ABSTRACT The Andean Cordilleras of Colombia, especially the Cordillera Occidental, are among the areas with the highest diversity of Pristimantis frogs in the world. Within the Cordillera Occidental, the Serranía de los Paraguas is famous for its high diversity of sympatric species of Pristimantis frogs. In this study, we investigated acoustic frequency segregation in five sympatric and syntopic species

ABSTRACT Over the last two decades, vocal and genetic data have been extensively used in avian studies addressing taxonomic and systematic issues. However, even when multiple lines of evidence lean toward lumping or splitting of species, some taxonomic committees refuse to acknowledge their validity until convincing genetic evidence is produced and integrated with other sources of data. As a case in

ABSTRACT The new genus Bostriana n. gen. is described exclusively for the Bolivian species B. boliviana (Piza, 1939) n. comb., which previously was of uncertain generic affiliation and provisionally attributed to Dyme Stål, 1875. The new monotypical genus belongs to a subgroup of New World Phasmatodea currently referred to as Diapheromerinae: Diapheromerini and now a member of a clade termed Occidophasmata

ABSTRACT The Chilean Mediterranean ecosystem is threatened by anthropogenic pressures, such as habitat loss by intensive agriculture and urban sprawl. Abandoned dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis silvestris catus) pose conservation challenges for Chilean wildlife including the pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo) and the güiña (Leopardus guigna). We used camera trap data to investigate influences

ABSTRACT Flight is a crucial evolutionary novelty for insect diversification. Despite its importance, some insects lose this ability. Flight loss is related to the reduction in the veins and membrane of hind wings (brachypterism), often related to high elevations. Brachypterism evolved independently in some lineages of beetles, like in the family Passalidae. Due to the double function of the passalid

ABSTRACT The Neotropical genus Phylloicus Müller, 1880 has 62 species distributed mainly in Latin America, 27 of which are recorded in Brazil. Larvae of the genus are shredders of organic matter, playing an important role in leaf decomposition in Neotropical streams. They are used in biological and ecological studies. However, only 26% of Phylloicus species have their immature stages described. In

ABSTRACT The monotipic genus Anokopsis Bauab-Vianna & Soares, 1980 is a junior synonym of Rudra Peckham & Peckham, 1885 by the transference of the type species Anokopsis avitoides to Rudra. The species Rudra dagostinae Braul & Lise, 1999 is a junior synonym of Rudra avitoides new combination. New records are given for Rudra humilis Mello-Leitão, 1945.

ABSTRACT Small cats can have a direct influence on the organization of small Neotropical vertebrate communities. However, the magnitude of influence and role(s) played by small felids, including Leopardus guttulus, in regulating prey populations is not well understood. This study aims to determine if there is a key-taxon in the dietary composition of the southern tiger (S-tiger) cat and evaluate the

ABSTRACT Plankton in rivers are good indicators of water quality and their study along the longitudinal axis allows for understanding the interactions between natural and anthropogenic variations and diversity at different spatial scales. We compared the taxonomic biodiversity of planktonic microcrustaceans in two sections of the Frades River Basin, Brazil. Water and microcrustaceans were sampled in

ABSTRACT Monitoring the vocal behavior of owls is challenging because of their nocturnal habits and limited vocal activity. Here, we evaluated the use of passive acoustic monitoring coupled with automated signal recognition software to monitor the spontaneous vocal activity of the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) over a complete annual cycle at five recording stations in the Brazilian

ABSTRACT This review investigated information about metacercariae of Clinostomum Leidy, 1856 published over 91 years (1928 to 2019) to search for infection and geographic distribution patterns of this digenean species in freshwater fish from Brazil. The present study used 101 samples from 60 fish species of different families distributed in Characiformes, Siluriformes, Cichliformes, Gymnotiformes,

ABSTRACT Although guanacos (Lama guanicoe) are widely distributed throughout much of their historic range, they are often restricted to small, isolated populations that are at risk of inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity. Here we document and interpret baseline patterns of genetic variation in a guanaco population inhabiting in the Bolivian Chaco that is threatened by hunting and habitat degradation

ABSTRACT Heterosternus galindorum new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelini) from the state of Puebla, Mexico, is described and illustrated. Keys to identify males of Heterosternus Dupont with photographs, a comparative table of morphological characters, and a distribution map of the genus are provided. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2E9E6DB2-8C29-4B87-8317-61CDAD0E586C

ABSTRACT The short-eared dog (Atelocynus microtis) is one of the least known canids of the world. Essential aspects of its ecology, activity patterns and feeding habits remain unknown. To study the composition, behavior and interactions of the western Amazonian scavenger community, a baited camera-trapping survey was performed from August to September 2018 in the surroundings of the Tiputini Biodiversity

ABSTRACT The jaguar is listed as endangered in Mexico. However, population estimates and conservation initiatives have relied on data obtained from Protected Areas (PA) covered by humid tropical forests of southern Mexico. In this context, the objectives were: 1) to estimate jaguar density for the last wilderness ecoregion of central-western Mexico, 2) quantify the capture rate of potential prey of

ABSTRACT Springs are important ecosystems in terms of environmental services and their quality has been degraded by various land uses. Aquatic insects are strongly affected by anthropogenic impacts. For this reason, researchers, use the taxonomic and functional structure of the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) assemblages for the evaluation of environmental quality of Neotropical springs

ABSTRACT The natural history and morphology of two sympatric species of Rubiaceae-feeding metalmark butterflies, Mesosemia m. machaera and Mesosemia philocles jeziela, are described and illustrated using both light and scanning electron microscopy. These species use the same Rubiaceae host plant species and have similar life cycles. Single eggs are laid on old leaves, caterpillars are solitary, and

ABSTRACT Microplastic pollution has become a worldwide threat and impacts various animal species that ingest them. However, current knowledge of terrestrial animals ingesting microplastics is insufficient. Here we present the first preliminary study to analyze the ingestion and presence of microplastics in South American terrestrial herpetofauna. From November 2019 to March 2020, we actively searched

ABSTRACT The study of social wasp biology is often focused on understanding the factors involved in the evolution of social behavior. However, despite the importance of parasitism for the fitness of social insect colonies, little is known about the presence of parasitic protozoan infections in Neotropical social wasp populations. Herein, we report the first recorded occurrence of eugregarines in the

ABSTRACT The lack of information on biological aspects of small mammals in Brazil fits into two of the main gaps in knowledge of biodiversity – the Linnean and Wallacean shortfall. We performed a broad compilation of studies developed in the Paraná state to consolidate the first list of non-volant small mammal species. Furthermore, we indicate which regions lack information and greater sampling efforts

ABSTRACT Understanding predator–prey relationships is critical in ecology, but relatively challenging when investigating elusive marine megafauna. In this study, we document the presence of shark-inflicted injuries on coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Mesoamerican Reef System using photo-identification methods. We analyzed data from a total of 533 photo-identified bottlenose dolphins

ABSTRACT Island-endemic columbid species are particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation, extreme climatic events, and interactions with exotic species. The situation might be even more critical in the case of exploited species, where legal hunting and poaching can severely affect population dynamics. Here we document for the first time the genetic structure of the Scaly-naped Pigeon, Patagioenas

ABSTRACT Diet is one of the most important dimensions of the ecological niche. Pseudopaludicola genus comprises 25 species of which four have their diet studied. In this study, we quantify the diet of the recently described Pseudopaludicola restinga, which is found in sandy coastal environments of southeastern Brazil. We obtained a sample of 137 individuals from Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba

ABSTRACT Ectophylla alba almost exclusively feeds on the fruits of Ficus colubrinae therefore significantly contributing to dispersal of its seeds. The objective of this research was to quantify the fruit removal of F. colubrinae by E. alba and compare it with that of birds in a F. colubrinae tree at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. We established seven quadrats randomly at different heights

ABSTRACT Bats and ectoparasites, Streblidae and Nycteribiidae, are good models to study ecological interactions due to their specificity. Knowledge about the interactions between these groups is heterogeneous and fragmented throughout Brazilian territory, mainly in the southern region – influenced by the temperate climate with bat fauna presenting elements from both tropical and temperate areas. We

ABSTRACT Diet is one of the most important dimensions of the ecological niche. Pseudopaludicola genus comprises 25 species of which four have their diet studied. In this study, we quantify the diet of the recently described Pseudopaludicola restinga, which is found in sandy coastal environments of southeastern Brazil. We obtained a sample of 137 individuals from Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba

ABSTRACT Ectophylla alba almost exclusively feeds on the fruits of Ficus colubrinae therefore significantly contributing to dispersal of its seeds. The objective of this research was to quantify the fruit removal of F. colubrinae by E. alba and compare it with that of birds in a F. colubrinae tree at the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. We established seven quadrats randomly at different heights

ABSTRACT We analyzed the distribution and ecological relationships in the parasitic infracommunities of four species of the genus Hypostomus: Hypostomus regani, Hypostomus strigaticeps, Hypostomus hermanni, and Hypostomus ancistroides, collected in the Batalha River, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Twenty-four parasite taxa were identified among myxozoans, monogeneans, digeneans, nematodes, and hirudineans

ABSTRACT The classic Wallace’s riverine barrier hypothesis (RBH) has been widely invoked to explain species distribution and evolutionary divergence throughout Amazonia. Dispersal and gene flow limited by the inability to cross a river restricts geographic distribution to an interfluvial zone, which causes different assemblage compositions between opposite river banks. In this study, we sampled frogs

ABSTRACT We analyzed the diet of Athene cunicularia cunicularia in order to identify and compare prey items in dune populations in Santa Catarina, Brazil: Interpraias (INT), Praia Brava (BRA), Praia Central (NAV) and Peninsula (BVE). Due to the characteristics of urbanization in these regions, we hypothesized that there would be greater abundance and consumption of urban insect pests in the areas of

ABSTRACT A new species, Dactylodiplosis petibaurum Maia, sp. nov., that induces galls on axillary buds of Ocotea pulchella is described from Brazil (larva, pupa, male, female, and gall), based on material collected at restinga areas of the Atlantic Forest. A key to segregate the known species is presented. urn:lsid:ZooBank.org:pub:0399AC98-6883-4B27-B833-D3DF8F9CA95B

ABSTRACT Epectinaspis canoi new species is described and illustrated, and its similarities with the other species of the genus are discussed. A modification of the taxonomic key of this genus is provided. In addition, Balanogonia constricta Paucar-Cabrera is rediscovered and illustrated with data on its geographical distribution and habits. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:14FF61F5-81AB-408E-A1C0-1030BBA027DC

ABSTRACT Polyclads are marine free-living Platyhelminthes, generally disregarded in marine environmental assessments. Here, Phrikoceros inca (Cotylea, Pseudocerotidae), identified on the basis of external features such as its ear-like, held-erected pseudotentacles, number and position of pseudotentacular eyes, circular-like cerebral eyespot, ruffled-shaped body and coloration patterns, was recorded

ABSTRACT Understanding the diet of tadpoles is fundamental to explain their ecological roles in aquatic food webs, as well as to allow more effective amphibian conservation and management programs. Studies on trophic ecology of tadpoles are scarce compared to other vertebrate groups, a gap that is even more accentuated in the Neotropical region, which harbors the greatest diversity of anuran species

ABSTRACT In this study, a new species of Macrostemum is proposed based on adult males from Pernambuco state, Brazil. The new species can be diagnosed from its congeners mainly by the segment X with apex acuminate in lateral view, having a pronounced, narrow, deep, and U-shaped incision in dorsal view, by the presence of subbasal lateral setal warts, and by the dumbbell-shaped phallotremal sclerite

ABSTRACT We assessed the variation of both composition and functional diversity of mammals along an elevation gradient (1600–3600 masl) at the Tabaconas Namballe National Sanctuary (TNNS) in northern Peru. Using a camera-trap design (85 stations, 8,825 camera days, ~ 317 km2), we recorded a total of 33 mammalian species during the dry season of 2016. Species-specific effects of environmental covariates

is the most species-rich New World microhylid genus. Among Atlantic Forest species in the genus, C. alagoana has the northernmost distribution. The species was described two decades ago; however, l...

ABSTRACT Wildlife–vehicle collisions are a serious conservation issue. In Argentina, wildlife road kill represents a threat to numerous species, especially around protected areas. With the aim of analyzing a possible seasonal and spatial patterns of mammalian death due to road kill, I sampled 97 km of the RP No. 17 in the south of multiple-use natural protected area ‘Bañados del Río Dulce y Laguna

ABSTRACT Much of the roadkill of wild animals is accidental, but some drivers intentionally target animals, especially those that are culturally stigmatized such as reptiles and amphibians. We aimed to evaluate the incidence of intentional snake roadkill on two highways in the Triângulo Mineiro, a Cerrado region in the Minas Gerais state, Brazil. We placed on the roadsides of each highway 40 snakes

ABSTRACT Recent studies have recorded new species of freshwater planarians in caves of the biomes Amazonia, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Caatinga. Herein we contribute to enhancing this knowledge by describing three new cave-dwelling species of Girardia from three different cave systems situated in two biomes (Atlantic Forest and Cerrado) in eastern Brazil. Girardia spelaea sp. n., from a limestone

ABSTRACT In this study, we examined whether the genetic diversity of Didelphis marsupialis is structured or their populations maintain high gene flow as expected in common species. Forty-eight Tomahawk traps were set for four consecutive nights in The Highlands and the Central Depression, State of Chiapas, Mexico. Eight microsatellites were amplified to examine genetic diversity. Genetic structure

ABSTRACT The genus Macrostomum (Platyhelminthes: Macrostomorpha) is a group of cosmopolitan free-living flatworms that occurs in a wide range of habitats. In our study, individuals of Macrostomum velastylum were collected from the Sagastume stream (33°38ʹ34ʺS; 58°49ʹ63ʺW) Entre Ríos Province, Argentina, during 2016. They were kept in laboratory at room temperature in order to study population parameters

ABSTRACT The flowers of Humiria balsamifera var. floribunda were monitored for 1 year in an area of restinga on the Brazilian coast to describe the richness of visiting bees, temporal distribution of visits, and how they transport its pollen in the community. The plant showed continuous flowering and bees were seen foraging nectar throughout the year. A total of 1,231 individuals belonging to 17 bee

ABSTRACT Seasonality significantly affects environmental changes in the Pantanal, especially during wet and dry periods. Inundation and drought impact the onset of flowering and fruiting and the occurrence of insects. Because such resources may vary across seasons, it is expected that avian functional diversity also changes. We examine how functional diversity changed over time, as measured by functional

ABSTRACT Heteropachylus Roewer is the type genus of Heteropachylinae Kury, endemic to the Atlantic forest, Brazil. Heteropachyline males bear free tergites at least partially fused to dorsal scutum, besides other sexually dimorphic features common in gonyleptids as a higher ratio of maximum widths of abdominal scute and carapace and stronger armature of legs IV than females. We newly describe Heteropachylus

ABSTRACT Deinopidae spiders are known mainly for their web-building behavior and prey-capture strategy. However, studies on their population ecology are scarce. Therefore, we evaluated the population fluctuation, phenology, and diet of Deinopis cf. cylindracea. We also investigated how abiotic (precipitation and temperature) and biotic (prey availability) factors influence the abundance of this species

ABSTRACT Studying species with wide geographical distributions allows the evaluation of the effects of environmental variation and phylogenetic constraints on the ecology of these organisms. The snake Tantilla melanocephala is widely distributed across South America in different environments (Amazonia, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, Caatinga, and Chaco). We compared the morphology, diet, and reproduction

ABSTRACT A new species of Aegisthidae (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) is described from the upper subtidal of the western coast of the Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (Chile). Frisia magellanica gen. et sp. nov. is allocated into the subfamily Cerviniinae because of the comparatively short and divergent furcal rami. However, an assignment to any of the six known cerviniin genera is not possible, as Frisia

ABSTRACT Philopatric birds have a number of advantages when breeding in familiar habitats, such as learning the locations of food, efficient movement throughout the breeding area, or effective escape from predators. However, few investigators have examined the possible effect of site familiarity on reproductive success, even less for Neotropical songbirds. We studied a breeding population of Masked

In recent years, the taxonomic knowledge of Pseudopaludicola has increased and it is currently possible to elucidate aspects of the species within this genus such as their geographic distributions....

A new Aegidium Westwood species from the East Andes Mountains in Colombia is described and illustrated. A key to the species of Aegidium from Colombia is provided in both English and Spanish. The c...

The bush dog (Speothos venaticus) is one of the rarest canids in Central and South America. Very little is known about its distribution or its ecological behavior. However, there are ongoing scient...

Peridroma saucia (Hübner, [1808]) or ‘variegated cutworm’ is a cosmopolitan owlet moth pest resilient and abundant in agroecosystems. However, the morphology of their immatures is only briefly described, and information from distinct life stages is fragmentary. This study describes in detail all immature stages of the species based on a Neotropical population and compares it with populations from other

We analyzed the spatial-seasonal patterns on the abundance, composition, structure (i.e. abundance distribution among species), and diversity of the ground-dwelling spiders belonging to the retrolateral tibial apophysis (RTA) clade in two pine-oak forest remnants from Mexico. Additionally, a short review to compare the RTA ground-dwelling communities from Mexican habitats was carried out. Spiders were

We provide information on the diversity of anurans from agroforestry systems in the Colombian Amazon. This area is inserted at the tropical rainforest ecosystem and consists mainly of secondary for...

The Neotropical amphibian family Centrolenidae currently includes 156 named species of nocturnal anurans commonly known as glassfrogs. With 79 species, Colombia is the country with the highest dive...

We describe the larval morphology of the stream-dwelling tadpole of Hyloscirtus antioquia based on specimens from the type locality, Antioquia, Colombia. The larvae of H. antioquia (belong to the suctorial ecomorphological guild) show morphological characters commonly associated with lotic habitats, like a depressed body, low fins, long tail, well-developed tail musculature, and oral disc with many

The Juan Fernandez islands (Chile) are a volcanic archipelago, 670 km away from the continent. Arachnids still remain understudied in those islands. We report the first two records of Parabalta reedii (Butler, 1874) (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae) from the Robinson Crusoe Island. One specimen was collected near San Juan Bautista town (in 2011), while a population was documented in 2020, in secondary forests

Understand how environmental factors correlate with the trophic structure of fish communities is a fundamental step to allow designing models for the functioning of stream ecosystems and planning c...

The longtail knifefish Sternopygus macrurus is widely distributed in Neotropical regions, but because of its activity pattern, low recruitment, and ability to hide make it difficult to capture. Rec...