Ana Lucia Henriques-Oliveira

Aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and composition in streams along an altitudinal gradient in Southeastern Brazil

Aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity and composition in streams along an altitudinal gradient in Southeastern Brazil. A study concerning taxonomic richness and composition of the aquatic insect fauna in streams within the same catchment basin along an altitudinal gradient in Southeast Brazil, was conducted to test the hypothesis that there is a faunal discontinuity in the biocenotic composition, related to differences in altitude and latitude. In Southeastern Brazil, around latitude 22°, this faunal transition from rhithron to potamon biocenosis should occur at 500 m above sea level. Eighteen tributaries of the Mambucaba River, at Serra da Bocaina National Park, SP-RJ, Brazil, were studied. The streams were separated into 6 altitudinal zones (zone 1: above 1500 m; zone 2: 1200-1300 m; zone 3: 900-1000 m; zone 4: 400-700 m; zone 5: 100-300 m; and zone 6: 0-100 m) each including three streams. The aquatic insects were identified at the lowest possible taxonomic level. The highest richness was observed in altitudes between 1200-1300 m, while the lowest occurred in altitudes below 100 m. The Indicator Value method indicated taxa characteristic for four of the six altitudinal zones considered in this paper. Sorensens Index and CCA results showed that distribution and composition of aquatic insect fauna of Serra da Bocaina National Park was influenced primarily by altitude and temperature rather than stream size. The absence of indicator species and the lower abundance in altitudes between 400-700 m suggest a transition from rhithral to potamal fauna, which is distinct at 200 m.

Three new species and new distributional records of Oecetis McLachlan 1877 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae: Leptocerinae) from Brazil

The genus Oecetis is widespread over the world, being most diverse in tropical areas, especially in the Australian Region. Of about 400 described species, only 34 occur in the Neotropical Region. Herein, we describe and illustrate three new species of Oecetis from Brazil: Oecetis angelae sp. nov., O. danielae sp. nov. and O. iara sp. nov. Furthermore, O. doesburgi, O. dominguezi, and O. knutsoni are recorded for the first time in Brazil. Also, we provide new state records for 7 species: O. amazonica, O. connata, O. excisa, O. fibra, O. iguazu, O. inconspicua, and O. paranensis.

Aquatic Insects from the Caatinga: checklists and diversity assessments of Ubajara (Ceará State) and Sete Cidades (Piauí State) National Parks, Northeastern Brazil

Abstract Background Diversity and distribution of Neotropical aquatic insects is still poorly known, with many species to be recorded and many others to be described, due to the small number of taxonomists and sparse faunistic studies. This knowledge is especially poor in the Caatinga Domain in Northeastern Brazil, even though, this region may have played an important historical role in the spatial evolution of faunas of forested areas in northern South America. New information Aquatic insect checklists of 96 species from Parque Nacional de Ubajara (Ceará State, Brazil) and 112 species from Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades (Piauí State, Brazil) are presented, representing the following taxa: Elmidae, Epimetopidae, Hydrophilidae, and Torridincolidae (Coleoptera), Hemerodromiinae (Diptera: Empididae), Ephemeroptera, Gerromorpha and Nepomorpha (Hemiptera), Odonata, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera. Because of the scarce number of biological inventories in Northeastern Brazil, several new distributional records (of species, genera, and families) for Brazil, Northeastern Brazil, and Ceará and Piauí states are provided. In addition, several undescribed species were detected, being 26 from Ubajara and 20 from Sete Cidades. Results represent a significant increase to the known fauna of these states, ranging from 13%-70% increase for Ceará and 41% to 91% increase for Piauí. Although both parks are relatively close to each other and within the Caatinga domain, their aquatic fauna display a very high complementarity (89% species), possibly due to structural differences of water bodies sampled in each park. Rarefaction curves based on quantitative light trap samples suggest a much higher expected species richness of aquatic insects at Sete Cidades than at Ubajara National Park. Discussion on biogeographical affinities of this sample of the Caatinga fauna is provided.

Two new species of Atanatolica Mosely 1936 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) from Peru and Northeastern Brazil

We describe and illustrate two new species of Atanatolica from Brazil and Peru, representing the first record of the genus from Peru and the first record of the genus from Ceará state, Brazil. Atanatolica nordestina sp. nov. is recognized by short inferior appendages, with their basal portions subquadrangular, in ventral view; and by tergum X without the typical digitate apical processes, but with a pair of short rounded projections. Atanatolica quechua sp. nov. is recognized by preanal appendages long and slender, by the inferior appendages with the apicodorsal portion broader distally, and by the apicolateral processes of tergum X slightly capitate.

A new species of Notalina Mosely, 1936 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) from Southeastern

The Neotropical subgenus Notalina (Neonotalina) Holzenthal, 1986 has ten described species in two species groups: brasiliana, formed by seven species from Southeastern Brazilian and Goias State; and roraima, represented by three species from the Amazonian and Andes regions. In this paper, a new species of Notalina is described and illustrated from specimens collected in the Mantiqueira mountain range, Southeastern Brazil. The new species belongs to the brasiliana group and is easily recognized by the poorly developed dorsomesal and ventrolateral processes and the pair of mound-like protuberances located mesolaterally on abdominal segment X, and by the robust, rounded mesoventral processes and long digitate mesodorsal processes of the inferior appendages. A key to the Neotropical species in the genus is provided.

Two new species of Triplectides (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) from South America

Triplectides, with about 70 extant species, is the most diverse genus within the Triplectidinae. In the Neotropical Region there are 14 species distributed from southern Mexico to Patagonia. Two new species of Triplectides from the Neotropics are described and illustrated based on the male genitalia: Triplectides cipo sp. nov., from state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, and Triplectides qosqo sp. nov., from province of Cuzco, southern Peru. The news species can be distinguished by the male genitalia: Triplectides cipo sp. nov. can be recognized by having the inferior appendages with mesal lobes subacute and apical lobes short, and the tergum X robust, with a subtruncate apex and deep mesal notch; Triplectides qosqo sp. nov. can be recognized by the first article of inferior appendages long and narrow when compared to the others Triplectides species and by the tibial spur formula 2,2,4.

First recorded of Pontomyia Edwards, 1926 (Diptera: Chironomidae: Tanytarsini) in Brazil

Some Pontomyia Edwards, 1926 larvae were sampled associated with algae and sediment at Atol das Rocas, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. This is the first record of the genus from South Atlantic Ocean.

Diversity and composition of Trichoptera (Insecta) larvae assemblages in streams with different environmental conditions at Serra da Bocaina, Southeastern Brazil

Abstract: Aim The goal of this study is to examine the composition and richness of caddisfly assemblages in streams at the Serra da Bocaina Mountains, Southeastern Brazil, and to identify the main environmental variables, affecting caddisfly assemblages at the streams with different conditions of land use. Methods The sampling was conducted in 19 streams during September and October 2007. All sites were characterized physiographically by application of environmental assessment protocol to Atlantic Forest streams and by some physical and chemical parameters. Of the 19 streams sampled, six were classified as reference, six streams as intermediate (moderate anthropic impact) and seven streams as poor (strong anthropic impact). In each site, a multi-habitat sampling was taken with a kick sampler net. The sample was composed by 20 units, each one corresponded to 1 m2 of collected substrate, corresponding 20 m2 of sampling area. The material was placed in a plastic container (500 µm of mesh), washed, homogenized and sub-sampled. For each stream, 6 subsamples were randomly sorted. Results Were collected 2,113 caddisfly larvae, belonging to 12 families and 28 genera. Hydropsychidae and Leptoceridae were the most abundant families, and Smicridea was the most abundant genus. Sorensen’s index results showed that the streams studied were grouped according to environmental integrity. The Indicator Species Analysis showed only characteristic taxa to reference streams. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that caddisfly assemblage was strongly influenced by nitrate concentration, pH and condition of riparian vegetation. Multiple regression analysis indicated significant correlations to five genera with some environmental parameters, besides total abundance of Trichoptera. Conclusions Ours results showed that degree of environmental impact, mainly the nitrate concentration, pH, and condition of cover vegetation acted as a major factor in determining the Trichoptera assemblages present in the stream of the Serra da Bocaina, separating streams along an environmental gradient.