A conservation roadmap for the subterranean biome

The 15th UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (COP15) will be held in Kunming, China in October 2021. Historically, CBDs and other multilateral treaties have either alluded to or entirely overlooked the subterranean biome. A multilateral effort to robustly examine, monitor, and incorporate the subterranean biome into future conservation targets will enable the CBD to further improve the ecological effectiveness of protected areas by including groundwater resources, subterranean ecosystem services, and the profoundly endemic subsurface biodiversity. To this end, we proffer a conservation roadmap that embodies five conceptual areas: (1) science gaps and data management needs; (2) anthropogenic stressors; (3) socioeconomic analysis and conflict resolution; (4) environmental education; and (5) national policies and multilateral agreements.Peer reviewe

Coarazuphium amazonicus Pellegrini & Ferreira 2017, sp. n.

<i>Coarazuphium amazonicus</i> sp. n. <p> <b>Description.</b> Holotype male (Fig. 4). Total length, from the apex of the clypeus to the apex of the elytra: 4.85 mm, width, at widest region of the elytra: 1.59 mm. Body coloration is pale brown (Fig. 8 E). Dorsal integument covered with short recumbent setae, except for glabrous top of head.</p> <p> <b>Head.</b> Subtrapezoidal (Fig. 4) with similar width and length, width/length ratio: 0.92. Maximum width of head at its base, 1.09 mm. Head as width as pronotum. Dorsal surface with one pair of setae laterally to eyes (supraorbital setae), and one pair located immediately behind ocular area (occipital setae). Ventral surface with one pair of anterior setae, located outside from gular area (Fig. 5 A). Eyes reduced and depigmented, ommatidia not evident, situated laterally at the end of antennal impression of the head (Fig. 5 A).</p> <p> <i>Antennae.</i> Antennae filiform and flagellar, (Fig. 4) 3.94 mm, 4.87 times longer than pronotum; first antennomere (scape) elongate, shorter than 2–4 together. First antennomere with a long bristle close to the middle; 2nd very short. Segments 3–10 subequal, almost round in cross-section, except for the tip of the terminal antennomere (11th), which is laterally flattened.</p> <p> <i>Pronotum.</i> Shape trapezoidal, 1.33 times wider than long (Figs. 4). Maximum widths near anterior angle as wide as head. Posterior angle is acute. Dorsal surface with two pairs of erect setae: one close to the anterior angle of the pronotum and the other, shorter, close to the posterior angle. Ventral surface with one pair of anterior setae medially located (Fig. 5 B).</p> <p> <i>Elytra hind wings and abdomen.</i> Elytra are free (Fig. 4), together 1.56 times longer than wide. Maximum width nearly middle and 1.48 times wider than pronotum. Apex of elytra is truncate, not sinuate. Seven long umbilicate setae on each elytron: 3 close to the anterior angle, 2 marginal in posterior half, and 2 on posterior margin. Hind wings very reduced (Fig. 4 B), 0.305 mm long. Abdominal tergites 1–5, glabrous, sixth sternum with a short pair of ventral setae at its posterior margin.</p> <p> <i>Legs.</i> One basal setae on procoxae and metacoxa; mesocoxa with three setae. Pro-, and mesotrochanter each with one medial setae, metatrochanter glabrous. Profemur with long and short setae. Profemur 1.13 times longer than the mesofemur and 0.80 times the length of metafemur. Protibia 1.12 times longer than the mesotibia and 0.80 times the length of metatibia. Protibia 1.29 times longer than protarsus. Mesotibia 0.92 times the length of mesotarsus; metatibia 0.95 times the length of metatarsus. First tarsomere from pro-, meso-, and metatarsus almost equal to tarsomeres 2–4 together. Length of protibia and tarsus together 2.42 times the length of the pronotum. Length of mesotibia and tarsus 2.56 times, and length of metatibia and tarsus 3.51 times the length of pronotum.</p> <p> <i>Aedeagus.</i> Phallus slightly curved ventrally and elongate, narrowed apically, apical margin rounded (Figs. 6 A– C), 0.76 mm long. Left paramere subtriangular, conchoid, about two times longer than wide, 0.32 mm long; right paramere styliform, about 4 times longer than wide, distinctly shorter, 0.19 mm long. Male genital segment triangular shaped.</p> <p> <b>Female genitalia</b> (Fig. 7). Ovipositor (Figs. 7 C–D): basal gonocoxite 1 (gc1) almost the same length as apical gonocoxite 2, bearing three (or four) long trichoid setae near distal margin; gonocoxite 2 (gc2), in lateral aspect falciform, apex pointed, with one furrow peg bearing an apical nematiform seta (ans), and surfaces with many marginal pit pegs. Female genital tract totally membranous (Figs. 7 A–B). Bursa copulatrix (bc) bulbous, expanded anteriorly to insertion point of common oviduct (co). Spermatheca (sp) is markedly elongated and slender, enovelling distally; spermathecal gland and spermathecal gland duct are broken or not visible in both specimens analyzed, spermatheca is located just above bursal saculus (bs).</p> <p> <b>Variation.</b> Length (from anterior margin of clypeus to apical margin of elytra) of four males 4.49–4.85 mm, and of eleven females 4.53–4.84 mm. On females, Gonocoxite 1 with three or four long trichoid setae. Body coloration varies from yellowish to pale brown. Males and females are very similar, but can be recognized by the male genital segment or female gonocoxites, that can be seen due to tegument transparency of last segment.</p> <p> <b>Etymology.</b> The epithet is given in designation to the Amazon forest. All specimens were collected at Pará state, located in the Amazon rainforest and so far, this is the most widespread species found in the region.</p> <p> <b>Differential diagnosis.</b> All characteristics of <i>C. amazonicus</i> are consistent with the description of the genus <i>Coarazuphium</i>. This species differs from all others of the genus by the following combination of characters: reduced and depigmented eyes; maximum width of elytra near middle with almost parallel sides; elytra with apical margin truncate, not sinuate; head dorsally with only one pair of supraorbital setae (posterior pair absent); metafemur without a spine at the middle ventral side; antennae long, about 0.81 times of body length; aedeagus phallus about 2.60 times longer than left paramere and 4.45 times longer than right paramere.</p> <p> <b>Type material. Holotype:</b> BRAZIL: Pará, Serra dos Carajás, Cave N 5SM2-102 Flona Carajás, PA, 6o07`17.52”S 50o07`52.30”W 571 m asl, ♂, 24.IX.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2290). <b>Additional material, 10 Paratypes:</b> BRAZIL. Pará: Serra dos Carajás, Flora de Carajás: Paratype 1: Cave N 5SM2-093 (6o07`17.13”S 50o07`55.95”W) 598 m asl, 1♀, 24.IX.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2292); Paratype 2: Cave N5SM2-089 (6o07`14.69”S 50o07`43.74”W) 455 m asl, 1♀, 16.III.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2293); Paratype 3: Cave N5SM2-046 (6o07`54.20”S 50o08`06.47”W) 502 m asl, 1♀, 20.X.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2294); Paratype 4: Cave N5SM2-102 (6o07`17.50”S 50o07`52.33”W) 562 m asl, 1♀, 24.IX.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2295); Paratype 5: Cave N5SM2-057 (6o07`46.73”S 50o08`05.10”W) 532 m asl, 1♀, 16.X.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2297); Paratype 6: Cave N5SM2-021 (6o07`58.35”S 50o07`51.70”W) 577m asl., 1♀, 27.X.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2298); Paratype 7: Cave N5SM2- 0 89 (6o07`14.69”S 50o07`43.74”W) 455m asl., 1♀, 16.III.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2299); Paratype 8: Cave N5SM2-037 (6o07`58.63”S 50o08`04.98”W) 517 m asl, 1♂, 05.IV.2011, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 5137); Paratype 9: Cave N5SM2-057 (6o07`46.73”S 50o08`05.10”W) 532 m asl., 1♀, 16.X.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 21347); Paratype 10: Cave N5SM2-037 (6o07`58.63”S 50o08`04.98”W) 517 m asl, 1♀, 05.IV.2011, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 7406).</p> <p> <b>Other material examined.</b> BRAZIL. Pará: Serra dos Carajás, Flora de Carajás: Cave N5SM2-078 (6o07`23.09”S 50o07`48.70”W) 522 m asl., 1♀, 28.IX.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2291); Cave N5SM2-086 (6o07`16.18”S 50o07`47.22”W) 490 m asl., 1, 15.X.2010, Zampaulo, R.A. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 2296); Cave N5W-0003 (6o04`52.29”S 50o08`03.86”W) 658 m asl, 1♀, 30.XI.2016, Pietrobon, T. leg., (ISLA 21274); Cave N5W-0003 (6o04`52.29”S 50o08`03.86”W) 658m asl., 1♂, 30.XI.2016, Ribeiro, leg., (ISLA 21275); Cave N4E-0092 (6o02`23.96”S 50o09`32.50”W) 586 m asl, 1♂, 17.XI.2016, Bernardi, L.F.O. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 21276); Cave N4E-0010 (6o02`21.57”S 50o09`39.67”W) 671 m asl, 2♂ 1♀, 09.II.2017, Bernardi, L.F.O. <i>et al.</i> leg., (ISLA 21344, ISLA 21344, ISLA 21344).</p>Published as part of <i>Pellegrini, Thais Giovannini & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2017, Two new troglobitic Coarazuphium Gnaspini, Godoy & Vanin 1998 species of ground beetles from iron ore Brazilian caves (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zuphiini), pp. 551-566 in Zootaxa 4306 (4)</i> on pages 555-559, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4306.4.6, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/845169">http://zenodo.org/record/845169</a&gt

Are inner cave communities more stable than entrance communities in Lapa Nova show cave?

Lapa Nova is a dolomitic Brazilian show cave. Invertebrate fauna registered for this cave is quite rich and abundant. During two intensive surveys in 2009, 24,482 invertebrate individuals belonging to 187 species were sampled. We found 160 species in April sampling, while in September sampling richness was considerably lower, 102 species, with a remarkable species turnover. In this paper the species richness, abundance and species diversity is presented. The Shannon`s diversity index was 2.79 and 2.87 for April and September, respectively. Although one would expect less variations to be found in the deep cave community (when compared to those located near the entrances), due to higher environmental stability, this was not observed at Lapa Nova cave. This “paradox” is probably due to the intense tourism that occurs in the cave, which imposes “instability” in all sectors, not only in nearby entrance areas. Visitation at the cave probably altered the expected natural distribution pattern, imposing a new organization of the communities, driven by the unstable conditions imposed by cave tourism

Coarazuphium

Key to species of the genus Coarazuphium (modify from Ball & Shpeley 2013) 1. Anophthalmous. Maximum width of elytra near middle. Male genitalia: right paramere styliform, about as long as left paramere......................................................... C. cessaima Gnaspini, Vanin & Godoy, 1998 - Microphthalmous. Maximum width of elytra near middle, or posteriad middle. Male genitalia: right paramere styliform or not, distinctly shorter than left paramere....................................................................... 2 2. Elytron with apical margin truncate, not sinuate. Male right paramere styliform or broad............................. 3 - Elytron with apical margin sinuate. Male right paramere broad, not styli- form, distinctly shorter than left paramere....... 5 3. Head dorsally without setae posteriad the anterior supraorbital setae............ C. tapiaguassu Pellegrini & Ferreira, 2011 - Head dorsally with one to three pairs of setae posteriad the anterior supraorbital setae............................... 4 4. Labrum with anterior margin broadly concave. Prosternal setae two pair. Maximum width (of elytra) posteriad transverse mid- line. Male right paramere broad, not styliform, distinctly shorter than left paramere. Brazil...................................................................................................... C. pains Álvares & Ferreira, 2002 - Labrum with anterior margin irregularly convex. Prosternal setae one pair. Male right paramere styliform, more than half length of left paramere. Mexico.............................................. C. whiteheadi Ball & Shpeley, 2013 5. Head dorsally with a single pair of setae posteriad the anterior supraorbital setae. Male left paramere styliform....................................................................................... C. tessai (Godoy & Vanin, 1990) - Head dorsally with two pairs of setae posteriad the anterior supraorbital setae...................................... 6 6. Head dorsally with two pairs of setae (posterior supraorbitals and occipitals,) at posterior border of head capsule. Male left paramere broad, conchoids............................................ C. bezerra Gnaspini, Vanin & Godoy, 1998 - Without the above combination of characters................................................................ 7 7. Slight apical sinuosity of elytron (Figs. 12 A–C)................................ C. formoso Pellegrini & Ferreira 2011 - Pronounced apical sinuosity of elytron (Figs. 12 B–D)........................................... C. caatinga sp. n.Published as part of Pellegrini, Thais Giovannini & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2014, Ultrastructural analysis and polymorphisms in Coarazuphium caatinga (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zuphiini), a new Brazilian troglobitic beetle, pp. 526-540 in Zootaxa 3765 (6) on pages 537-538, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3765.6.2, http://zenodo.org/record/22439

Coarazuphium Pellegrini & Ferreira 2017

Key to adult species of the genus <i>Coarazuphium</i> <p>(modified from Bená & Vanin 2014)</p> <p> 1. Anophthalmous (Gnaspini <i>et al</i>. 1998: 307, fig.6). Maximum width of elytra near middle. Male genitalia: right paramere (Gnaspini <i>et al</i>. 1998: fig. 10) styliform, about as long as left paramere............. <i>C. cessaima</i> Gnaspini, Vanin & Godoy</p> <p>1'. Microphthalmous. Maximum width of elytra near middle, or posterior middle. Male genitalia: right paramere styliform or not, distinctly shorter than left paramere.......................................................................2</p> <p>2(1'). Elytron with apical margin truncate, not sinuate. Male right paramere styliform or broad.............................3</p> <p>2'. Elytron with apical margin sinuate. Male right paramere broad, not styliform, distinctly shorter than left paramere.........8</p> <p>3(2). Head dorsally without setae posterior to the anterior supraorbital setae (Pellegrini and Ferreira 2011: 49, fig.2A)..........4</p> <p>3' Head dorsally with one to three pairs of setae posterior the anterior supraorbital setae............................... 6</p> <p> 4(3) Metafemur bearing a spine at the middle ventral side; antennae short, about 0.68 times of body length (Fig. 1 C)................................................................................................. <i>C. spinifemur</i> <b>sp. n.</b></p> <p>4`Metafemur without a spine at the middle ventral side; antennae long, reaching metafemur............................5</p> <p> 5(4`) Aedeagus very long and slender, about 2.89 times longer than left paremere (Pellegrini & Ferreira 2011: Figs. 2 C–E)............................................................................... <i>C. tapiaguassu</i> Pellegrini & Ferreira</p> <p> 5`Aedeagus shorter, about 2.6 times longer than left paremere (Fig. 6 B)............................ <i>C. amazonicus</i> <b>sp. n.</b></p> <p> 6(3'). Male right paramere slender, styliform (Ball & Shpeley 2013: fig. 10C)................... <i>C. whiteheadi</i> Ball & Shpeley</p> <p>6'. Male right paramere broad, not styliform (Fig. 19).......................................................... 7</p> <p> 7. Two pairs of prosternal setae (Álvares & Ferreira 2002: 42, fig.3). Maximum width of elytra posterior to the midline (Álvares & Ferreira 2002: 42, fig. 1)......................................................... <i>C. pains</i> Álvares & Ferreira</p> <p> 7' One pair of prosternal setae (Fig. 6). Maximum width of elytra near middle (Bená & Vanin 2014: Figs. 1 and 4)........................................................................................... <i>C. ricardoi</i> Bená & Vanin</p> <p>8(2'). Head dorsally with three pairs of setae posteriad the anterior supraorbital setae....................................9</p> <p>8'. Head dorsally with one or two pairs of setae posteriad the anterior supraorbital setae...............................10</p> <p> 9(8). Slight apical sinuosity of elytron (Pellegrini & Ferreira 2014: figs. 12A and 12C).......... <i>C. formoso</i> Pellegrini & Ferreira</p> <p> 9'. Pronounced apical sinuosity of elytron (Pelegrinni & Ferreira 2014: figs. 12B and 12D).... <i>C. caatinga</i> Pellegrini & Ferreira</p> <p> 10(8') Head dorsally with two pairs of setae (posterior suopraorbitals and occipitals) at posterior border of head capsule (Gnaspini <i>et al.</i> 1998: fig. 1.) Male left paramere broad, conchoid (Gnaspini <i>et al.</i> 1998: fig. 3)..... <i>C. bezerra</i> Gnaspini, Vanin & Godoy</p> <p> 10'. Single pair of setae (posterior supraorbitals) at posterior border of head capsule (Godoy & Vanin 1990: 796, fig. 1). Male left paramere styliform (Godoy & Vanin 1990: 798, fig. 2)................................... <i>C. tessai</i> (Godoy & Vanin)</p>Published as part of <i>Pellegrini, Thais Giovannini & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2017, Two new troglobitic Coarazuphium Gnaspini, Godoy & Vanin 1998 species of ground beetles from iron ore Brazilian caves (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zuphiini), pp. 551-566 in Zootaxa 4306 (4)</i> on page 559, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4306.4.6, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/845169">http://zenodo.org/record/845169</a&gt

FIGURE 1 in Ultrastructural analysis and polymorphisms in Coarazuphium caatinga (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zuphiini), a new Brazilian troglobitic beetle

FIGURE 1. (A) Localization of Campo Formoso, type municipality at Bahia state, Brazil. (B) Live specimen of Coarazuphium caatinga sp. n. (C) Toca do Gonçalo Cave entrance. (D) Conduct of Toca do Gonçalo Cave.Published as part of Pellegrini, Thais Giovannini & Ferreira, Rodrigo Lopes, 2014, Ultrastructural analysis and polymorphisms in Coarazuphium caatinga (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zuphiini), a new Brazilian troglobitic beetle, pp. 526-540 in Zootaxa 3765 (6) on page 528, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3765.6.2, http://zenodo.org/record/22439

Management in a neotropical show cave: planning for invertebrates conservation

Lapa Nova is a dolomitic cave about 4.5 km long located in northwestern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The cave experiences intense tourism, concentrated over a single period of the year, during the Feast of Our Lady of Lapa. In order to evaluate the impacts felt by the invertebrate community from this tourism, a new methodology was proposed. Four types of areas (intense visitation area, outlying visitation areas, moderate visitation areas and no-visitation areas) were sampled for invertebrates. There was one sampling prior and another on the last day of the 128th feast, to evaluate the effects of visitation on cave-dwelling invertebrates. Results show that invertebrate populations residing in more intensely visited areas of the cave undergo changes in distribution following the event. As a consequence of tourism, invertebrates shift to outlying locations from the visited area, which serve as refuges to the communities. Apparently, the fact that there are places inside Lapa Nova inaccessible to tourists reduces the impact suffered by the invertebrate community, as those sites serve as refuges for cave-dwelling organisms during the pilgrimage. A proper management plan was devised for the tourism/religious use of the cave. It consists basically of delimiting marked pathways for tourists, allowing invertebrates to seek shelter at locations outside visited areas and keeping no-visitation areas off-limits to tourism based on the results of the visitation effects on cave-dwelling invertebrates

FIGURE 8 in Two new troglobitic Coarazuphium Gnaspini, Godoy & Vanin 1998 species of ground beetles from iron ore Brazilian caves (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Zuphiini)

FIGURE 8. (A – D) Occurrence area of C. amazonicus new species (green balls), Coarazuphium tapiaguassu (yellow balls) and C. spinifemur new species (red ball); (A) South America; (B) Para State with geomorphological units in detail; (C) Geomorphological unit of Serra Norte in green and Geomorphological unit of Serra Leste in pink (black dots represents the three Coarazuphium species distribution; (D) C. amazonicus spatial distribution in geomorphological unit of Serra Norte; (E) C. tapiaguassu and C. spinifemur spatial distribution in geomorphological unit of Serra Leste; (F) Live specimen of C. amazonicus sp. n.; (G) Live specimen of C. tapiaguassu, and (H) Fixed specimen of C. spinifemur sp. n

The first troglobitic species of Perigona Castelnau, 1835 endemic to southeastern Brazil (Carabidae, Perigonini)

We describe the first Neotropical troglobitic species of the genus Perigona Castelnau, 1835 from specimens collected in eight caves located in the Arcos-Pains-Doresópolis speleological province (APD), southeastern Brazil. Perigona spelunca sp. nov. is the fourth known microphthalmous species of the genus, and the second of the subgenus Neoperigona. Other specialisations to the subterranean environment include brachyptery, elongation of appendages and orangish brown body coloration. The new species has an umbilicate series of punctures on the 8th stria with 15 setae arranged linearly and not divided in three groups. We also provide historic biogeographical remarks on the new species

Coarazuphium bambui (Carabidae: Zuphiini), a new cave-dwelling beetle from the threatened region of Serra do Ramalho, Brazil

Pellegrini, Thais Giovannini, Bichuette, Maria Elina, Vieira, Letícia (2022): Coarazuphium bambui (Carabidae: Zuphiini), a new cave-dwelling beetle from the threatened region of Serra do Ramalho, Brazil. Zootaxa 5129 (4): 557-568, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5129.4.