Eduardo Mateos

Population density of primates in a large fragment of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

We performed a line transect survey (352.4 km) of primates in the Serra de Paranapiacaba, at one of the largest relatively undisturbed fragments of the Atlantic rainforest of Southeastern Brazil (ca. 1400 km2), in August 1998. The brown capuchin, Cebus apella nigritus, was the most common species found in the area (20 groups, density estimate: 5.31 ± 2.05 individuals per km2, mean ± SE). Nine groups of the brown howler monkey, Alouatta guariba clamitans, and eight of the woolly spider monkey, Brachyteles arachnoides arachnoides, were also recorded, with preliminary density estimates of 0.79 ± 0.40 and 2.33 ± 1.37 individuals per km2, respectively. Density estimates for these species in other fragments of Atlantic rainforest are reviewed, showing that densities in Paranapiacaba are among the lowest reported. It is suggested that the higher densities reported for isolated populations in small forest patches (<50 km2) is related to the absence of main primate predators, the density compensation phenomenon and the ecological plasticity of some primate species. In contrast, local extinction in many small patches is probably related to hunting pressure. Given the important primate populations found in the Paranapiacaba fragment, conservation strategies for the studied species should give priority to effective protection of the largest remnant fragments from illegal hunting and deforestation, rather than translocation of individuals or captive breeding programs to introduce monkeys in small forest fragments vulnerable to hunting and of uncertain future.

Taxonomic and Functional Responses to Fire and Post-Fire Management of a Mediterranean Hymenoptera Community

Fire is one of the commonest disturbances worldwide, transforming habitat structure and affecting ecosystem functioning. Understanding how species respond to such environmental disturbances is a major conservation goal that should be monitored using functionally and taxonomically diverse groups such as Hymenoptera. In this respect, we have analyzed the taxonomic and functional response to fire and post-fire management of a Hymenoptera community from a Mediterranean protected area. Thus, Hymenoptera were sampled at fifteen sites located in three burnt areas submitted to different post-fire practices, as well as at five sites located in peripheral unburnt pine forest. A total of 4882 specimens belonging to 33 families, which were classified into six feeding groups according to their dietary preferences, were collected. ANOVA and Redundancy Analyses showed a taxonomic and functional response to fire as all burnt areas had more Hymenoptera families, different community composition and higher numbers of parasitoids than the unburnt area. Taxonomic differences were also found between burnt areas in terms of the response of Hymenoptera to post-fire management. In general the number of parasitoids was positively correlated to the number of potential host arthropods. Parasitoids are recognized to be sensitive to habitat changes, thus highlighting their value for monitoring the functional responses of organisms to habitat disturbance. The taxonomic and functional responses of Hymenoptera suggest that some pine-forest fires can enhance habitat heterogeneity and arthropod diversity, hence increasing interspecific interactions such as those established by parasitoids and their hosts.

Evidence for the persistence of the land planarian species Microplana terrestris (Müller, 1774) (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) in microrefugia during the Last Glacial Maximum in the northern section of the Iberian Peninsula

The land planarian species Microplana terrestris (Müller, 1774), shows a wide distribution in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, where mature humid forests can be found. Since most terrestrial planarians require the presence and good condition of wet forests to survive, a parallel evolution of the taxon and its habitat might be expected. Performing molecular analyses (mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I and nuclear ITS-1 genes) we estimated the demography and biogeographic history of the species in that region. Our results show the species to present levels of genetic diversity likely originating before the Pleistocene. However, it presents a genetic structure that presumably resulted from its survival in various refugees during the Pleistocene glacial cycles. The two main genetic groups, present on the Iberian Peninsula, seem to have different origins: the western one being of Iberian origin, while the eastern group may have been the result of a re-colonization from the north. In both cases, their biogeographical history mirrors their habitat range movements, reinforcing the phylogeographical hypothesis put forward for its preferred habitat, i.e. humid forests.

Is response to fire influenced by dietary specialization and mobility? A comparative study with multiple animal assemblages.

Fire is a major agent involved in landscape transformation and an indirect cause of changes in species composition. Responses to fire may vary greatly depending on life histories and functional traits of species. We have examined the taxonomic and functional responses to fire of eight taxonomic animal groups displaying a gradient of dietary and mobility patterns: Gastropoda, Heteroptera, Formicidae, Coleoptera, Araneae, Orthoptera, Reptilia and Aves. The fieldwork was conducted in a Mediterranean protected area on 3 sites (one unburnt and two burnt with different postfire management practices) with five replicates per site. We collected information from 4606 specimens from 274 animal species. Similarity in species composition and abundance between areas was measured by the Bray-Curtis index and ANOSIM, and comparisons between animal and plant responses by Mantel tests. We analyze whether groups with the highest percentage of omnivorous species, these species being more generalist in their dietary habits, show weak responses to fire (i.e. more similarity between burnt and unburnt areas), and independent responses to changes in vegetation. We also explore how mobility, i.e. dispersal ability, influences responses to fire. Our results demonstrate that differences in species composition and abundance between burnt and unburnt areas differed among groups. We found a tendency towards presenting lower differences between areas for groups with higher percentages of omnivorous species. Moreover, taxa with a higher percentage of omnivorous species had significantly more independent responses of changes in vegetation. High- (e.g. Aves) and low-mobility (e.g. Gastropoda) groups had the strongest responses to fire (higher R scores of the ANOSIM); however, we failed to find a significant general pattern with all the groups according to their mobility. Our results partially support the idea that functional traits underlie the response of organisms to environmental changes caused by fire.

Diversity of introduced terrestrial flatworms in the Iberian Peninsula: a cautionary tale

Many tropical terrestrial planarians (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae) have been introduced around the globe. One of these species is known to cause significant decline in earthworm populations, resulting in a reduction of ecological functions that earthworms provide. Flatworms, additionally, are a potential risk to other species that have the same dietary needs. Hence, the planarian invasion might cause significant economic losses in agriculture and damage to the ecosystem. In the Iberian Peninsula only Bipalium kewense Moseley, 1878 had been cited till 2007. From that year on, four more species have been cited, and several reports of the presence of these animals in particular gardens have been received. In the present study we have: (1) analyzed the animals sent by non-specialists and also the presence of terrestrial planarians in plant nurseries and garden centers; (2) identified their species through morphological and phylogenetic molecular analyses, including representatives of their areas of origin; (3) revised their dietary sources and (4) used Species Distribution Modeling (SDM) for one species to evaluate the risk of its introduction to natural areas. The results have shown the presence of at least ten species of alien terrestrial planarians, from all its phylogenetic range. International plant trade is the source of these animals, and many garden centers are acting as reservoirs. Also, landscape restoration to reintroduce autochthonous plants has facilitated their introduction close to natural forests and agricultural fields. In conclusion, there is a need to take measures on plant trade and to have special care in the treatment of restored habitats.

Land planarians (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Geoplanidae) from the Iberian Peninsula: new records and description of two new species, with a discussion on ecology

Two new species of the genus Microplana are described from the Iberian Peninsula. The new taxa are compared with congeneric species. Distributional records for two other European species, Microplana monacensis (Heinzel, 1929) and Microplana groga Jones et al. 2008, are presented and the presence of Microplana terrestris (Müller, 1774) is confirmed on the Iberian Peninsula. A partial re-description of Microplana nana Mateos, Giribet and Carranza, 1998 is provided. The finding of a new and probably introduced, but unidentified, species of land planarian is reported. Land planarians were generally found in the vicinity of deciduous trees and rivers.

Molecular analysis of the diversity of terrestrial planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Continenticola) in the Iberian Peninsula

This work is a prospective study to estimate the potential species diversity of terrestrial planarians in the Iberian Peninsula. Live specimens were collected from several Iberian localities and assigned to different morphotypes on the basis of their external morphological characteristics. From the same specimens, sequences from the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidasa subunit I (COI) and from the nuclear ribosomal gene 18S rRNA were obtained. Sequences from GenBank of the families Dendrocoelidae, Planariidae, Bipaliidae, Geoplanidae and Rhynchodemidae have been used as outgroups in the phylogenetic analysis. The results showed that terrestrial planarians have a wide distribution in the Peninsula, with all individuals found belonging to the Rhynchodemidae family. Morphological observations indicated the presence of 10 morphospecies confirmed by the molecular analyses. At the same time, COI sequences were successfully used as a molecular marker for species identification in the barcoding mode, which is of great use in groups like this with few external morphological characteristics. The combined data strongly suggest the presence of at least 15 species in the Iberian Peninsula, a number that nearly doubles previous estimates, indicating that terrestrial planarians are more diverse than expected in the region and, as proposed, may be a good biodiversity indicator and model for biogeographical studies.

Towards a comprehensive, integrative analysis of the diversity of European microplaninid land flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Microplaninae), with the description of two peculiar new species

The present study forms a first and major step towards a comprehensive morphological and molecular analysis of the species diversity of European microplaninid land planarians by presenting a molecular phylogenetic tree on the basis of alignments of the mitochondrial Cox1 gene from 158 specimens as well as a concatenated phylogeny (Cox1 and 18S genes) on the basis of 41 sequences for nine Microplana species included in this study. Genetic distances between and within known and new species were calculated. Combined morphological and molecular results facilitated an integrative delimitation of new species as well as the diagnosis of new populations of already known species. An integrative account is provided of two new and aberrant species from the Iberian Peninsula and southern France. Through the molecular approach a Confirmed Candidate Species was detected among the newly sampled populations. Further we document samples from new localities for five already known species as well as new sites for the Confirmed Candidate Species. The new data considerably expand the European range of several already known species included in the present study. The results of an in-depth study of the taxonomic literature, as well as original material, are documented since this was required for appropriate identification of the new materials. This part of the study resulted in a re-evaluation of the taxonomic status of several nominal species and in the following taxonomic conclusions: Rhynchodemus pyrenaicus is a species of Microplana and not Rhynchodemus; Rhynchodemus attemsi, R. peneckei, and R. henrici should be transferred to the genus Microplana; Microplana attemsi and M. peneckei are not junior synonyms of M. henrici; Microplana styriaca is not a synonym of M. terrestris; Rhynchodemus howesi is not a junior synonym of M. pyrenaica and belongs to the genus Rhynchodemus and not to Microplana; Microplana richardi is not a synonym of M. terrestris. The current diagnosis of the genus Microplana should be amended such that it refers to the situation that the species generally have two small eyes but occasionally may have multiple eyes. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:22B437AA-9D41-4DA0-AE3C-BD8F636CB96D

Towards understanding Lepidocyrtus Bourlet, 1839 (Collembola, Entomobryidae) I: diagnosis of the subgenus Setogaster, new records and redescriptions of species.

The taxonomic status of the subgenera of Lepidocyrtus Bourlet is confused. Currently ten subgenera are recognised but their separation, using the existing set of diagnostic characters, is not clear. Collections over the last forty years have shown that species of Setogaster Salmon, originally described as a genus (Trichogaster Handschin) and currently considered a subgenus of Lepidocyrtus, are common and widespread in Australia. The diagnostic characters of Setogaster, as given by Handschin, are: 1) the basal mucronal spine with spinelet; 2) lack of scales on antennae, legs, ventral tube and dorsal region of manubrium; and, for some species, 3) tufts of long filaments laterally on abdomen III. These three diagnostic characters for Setogaster are shared with some other subgenera, making their delimitation unclear. We provide here an array of new characters that are associated with Handschins characters which separate Setogaster from all European species of the subgenera Lanocyrtus and Lepidocyrtus s. str. On this basis we define subgenus Setogaster more in detail, redescribe some species in the subgenus, corroborate the presence of the subgenus in many Australian localities, and confirm three records of exotic, introduced species in Australia. Lepidocyrtus nigrofasciatus Womersley, Lepidocyrtus praecisus Schött, and the Hawaiian Lepidocyrtus kuakea Christiansen & Bellinger, are placed in Setogaster subgenus; Lepidocyrtus (Trichogaster) pallida Salmon from Singapore is placed in the subgenus Acrocyrtus; Merapicyrtus Yoshii & Suhardjono is considered a synonym of Setogaster.

Species richness in the genus Microplana (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Microplaninae) in Europe: as yet no asymptote in sight

Abstract. This study forms a major step towards a comprehensive morphological and molecular analysis of the species diversity of European microplanid land planarians. It presents a molecular phylogenetic tree on the basis of information from the genes Cox1, 18S, 28S and elongation factor 1-α, and applies molecular and morphological species delimitation methodologies for Microplana specimens sampled over a wide geographic range within Europe. The study suggests that as yet there is no plateau or asymptote in the accumulation curve for European Microplana species, as our results facilitated an integrative delimitation of seven new species as well as the diagnosis of new populations of three already known species and one doubtful or problematic species. In some cases, the new records considerably enlarged the known range of a species. An integrative account is provided of each of these species. Molecular sequence information on newly collected land flatworms may quickly point the planarian systematist to taxa that need to be examined morphologically and thus may considerably reduce laborious and time-consuming histological analyses.