Evaluating multiple spatial scales to understand the distribution of anuran beta diversity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Three new species of Otostigmus Porat, 1876 from Brazilian Atlantic Forest are described. Otostigmus beckeri sp. n. andO. lanceolatus sp. n. are described from the state of Bahia and O. giupponii sp. n. from the state of Espírito Santo. InBrazil, the otostigmine scolopendrid genus Otostigmus comprises 22 species. A summary of Brazilian Otostigmus speciesis presented with new distribution records, taxonomic remarks when appropriate and an identification key. Otostigmus sul-catus Meinert, 1886 is recorded for the first time from Brazil; the Andean Otostigmus silvestrii Kraepelin 1903, previouslyrecorded from Brazil, is here considered not to be present in this country. Eight nominal species are regarded here as newsynonyms. Five of them—Otostigmus pradoi Bücherl, 1939, O. longistigma Bücherl, 1939, O. longipes Bücherl, 1939,O. langei Bücherl, 1946 and O. dentifusus Bücherl, 1946—are based on females of O. tibialis Brölemann, 1902. O. latipesBücherl, 1954 is conspecific with and is considered a junior synonym of O. sulcatus Meinert, 1886; O. limbatus diminutusBücherl, 1946 is a junior synonym of O. limbatus Meinert, 1886 and O. fossulatus Attems, 1928 is a junior synonym of O. goeldii Brölemann, 1898. A lectotype is designated for O. goeldii.

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Hide-and-Seek with Tiny Neotenic Beetles in One of the Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots: Towards an Understanding of the Real Diversity of Jurasaidae (Coleoptera: Elateroidea) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology10050420 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 420

Author(s):

Gabriel Biffi ◽

Simone Policena Rosa ◽

Robin Kundrata

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Field Research ◽

Transitional Zone ◽

Biodiversity Hotspot ◽

Biodiversity Hotspots ◽

Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽

Life Stages ◽

Adult Males ◽

Undescribed Species ◽

First Time

Jurasaidae are a family of neotenic elateroid beetles which was described recently from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot based on three species in two genera. All life stages live in the soil, including the larviform females, and only adult males are able to fly. Here, we report the discovery of two new species, Jurasai miraculum sp. nov. and J. vanini sp. nov., and a new, morphologically remarkable population of J. digitusdei Rosa et al., 2020. Our discovery sheds further light on the diversity and biogeography of the group. Most species of Jurasaidae are known from the rainforest remnants of the Atlantic Forest, but here for the first time we report a jurasaid species from the relatively drier Atlantic Forest/Caatinga transitional zone. Considering our recent findings, minute body size and cryptic lifestyle of all jurasaids, together with potentially high numbers of yet undescribed species of this family from the Atlantic Forest and possibly also other surrounding ecoregions, we call for both field research in potentially suitable localities as well as for a detailed investigation of a massive amount of already collected but still unprocessed materials deposited in a number of Brazilian institutes, laboratories and collections.

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