Lasiurus ebenus Fazzolari-Correa 1994

<i>Lasiurus ebenus</i> Fazzolari-Corrêa, 1994 <p>Black hairy-tailed bat</p> <p> <b>Holotype.</b> Adult male collected at Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso (25°05'S, 47°59'W, elev. 40 m), São Paulo, Brazil (Fazzolari-Corrêa 1995). Skin, partial skeleton and skull are deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZUSP 28125).</p> <p> <b>Other specimen.</b> Adult male (MN 83982) composed by whole body (in alcohol) with the skull removed, collected at Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (24°10'S, 47°58'W, elev. 630 m), São Paulo, Brazil.</p> <p> <b>Diagnosis.</b> Black wing membranes; dorsal and ventral pelage almost entirely black; first upper premolar present; and medium sized within the genus, with forearm length close to 45.5 mm.</p> <p> <b>Description.</b> <i>Lasiurus ebenus</i> is a medium-sized species (body mass 12.5 g, 14 g; forearm length 45.6 mm, 45.7mm; other measurements are in Table 1). Membranes, muzzle, lip and ear borders are black. One-third to onehalf of the proximal portion of the interfemoral membrane and the ventral region of the humeri and forearms have bone-brown to dark-brown hairs. Ears are broad and rounded; tragus is triangular and measures ca. 50% of the height of the ear; hindfoot small, less than two-thirds of the length of the tibia; the calcar is about twice as long as the hindfoot, and about as long as the free margin of the interfemoral membrane. Pelage color is black in general, with dorsal fur tricolored (black basal band, bone-brown to dark-brown in the middle, black tips), and ventral fur bicolored (ca. 2/3 of the basis is bone-brown, and 1/3 of the tip is black); without stripes, frosting or spots (Fig. 1).</p> <p>Dental formula is i 1 /3 c 1/1 p 2/ 2 m 3/3 = 32. The second premolar is double-rooted, the rostrum is relatively short, and the braincase is broad, with a low sagittal crest.</p> <p> <b>Comparisons.</b> Rostrum short, sagittal crest weak, first upper premolar (P1) present, and fourth upper premolar (P4) double rooted indicate that <i>L. ebenus</i> belongs to the red bats group (see Baird <i>et al.</i> 2015), which also includes <i>L. atratus</i>, <i>L. blossevillii</i>, <i>L. borealis</i>, <i>L. castaneus</i>, <i>L. degelidus</i>, <i>L. egregius</i>, <i>L. minor</i>, <i>L. pfeifferi</i>, <i>L. seminolus</i>, and <i>L. varius</i> (see Baird <i>et al.</i> 2015; Fazzolari-Corrêa 1994). This group is represented in Brazil by <i>L. blossevillii</i>, <i>L. castaneus</i>, <i>L. ebenus</i> and <i>L. egregius</i> (see Nogueira <i>et al.</i> 2014). <i>Lasiurus ebenus</i> can be distinguished from these species by the pelage almost entirely black, and wing membranes black, which are diagnostic for the species. The pelage is reddish above and paler below in <i>L. blossevillii</i>; chestnut above and dark-brown below, with buffy-yellow and whitish patches on shoulders in <i>L. castaneus</i>; and reddish above and dark brown below, with bright red tips in <i>L. egregius</i>. <i>Lasiurus ebenus</i> (45.6 mm, 45.7 mm) is larger than <i>L. blossevillii</i> (forearm length: ~ 42 mm) and similar in size to <i>L. castaneus</i> (~ 45 mm) and <i>L. egregius</i> (forearm larger than 48 mm). Beyond fur color, <i>L. ebenus</i> can be distinguished from <i>L. castaneus</i> in the hindfoot length (11 mm in <i>ebenus</i>, 8 mm in <i>castaneus</i>), and the braincase breadth (7.6 mm in <i>ebenus</i>, 8.2 mm in <i>castaneus</i>; see Bianconi & Pedro, 2007; Fazzolari-Corrêa 1994; Handley 1960; Reid 2009).</p> <p> <i>Lasiurus cinereus</i> and <i>L. ega</i> also occur in Brazil (see Nogueira <i>et al.</i> 2014). The pelage of <i>L. ega</i> varies from pale whitish-buff to yellowish and orange, with ventral fur generally paler. <i>L. cinereus</i> has dorsal fur tricolored (basis and tips dark-brown, intermediate band yellowish, with a frosting appearance in general), and ventral fur bicolored (basis dark-brown, tips light-brown). These species are allocated in other morphological groups, and can be also distinguished from <i>L. ebenus</i> by a suite of qualitative and quantitative traits (Barquez <i>et al.</i> 1999; González 1989; Kurta & Lehr 1995; Vieira 1942).</p> <p> <b>Distribution.</b> <i>L. ebenus</i> is known from two localities in the south portion of the Serra do Mar mountain chain (Fig. 4), which is the largest remnant of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. Both localities are composed by ombrophilous dense forest. The holotype comes from Ilha do Cardoso State Park, Cananéia, São Paulo, Brazil (25°05'S, 47°59'W, elev. 40 m); and the other specimen (MN 83982) comes from Carlos Botelho State Park, Sete Barras, São Paulo, Brazil, on the eastern slope of the Serra do Mar mountain chain (24°10'S, 47°58'W, elev. 630 m). The second record for the species is 101 kilometers away from the type locality (Fig. 4).</p> <p> <b>Natural history.</b> The holotype of <i>L. ebenus</i> was captured in a mist net placed over a stream in continuous forest. MN 83982 was captured on the lowest shelf of the mist net, which was about 1 m above the water. The water level was about one foot deep, and the substrate is composed by rocks and sand in a lotic water system. Representatives of other species of <i>Lasiurus</i> are often netted in similar conditions, feeding on insects that fly close to watercourses (Handley 1960, 1996; Kurta & Lehr 1995; Villalobos-Chaves & Dick 2014). We speculate that <i>L. ebenus</i> forages on watercourses and streams, catching insects in flight, similarly to its congeners. Bat flies collected in the holotype of <i>L. ebenus</i> were later described by Graciolli (2003) as a new species, <i>Basilia insularis</i>, from which the only reported host is still <i>L. ebenus</i> (Graciolli <i>et al.</i> 2007).</p>Published as part of <i>Cláudio, Vinícius C., Barbosa, Gedimar P., Novaes, Roberto Leonan M., Rassy, Fabrício B., Rocha, Vlamir J. & Moratelli, Ricardo, 2018, Second record of Lasiurus ebenus (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with comments on its taxonomic status, pp. 513-522 in Zootaxa 4403 (3)</i> on pages 516-519, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4403.3.5, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/1212931">http://zenodo.org/record/1212931</a&gt

Second record of Lasiurus ebenus (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with comments on its taxonomic status

Cláudio, Vinícius C., Barbosa, Gedimar P., Novaes, Roberto Leonan M., Rassy, Fabrício B., Rocha, Vlamir J., Moratelli, Ricardo (2018): Second record of Lasiurus ebenus (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with comments on its taxonomic status. Zootaxa 4403 (3): 513-522, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4403.3.

Dieta e dispersão de sementes por Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus) (Carnívora, Canidae), em um fragmento florestal no Paraná, Brasil Diet and seed dispersal by Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus) in a forest fragment in Paraná (Carnivora, Canidae)

Embora o cachorro-do-mato, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1706), seja um Canidae relativamente comum, não há muita informação sobre sua dieta e seu papel como dispersor de sementes nos diferentes habitats onde ocorre. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de reportar a dieta de C. thous e sua importância como dispersor e/ou predador de sementes, e ainda testar a taxa de germinação de sementes após passar pelo trato digestório do animal. O estudo foi realizado em um fragmento (680 ha) de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, o Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy, localizado na cidade de Londrina, Paraná, sul do Brasil. A metodologia consistiu de coletas de fezes de C. thous, as quais foram analisadas em laboratório para identificar os itens consumidos. Nos testes de germinação, as sementes foram dispostas para germinar em placas de Petri com algodão umedecido em água. Noventa e três amostras fecais com 219 itens de origem vegetal e animal foram registradas, sendo 36,52% contendo restos de pequenos roedores, 24,19% de gramíneas, 13,24% de aves, 10,47% de insetos, 6,39% de Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassm., 4,6% de outros itens de origem animal e 4,54% de outros itens de origem vegetal. Ainda, C. thous dispersou nove espécies de plantas, com relevante importância para a germinação de algumas sementes que passaram pelo trato digestório do animal, exceto para S. romanzoffiana, cujas sementes não germinaram nas condições de laboratório. Conclui-se que, C. thous apresentou uma dieta generalista e oportunista, sobrevivendo em áreas degradadas e antrópicas, e agindo como dispersor de sementes nestes locais.<br>Although the crab eating fox, Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1706), is a relatively common Canidae, there isn't much information about its diet and its role as a seed disperser in the different habitats where it occurs. The aim of this work was to report the diet of the C. thous and its importance as a seed disperser and / or a seed predator and to test the rate of germination of the seeds after passing through the digestive tract of the animal. The work was carried out in a 680 ha fragment of the Semidecidual Seasonal Forest in the Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy, located in the city of Londrina-Paraná, south of Brazil. The methodology consisted of the collection of excrement of C. thous which were analyzed in laboratory for identification of consumed items and seeds. In germination tests, the seeds were placed to germinate in Petri dishes with wet cotton. Ninety-three animal feces samples, with 219 animal and vegetable items were registered, being 36.52% remaining portions of small rodents, 24.19% of grasses, 13.24% of birds, 10.47% of insects, 6.39% of Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassm., 4.6% of other items of animal origin and 4.54% of items vegetable origin. In addition, C. thous dispersed nine species of plants, with relevant importance to the germination of some seeds, which passed through the digestive tract, except for the most consumed of fruit, S. romanzoffiana, whith no seed germination at all in lab conditions. In conclusion, C. thous has a generalistc and opportunistc diet, surviving in degraded and anthropic areas and being able to act as a seed disperser

Feeding habits of the crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous (Carnivora: Canidae), in a mosaic area with native and exotic vegetation in Southern Brazil

Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766) is the most widespread neotropical canid, most commonly inhabiting forested areas. This animal is a generalist omnivore that is able to use environments disturbed by human activities. The aim of this study was to describe its diet through the stomach content analysis of 30 samples obtained from specimens that were run over in a mosaic composed by Araucaria Pine Forest, Semidecidual Seasonal Forest, natural grasslands, and exotic vegetation. The items were quantified by frequency of occurrence (F.O.) and percentage of occurrence (P.O.). A total of 64 food items were found among 171 occurrences. According to F.O. method, plant items corresponded to 93.3% of the occurrences, followed by animal items (86.7%) and human rejects (16.6%). Among plants, fruits accounted for 92.9% of the occurrences, followed by leaves (53.6%) and flowers (10.7%). Syagrus romanzoffianum (Cham.) Glassman, 1968 and the exotic Hovenia dulcis Thunberg were the most consumed fruits (30% each), and the most consumed leaves were Poaceae. Among preyed animals, the F.O. was 73.3% for invertebrates (mostly Orthoptera and Coleoptera, 36.7% each) and 63.3% for vertebrates (mostly mammals, 33.3%). Regarding the P.O. method, there was an overestimation of invertebrates (98.1%) due to the presence of ants and termites in the stomach of a single individual. In general, C. thous presented its usual diet. Its generalistic feeding habits can positively influence its survival in altered environments. This study also compares different methods for dietary analysis and discusses some opportunistic behaviors of C. thous, such as the consumption of exotic species and the use of silviculture areas as hunting sites.<br>Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766) é o canídeo neotropical mais amplamente distribuído e habita principalmente ambientes florestados. Este animal possui hábito alimentar onívoro generalista e demonstra capacidade de utilizar ambientes perturbados pela ação do homem. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever sua dieta através da análise de 30 conteúdos estomacais de espécimes atropelados, provenientes de um mosaico constituído por Floresta Ombrófila Mista, Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Campos Naturais e vegetação exótica. Os itens foram quantificados em freqüência de ocorrência (F.O.) e porcentagem de ocorrência (P.O.). No total foram identificados 64 itens, distribuídos em 171 ocorrências. De acordo com o método F.O., itens vegetais ocorreram em 93,3% das amostras, itens animais em 86,7% e rejeitos humanos em 16.6%. Entre os vegetais, os frutos apresentaram a maior F.O. (92,9%), seguido das folhas (53,6%) e flores (10,7%). Syagrus romanzoffianum (Cham.) Glassman, 1968 e a espécie exótica Hovenia dulcis Thunberg se destacaram entre os frutos consumidos (30% cada), e Poaceae entre as folhas consumidas. Dentre os animais, 73,3% foram invertebrados, com destaque para Orthoptera e Coleoptera (36,7% cada), e 63,3% foram vertebrados, destacando-se os mamíferos (33,3%). Em relação ao método P.O. houve a supervalorização de invertebrados (98,1%) devido ao consumo de formigas e cupins observado no estômago de um indivíduo. Em geral, C. thous apresentou uma dieta conforme o esperado. Seus hábitos alimentares generalistas podem influenciar positivamente sua sobrevivência em ambientes alterados. Este trabalho ainda compara diferentes métodos de análises da dieta e discute alguns comportamentos oportunistas de C. thous, como o consumo de espécies exóticas e o uso do ambiente de silvicultura para a caça

Epidemiology of capybara-associated Brazilian spotted fever.

BACKGROUND:Brazilian spotted fever (BSF), caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii, has been associated with the transmission by the tick Amblyomma sculptum, and one of its main hosts, the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris). METHODS:During 2015-2019, we captured capybaras and ticks in seven highly anthropic areas of São Paulo state (three endemic and four nonendemic for BSF) and in two natural areas of the Pantanal biome, all with established populations of capybaras. RESULTS:The BSF-endemic areas were characterized by much higher tick burdens on both capybaras and in the environment, when compared to the BSF-nonendemic areas. Only two tick species (A. sculptum and Amblyomma dubitatum) were found in the anthropic areas; however, with a great predominance of A. sculptum (≈90% of all ticks) in the endemic areas, in contrast to a slight predominance of A. dubitatum (≈60%) in the nonendemic areas. Tick species richness was higher in the natural areas, where six species were found, albeit with a predominance of A. sculptum (≈95% of all ticks) and environmental tick burdens much lower than in the anthropic areas. The BSF-endemic areas were characterized by overgrowth populations of A. sculptum that were sustained chiefly by capybaras, and decreased populations of A. dubitatum. In contrast, the BSF-nonendemic areas with landscape similar to the endemic areas differed by having lower tick burdens and a slight predominance of A. dubitatum over A.sculptum, both sustained chiefly by capybaras. While multiple medium- to large-sized mammals have been incriminated as important hosts for A. sculptum in the natural areas, the capybara was the only important host for this tick in the anthropic areas. CONCLUSIONS:The uneven distribution of R. rickettsii infection among A. sculptum populations in highly anthropic areas of São Paulo state could be related to the tick population size and its proportion to sympatric A. dubitatum populations