Ecological niche models and patterns of richness and endemism of the southern Andean genus Eurymetopum (Coleoptera, Cleridae)

Eurymetopum is an Andean clerid genus with 22 species. We modeled the ecological niches of 19 species with Maxent and used them as potential distributional maps to identify patterns of richness and endemicity. All modeled species maps were overlapped in a single map in order to determine richness. We performed an optimality analysis with NDM/VNDM in a grid of 1º latitude-longitude in order to identify endemism. We found a highly rich area, located between 32º and 41º south latitude, where the richest pixels have 16 species. One area of endemism was identified, located in the Maule and Valdivian Forest biogeographic provinces, which extends also to the Santiago province of the Central Chilean subregion, and contains four endemic species (E. parallelum, E. prasinum, E. proteus, and E. viride), as well as 16 non-endemic species. The sympatry of these phylogenetically unrelated species might indicate ancient vicariance processes, followed by episodes of dispersal. Based on our results, we suggest a close relationship between these provinces, with the Maule representing a complex area.

Gall inducing arthropods from a seasonally dry tropical forest in Serra do Cipó, Brazil

Highly diverse forms of galling arthropods can be identified in much of southeastern Brazil's vegetation. Three fragments of a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (SDTF) located in the southern range of the Espinhaço Mountains were selected for study in the first survey of galling organisms in such tropical vegetation. Investigators found 92 distinct gall morphotypes on several organs of 51 host plant species of 19 families. Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) was the most prolific gall-inducing species, responsible for the largest proportion of galls (77%) observed. Leaves were the most frequently galled plant organ (63%), while the most common gall morphotype was of a spherical shape (30%). The two plant species, Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae) and Celtis brasiliensis (Cannabaceae), presented the highest number of gall morphtypes, displaying an average of 5 gall morphotypes each. This is the first study of gall-inducing arthropods and their host plant species ever undertaken in a Brazilian SDTF ecosystem. Given the intense human pressure on SDTFs, the high richness of galling arthropods, and implied floral host diversity found in this study indicates the need for an increased effort to catalogue the corresponding flora and fauna, observe their intricate associations and further understand the implications of such rich diversity in these stressed and vulnerable ecosystems.

The three phases of the ensemble forecasting of niche models: geographic range and shifts in climatically suitable areas of Utetheisa ornatrix (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae)

Species' geographic ranges are usually considered as basic units in macroecology and biogeography, yet it is still difficult to measure them accurately for many reasons. About 20 years ago, researchers started using local data on species' occurrences to estimate broad scale ranges, thereby establishing the niche modeling approach. However, there are still many problems in model evaluation and application, and one of the solutions is to find a consensus solution among models derived from different mathematical and statistical models for niche modeling, climatic projections and variable combination, all of which are sources of uncertainty during niche modeling. In this paper, we discuss this approach of ensemble forecasting and propose that it can be divided into three phases with increasing levels of complexity. Phase I is the simple combination of maps to achieve a consensual and hopefully conservative solution. In Phase II, differences among the maps used are described by multivariate analyses, and Phase III consists of the quantitative evaluation of the relative magnitude of uncertainties from different sources and their mapping. To illustrate these developments, we analyzed the occurrence data of the tiger moth, Utetheisa ornatrix (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae), a Neotropical moth species, and modeled its geographic range in current and future climates.

Temporal Geobiotic Mapping: a conceptual mapping technique toward visualising geobiotic areas in cross-section

Geobiota are defined by taxic assemblages (i.e., biota) and their defining abiotic breaks, which are mapped in cross-section to reveal past and future biotic boundaries. We term this conceptual approach Temporal Geobiotic Mapping (TGM) and offer it as a conceptual approach for biogeography. TGM is based on geological cross-sectioning, which creates maps based on the distribution of biota and known abiotic factors that drive their distribution, such as climate, topography, soil chemistry and underlying geology. However, the availability of abiotic data is limited for many areas. Unlike other approaches, TGM can be used when there is minimal data available. In order to demonstrate TGM, we use the well-known area in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales (NSW), south-eastern Australia and show how surface processes such as weathering and erosion affect the future distribution of a Moist Basalt Forest taxic assemblage. Biotic areas are best represented visually as maps, which can show transgressions and regressions of biota and abiota over time. Using such maps, a biogeographer can directly compare animal and plant distributions with features in the abiotic environment and may identify significant geographical barriers or pathways that explain biotic distributions.

Beta-ionone attracts Euglossa mandibularis(Hymenoptera, Apidae) males in western Paraná forests

ABSTRACTMales of Euglossa mandibularis were consistently captured in scent traps baited with β-ionone in areas of Mixed Ombrophylous Forests or transition between this latter physiognomy and Montane Semideciduous Forest at Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná state, Brazil. Geographic records for the species and sampling effort (including or not β-ionone among the offered compounds) along Atlantic Forest biome are presented and discussed. We also discuss seasonal and geographic variation in collection of scents by orchid bees.

Soil oribatid mite in four typical vegetation communities of Misiones forest in the Iguazú area, Argentina

The objective of this work was to assess the soil oribatid mite communities in four sites of the Upper Paraná Bosque Atlántico, in the Iguazú National Park, Argentina and in surrounding areas: bamboo forest, palm forest and two mixed forests. A comparison between each pair of sites, based on the presence-absence of oribatid species, was performed using Jaccard's index. This is the first systematic sampling of oribatid mites in this area. A total of 56 genera and 96 oribatid species were found, 25 and 49 of them, respectively, are new citation for Argentina. The highest similarity was found between mixed forests. Almost 68% and 34% of the genera were cited for similar biotopes in Brazil and Paraguay, respectively.

Morfo-anatomia comparada das folhas do par vicariante Plathymenia foliolosa Benth. e Plathymenia reticulata Benth. (Leguminosae - Mimosoideae)

(Morfo-anatomia comparada das folhas do par vicariante Plathymenia foliolosa Benth. e Plathymenia reticulata Benth. (Leguminosae-Mimosoideae)). Folhas bipinadas adultas de P. foliolosa e P. reticulata da mata (Minas Gerais) e do cerrado (Distrito Federal) respectivamente, foram estudadas, sob o ponto de vista comparativo, quanto à morfologia externa e à anatomia. Todas as partes foliares foram examinadas sob microscopia óptica, em luz normal e em luz polarizada. Os folíolos de P. reticulata são maiores que os de P. foliolosa. A organização do sistema vascular é semelhante nas duas espécies. Em P. reticulata, os estômatos estão no mesmo nível ou levemente depressionados em relação às demais células epidérmicas e, em P. foliolosa, estas estruturas mostram posição ligeiramente elevada. A lâmina foliolar é mais espessa e o mesofilo é mais compacto em P. reticulata. As lâminas foliolares são hipoestomáticas e dorsiventrais com dois estratos de parênquima paliçádico em P. reticulata e um estrato em P. foliolosa. A cutinização é mais intensa nas paredes das células epidérmicas de P. reticulata. Cristais de oxalato de cálcio são mais abundantes em P. foliolosa embora a redissolução dos mesmos tenha sido observada, para ambas as espécies, sobretudo no pulvino primário. O escleromorfismo, encarado sob o ponto de vista anatômico, é mais acentuado em P. reticulata e, nesta espécie, a quantidade de taninos e de fibras gelatinosas também é maior. A semelhança constatada na organização estrutural como um todo é condizente com a proximidade taxonômica das duas espécies e os aspectos anatômicos diferenciais sugerem estar relacionados com o habitat de P. foliolosa e P. reticulata.

Biologia reprodutiva de Calibrachoa elegans (Miers) Stehmann & Semir (Solanaceae)

Calibrachoa elegans é uma espécie anual, endêmica da região da canga do quadrilátero ferrífero de Minas Gerais, Brasil. O estudo da sua biologia reprodutiva envolveu experimentos de cruzamentos, teste do sistema de auto-incompatibilidade e observação do processo de polinização. Os experimentos realizados através de polinizações manuais indicam que a população estudada é preferencialmente alógama. A interrupção do crescimento do tubo polínico no estilete das flores autopolinizadas, verificada através da microscopia de fluorescência, confirmou a ocorrência de reação de auto-incompatibilidade. A polinização é realizada apenas pelas fêmeas de Hexantheda missionica (Colletinae, Apoideae), uma abelha com alta fidelidade de visita às flores de C. elegans. Os machos desta espécie utilizam as flores como fonte de néctar, como local para pouso entre os vôos de patrulhamento a procura de fêmeas para acasalamento e como abrigo noturno. Para se acomodarem na flor, geralmente cortam e removem os estames e o estilete. As populações de Hexantheda missionica encontradas em Minas Gerais são o primeiro registro da espécie para a região sudeste do Brasil e, provavelmente, representam remanescentes que chegaram a esta região no passado e que agora se encontram disjuntas e isoladas das populações da região sul do Brasil.

Species composition and biogeographic relations of the rock outcrop flora on the high plateau of Itatiaia, SE-Brazil

We studied the flora of vegetation islands on rock outcrops on the Itatiaia Plateau (22°21'S and 44°40'W), at 2,400 m.a.s.l. A total of 114 vascular plant species, which correspond to ca. 20%-25% of the currently inventoried flora of the plateau, were sampled in 197 small vegetation islands (total area of 0.034 ha). Xerophytes and hydrophytes were often found side by side due to environmental heterogeneity at a small scale, explaining in part the high species diversity. Rock outcrops may support floras quite distinct from those in neighbouring habitats, due to the action of strong environmental filters, but in Itatiaia the geographic distribution patterns among rupicolous plants appear to mimic those described for the whole flora around it, with 15.1% of narrow endemic species and six strictly rupicolous plants. Underlining the "temperate" nature of the high elevation climate in Itatiaia, the sampled flora was dominated by species of the families Asteraceae and Poaceae, and the number of CAM (crassulacean acid metabolism) species was very low. A few endemic species of tropical origin - Pleurostima gounelleana (Beauv.) Men. (Velloziaceae) and Fernseea itatiaiae (Wawra) Baker (Bromeliaceae) - play a crucial role in this vegetation, as pioneer mat-formers facilitating later establishment of numerous other species. Hemicryptophytes prevail in the sampled flora, while therophytes are exceptionally rare and mainly consist of opportunistic species associated with disturbances. Numerous microhabitats and strong environmental gradients in these high elevation rock outcrops afford opportunities for establishment of a highly diversified flora. These island-like environments may represent an important refuge for grassland species from fire and other disturbances in the surrounding grasslands.

Morphological cladistic analysis of Pseudobombax Dugand (Malvaceae, Bombacoideae) and allied genera

(Morphological cladistic analysis of Pseudobombax Dugand (Malvaceae, Bombacoideae) and allied genera). Pseudobombax Dugand belongs to the family Malvaceae subfamily Bombacoideae and aggregates 29 species restricted to the Neotropics. A morphological cladistic analysis of Pseudobombax and allied genera was carried out to test the monophyly of the genus and to provide hypotheses on its phylogeny. Parsimony analyses were based on 40 morphological characters and 28 species, 14 belonging to Pseudobombax and 14 to other species of Bombacoideae, Matisieae (Malvoideae) and Ochromeae. Nine most parsimonious trees (144 steps, ci 0.40, ri 0.67) were produced when 10 multistate characters were taken as ordered while only two most parsimonious trees (139 steps, ci 0.41, ri 0.67) were obtained when all characters were considered as unordered. Pseudobombax monophyly had moderate bootstrap support, appearing as sister to a clade composed of the genera Bombacopsis Pittier and Pachira Aubl., or to the genus Bombax L. according to the analysis. The petiole widened at the apex and the leaflets not jointed to the petiole are probably synapomorphies of Pseudobombax. Three main clades were found in the genus: one characterised by petiolulated leaflets and 5-angular fruits, the other by pubescent leaves and calyx, and the other by reduction of the number of leaflets. The latter includes species endemic to the Brazilian semi-arid region also characterised by the absence of phalanges in the androecium. Interspecific affinities in Pseudobombax as well as the morphological evolution in Bombacoideae are discussed.