Litter Surface Temperature: A Driving Factor Affecting Foraging Activity in Dinoponera lucida (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Dinoponera lucida is a poneromorph ant endemic to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. The species is classified as endangered in Brazil’s Red List due to its peculiar reproductive biology and high habitat fragmentation. Herein, we characterize D. lucida foraging activity and response to litter surface temperature in a lowland forest remnant in south-eastern Brazil. The mean flow of workers at nest openings was 3.8 ± 0.6 per hour, mean foraging trip was 14.2 ± 2.2 min, and mean foraging distance was 3.8 ± 0.4 m. The time spent per foraging trip and litter surface temperature were positively correlated. Flow of workers at nest openings was higher with mean temperature of litter surface between 21.0 and 27.0 °C. Our results show that D. lucida has a diurnal foraging activity related to habitat temperature. Our data contribute to the knowledge about the ecology of D. lucida and support the hypothesis of optimal food foraging regulated by habitat temperature. In addition, the better understanding of D. lucida activity patterns can assist on conservation planning of this endangered and endemic ant

A Day in the Life of the Giant Ant Dinoponera lucida Emery, 1901 (Hymenoptera, Formicidae): Records of Activities and Intraspecific Interactions

Ants present a wide variety of nesting sites, feeding habits, and trophic interactions, but the biology of most species remains unknown. Dinoponera lucida is a poneromorph ant forest-specialist and solitary forager, endemic to the Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. Herein we describe foraging activities, guard and maintenance of the nests, orientation mode, and intraspecific interactions performed by D. lucida. We found three nests distant from each other at least 8.5 m, and the mean reached distance by a worker was 3.8 m. The workers showed colony fidelity and random forage in their territory. We observed two non-agonistic interactions between workers from the same nest, and two agonistic interactions between foraging workers from different nests. The low frequency of agonistic interactions suggests that workers from different nests are unlikely to forage in the same area. Our results expand the knowledge on ants’ natural history through data on foraging activities, guard and maintenance of the nests, orientation mode and intraspecific interactions

Amphibians of Santa Teresa, Brazil: The Hotspot Further Evaluated

A checklist of the amphibians of Santa Teresa municipality, in southeastern Brazil is presented based on fieldwork, examination of specimens in collections, and a literature review. This new amphibian list of Santa Teresa includes 108 species, of which 106 (~98%) belong to Anura and two (~2%) to Gymnophiona. Hylidae was the most represented family with 47 species (43%). Compared to the previous amphibian lists for Santa Teresa, 14 species were added, 17 previously reported species were removed, and 13 species were re-identified based on recent taxonomic rearrangements. Of the 14 species added, 11 (79%) were first recorded during our fieldwork and specimen examination. It is also the first list of caecilians for Santa Teresa. This list suggests that Santa Teresa has 0.16 species per km2 (i.e., 108 species/683 km2), one of the highest densities of amphibian species in the world at a regional scale. This richness represents 78% of the 136 anurans from Espírito Santo state and 10% of the 1,080 amphibians from Brazil. We highlight the need for long-term monitoring to understand population trends and develop effective conservation plans to safeguard this remarkable amphibian richness

Bromeliad-Dwelling Frogs Revealed by Citizen Scientists

Understanding species composition across temporal and spatial scales through participatory monitoring has contributed to the development of several studies focused on biodiversity in Neotropical ecosystems. Habitat loss and the illegal collection of bromeliads pose significant threats to bromeligenous frogs, which depend on the rainwater collected between bromeliad leaves for egg and tadpole development. In this study, we compiled a comprehensive dataset of bromeligenous frogs using data from “Projeto Bromélias” on the iNaturalist citizen science platform. Our dataset includes records of 85 species of bromeligenous frogs, representing 52% of the 164 known species that reproduce in bromeliads. These species belong to 33 genera and 10 families and are reported from 18 countries. Twenty-eight species are listed in threatened categories on a global scale. Our findings extended the known geographic distribution of four species. Notably, the green and black poison dart Frog, Dendrobates auratus, was recorded as a non-native species in Hawaii, USA. Regarding the temporal data, the number of bromeligenous records increased substantially after 2009. This study highlights the value of citizen science platforms as important tools for monitoring bromeliad inhabitants and contributing to management and conservation initiatives

Citizen science expanding knowledge: a new record of the lizard Heterodactylus imbricatus (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) in south-eastern Brazil

Through citizen science projects, like Projeto Bromélias, community members contribute valuable data on species diversity, notably those with low detectability like the Heterodactylus imbricatus lizard. A recent observation in the State of Espírito Santo (south-eastern Brazil), amidst coffee and eucalyptus crops, highlights the utility of widespread technology use in tracking and documenting wildlife. Such initiatives are especially beneficial for mapping the distribution of rare, endemic or endangered reptiles. Therefore, we advocate for more citizen science initiatives near protected areas, involving local communities.We provide a new record for the species Heterodactylus imbricatus, a microteiid lizard of low detectability from the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil. Heterodactylus imbricatus (Rio de Janeiro Teiid) was recorded near the protected area "Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi" by a citizen volunteer who contributes herpetofauna records to the Bromelias Project (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/projeto-bromelias). Heterodactylus imbricatus is a very poorly-known species in the localities where it occurs, probably due to its fossorial habit, genera's restricted occurrence range, habitat specificity and the absence of proper survey methods fitted to fossorial species, such as the utilisation of pitfall traps. By publishing the records of volunteer citizens, we hope that more people will contribute to increase the knowledge of biodiversity in the mountainous region of Espírito Santo State and expand our collective knowledge

The high diversity and phylogenetic signal of antipredator mechanisms of the horned frog species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Amphibia: Anura: Odontophrynidae)

Zocca, C., Lourenço-de-Moraes, R., Campos, F. S., & Ferreira, R. B. (2022). The high diversity and phylogenetic signal of antipredator mechanisms of the horned frog species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Amphibia: Anura: Odontophrynidae). Acta Herpetologica, 17(1), 77-83. https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-11945 ------------------- Funding Information: We thank Estação Biologia Marinha Augusto Ruschi (EBMAR) for logistical and sampling support during fieldwork. CZZ and RBF thank Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - Brasil (CNPq 300929/2022-6; 300825/2021-8) for fellowships. RLM thanks Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – CAPES for providing fellowships. FSC thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/CTA-AMB/28438/2017) and Management Research Center – MagIC/NOVA IMS (UIDB/04152/2020). Sampling permits were issued by Sistema de Autorização e Informação em Biodiversidade (SISBIO, 63575). We thank the financial supportPhylogenetic signals indicate the phenotypic similarity of antipredator mechanisms among related species. Herein, we assessed the antipredator mechanisms of the horned frog Proceratophrys laticeps, compiled a database including closely phylogenetically-related species, and evaluated their phylogenetic signals. Our dataset comprises 80 records for 13 species of Proceratophrys, totalizing 11 antipredator mechanisms and 15 variations of these mechanisms. Six antipredator mechanisms show high similarity in the trees’ roots within Proceratophrys (e.g., aggression, aposematism, camouflage, distress call, immobility, and interrupt calling). Our observations show the first records of antipredator mechanisms for P. laticeps, and the first report of interrupt calling for Proceratophrys genus, contributing to the knowledge on the behavioural ecology of Proceratophrys species, addressing new insights for ecological trait evolution by multiple ancestral states of amphibians.publishersversionpublishe

Vocal repertoire of the horned frog Proceratophrys laticeps (Amphibia: Anura: Odontophrynidae)

Araújo, Alan Pedro De, Lacerda, João Victor A., Zocca, Cássio, Ferreira, Rodrigo Barbosa (2021): Vocal repertoire of the horned frog Proceratophrys laticeps (Amphibia: Anura: Odontophrynidae). Zootaxa 5032 (1): 147-150, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5032.1.1

On the stream-dwelling Crossodactylus timbuhy (Anura, Hylodidae): taxonomy, natural history, and geographic distribution

Lacerda, João Victor A., Montesinos, Rachel, Zocca, Cássio, Guimarães, Carla S., Santana, Diego J., Ferreira, Rodrigo B. (2022): On the stream-dwelling Crossodactylus timbuhy (Anura, Hylodidae): taxonomy, natural history, and geographic distribution. Zootaxa 5155 (4): 564-580, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5155.4.

Antipredator Mechanisms of Post-Metamorphic Anurans: A Global Database and Classification System

A crucial step in any ethological study is to distinguish and classify the observed behavior into categories. The literature on anuran antipredator mechanisms is largely scattered and descriptive due to the opportunistic nature of the observations and the lack of a simple, widely accepted classification scheme. We propose an explanatory classification system of antipredator mechanisms for post-metamorphic anurans (i.e., juveniles and adults) based on a thorough review of the literature and observations made during fieldwork and in the laboratory since 1970. In addition, we provide a freely available global database on antipredator mechanisms of post-metamorphic anurans. The classification system is composed of 12 antipredator mechanisms and 28 variations distributed into three stages of defense (avoid detection, prevent attack, and counterattack). The database comprises 650 species and 39 families providing a unique opportunity to investigate ecological and evolutionary questions regarding antipredator mechanisms of anuran. We provide a general overview of geographic, taxonomic, and phylogenetic patterns found in the database. Both our studies and that of our colleagues added 70 species to the database. The number of publications on antipredator mechanisms increased substantially after the year 2000. We hope to spark a renewed interest in antipredator mechanisms of post-metamorphic anurans to understand further the evolution of predator–prey interactions