Report of Sphenochernes camponoti (Beier, 1970) (Pseudoscorpiones, Chernetidae) in phoresy on Fanniidae (Diptera)

Phoresy is a common dispersal behavior among pseudoscorpions. Neotropical pseudoscorpions, mainly from the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, are known for their dispersal relationships with beetles and flies. Here, we report phoretic association among nymphs of Sphenochernes camponoti (Chernetidae) and Fannia flies (F. pusio, F. yenhedi, and F. canicularis) (Diptera, Fanniidae). Twelve flies, each carrying a young pseudoscorpion, were collected in Caatinga vegetation in Pernambuco State, Brazil. Sphenochernes camponoti is a myrmecophilous pseudoscorpion that lives in Camponotus and Acromyrmex colonies. Despite its association with ants, this pseudoscorpion uses other winged arthropods to disperse. This is the first report of phoresy by Sphenochernes camponoti.

Different responses of dung beetle diversity and feeding guilds from natural and disturbed habitats across a subtropical elevational gradient

Understanding the effects of natural and anthropogenic processes that drives biodiversity is urgently needed to improve conservation strategies at the landscape scale. Although natural drivers on altitudinal gradients have been well studied, the concatenated effect of habitat disturbance across different altitudes over biodiversity is still poorly known. We aimed to test the effect of habitat transformation on assemblage metrics of dung beetles across an altitudinal gradient (between 0 and 3400 m.a.s.l.; 18 elevational bands). Our results highlighted four main findings: (i) dung beetle forests or pastures specialized species changed their habitat specificity depending on the elevation range; (ii) a hump-shaped pattern of dung beetle diversity at intermediate elevations was found both in forests and pastures; (iii) species turnover was the main component of β diversity in both forest and pastures; (iv) presence of crops and human settlements across elevational gradient influenced changes the taxonomical and feeding guild composition of dung beetle assemblages, but these effects were elevation-site-dependent. These results suggest that the impacts of habitat disturbance on beetle assemblages caused by humans’ activities on mountains are spatial site dependents. We highlight the importance of understanding the effect of environmental disturbance in mountain ecosystems using a wide range of assemblage metrics. This research serves as basis for the development of efficient conservation strategies to protect species and ecosystem functions in these fragile environments. © 2020 Elsevier Masson SA

Growth and developmental time in the parthenogenetic scorpion Tityus stigmurus (Thorell, 1876) (Scorpiones: Buthidae)

This study describes variation in ontogenetic development of the parthenogenetic scorpion Tityus stigmurus based on variations in size, intermolt period, and number of instars. Individuals were created under laboratory conditions (28 ± 3ºC) and subjected to similar diet regime. Comparative measurements of carapace, segment V of the metasoma, and the movable finger are used to estimate variations in size among instars. The application of Dyar rule shows a growth factor from 1.14 to 1.38 depending on the parameter analysed with intense variations in size between and within the different instars. The duration of the period from birth to adulthood was 871 days, after six moults. These data suggest that T. stigmurus has the longest post-embryonic development of Tityus genus and the existence of an extra molt to reach maturity.

Effects of landscape metrics on scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones) assemblage in a tropical urban ecosystem

Abstract Urban landscapes restrain the distribution of forest‐dwelling species, which may be related to challenging conditions that impair body condition. The dynamics in urban areas lead to the simplification of communities that inhabit forest patches in cities with the turnover of sensitive species for opportunistic ones. In this study, we investigated the effect of urbanization on the body condition and diversity of scorpions at the landscape scale. Sampling was carried out in 10 forest patches in an urban matrix in Brazil, originally covered by a tropical rainforest. The surroundings of the landscape of each forest patch were characterized through the amount of forest, agriculture, and urban land cover. Individual body length, dry, lipid, and muscular masses were used as proxies of Tityus pusillus body condition. In total, 147 scorpions were collected, belonging to the species Ananteris mauryi, T. pusillus, T. stigmurus, and T. neglectus. Forest cover explained 28% of species variation. There was a positive relationship between forest cover and T. pusillus and A. mauryi abundances, while T. stigmurus was negatively affected by forest cover. Species richness and total scorpion abundance were not influenced by landscape metrics. In terms of body condition, only females of T. pusillus were affected by landscape variables, with individuals showing higher body mass with an increase in forest cover. Our results suggest that urban forests can support scorpion assemblages. However, there is a turnover in specialist forest species for opportunistic species. Forest cover is a crucial factor in maintaining healthy scorpion populations in urban areas