Karyological study of Ololygon tripui (Lourenço, Nascimento and Pires, 2009), (Anura, Hylidae) with comments on chromosomal traits among populations

To increase the number of cytogenetic characters used in Ololygon tripui systematics, we applied some cytogenetic techniques such as Giemsa, C- and NOR-banding, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with 18S rDNA and repetitive microsatellite DNA probes to the study of four populations from Minas Gerais State (southeastern Brazil). All populations showed 2n = 24 and FN = 48, and chromosomal formula 8m + 10sm + 6st. Nucleolar organizing regions (NORs) were located on chromosome pair 6 in all populations, although in the Tripuí locality additional markings were observed on one homologue of chromosome pair 3. These patterns were partially congruent with results obtained using the 18S rDNA FISH probe. The microsatellites repetitive DNA (GA) 15 and (CAT) 10 probes accumulated predominantly in the terminal region of all chromosomes. Chromosome morphology and Ag-NOR were conserved among populations, a conserved pattern in Ololygon Fitzinger, 1843. Repetitive DNA FISH probes patterns were similar among populations, but they revealed species-specific differences when compared with other species of the genus Ololygon, suggesting that molecular cytogenetics are potentially more informative in karyologically conservative taxa

Redescription of the advertisement call of five species of Thoropa (anura, Cycloramphidae), including recordings of rare and endangered species

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Frogs of the genus Thoropa comprise six endemic Brazilian species on the Eastern side of the country. Little is known about their natural history, especially about their acoustic communication. Therefore, aiming to provide an overview of their vocalizations, we analyzed and redescribed male advertisement calls of three living and two possibly extinct species. The Smaller species, T. petropolitana and T. lutzi, produce simple calls (one single note) with a higher frequency range than the remaining larger ones. On the other hand, the larger species present complex calls, with more than one note: T. megatympanum calls have three notes, T. taophora calls have four notes, and T. miliaris calls varies from three to six notes. Population snout-vent length negatively correlated with peak of dominant frequency as expected. However, highlighted differences between two populations of T. lutzi, which could indicate need of further taxonomic evaluation of those lineages. Peculiar morphology, such as the absence of vocal sacs and slits, may have contributed to their call variation and highly banded frequency structure. If the observed population differences reflect species-level differences, T. lutzi may be classified as a critically endangered species, as T. petropolitana. Furthermore, we provided a suggestion to an unusual behavior in frogs: calling with the mouth open in the Smaller species of the genus.Frogs of the genus Thoropa comprise six endemic Brazilian species on the Eastern side of the country. Little is known about their natural history, especially about their acoustic communication. Therefore, aiming to provide an overview of their vocalizatio119112FAPESP - FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULOCNQP - CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICOCAPES - COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIORFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)2014/23388-72013/09964-2405285/2013-2302589/2013-9306732/2015-7SEM INFORMAÇÃOWe thank to Pedro CarvalhoRocha for helping with the analysis of the calls of T. lutzi, we also thank Rogério P. Bastos and Rafael Márquez for valuable comments in the last version of this manuscript. This work was funded by: São Paulo Research Foundatio

Distribution pattern of anurans from three mountain complexes in southeastern Brazil and their conservation implications

Biogeographic tools support spatial distribution pattern hypotheses and help to determine priority areas for conservation. Our aim was to verify biogeographic patterns for anurans in three mountain complexes in southeastern Brazil, as well as to discuss the status of species conservation recorded and the biogeographical units evaluated. We selected 16 areas distributed in the Serra da Mantiqueira complex, south of Serra do Espinhaço and Serra da Canastra. We used the occurrence (geographic coordinates) of each species in the localities to determine areas of endemism applying the Endemicity Analysis method. We also tested whether similarity between areas was explained by geographic distance (Multiple Regression on distance Matrices-MRM). The Serra do Itatiaia, Serra da Canastra, Plateau of Poços de Caldas and Serra do Cipó were the areas that presented the highest number of species restricted to them. Through the Endemicity Analysis, we identified four areas of endemism with higher scores. The MRM revealed that the geographic distance explained 41% of species dissimilarity between areas. Most of the endemic species from these areas have inaccurate conservation statuses (data deficient or unevaluated). These results highlight the need for greater research efforts towards understanding species restricted by distribution, as well as the priority in conserving these endemic areas

Fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages reveal extensive degradation of the world's rivers

Rivers suffer from multiple stressors acting simultaneously on their biota, but the consequences are poorly quantified at the global scale. We evaluated the biological condition of rivers globally, including the largest proportion of countries from the Global South published to date. We gathered macroinvertebrate- and fish-based assessments from 72,275 and 37,676 sites, respectively, from 64 study regions across six continents and 45 nations. Because assessments were based on differing methods, different systems were consolidated into a 3-class system: Good, Impaired, or Severely Impaired, following common guidelines. The proportion of sites in each class by study area was calculated and each region was assigned a Köppen-Geiger climate type, Human Footprint score (addressing landscape alterations), Human Development Index (HDI) score (addressing social welfare), % rivers with good ambient water quality, % protected freshwater key biodiversity areas; and % of forest area net change rate. We found that 50% of macroinvertebrate sites and 42% of fish sites were in Good condition, whereas 21% and 29% were Severely Impaired, respectively. The poorest biological conditions occurred in Arid and Equatorial climates and the best conditions occurred in Snow climates. Severely Impaired conditions were associated (Pearson correlation coefficient) with higher HDI scores, poorer physico-chemical water quality, and lower proportions of protected freshwater areas. Good biological conditions were associated with good water quality and increased forested areas. It is essential to implement statutory bioassessment programs in Asian, African, and South American countries, and continue them in Oceania, Europe, and North America. There is a need to invest in assessments based on fish, as there is less information globally and fish were strong indicators of degradation. Our study highlights a need to increase the extent and number of protected river catchments, preserve and restore natural forested areas in the catchments, treat wastewater discharges, and improve river connectivity

Integrating life-history traits and amphibian upland habitat use in a Neotropical hotspot

Effective management of semi-aquatic animals requires detailed information on upland habitat use around aquatic habitats. Quantifying the amount of habitats needed to sustain local animals’ populations is a crucial criterion when setting protective buffers to water bodies, especially for amphibians, which depend on these upland habitats for breeding and development. Differences in upland habitat use can emerge among amphibian species with distinct life-history traits, including reproductive-strategy (pond-breeding vs. non-pond breeding anurans), life-stage (adults vs. juveniles), and sex (males vs. females). To date there has been no quantitative study of upland habitat use in the Neotropics, which can provide a baseline for quantifying the amount of upland forested habitats needed to sustain local amphibian populations. We monitored three ponds for over two sampling year using drift fences with pitfall traps to investigate how reproductive-strategy, life-stage, and sex affect anuran upland habitat use in a forest remnant in the Atlantic Forest hotspot. We found no differences in upland habitat use between adult and juvenile anurans. However, we found that although the species richness of pond-breeding and non-pond breeding anurans was similar near wetlands, there was greater abundance of pond-breeding compared to non-pond breeding anurans. We also found a strong difference between the sexes in pond-breeding anurans, with males remaining closer to wetlands than females. Thus, the sex ratio of amphibian populations can be strongly skewed toward males if only small protective terrestrial buffers (50-m) are enforced during land development. Our findings also point to the inadequacy of current Brazilian policies to protect small wetlands and the fauna that depend on them. We recommend that policymakers adjust regulatory criteria to set hierarchical protective buffers around wetlands allowing different levels of land-use intervention

Anurans in a forest remnant in the transition zone between cerrado and atlantic rain forest domains in southeastern Brazil

This study presents the species richness, temporal distribution and reproductive activity of anurans from the Uaimií State Forest (Floresta Estadual do Uaimií – FLOE Uaimií), situated in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero region, municipality of Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Field activities were performed monthly from September 2009 to August 2010. We recorded 36 anurans species, distributed in 10 families. The greatest richness of the sampled sites corresponds to a permanent rivulet in a secondary forest. The majority of anuran species presented seasonal vocalization activity pattern, mainly in the rainy season. The anuran species composition of FLOE Uaimií is similar to others studied areas from the Quadrilátero Ferrífero region

Considera\ue7\uf5es taxon\uf4micas sobre Thoropa miliaris (Spix, 1824), com revalida\ue7\ue3o e redescri\ue7\ue3o de Thoropa taophora (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1923) (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae)

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Leptodactylus cupreus Caramaschi, Feio & São-Pedro, 2008, sp. nov.

Leptodactylus cupreus sp. nov. (Figures 1–3) Holotype: MNRJ 47752. Adult male (Figure 1). Lagoa das Bromélias (20 o 25 ’S, 43 o 29 ’W, 1,227 m above sea level), Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, District of Careço, Municipality of Ervália, State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. Collected by R.N. Feio and V.A. São­Pedro, on 0 8 October 2006. Paratypes: Seven adult males: MNRJ 47753–47754, collected with the holotype; MNRJ 50436–50438, MZUFV 8015–8016, collected at the type locality by R.N. Feio, V.A. São­Pedro, and P.S. Silva, on 24 October 2007. Diagnosis: A species belonging to the L. fuscus group and related to the L. mystaceus complex by having two distinct dorsolateral folds, a distinct light lip stripe, a distinct longitudinal light stripe on the posterior surface of the thighs, posterior surface of tarsus smooth or with few tubercles, and sole of foot with prominent light tubercles. The new species is characterized by: (1) size large for the group (SVL 50.1–55.1 mm in males); (2) head slightly wider than long, HL 96 % of HW, HL 34 % of SVL, HW 35 % of SVL; (3) general color copper on dorsal surfaces of body and limbs; (4) lateral head black stripe defined, broad, extending from the tip of the snout and passing over the eye and tympanum; (5) lateral head with white stripe defined, delimited above and below by black stripes, extending from tip of snout to insertion of the forelimb; (6) a large bucal white gland found posterior to the jaw articulation and to the tympanum; (7) dorsum without spots, dorsal surface of thighs and tibiae not distinctly barred; (8) dorsolateral folds broad, from the anterior third of the body to groin, light in color and defined by black markings below and above (only in its posterior part); (9) urostyle stripe present, anal region with many large white tubercles; (10) advertisement call not pulsed, call rate about 12 calls/s, dominant frequency between 2,800 and 3,058 Hz. Comparisons with other species: Leptodactylus cupreus sp. nov. is distinguished from L. didymus, L. elenae, L. mystaceus, L. notoaktites, and L. spixi by the larger size (SVL 50.1–55.1 mm in males of L. cupreus sp. nov.; combined SVL 42.7–50.8 mm in males of the other species, see Heyer 1978 and Heyer et al. 1996); head slightly wider than long (HL 34 % of SVL, HW 34.2 % of SVL in L. cupreus sp. nov.; HL 36.8–39.8 % of SVL, HW 33.6–35.2 % of SVL in the other species, see Heyer 1978 and Heyer et al. 1996); general color copper on dorsal surfaces of body and limbs (general color brown to greyish brown in the other species); lateral head has a black, clearly defined, broad stripe, passing on the eye and tympanum (lateral head stripe less defined, thinner, grey to dark grey, passing under the eye and over the tympanum in the other species); lateral head with a white, defined stripe, delimited above and below by black stripes (poorly defined and poorly delimited in the other species); presence of a large, white gland behind the jaw articulation (absent or small, poorly developed, in the other species); dorsum without spots, dorsal surface of thighs and tibiae not distinctly barred (dorsum spotted, dorsal surface of thighs and tibiae distinctly barred in the other species); dorsolateral folds broad, from the anterior third of the body to groin (dorsolateral folds thin, from the eye to groin in the other species); urostyle stripe present, anal region with many large white tubercles (urostyle stripe absent or indistinct, anal region without or with indistinct tubercles in the other species). Moreover, L. cupreus sp. nov. is distinguished from: (1) the all other species in the complex by an outer metacarpal tubercle divided and smaller than the inner metacarpal tubercle (outer tubercle entire, rounded or somewhat triangular, larger than the inner tubercle in the other species); (2) from L. didymus, L. elenae, L. mystaceus, and L. notoaktites by a smooth dorsal surface of the tibiae (with many small horny spines in these species); and (3) from L. didymus, L. mystaceus, and L. notoaktites by a tarsus and foot with few tubercles (sole of foot and tarsus with many tubercles in these species). Additionally, L. cupreus sp. nov. is distinguished from L. mystacinus (a species not included in the L. mystaceus complex, but with two dorsolateral folds and sometimes with a copper color pattern) by the wider head and longer legs, lateral head black broad stripe passing on the eye and tympanum (passing under the eye and not covering the tympanum in L. mystacinus), the thin white stripe on lip (wide in L. mystacinus), the presence of clear dorsolateral stripes (absent in L. mystacinus), dark bars on dorsal surface of thighs, tibiae, and feet poorly defined, fragmented (defined, continuous in L. mystacinus), presence of a distinct light stripe on the posterior surface of thighs (absent in L. mystacinus) and surface of tarsus and foot with tubercles (distinct white tubercles present only on the tarsus in L. mystacinus). Leptodactylus cupreus sp. nov. has the fastest call rate in the assemblage, with about 12 calls/s (combined call rate ranging from 1.0 to 2.3 calls/s in L. didymus, L. elenae, L. mystaceus, L. notoaktites, and L. spixi) and a higher dominant frequency (between 2,800 and 3,058 Hz in L. cupreus sp. nov., ranging from 470 to 2,033 Hz in other species); additionally, L. cupreus sp. nov. may be promptly separated from L. mystaceus by having unpulsed advertisement call (pulsed in L. mystaceus). Additionally, the new species is distinguished from L. mystacinus by the fast call rate (12 calls/s in L. cupreus sp. nov.; 5–6.5 calls/s in L. mystacinus) and a higher dominant frequency (between 2,800 and 3,058 Hz in L. cupreus sp. nov.; 2,200 to 2,500 Hz in L. mystacinus). Description of the holotype: Robust build; head slightly wider than long, HL 96 % of HW, HL 34 % of SVL, HW 35 % of SVL. Snout sub­elliptical viewed from above (Fig. 2 A), protruding with distinct shelf in profile (Fig. 2 B); canthus rostralis indistinct, rounded; loreal region oblique, slightly concave. Nostrils closer to tip of snout than to eyes; internarial distance slightly larger than eye to nostril distance and smaller than eye diameter. Eye to nostril distance smaller than eye diameter and larger than upper eyelid width, interorbital distance, and tympanum diameter. Upper eyelid width smaller than interorbital distance and tympanum diameter. Tympanum circular, annulus distinct; tympanum largely separated from eye, its diameter smaller than eye diameter, TD 84 % of ED. Upper eyelid, head, and dorsal skin smooth; a supratympanic fold from the posterior corner of eye, arching downwards posteriorly to tympanum, delimiting the well developed shoulder blade and reaching the arm articulation; a large, longitudinally elongated, jaw articulation gland present; a pair of dorsolateral folds, from the anterior third of the body to groin; flanks barely rugose, a weak dermal fold and sparse tubercles present; ventral skin smooth, belly disk fold distinct; a granular seat patch under thighs; anal region with many rounded tubercles; dorsal surface of tibiae with many small and horny tubercles. Vocal sac poorly developed, subgular; a pair of distinct, developed, lateral vocal folds. Vocal slits present; vomerine teeth in two transverse, almost contacting medially, slightly arched series, located between and just posterior to the choanae. Tongue large, free, slightly notched behind. Hand (Fig. 2 C) with fingers slender, not webbed, tips rounded, not expanded; weak lateral ridges on fingers II and III, absent on the others; fingers lengths IV <II <III <I, first finger much longer than second; subarticular tubercles rounded, with proximal tubercles more developed than distal ones; few supranumerary tubercles present; outer metacarpal tubercle large, longitudinally divided, the most outer part about three times the inner part; inner metacarpal tubercle two times larger than outer one, elliptical; no spine or asperities on thumbs, no prepollex visible; no tubercles or crests on forearm. Legs robust, tibia length slightly larger than the thigh length; sum of tibia and thigh lengths about 97.5 % of SVL. Foot large (Fig. 2 D), foot length larger than tibia and thigh lengths, 75.3 % of SVL. Toes slender, not webbed, nor fringed; toes lengths I <II <V <III <IV; toe tips slightly pointed; subarticular tubercles large, rounded; sole of foot with distinct, approximately aligned tubercles; outer metatarsal tubercle very small, elliptical, flat; inner metatarsal tubercle large, elliptical, slightly elevated; sole of tarsus with few tubercles; inner tarsal fold distinct, approximately equal to the length of the tarsus. Measurements of the holotype: SVL 51.8; HL 17.4; HW 18.1; IND 4.6; END 4.5; ED 5.0; UEW 3.8; IOD 4.4; TD 4.2; HAL 12.2; THL 24.0; TL 26.5; FL 39.0. Color: In life, overall dorsal coloration uniformly copper; two dorsolateral stripes clear copper, from the anterior third of the body to groin, bounded above and below by black stripes. A light copper stripe on the urostyle. A wide black stripe from the tip of snout, passing over the naris, subcanthal region, inferior three fourth of eye, tympanum, and posteriorly bending towards the shoulder, bordering the shoulder blade inferiorly; below and along this black stripe, a golden, well defined stripe is visible; below the golden stripe, the upper and lower lips are dark grey. Bucal post­commissural gland distinctly golden. Flanks, below the black dorsolateral stripe, copper above and grey copper below, with scattered clear copper spots and flecks. Forelimbs copper above, with a black stripe on anterior and posterior sides of arms and black stains on forearms; fingers clear grey with small yellow flecks above. Legs copper above; the anterior dorsolateral side of thighs with black spots that sometimes fuse with each other; a clear cream longitudinal line runs along the lower limit of the posterior surface of thighs and delimits the granulose seat pad; dorsum of tibiae and outer surface of feet with scattered black stains, without forming defined pattern of bars; toes clear grey with scattered clear copper flecks. Venter and ventral surfaces of forelimbs and legs whitish grey with scattered clear cream, undefined stains; gular region clear pink. Anal region with distinct white tubercles. Eyes copper on superior one third and black below. In preservative, the copper color surfaces become clear brownish grey; the dorsolateral and urostyle stripes become cream, the lateral head stripe become clear cream, almost white, and the black stripes on lateral head, dorsolateral body, arms, and legs are maintained; bucal post­commissural gland becomes white; the longitudinal stripe on posterior side of thighs becomes white. Venter greyish white; gular region clear grey; tubercles on anal region white. Variation: Examined specimens are congruent among them respecting the morphological characters and color. Range, mean, and standard deviation of the measurements of eight males are in Table 1. Advertisement call (Fig. 4): Calls emitted irregularly in a variably long and fast sequence of peeps; call rate about 12 calls/s; call not pulsed, modulated, composed of three harmonics at 3,005 Hz, 5,770 Hz, and 8,527 Hz; fundamental and dominant frequency between 2,800 and 3,058 Hz. Geographic distribution: The new species is known only from type locality, associated to the northern part of the Mantiqueira Mountain Range Complex, locally called Serra do Brigadeiro. Habitat and habits: The type locality of L. cupreus is essentially the same as recently described for Chiasmocleis mantiqueira (Anura, Microhylidae; see Cruz et al. 2007). The Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, in the Atlantic Rain Forest biome, is a conservation unit managed by the Instituto Estadual de Florestas of the State of Minas Gerais. The 13,000 ha of the Parque involve the highest portions of a set of mountains integrating the Mantiqueira Mountain Range Complex, with maximum of 1,985 m above sea level. The Lagoa das Bromélias (local name meaning Bromeliads’ Lake) is a temporary pond at 1,227 m altitude, that completely dryes­ up during the dry season (April to September), but with about 250 m 2 of water surface in the wet season (October to March). This pond is found in a forest fragment with especially rich epiphitic flora mainly represented by the Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae plants families. Males of L. cupreus were found calling at night in densities of up to 20 individuals, only during the early month of the wet season (October), when the dryed pond ground is totally covered by herbaceous vegetation. The males call under these plants, inside small burrows excavated in the soil. Females, egg clutches, and tadpoles are unknown. Etymology: The specific epithet, “ cupreus ”, is a Latin adjective referred to the copper general color pattern of the new species.Published as part of Caramaschi, Ulisses, Feio, Renato N. & São-Pedro, Vinícius A., 2008, A new species of Leptodactylus Fitzinger (Anura, Leptodactylidae) from Serra do Brigadeiro, State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil, pp. 44-54 in Zootaxa 1861 on pages 45-51, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18369

Description of a new species of Phyllodytes Wagler, 1830 (Anura, Hylidae) from the Atlantic Rain Forest of the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, Brazil

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The advertisement call, color patterns and distribution of Ischnocnema izecksohni (Caramaschi and Kisteumacher, 1989) (Anura, Brachycephalidae)

Ischnocnema izecksohni inhabits the gallery forests from the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Southern Espinhaço range, state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, and it is considered endemic to this region. Its closest related species is I. nasuta according to the original description. We describe the advertisement call of I. izecksohni based on specimens recorded and collected at the municipality of Nova Lima, state of Minas Gerais, distant about 10 km straight line from its type locality. The advertisement call consists of a group of notes emitted sporadically without a regular interval between the calls. Call duration (n = 36 calls in four individuals) ranged from 1.03 to 1.85 s (= 1.52 ± 0.21 s) and the call rise time from 0.66 to 1.52 s (= 1.16 ± 0.25 s), with 34-57 notes per call (= 47.42 ± 6.03). Peak frequency ranged from 2250 to 2625 Hz, the dominant frequency from 1317.8 to 3128.0 Hz and interval between notes from 22.00 to 41.00 ms (= 28.63 ± 0.03 ms). From the examination of herpetological collections, morphological and bioacoustical data we extended the species known distribution ca. 200 km eastward, to ten new localities, all of them outside the Quadrilátero Ferrífero region, at the Mantiqueira mountain range. We analyzed color patterns and we find some dorsal patterns not described at the original description of I. izecksohni. We also make some comments concerning the taxonomic status of I. izecksohni and I. nasuta.Ischnocnema izecksohni habita as matas de galeria do Quadrilátero Ferrífero, sul da Cadeia do Espinhaço, estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil e é considerada endêmica desta região. Sua espécie mais próxima, de acordo com a descrição original, é I. nasuta. Descreve-se o canto de I. izecksohni baseado em espécimes gravados e coletados em Nova Lima, MG, que dista 10 km em linha reta da localidade tipo da espécie. O canto de anúncio consiste em um grupo de notas emitidas esporadicamente sem um intervalo regular entre os cantos. A duração do canto (n = 36 cantos em quatro indivíduos) variou de 1,03 até 1,85 s (= 1,52 ± 0,21 s) e o tempo até a amplitude máxima do canto de 0,66 to 1,52 s (= 1,16 ± 0,25 s), com 34-57 notas por canto (= 47.42 ± 6.03). A freqüência de pico variou de 2250 a 2625 Hz, a freqüência dominante de 1317,8 a 3128,0 Hz e o intervalo entre as notas de 22,00 to 41,00 ms (= 28,63 ± 0,03 ms). A partir do exame de coleções herpetológicas, dados morfológicos e bioacústicos estendeu-se a distribuição da espécie para cerca de 200 km a leste, para mais dez localidades, todas elas fora do Quadrilátero Ferrífero, no complexo da Mantiqueira. Foram analisados padrões de coloração e alguns padrões dorsais além daquele presente na descrição original foram encontrados. São feitos comentários acerca do status taxonômico de I. izecksohni e I. nasuta