Besouros rola-bostas em pastagens sul-americanas

DATA AVAILABILITY : The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available at: https://doi.org/10.48331/scielodata.82AEC8Pasturelands are characterized as grasslands utilized for cattle raising and consist of natural or exotic vegetation, predominantly grasses. In the context of sustainable production, the biodiversity of insects within grazing environments holds significant value. Dung beetles play a crucial role in sustaining pasturelands as the burial of feces by these beetles fosters ecological services indispensable for maintaining a robust and healthy environment. Given that different dung beetle species contribute to distinct environmental benefits, a comprehensive understanding of the species present in pasturelands, their origins, and the ecological services they provide is imperative. This study endeavors to compile comprehensive information on dung beetle species native to South America, emphasizing taxonomic precision and a confirmed affinity for cattle dung. Our findings are derived from a synthesis of literature and observational data, incorporating location information obtained from taxonomic revisions and specimen labels of specimens housed at CEMT. In South America, a total of 57 dung beetle species are documented that inhabit grazing areas and actively feed on cattle manure. These areas span diverse biomes encompassing native and/or introduced grasslands, which may include deforested sections within forest biomes such as Chaco, Pantanal, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pampa, Atlantic Forest, Amazon Forest, Paramo, Puna, Llanos, and Patagonia. The preponderance of species identified fall within the paracoprid category, recognized as particularly vital for the sustainability of pasturelands. Despite their acknowledged importance, a noticeable knowledge gap impedes the effective conservation of these species. This gap is a focal point of discussion in this study, addressing the challenges and opportunities for enhancing conservation efforts. The species documented in this research exhibit notable economic and environmental relevance in the context of sustainable livestock production, emphasizing the urgency and significance of initiatives that prioritize their conservation.Pastagens são áreas formadas por vegetação nativa ou exótica, principalmente gramíneas, e são utilizadas na pecuária. A diversidade de insetos em áreas de pastagens é muito valiosa, especialmente quando consideramos os métodos de produção sustentável. Besouros rola-bostas são importantes para a sustentabilidade em pastagens porque o enterrio de esterco promove benefícios essenciais para a manutenção do ambiente pastoril. Espécies diferentes exercem diferentes serviços ecossistêmicos, logo é necessário saber quais espécies estão presentes em áreas de pastoreio para saber quais são os benefícios que elas podem proporcionar. Aqui reunimos todas as informações disponíveis para as espécies taxonomicamente bem definidas de rola-bostas nativos da América do Sul e que são conhecidas por utilizar fezes bovinas como recurso para alimentação e nidificação. Usamos dados encontrados na literatura, em observações de campo e em etiquetas de espécimes depositados na CEMT. São registradas 57 espécies de rola-bostas nativos da América do Sul que se alimentam e nidificam em fezes bovinas, e estas estão distribuídas nos seguintes biomas: Chaco, Pantanal, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pampa, áreas abertas da Mata Atlântica e da Floresta Amazônia, Paramo, Puna, Llanos e Patagônia. A maioria das espécies são de paracoprídeos e estes são considerados os mais importantes para as áreas de pastagem. No entanto, existe uma grande lacuna de conhecimento em história natural, o que dificulta a efetividade da conservação dessas espécies. Todas as espécies listadas neste trabalho têm potencial relevância econômica e ambiental na pecuária sustentável e, portanto, o estudo e conservação delas devem ser priorizadas.https://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/BNhj2024Zoology and EntomologySDG-15:Life on lan

REFLEXÕES SOBRE A VIOLÊNCIA CONTRA A PESSOA IDOSA EM TEMPOS DE ISOLAMENTO SOCIAL

Este artigo tem como propósito trazer uma reflexão sobre a violência contra a pessoa idosa em suas diferentes interfaces e a forma de combater, especialmente neste período de isolamento social causado pela pandemia de COVID-19, que fez silenciar ainda mais esta temática. As reflexões aqui apresentadas são resultados de um debate em função de um evento realizado durante a semana de combate à violência contra a pessoa idosa realizada nos dias 15, 16 e 17 de junho de 2021 pela Universidade Aberta à Terceira Idade da UNICRUZ juntamente com o COMID-Conselho Municipal do Idoso e Secretaria Municipal de Desenvolvimento Social de Cruz Alta - RS e que foi aprofundado a partir das narrativas expostas no evento e de revisão de literatura sobre a temática

UNATI/UNICRUZ ONLINE: ALTERNATIVA CONTRA O ISOLAMENTO SOCIAL OCASIONADO PELA COVID-19

O artigo apresenta a UNATI como uma alternativa contra o isolamento social de idosos. Desde o segundo semestre de 2020 e primeiro de 2021 as oficinas da UNATI vêm sendo elaboradas e também executadas de forma online, via Google Meet. A UNATI é um programa de extensão aberta às pessoas idosas (60 anos ou mais) e aos pré-idosos (pessoas que ainda não completaram 60 anos). É uma proposta interdisciplinar e por isso tem a participação de professores de diferentes áreas do conhecimento.  As atividades incluem oficinas de atividades físicas, inclusão digital, momento de artes as quais são oferecidas nos dias previstos de forma síncrona, palestras e produção de materiais educativos que ficam disponibilizados de forma assíncrona na página da UNATI

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Effects of Climate Change on the Distribution of Key Native Dung Beetles in South American Grasslands

Climate change is a serious threat, and it is necessary to prepare for the future climate conditions of grazing areas. Dung beetle species can help mitigate global warming by contributing to intense nutrient cycling and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by cattle farming. Additionally, dung beetles increase soil quality through bioturbation and reduce nematodes and hematophagous flies’ abundance in grasslands areas. There are several dung beetle species inhabiting South American pastures, however, the effects of climate change on their spatial distribution are still unknown. Here, we aimed to predict the potential effects of future climate change on the geographical spatial distribution of the four most important (“key”) pastureland dung beetle species that are native to South America. We used niche-based models and future climate simulations to predict species distribution through time. Our findings show radical reduction in the spatial range of dung beetle species, especially in recently opened areas, e.g., the Amazon region. We suggest that the consequences of these species’ spatial retraction will be correlated with ecosystem services depletion under future climate conditions, urgently necessitating pasture restoration and parasite control, as the introduction of new alien species is not encouraged

Dichotomius (Selenocopris) malyi Maldaner, Nunes, and Vaz-de-Mello 2015

Dichotomius (Selenocopris) malyiMaldaner, Nunes and Vaz-de-Mello, 2015 Non-type material: BRAZIL: Minas Gerais: Campos Altos. Parque Estadual de Campos Altos. 19°43 ʹ 45”S; 46°07 ʹ 32”W. 16.i.2014. L.D.L. Cardoso. [4♂ 2♀ CEMT]. Same locality, but 19° 43 ʹ 14”S; 46°07 ʹ 38”W. 16.i.2014. L.D.L. Cardoso. [2♂ CEMT]. Same county, but Zona de Amortecimento do Parque Estadual de Campos Altos. 19°44 ʹ 49”S; 46°05 ʹ 42”W. 16.iv.2015. TMB Eleutério. [3♂ 1♀ CEMT]. Comments The labels of the type material of D . malyi indicate ‘ São Paulo’ as the collecting locality (with no further data). Here, we provide for the first time an exact, additional location of collection for this species. Dichotomius malyi was recently re-collected in and around the Parque Estadual de Campos Altos, in Campos Altos municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil (approximately 950 m elevation) (Figure1). This locality is about 125 km north-east from the border of São Paulo State and then on the other side of Serra da Canastra; thus, D . malyi is not likely to occur in São Paulo State. The original description applies well to all examined specimens, yet larger individuals bear more pronounced conical cephalic process in males and cephalic knob in females. Size variation: 11 mm to 13 mm.Published as part of Maldaner, Maria Eduarda & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2022, New data and species for the Dichotomius speciosus (Waterhouse, 1891) species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), pp. 2999-3006 in Journal of Natural History 55 (47 - 48) on pages 3004-3005, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2022.2025941, http://zenodo.org/record/635183

Dichotomius (Selenocopris) speciosus

Identification key to species of the Dichotomius (Selenocopris) speciosus species group. Figure numbers in italics refer to figures in Maldaner et al. 2015 The following key allows the identification of the five species currently included in the speciosus species group. Identification of females can be confusing if no males or localities are associated with them (e.g. green females of D. speciosus and females of D. alvarengai; Figs. 4, 6). When not specified, the characteristics fit both males and females. This key is modified from the one presented by Maldaner et al. 2015, and most characters referring to steps 3 to 5 are illustrated in that paper. 0. Clypeus with two well-defined central teeth, each tooth margined and with rounded to obtuse tips; clypeal border straight or uniformly rounded laterally, with no angles from clypeal teeth to lateral parts of genae (these latter characters identify species of the subgenus Selenocopris). Metaventrite disc posteriorly widely concave, discrimen visible in the bottom of concavity. Size small, less than 15 mm. At least some metallic/ sericeous sheen on elytra, pronotum and metaventrite. High-elevation areas in southeastern and southern Brazil... Dichotomius speciosus species group ........................ 1 0’. Different combination of characters... other Dichotomius species groups (check Nunes and Vaz-de-Mello (2013, 2019) 1. Clypeofrontal region with rounded knob, or tubercle, or transversally carinate (female only: carina with two close tubercles and narrower than one-fifth of interocular distance). Dorsum and venter dark, with strong to faint blue metallic reflections. Known only from Minas Gerais state (one doubtful report from São Paulo with no locality data)................................................................................................................................... 2 1’. Clypeofrontal region with transverse carina, carina wider than one-third of interocular distance, trilobed, trituberculated (tubercles poorly indicated in females) or with horns or lobe at both extremities (males). Dorsum and venter coloured, with very strong green, red or blue metallic sheen. Rio Grande do Sul to southern Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro............................................................................................................... 3 2. Males with pronotal disc anteriorly bearing an anteromedial protuberance with a depression at each side; clypeus with a few feeble punctures in the posterior half; clypeofrontal tubercle laterally compressed. Females with clypeofrontal transverse bilobate elevation. Southern Espinhaço range in Central Minas Gerais........................................................................... Dichotomius (Selenocopris) geraldimi sp. nov. (Figure 2) 2’. Males without anteromedial pronotal projection; clypeus densely punctured posteriorly; frontoclypeal tubercle conical. Females with a single conical frontoclypeal elevation, sometimes reduced to a rounded tumosity. Campos Altos, Minas Gerais, Brazil...................... Dichotomius (Selenocopris) malyi Maldaner, Nunes and Vaz-de-Mello 2015 (Fig. 5) 3. Pronotum of males with anteromedial projection triangular. In laterofrontal view, male pronotum strongly excavated at anterior declivity. Clypeofrontal carina straight to broadly curved (Fig. 1 (d–g)), with one horn at each end (Fig. 1 (h)). Body surface red or with red reflections (may be very weak on green specimens) (Figs. 1–2, 6). Serra da Mantiqueira mountain range: São Paulo (Campos do Jordão), Minas Gerais (Aiuruoca), and Rio de Janeiro (Itatiaia), Brazil........................................................................................................... Dichotomius (Selenocopris) speciosus (Waterhouse, 1891) 3’. Pronotum of males with anteromedial projection rectangular or rounded (Figs. 3A, 4A), apically slightly emarginate and bearing a pair of tubercles. Pronotum excavated below anteromedial projection. Clypeofrontal carina straight, with one tubercle on extremities. Body surface blue or dark with blue reflections. Serra da Bocaina Mountain Range (state of São Paulo, Brazil) and Serra Geral mountain range (states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)................................................................... 4 4. Pronotum of male medially and longitudinally sulcate, anteromedial projection emarginate apically. Clypeofrontal carina with one acute tubercle at each end. Elytral striae feebly marked, and defined by fine punctures. Dark blue – some individuals with light brown elytra. Serra Geral mountain range (states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil).................................. Dichotomius (Selenocopris) opalescens (Felsche, 1910) 4’. Pronotum of male with weak, medial and longitudinal sulcus, anteromedial projection weakly emarginated. Male clypeofrontal carina bearing a tubercle on each end, while female cephalic carina lacks them. Elytral striae deeply impressed, and defined by distinct punctures. Green to blue. Restricted to the Serra da Bocaina Mountain Range, state of São Paulo, Brazil.... Dichotomius (Selenocopris) alvarengai Maldaner, Nunes and Vaz-de-Mello 2015Published as part of Maldaner, Maria Eduarda & Vaz-de-Mello, Fernando Z., 2022, New data and species for the Dichotomius speciosus (Waterhouse, 1891) species group (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae), pp. 2999-3006 in Journal of Natural History 55 (47 - 48) on pages 3000-3001, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2022.2025941, http://zenodo.org/record/635183