Morcegos da Chapada do Araripe, nordeste do Brasil

Chapada do Araripe is a plateau located within the Caatinga biome in northeastern Brazil between the states of Ceará, Pernambuco and Piauí. Altimetry has great variation, giving a variety of vegetation and environmental dynamics distinct from other Caatinga areas. With the aim of increasing the meager information on biodiversity of the Caatinga, between 2010 and 2012 we conducted a survey of bats in five locations in the Chapada do Araripe, in counties of Barbalha and Jardim, Ceará, and Serrita in Pernambuco. Our survey recorded 25 species in six families resulting in the capture of 201 individuals. Sampling recorded three new records for Ceará State, Sturnira tildae, Pteronotus gymnonotus, Cynomops planirostris and Promops nasutus. A compilation of the literature revealed that in the Chapado do Araripe occur 49 bat species distributed in eight families, representing 64% of bat species in the Caatinga.A Chapada do Araripe é um planalto localizado dentro do domínio da Caatinga no nordeste brasileiro entre os Estados do Ceará, Pernambuco e Piauí. Possui uma grande variação altimétrica, o que confere uma variedade de fitofisionomias e uma dinâmica ambiental distinta das demais áreas de Caatinga. Com o objetivo de incrementar as parcas informações sobre a biodiversidade da Caatinga apresentamos aqui o resultado de um levantamento de espécies de morcegos, realizado entre 2010 e 2012, em cinco localidades da Chapada do Araripe, nos municípios de Barbalha e Jardim, no Ceará, e Serrita, em Pernambuco. Nosso levantamento registrou 25 espécies distribuídas em seis famílias, resultante da captura de 201 indivíduos. A amostragem registrou quatro novas ocorrências para o Estado do Ceará, Sturnira tildae, Pteronotus gymnonotus, Cynomops planirostris e Promops nasutus. Uma compilação da literatura revelou que na Chapada do Araripe ocorrem 49 espécies de morcegos distribuídas em oito famílias, o que representa 64% das espécies de morcegos da Caatinga

Taxocenose de morcegos em remanescentes de Floresta Atlântica em Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil

The process of habitat fragmentation has been intensified by human action, and therefore becomes increasingly more important to establish protected areas for conservation of native species, including with the participation of private entities. Wildlife surveys are essential to understanding the regional patterns of biological diversity, allowing a better characterization of the geographic distribution of specific taxa, supporting an adequate planning for nature conservation. We conducted an inventory of bats in a fragmented area of Atlantic Forest at Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Fazenda Lagoa, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. With 110 captures, we recorded 16 species of bats belonging to four families, with dominance of generalist frugivorous species. Seven of the 10 trophic guilds categorized for Neotropical bats were recorded at the study area. This study adds important information about a region that represents a gap in the knowledge of Brazilian chiropterofauna, subsidizing possible conservation plans in the future.Keywords: Chiroptera, conservation, private reserve, survey, trophic guild.O processo de fragmentação de habitat tem sido intensificado pela ação humana. Por isso torna-se cada vez mais importante o estabelecimento de áreas protegidas para conservação das espécies nativas, inclusive com a participação do setor privado. Levantamentos de fauna são essenciais para se compreender os padrões regionais de diversidade biológica, permitindo uma melhor caracterização da distribuição geográfica de táxons específicos, subsidiando planejamentos adequados para a conservação da natureza. Assim, realizamos um inventário de morcegos em área de Floresta Atlântica intensamente fragmentada na Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Fazenda Lagoa, sul de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil. Foram realizadas 110 capturas e registradas 16 espécies de morcegos distribuídas em quatro famílias, havendo acentuada dominância de espécies frugívoras generalistas. Sete das 10 guildas tróficas reconhecidas para morcegos neotropicais foram registradas na área de estudo. Este estudo adiciona importantes informações sobre uma região que representa uma lacuna no conhecimento da quiropterofauna brasileira, subsidiando possíveis planos de conservação no futuro.Palavras-chave: Chiroptera, conservação, levantamento, reserva privada, guilda trófica

Morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) em remanescente de Floresta Atlântica, Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil

Biodiversity inventories are essential to generate information leading to the proposal of conservation plans, especially for threatened areas. Despite being one of the best sampled regions for bats in Brazil, some areas of Rio de Janeiro still represent knowledge gaps. Between May 2011 and June 2012, we performed 36 nightly samplings to conduct an inventory of bat species in Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, in Cachoeiras de Macacu, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. We used 10 mist-nets per night opened from sunset to sunrise. A total of 1,290 individuals belonging to 31 bat species were caught. They were distributed in three families, Phyllostomidae (24 species), Vespertilionidae (four species) and Molossidae (three species). We recorded two other species of two families, Noctilionidae and Thyropteridae, by direct observations. The species richness of bats in Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu is one of the largest ever recorded in the Atlantic Forest.Keywords: rainforest, species richness, abundance, biodiversity inventory.Inventários de biodiversidade são essenciais para gerar informações que levem à proposta de planos de conservação, especialmente para áreas ameaçadas. Apesar do estado do Rio de Janeiro ser a região com maior número de amostragens de morcegos no Brasil, algumas áreas ainda representam lacunas de conhecimento. Entre maio de 2011 e junho de 2012, realizamos 36 amostragens noturnas para inventariar as espécies de morcegos da Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu, no município de Cachoeiras de Macacu, Rio de Janeiro. Foram utilizadas 10 redes-de-neblina por noite, abertas do anoitecer ao amanhecer. Um total de 1.290 indivíduos pertencentes a 31 espécies de morcegos foi capturado. As espécies estão distribuídas em três famílias, Phyllostomidae (24 espécies), Vespertilionidae (quatro espécies) e Molossidae (três espécies). Duas outras espécies, das famílias Noctilionidae e Thyropteridae, foram registradas por observações diretas. A riqueza de morcegos da Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu é uma das maiores já registradas na Floresta Atlântica.Palavras-chave: floresta úmida, riqueza de espécies, abundância, inventário de biodiversidade

Enhancing sampling design in mist-net bat surveys by accounting for sample size optimization

The advantages of mist-netting, the main technique used in Neotropical bat community studies to date, include logistical implementation, standardization and sampling representativeness. Nonetheless, study designs still have to deal with issues of detectability related to how different species behave and use the environment. Yet there is considerable sampling heterogeneity across available studies in the literature. Here, we approach the problem of sample size optimization. We evaluated the common sense hypothesis that the first six hours comprise the period of peak night activity for several species, thereby resulting in a representative sample for the whole night. To this end, we combined re-sampling techniques, species accumulation curves, threshold analysis, and community concordance of species compositional data, and applied them to datasets of three different Neotropical biomes (Amazonia, Atlantic Forest and Cerrado). We show that the strategy of restricting sampling to only six hours of the night frequently results in incomplete sampling representation of the entire bat community investigated. From a quantitative standpoint, results corroborated the existence of a major Sample Area effect in all datasets, although for the Amazonia dataset the six-hour strategy was significantly less species-rich after extrapolation, and for the Cerrado dataset it was more efficient. From the qualitative standpoint, however, results demonstrated that, for all three datasets, the identity of species that are effectively sampled will be inherently impacted by choices of sub-sampling schedule. We also propose an alternative six-hour sampling strategy (at the beginning and the end of a sample night) which performed better when resampling Amazonian and Atlantic Forest datasets on bat assemblages. Given the observed magnitude of our results, we propose that sample representativeness has to be carefully weighed against study objectives, and recommend that the trade-off between logistical constraints and additional sampling performance should be carefully evaluated

Myotis riparius Handley 1960

Myotis riparius Handley, 1960 Riparian Myotis Myotis simus riparius Handley, 1960:466. Type locality “Tacarcuna Village, 3,200 ft., Río Pucro, Darién, Panama.” Myotis riparius: LaVal, 1973:32. First use of the current name combination. [Myotis] riparia Woodman, 1993:545. Unjustified emendation of Myotis riparius Handley, 1960. Myotis (Leuconoe) riparius: Koopman, 1993:214. Name combination. CONTEXT AND CONTENT. Order Chiroptera, suborder Yangochiroptera, family Vespertilionidae, subfamily Myotinae, genus Myotis. M. riparius is monotypic (LaVal 1973; Koopman 1994; Simmons 2005; Wilson 2008). It was originally described as a subspecies of Myotis simus by Handley (1960). Subsequently, LaVal (1973) raised riparius to the species level. Included in the cosmopolitan subgenus Leuconoe by Koopman (1993), which was subsequently determined to be polyphyletic (Ruedi and Mayer 2001; Hoofer and Van Den Bussche 2003; Stadelmann et al. 2007). Currently, M. riparius is included in an unnamed New World subgenus (Stadelmann et al. 2007). Brazil. Photograph by Roberto Leonan Morim Novaes. DIAGNOSIS Myotis riparius is morphologically similar to its Neotropical congeners. In general, M. riparius can be distinguished from other Myotis by the following set of traits: long, woolly fur; dorsal hairs unicolored; plagiopatagium broadly attached to the foot at the level of the base of the toes; fringe of hairs along the trailing edge of uropatagium absent; sagittal and lambdoidal crests present, varying from low to high; occipital region flattened posteriorly. Specimens from Paraguay, northern Argentina, southeastern Brazil, and Uruguay are generally brownish or blackish pelage in the dorsal region, with low sagittal and lambdoidal crests. Specimens from the Amazon basin northward into Panama generally have reddish, reddish-brown or cinnamon dorsal pelage, and medium-to-high sagittal and lambdoidal crests. GENERAL CHARACTERS Myotis riparius (Fig. 1) is a medium-sized species compared to other South American Myotis (see external and skull measurements below). Ears are comparatively short, extending forward halfway from eye to nostril. The antitragal notch is barely evident. The tragus is pointed, slightly curving outward above and convex below, with a small triangular lobule at the outer base. Membranes are Mummy Brown (following Ridgway 1912); and the plagiopatagium is broadly attached to foot at the level of the base of the toes. The fringe of hairs along the trailing edge of uropatagium is absent; and the upper and lower surfaces of the uropatagium are barely covered with hairs. M. riparius has long woolly fur. Ventral hairs are bicolored, with dark-brown bases and yellowish tips, with a strong contrast between bases and tips. Dorsal hairs are unicolored, without contrast between bases and tips (López-González et al. 2001; Moratelli et al. 2013). Pelage color varies geographically (Moratelli 2008). In M. riparius, the skull is moderate in size; the parietal is inclined forward; the occipital region is generally flattened posteriorly; the sagittal crest is generally present, ranging from low to high; lambdoidal crests are always present, ranging from low to median; P3 is generally aligned with P2 and P4, and is visible in profile view, but may be displaced to the lingual side, being visible or not (Fig. 2). As with pelage color, height of skull crests varies geographically (Moratelli 2008). External and skull measurements (mm or g; parenthetical n) for adult males and females combined were: total length 73–91 (107); tail length 28–48 (104); foot length 6–10 (98); ear length 7–15 (96); tragus length 4–11 (35); forearm length 32.3–39.8 (172); length of 3rd metacarpal 29.2–36.5 (161); length of dorsal fur 5–9 (101); length of ventral fur 4–8 mm (97); body mass 4–7 (89); greatest length of skull 13.2–15.2 (159); condylocanine length 11.3–13.4 (160); condylobasal length 11.8–14.0 (160); condyloincisive length 12.1–14.3 (160); basal length 10.8–12.8 (158); zygomatic breadth 8.2–10.0 (73); mastoid breadth 6.7– 7.9 (154); braincase breadth 6.0–7.0 (160); interorbital breadth 4.2–5.3 (162); postorbital breadth 3.1–3.9 (161); breadth across canines 3.4–4.3 (158); breadth across molars 5.2–6.2 (160); length of maxillary toothrow 4.7–5.7 (162); length of molariform toothrow 2.7–3.2 (160); mandibular length 9.3–11.0 (140); and length of mandibular toothrow 5.1–6.1 (156). The bacula is narrow and shallow with a pointed shaft, but widening suddenly near the proximal end. Bacular measurements and means (mm; parenthetical ranges) were: length 0.77 (0.65–0.86), depth 0.28 (0.22–0.29), and width 0.38 (0.36–0.50— LaVal 1973). Generally, specimens from Central America and Amazon basin have reddish-brown or cinnamon-brown dorsal fur, with a few individuals showing a brownish or blackish dorsal fur coloration (LaVal 1973). On the other hand, most individuals from southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina have brownish or blackish dorsal fur (Barquez et al. 1999; López-González et al. 2001; Dias and Peracchi 2007, 2008), with a few reddish-brown or cinnamon-brown individuals (e.g., Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro [ALP] 6623). The few individuals we examined from the Brazilian Caatinga and Cerrado are reddishbrown. Most individuals from Central America, Amazon basin, and Guiana Shield have medium-to-high sagittal and lambdoidal crests, and the occipital region is flattened posteriorly (Handley 1960; LaVal 1973; Simmons and Voss 1998; Moratelli et al. 2013). In contrast, populations from southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina tend to have low-to-medium sagittal and lambdoidal crests, and the occipital region is slightly rounded (Barquez et al. 1999; López-González et al. 2001; Dias and Peracchi 2007, 2008; Moratelli 2008). Similarly, P3 either crowded to the lingual side or positioned in toothrow, but not visible in labial view, is more frequent in individuals from northern localities. In individuals from southeastern Brazil, P3 is generally in toothrow and visible in labial view. Although these populations from northern South America and Central America and from southern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina show different trends for fur color and skull traits, morphometric analyses did not reveal any discontinuity among populations (Moratelli 2008). Results suggest that these populations may represent distinct subspecies, but molecular analyses are necessary for a more accurate understanding of population structure of M. riparius. DISTRIBUTION Myotis riparius is widely distributed in the Neotropics, occurring from southern Honduras southward into all South American countries, except Chile (Simmons 2005; Wilson 2008; Fig. 3). It occurs from sea level (Mocambo, Pará, Brazil—Wilson 2008) to about 2,000 m of elevation (Fila La Maquina, San José, Costa Rica—LaVal 1973), with most records in lowland localities (LaVal 1973; Anderson 1997). Myotis riparius has been found in lowland and upland tropical rainforests, deciduous forests, savannas, xerophytic caatinga, pampa grasslands, and anthropic environments, such as agricultural fields and pastures (LaVal 1973; Muñoz-Arango 2001; Aguirre 2007; Novaes et al. 2015). Moreover, the species is not known for the Alto Chaco (Wilson 2008). Based on its range of elevational and latitudinal distribution, and diversity of habitats where it has been recorded, we assume that M. riparius has large plasticity for temperature and habitat. FORM AND FUNCTION Like other species of Myotis, the dental formula of M. riparius is i 2/3, c 1/1, p 3/3, m 3/3, total 38 (Miller and Allen 1928). The deciduous dental formula is di 2/3, dc 1/1, dp 2/2, total 22, which is identical to that of most Myotis (Webster 1981). M. riparius has myotodonte dentition, similar to other New World myotine bats. P3 is either crowded to the lingual side or positioned in toothrow. ONTOGENY AND REPRODUCTION In Costa Rica, the reproductive pattern of Myotis riparius was classified as seasonal monoestry, with a high prevalence of pregnant females in April, May, and June (LaVal and Fitch 1977; LaVal and Rodríguez 2002). Pregnant females were observed in August in Peru (Graham 1987), and the birth of a single young in November was observed in Uruguay (González 2001). One pregnant female, with 1 embryo of 7 mm (crown–rump), was collected in February in Panama (Handley 1960). ECOLOGY Myotis riparius occurs in a broad variety of habitats and uses different roosts, which suggests the species has significant plasticity for habitat and roost usage. It occurs along a wide elevational range (from sea level to 2,000 m), and different habitats such as tropical rainforests, savannas, and xerophytic formations, as well as environments with different levels of human disturbance (LaVal 1973; Muñoz-Arango 2001; Aguirre 2007; Novaes et al. 2015). In French Guiana, M. riparius showed a strong association with primary forests, with a preference for preserved habitats (Simmons and Voss 1998). In Argentina, colonies of M. riparius were found roosting under tree bark (Schinopsis [Anacardiaceae]), and in a house roof in a rural area (Barquez and Ojeda 1992). In the latter, it was cohabiting with Myotis nigricans (black myotis), M. albescens (silver-tipped myotis), and Molossus molossus (Pallas’s mastiff bat; see Barquez et al. 1999). In Brazil, M. riparius was found in caves (Guimarães and Ferreira 2014), among other roosts. This species can form gregarious groups of up to 50 individuals (Barquez and Ojeda 1992). Based on short capture distances obtained in Costa Rica, LaVal and Fitch (1977) suggested small activity ranges for M. riparius. This species shows a tendency to use lower forest strata, although it may also explore the forest canopy (Simmons and Voss 1998; Bernard 2001; Kalko and Handley 2001; Sampaio et al. 2003). M. riparius is an insectivore that forages over water (Findley 1993; Kalko et al. 1996). Its diet includes a large variety of insects, particularly those in the orders Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera, and Orthoptera, all caught in flight (LaVal and Rodríguez 2002). Ectoparasites include the Nycteribiidae dipterans Basilia anceps in Brazil, Panama, and Venezuela (Guimarães 1966; Guerrero 1996; Graciolli et al. 2008); B. carteri in Argentina and Paraguay (Autino et al. 1999; Graciolli et al. 2006); B. ferrisi in Venezuela (Guimarães 1972); B. hughscotti in Brazil (Graciolli et al. 2008); B. juquiensis in Brazil, Paraguay, and Venezuela (Guimarães 1972; Graciolli et al. 2006; Graciolli et al. 2008); B. lindolphoi in Brazil (Graciolli et al. 2002); B. manu in Peru (Guerrero 1996); and B. ortizi in Venezuela (Guimarães 1972). There is also a record of a mite of the genus Steatonyssus (Mesostigmata, Macronyssidae) from Brazil (Graciolli et al. 2008). A positive record for rabies disease was reported for an individual of M. riparius from São Paulo, southeastern Brazil (Rosa et al. 2011). GENETICS Two specimens from Letícia, Department of Amazonas, Colombia, had a diploid number (2n) of 44 chromosomes, and a fundamental autosomal number (FN) of 50 (Baker and Jordan 1970). Autosomes include 3 large and 1 small metacentric pairs, and 17 acrocentric pairs ranging in size from small to medium (Moratelli and Morielle-Versute 2007). The X chromosome is a medium submetacentric, and the Y chromosome is a small acrocentric (Baker and Jordan 1970). Molecular phylogenies using mitochondrial cytochromeb and nuclear Rag-2 genes clustered Myotis riparius and its Neotropical and Nearctic congeners in a consistent clade (Stadelmann et al. 2007). These analyses revealed a close relationship of M. riparius with M. elegans (elegant myotis), M. ruber (red myotis), and M. simus (velvety myotis; see Stadelmann et al. 2007). CONSERVATION Myotis riparius is classified as “Least Concern” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Red List of Threatened Species because of its wide distribution, apparent large populations (no decline), and occurrence in several protected areas (Barquez et al. 2008).Published as part of Novaes, Roberto Leonan Morim, Souza, Renan De França & Moratelli, Ricardo, 2017, Myotis riparius (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), pp. 51-56 in Mammalian Species 49 (946) on pages 51-54, DOI: 10.1093/mspecies/sex011, http://zenodo.org/record/457344

Old Methods, New Insights: Reviewing Concepts on the Ecology of Trypanosomatids and <i>Bodo</i> sp. by Improving Conventional Diagnostic Tools

Mixed infections by different Trypanosoma species or genotypes are a common and puzzling phenomenon. Therefore, it is critical to refine the diagnostic techniques and to understand to what extent these methods detect trypanosomes. We aimed to develop an accessible strategy to enhance the sensitivity of the hemoculture, as well as to understand the limitations of the hemoculture and the blood clot as a source of parasitic DNA. We investigated trypanosomatid infections in 472 bats by molecular characterization (18S rDNA gene) of the DNA obtained from the blood clot and, innovatively, from three hemoculture sample types: the amplified flagellates (“isolate”), the pellet of the culture harvested in its very initial growth stage (“first aliquot”), and the pellet of non-grown cultures with failure of amplification (“sediment”). We compared (a) the characterization of the flagellates obtained by first aliquots and isolates; and (b) the performance of the hemoculture and blood clot for trypanosomatid detection. We observed: (i) a putative new species of Bodo in Artibeus lituratus; (ii) the potential of Trypanosoma cruzi selection in the hemoculture; (iii) that the first aliquots and sediments overcome the selective pressure of the hemoculture; and (iv) that the blood clot technique performs better than the hemoculture. However, combining these methods enhances the detection of single and mixed infections