and Armitage, 2019 and Ochrotrichia alma Thomson and Armitage, 2021 are reported for the second time from the country. The Republic of Panama now has 487 species of caddisflies distributed among 15 families and 56 genera. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C98A88C2-2626-41E5-B294-0DBA6135AF67

Clinical manifestations of Rickettsia rickettsii in a familial outbreak in Panama.

We report an isolated outbreak of Rickettsia rickettsii in the Ngäbe-Buglé indigenous region, located 750m (tropical wet) above sea level, in a jungle and mountainous area of Western Panama. Seven members of a family were infected simultaneously, resulting in four deaths. Family outbreaks have been previously described and are responsible for 4-8% of the cases described [1-4]. The simultaneous onset of symptoms in the affected population group is extremely unusual [1,5], but it should not dissuade the clinician from considering the possibility of Rickettsia rickettsii infection.

First Record of Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843) and New Geographic Distribution of Tityus ocelote Francke & Stockwell, 1987 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Panamá

Centruroides edwardsii (Gervais, 1843) (Buthidae C. L. Koch, 1837) is recorded for the first time in Panama upon three females collected in Chilibre (northern Panama). Additionally five females and one male of Tityus ocelote Francke & Stockwell, 1987 were collected in a small farm in Capira (Western Panama) being the first record of this species in the Pacific side of Panama. This contribution provides additional information on geographic distribution of these species.

A novel allopatric lineage within the fat snook species complex of the genus Centropomus (Perciformes: Centropomidae)

The species-level taxonomy of fat snooks (Centropomus parallelus and Centropomus mexicanus), which are distributed in coastal waters from Florida to Brazil and parts of the Gulf of Mexico, was explored with mitochondrial DNA 16S rRNA and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 sequencing and multilocus microsatellite DNA genotyping. The existence of a novel lineage first observed from Puerto Rico (Lineage 3) was confirmed in the presence of specimens of C. parallelus from Florida (Lineage 1), and C. mexicanus from Texas (Lineage 2). The novel lineage was found to be in the same phylogenetic clade as specimens from Brazil, consistent with distribution along the Caribbean coast as far as South America. Lineages 1 and 2 are spatially isolated, with no fat snook reported from Pensacola, Florida to Freeport, Texas. The transition zone between lineages 2 and 3 may occur in the area between the Yucatán Peninsula and western Panama. Sampling from this region is necessary to identify the breakpoint and potential for hybridization. Analysis of sequence data within a maximum likelihood framework revealed that all three lineages form a monophyletic clade within Centropomus, with Lineage 3 as ancestral to the other two lineages. Lineage 3 may have originated in South America and expanded to seed the other two lineages. This expansion is estimated to have occurred 0.9–2.5 million years ago. Lineage 3 individuals occasionally migrate to the Atlantic coast of Florida from the distal area of their distribution range and hybridize with local specimens of Lineage 1, suggesting some overlap in the distribution of these two lineages. Overall, these data suggest a complex underlying phylogenetic history of fat snooks in the western Atlantic, with the potential for future taxonomic revision.

Barriers and facilitators to antiretroviral adherence and retention in HIV care among people living with HIV in the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama.

IntroductionPanama’s HIV epidemic is far from under control. One of the populations with the fastest-growing epidemic among the Indigenous peoples of the Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé (CNB). The CNB is an administratively autonomous Indigenous region in Western Panama that is home to over 200,000 individuals of Ngäbe and Buglé ethnicities. This population is unique and, in several ways, represents the early stages of the AIDS epidemics in high-income countries. The CNB is the most impoverished region in Panama and is relatively isolated from outside influences, with limited roads, electricity, and an internet connection, including medical assistance. Around 1.5% of all rapid HIV tests are positive, compared to a national prevalence of 0.9%; in CNB, diagnosis tends to be late. In CNB, 56.3% of individuals had an initial CD4 count of <350 cells/mm3. Antiretroviral treatment (ART) dropout in this region is five times higher than the national average; there is high early mortality due to opportunistic infections. Using the Social-Ecological Theory for Health as a framework, this study aims to describe the facilitators and barriers associated with ART adherence and retention in HIV care among people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the CNB. A better understanding of factors that obstruct adherence could lead to more effective HIV care and prevention in CNB.MethodsWe conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with PLHIV who reside across all three regions of the CNB and have attended an antiretroviral (ART) clinic at least once. Deductive thematic analysis was used to uncover themes related ART adherence and retention in HIV care at the individual, social and structural levels.DiscussionThis unique, isolated population of rural Indigenous peoples has high infection rates, late diagnosis, poor ART adherence, and high AIDS-related death rates. The CNB is an important region to examen ART adherence and retention in care. We determined that psychological health, social support, and discrimination acted as individual-level facilitators and barriers to adherence and retention. Notably, structural barriers included difficult access to ART care due to travel costs, ART shortages, and uncooperative Western/Traditional medical systems. Recommended interventions used in other Low- and Middle-Income settings include increasing peer and family-level support and community knowledge and understanding of HIV infection. Additionally, our study suggests structural interventions, including decreasing the cost and distance of traveling to the ART clinic, by decentralizing services, decreasing food scarcity, and increasing collaboration between Western and Traditional providers.

A new salamander of the genus Bolitoglossa (Caudata: Plethodontidae) from the highlands of western Panama

We describe a new species of salamander of the genus Bolitoglossa from the Cordillera de Talamanca in western Panama. The new species is distinct from its congeners by its dorsal and ventral coloration, finger and toe webbing, and a comparatively high maxillary teeth count in relation to SVL. Analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed an isolated phylogenetic position of the new species which is related to the B. robinsoni, B. subpalmata and B. epimela species groups, all four of which form a subclade within the subgenus Eladinea.

3He/4He Signature of Magmatic Fluids from Telica (Nicaragua) and Baru (Panama) Volcanoes, Central American Volcanic Arc

Constraining the magmatic 3He/4He signature of fluids degassed from a magmatic system is crucial for making inferences on its mantle source. This is especially important in arc volcanism, where variations in the composition of the wedge potentially induced by slab sediment fluids must be distinguished from the effects of magma differentiation, degassing, and crustal contamination. The study of fluid inclusions (FIs) trapped in minerals of volcanic rocks is becoming an increasingly used methodology in geochemical studies that integrates the classical study of volcanic and geothermal fluids. Here, we report on the first noble gas (He, Ne, Ar) concentrations and isotopic ratios of FI in olivine (Ol) and pyroxene (Px) crystals separated from eruptive products of the Telica and Baru volcanoes, belonging to the Nicaraguan and Panamanian arc-segments of Central America Volcanic arc (CAVA). FIs from Telica yield air corrected 3He/4He (Rc/Ra) of 7.2–7.4 Ra in Ol and 6.1–7.3 in Px, while those from Baru give 7.1–8.0 Ra in Ol and 4.2–5.8 Ra in Px. After a data quality check and a comparison with previous 3He/4He measurements carried out on the same volcanoes and along CAVA, we constrained a magmatic Rc/Ra signature of 7.5 Ra for Telica and of 8.0 Ra for Baru, both within the MORB range (8 ± 1 Ra). These 3He/4He differences also reflect variations in the respective arc-segments, which cannot be explained by radiogenic 4He addition due to variable crust thickness, as the mantle beneath Nicaragua and Panama is at about 35 and 30 km, respectively. We instead highlight that the lowest 3He/4He signature observed in the Nicaraguan arc segment reflects a contamination of the underlying wedge by slab sediment fluids. Rc/Ra values up to 9.0 Ra are found at Pacaya volcano in Guatemala, where the crust is 45 km thick, while a 3He/4He signature of about 8.0 Ra was measured at Turrialba volcano in Costa Rica, which is similar to that of Baru, and reflects possible influence of slab melting, triggered by a change in subduction conditions and the contemporary subduction of the Galapagos hot-spot track below southern Costa Rica and western Panama.

Arboreal camera trapping sheds light on seed dispersal of the world's only epiphytic gymnosperm: Zamia pseudoparasitica.

Epiphytic lifestyles have evolved independently in ecologically, morphologically, and taxonomically diverse plant species. Although this adaptation is widespread among angiosperms, it is only known to have arisen in a single gymnosperm species, Zamia pseudoparasitica (Cycadophyta). Zamia pseudoparasitica is endemic to the mountains of Western Panama, and little is known about the ecology of this unusual cycad. Here, we provide the first report of a potential seed disperser of Z. pseudoparasitica. Between late October 2019 and March 2020, we conducted arboreal camera trapping at three sites along the Talamanca Cordillera in Western Panama, yielding an accumulated survey effort of 271 camera days. Weekly direct observations were also performed using handheld binoculars at one site. Arboreal camera trapping revealed at least seven mammal species that visit this epiphytic cycad. At all three sites, the Northern olingo (Bassaricyon gabbii) was seen visiting individuals of Z. pseudoparasitica repeatedly, both while cones were closed and after they had opened. We estimated the time‐varying intensity of the visits throughout our sampling and used mixed models to compare the length of visits when cones were closed versus when they were open. Both duration and time‐varying intensity of visits increased after cones had opened and we documented Northern olingo removing and carrying away seeds. We also observed predation by the yellow‐eared toucanet (Selenidera spectabilis) which picked and destroyed mature Z. pseudoparasitica seeds. These results suggest that the Northern olingo could be an important seed dispersal agent for this rare epiphytic gymnosperm.

Soil fertility and water availability effects on trait dispersion and phylogenetic relatedness of tropical terrestrial ferns.

Analysis of plant functional traits and their phylogenetic relationships has shed light on the processes structuring the occurrence patterns of angiosperm taxa across environmental gradients. In montane tropical forests, angiosperms coexist with diverse communities of terrestrial ferns, with distinct evolutionary histories, leaf morphology, and reproductive systems. Here we examined the functional traits, functional dispersion, and phylogenetic diversity of ferns across a well-described gradient of moisture and soil nutrient availability in a premontane tropical rainforest in western Panama. We measured 15 functional traits from 33 terrestrial fern species occurring in 12 one-ha plots. We applied RLQ and fourth-corner analyses to assess relationships between trait and environmental variables and used beta regression to evaluate how functional dispersion responds to environmental factors. In addition, we analyzed trait distributions with respect to fern phylogeny. We found that functional composition was predicted by soil variables and dry season rainfall. Leaf phosphorus (P) increased and leaf carbon (C) to nitrogen (N) ratio decreased with increasing soil total N:P ratio. Functional dispersion decreased with increasing soil total N:P in wet sites and with increasing manganese in dry sites, suggesting that low soil fertility and dry season moisture stress both tend to reduce functional diversity. Traits exhibited phylogenetic clustering primarily at deep nodes associated with tree versus herbaceous fern clades. Our results indicate that environmental filtering of functional traits affects ferns in a similar way to angiosperms and highlight the association of the early tree fern clade with low fertility soils.

Drivers of phenotypic divergence in a Mesoamerican highland bird.

Animals derive their coloration from a variety of pigments as well as non-pigmentary structural features. One of the most widespread types of pigments are carotenoids, which are used by all invertebrate taxa and most vertebrate orders to generate red, pink, orange and yellow coloration. Despite their widespread use by diverse animal groups, animals obligately obtain carotenoid pigments from diet. Carotenoid-based coloration is therefore modulated by evolutionary and ecological processes that affect the acquisition and deposition of these pigments into tegumentary structures. The Flame-colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata) is a highland songbird in the cardinal family (Cardinalidae) that is distributed from Mexican sierras through Central America up to western Panama. While female plumage throughout its entire range is predominantly yellow, males exhibit a noticeable split in ventral plumage color, which is bright orange on the West slope and the Tres Marias Islands and blood red in Eastern Mexico and Central America. We used Multiple Regression on Matrices (MRM) to evaluate the relative contributions of geographic distance, climate and genetic distance on color divergence and body differences between geographically disjunct populations. We found that differentiation in carotenoid plumage coloration was mainly explained by rainfall differences between disjunct populations, whereas body size differences was best explained by variation in the annual mean temperature and temperature of coldest quarter. These results indicate that climate is a strong driver of phenotypic divergence in Piranga bidentata.

Amphibians (Amphibia, Anura and Caudata) and reptiles (Reptilia, Squamata) from the headwaters of R&amp;iacute;o Gu&amp;aacute;zaro on the Caribbean versant of Veraguas province, western Panama

We present a list of amphibian and reptile species encountered from 16&amp;ndash;20 July 2016 in the upper drainage of R&amp;iacute;o Gu&amp;aacute;zaro, Parque Nacional Santa F&amp;eacute;, Veraguas, Panama. We collected 10 amphibian and 10 reptile species and observed three additional amphibian and one additional reptile species. Our collected material provides the first records from Veraguas province for the amphibians Bolitoglossa schizodactyla Wake &amp;amp; Brame, 1966 and Diasporus aff. quidditus (Lynch, 2001), as well as for the reptiles Basiliscus plumifrons Cope, 1876, Micrurus stewarti Barbour &amp;amp; Amaral, 1928, and Sibon argus (Cope, 1876). Although relatively small in species and specimen numbers, our collection represents the first documented herpetological inventory on the largely unexplored Caribbean versant of Veraguas in 50 years.

Four new species of Russula subsection Roseinae from tropical montane forests in western Panama.

Species of the genus Russula are key components of ectomycorrhizal ecosystems worldwide. Nevertheless, their diversity in the tropics is still poorly known. This study aims to contribute to the knowledge of the diversity of Russula species classified in subsection Roseinae based on specimens recently collected in tropical montane rainforests in western Panama. A five gene multilocus phylogeny based on the nuclear markers ITS nrDNA, MCM7, RPB1, RPB2 and TEF-1α was constructed to identify the systematic position of 22 collections from Panama. Four new species, Russula cornicolor, Russula cynorhodon, Russula oreomunneae and Russula zephyrovelutipes are formally described and illustrated. None of the four species are sister species and they are more closely related to North American or Asian species. Two of the newly described species were associated with the ectomycorrhizal tree species Oreomunnea mexicana, while the other two species were associated with Quercus species. All four species are so far only known from mountains in western Panama.