Francisco Diogo Rocha Sousa

Cladóceros fitófilos (Crustacea, Branchiopoda) do Parque Nacional das Emas, estado de Goiás

This paper presents a preliminary inventory of the phytophylous cladocerans from the Parque Nacional das Emas. Eleven qualitative samples were taken from different sites (lagoon, vereda, and wet campo), from 2000 to 2006. Eighteen species, belonging to typically non-planktonic families, were identified; the most specious family was the Chydoridae. All species are recorded for the first time in Southwest region of Goias.

Redescription of Coronatella poppei (Richard, 1897) (Crustacea, Branchiopoda, Chydoridae) and a revision of the genus in Brazil, with descriptions of new taxa

The description of the genus Coronatella Dybowski & Grochowski, 1894 (Cladocera: Chydoridae: Aloninae) pointed towards the need for a revision of species on a worldwide scale. For the Neotropical region, the main challenge noted was the redescription of Coronatella poppei (Richard, 1897). We redescribed this species and revised populations from Brazil that had previously been assumed to be Alona poppei (= C. poppei). Our results indicate that C. poppei is distributed in the southern part of South America. In Brazil, two other taxa are recognized, Coronatella paulinae sp.nov. and Coronatella serratalhadensis sp.nov., which are morphologically distinguished both from each other and from C. poppei. These species also have different geographic distributions. The Brazilian Coronatella fauna also comprises Coronatella monacantha (Sars, 1901) and a related species, Coronatella undata sp.nov. Our results point towards a previously unknown high diversity of Coronatella in the Neotropical region with several implications for to biogeography of the genus.

Cladocerans (Crustacea, Anomopoda and Ctenopoda) from Cerrado of Central Brazil: Inventory of phytophilous community in natural wetlands

The aim of this study was to inventory the cladoceran fauna in wetlands located in two large areas that protect fragments of Cerrado. Located in the Brasilia National Park-DF and Campo de Instrucao de Formosa-GO, these wetlands are formed by upwelling groundwater, with extensive vegetation cover. We found 24 species in the Brasilia National Park and 30 in the Campo de Instrucao de Formosa. The observed richness reached approximately 80% of the estimated values for both protected areas. Moreover, the community of cladocerans in the kind of environment studied appears to be influenced by depth, with higher values of richness and similarity in wetlands of higher average depths. However, shallow wetlands contributed to the total richness with exclusive species, which shows the importance of these habitats for species richness.

Position of the dentifera-group in the Coronatella-branch and its relocation to a new genus: Magnospina gen. n. (Crustacea, Chydoridae, Aloninae)

Abstract Magnospina gen. n. was created to relocate species of the dentifera-group from Alona sensu lato (Crustacea: Cladocera) and include Magnospina dentifera comb. n. and Magnospina siamensis comb. n. The synapomorphies of the Magnospina gen. n. are (1) basal spines longer than 2/3 of the postabdominal claw, (2) presence of 1–4 large denticles, broad at their bases, protruding downwards, without setules between them. Morphological traits such as habitus, rostrum and postabdomen shape, armature of IDL setae, number of setae on the exopod of limb III are also important in the distinction between Magnospina gen. n. and other genera from the Coronatella-branch. The morphology of Magnospina dentifera comb. n. male confirms the closer relationship with the clade composed by the elgans-group from Alona sensu lato, Ovalona and Leberis, but the external morphology, morphology of the postabdominal claw, basal spine and setae 2–3 of IDL support their separation from any of the group cited. It is concluded that the Coronatella-lineage of Aloninae is composed of the genera Coronatella, Anthalona, Karualona, Bergamina, Extremalona, Ovalona, Celsinotum, Leberis and Magnospina gen. n. The elegans-group from Alona sensu lato also belongs to Coronatella-lineage, but still need formal allocation.

Description of a new species of the costata-group (Cladocera, Chydoridae, Aloninae) from Brazil.

The aim of this study is to describe a new species of the costata-group from Brazil. Alona margipluma sp. nov. shares morphological traits with A. costata Sars, 1862, A. natalensis Sinev, 2008, and A. cheni Sinev, 1999, but differs from them in: (i) thin setulae between the marginal setae on the valves, (ii) setae 4-5 on the exopodite of limb III long and different in length, (iii) bottle-shaped sensillum on the basal endite of limb IV. For identification of Alona margipluma sp. nov. it is necessary to check carefully the main head pores and postabdomen characters since the former superficially resemble A. iheringula, A. setigera and Alona guttata.

First record of Cladocera (Crustacea: Chydoridae) from Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, Southeastern Brazil

Surveying the fauna in conservation areas is an important strategy to recognize patterns of richness and endemism and to reduce gaps related to geographical distribution. This study presents the first record of cladocerans in the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, Southeastern Brazil. Alona ossiani, Alona guttata, Alona iheringula, Alona yara , and Briospylus repens were observed in different environments. Here, we provide the taxonomic status and geographic distribution of each species observed in the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia.

New findings of Hexalona-branch representatives in Brazil, with a description of Prenda gen. nov. (Crustacea: Anomopoda: Aloninae)

ABSTRACT Altogether, Coronatella and Hexalona-branches are considered the main lineages of Aloninae – a subfamily of common bottom-dwelling microcrustaceans in freshwater environments. Although the taxonomic features of Brazilian members of the Hexalona-branch have been summarised for species from the costata-group and affinis-group, a revision of other widely distributed species in the world is still lacking in this country. The aim of this paper was to study the morphology of Brazilian populations from the guttata-group and intermedia-group, and to describe a new genus from the Hexalona-branch. The parthenogenetic females of Alona cf. guttata from Brazil have similar morphology when compared to data from the literature, but the armature of the terminal claw of its males seems to be different from those of Alona guttata sensu stricto, Alona barbulata and Alona werestschagini. The intermedia-group is formed by Alona elisae sp. nov., which seems to be endemic to the Cerrado of Brazil Central, and Alona isabellae sp. nov., which is widely distributed in Brazil; this species has a labral keel armed with 2–4 setulae, and postabdomen with setulae of lateral fascicles longer than the level of marginal denticles, morphological traits that differentiate it from Alona elisae sp. nov. Another endemic species from the Hexalona-branch is Prenda arvensis gen. nov. and sp. nov., which has two main head pores, a reduced seta on endite 1 of the first limb, sixth limb is a wide lobe. The potential of biodiversity from the Hexalona-branch from Brazil is still underestimated, and a global revision of the guttata-group and intermedia-group is very important for the progress of Aloninae taxonomy and systematics. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A2E4A30-0C9C-43E8-8E72-1DEDA6AFF3C3

Cladocerans (Crustacea: Anomopoda and Ctenopoda) of the Sempre Vivas National Park, Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Protected areas are designed to maintain environmental conditions that favor the occurrence of a wide variety of taxa. However, few studies have devoted attention to inventories of biota in these areas. In this study, we provide a checklist of cladocerans for the poorly studied Sempre Vivas National Park, Minas Gerais state. Samples were collected in lotic and lentic environments, with a total of 27 species being recorded and the highest contribution coming from the Chydoridae family (21 spp.). Minas Gerais state is widely studied in relation to cladoceran fauna; nevertheless, the results indicate three new records. The genus Monospilus was reported for the first time in the Neotropical region.

Dormant propagule banks of aquatic invertebrates in ponds invaded by exotic pine species in southern Brazil

Exotic pine invasion affects native wetland communities in the Southern Hemisphere by changing the hydrological regimen and physicochemical characteristics. Studies evaluating the emergence of aquatic invertebrates from dormant stages are vital to identify the resilience of aquatic communities in ponds invaded by exotic pine species. In the present study, we tested the hypotheses that: (1) pine invasion decreases the richness of drought-resistant aquatic invertebrates in ponds; (2) pine invasion modifies the invertebrate composition in ponds; and (3) these differences in species composition (β diversity) are associated primarily with species turnover. Dry sediment samples were collected from three natural ponds in native grassland and three ponds in a pine invasion matrix in southern Brazil. In all, 7205 invertebrates, primarily represented by cladocerans (18 species), were sampled after rewetting dry sediments. Pine invasion decreased the richness of aquatic invertebrates because the natural ponds had almost 60% more species and a higher number of estimated species than the pine ponds. The composition differed between natural and pine ponds, and this difference in species composition (β diversity) was associated primarily with the replacement of some species by others. The presence of pine appears to alter colonisation and survival rates of aquatic invertebrates that aestivate in dry sediments in southern Brazil wetlands.

ZIP code matters: Nicsmirnovius paggii, a new species from fitzpatriki-complex (Cladocera: Chydoridae) does not co-occur with Nicsmirnovius incredibilis

ABSTRACT The literature indicates that Nicsmirnovius fitzpatricki represents a species complex and that populations outside the type region (Florida, USA) may represent other taxa. As a result of the comparison of South American populations to the original N. fitzpatricki redescription, we described Nicsmirnovius paggii sp. nov.. Species separation was supported by limb characters, especially by the presence of a sensillum in endite 3 of the first limb, in the armature of the gnathobase of the second and fifth limbs, and in the setae of the distal endite of the third limb. Body shape, postabdomen, antenna and antennules are similar to N. fitzpatricki, which makes it difficult to correctly distinguish these species based exclusively on external characters. The male is also described, and this is the second time a male of this genus has had its morphology studied. Ecological aspects also differ from another Nicsmirnovius species, since the occurrence of N. paggii sp. nov. is not associated with bottom sediments. Lastly, the morphology of N. paggii sp. nov. was shown to be very different from the Amazonian Nicsmirnovius incredibilis. After redescription, we concluded that N. incredibilis is a specialized species endemic to the middle and lower portion of the Amazonas River Basin. www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:20679EB4-FC46-4FAA-B54B-5B8299FB828C