Thais Giovannini Pellegrini

Management in a neotropical show cave: planning for invertebrates conservation

Lapa Nova is a dolomitic cave about 4.5 km long located in northwestern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The cave experiences intense tourism, concentrated over a single period of the year, during the Feast of Our Lady of Lapa. In order to evaluate the impacts felt by the invertebrate community from this tourism, a new methodology was proposed. Four types of areas (intense visitation area, outlying visitation areas, moderate visitation areas and no-visitation areas) were sampled for invertebrates. There was one sampling prior and another on the last day of the 128 th feast, to evaluate the effects of visitation on cave-dwelling invertebrates. Results show that invertebrate populations residing in more intensely visited areas of the cave undergo changes in distribution following the event. As a consequence of tourism, invertebrates shift to outlying locations from the visited area, which serve as refuges to the communities. Apparently, the fact that there are places inside Lapa Nova inaccessible to tourists reduces the impact suffered by the invertebrate community, as those sites serve as refuges for cave-dwelling organisms during the pilgrimage. A proper management plan was devised for the tourism/religious use of the cave. It consists basically of delimiting marked pathways for tourists, allowing invertebrates to seek shelter at locations outside visited areas and keeping no-visitation areas off-limits to tourism based on the results of the visitation effects on cave-dwelling invertebrates.

Ultrastructural analysis and polymorphisms in Coarazuphium caatinga (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zuphiini), a new Brazilian troglobitic beetle.

Coarazuphium caatinga sp. n. occurs in limestone caves located in Campo Formoso municipality, in the Brazilian Caatinga (Bahia, Brazil). The new species is close to C. formoso although they are morphologically distinct by the elytra sinuosity, which is more pronounced in C. caatinga; the aedeagus is more tapered at the tip in this last species. Important traits found in C. caatinga are the variable size presented by the eyes, and the remarkable variability of body pigmentation among specimens; both traits do not seem to be correlated. Coarazuphium Gnaspini, P., Vanin, S.A. & Godoy, N.M., 1998, species exhibit advanced troglomorphic characters in comparison to other Brazilian cave beetles, as are increased extra-optic sensory structures, presence of particular sensilla, and sensory and gustatory receptors. These characters are not detected under routine microscopy and thus require ultrastructural methods for their study.

New species of Neoteneriffiola (Acari: Trombidiformes: Teneriffiidae) from Brazilian caves: geographical distribution and ecological traits

This work presents a description of a new species of the genus Neoteneriffiola Hirst found in the Brazilian caves. Individuals were collected in 22 caves located in Bahia, Goiás, Minas Gerais and Tocantins states.

A peculiar new beetle from Brazil associated with a cave habitat (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Clivinini)

The new species Ardistomis ferreirai sp. nov. is described and illustrated. Some specific characters are discussed together with a possible correlation to the species subterranean way of life. Available ecological data and recordings are provided by description of the caves and the specific threats to the caves are indicated.

Figure 11 In Ultrastructural Analysis Of Coarazuphium Formoso (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Zuphiini), A New Brazilian Troglobitic Beetle

FIGURE 11. Live specimen in Barriguda cave. (A) Habitus. (B) Specimen feeding on a fungus that was growing on a bat guano pellet.