First report of the Broad-toothed Tailless Bat, Anoura latidens Handley, 1984 (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae), in Bolivia

Anoura latidens Handley, 1984 is a nectarivorous bat with a wide elevational and latitudinal distribution, from Venezuela and Guyana to southeastern Peru. We reviewed mammal collections of the genus Anoura Gray, 1838 and identified two individuals previously attributed to A. caudifer (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818) as A. latidens based on their premolar morphology and morphological measurements. In this note we report the first record of A. latidens in the Yungas forests of Bolivia, which extends its geographic range by 1,006 km southeast of its previous southernmost record in Peru.

Cinchona anderssonii (Rubiaceae), a new overlooked species from Bolivia

Cinchona anderssonii, a new species from the Yungas forests of the Andes in Bolivia, is described and illustrated. It is unique in Cinchona by having the combination of elliptic leaf blades glossy above, distinct circular pit domatia at secondary vein axils, basipetally dehiscent capsules, and relatively large seeds (8–11 mm long). A taxonomic key for the identification of the Cinchona species occurring in Bolivia is presented.

Vascular flora of a Yungas forest in Jujuy province, northwestern Argentina

A floristic survey was carried out in Yungas forests of the San José de Chijra river basin (Jujuy, Argentina). This is the first comprehensive study of vascular plants made in the area, a region relatively unknown in terms of vegetation. We present the results of this field survey; 172 species, 127 genera and 51 plant families are documented. Of these, 149 are native and 17 are endemic. Of the latter, three are endemic to Argentina, 11 to northestern Argentina, and three to Jujuy province. Families with the greatest number of species were Asteraceae (50), Solanaceae (13), Fabaceae (12), and Poaceae (8). According to IUCN criteria, two species are classified as threatened. Our data substantially increase our knowledge of the diversity of the regional flora and will provide an important contribution in developing conservation policy.

Ceratopogonidae (Diptera: Nematocera) of the piedmont of the Yungas forests of Tucumán: ecology and distribution

Within the Ceratopogonidae family, many genera transmit numerous diseases to humans and animals, while others are important pollinators of tropical crops. In the Yungas ecoregion of Argentina, previous systematic and ecological research on Ceratopogonidae focused on Culicoides, since they are the main transmitters of mansonelliasis in northwestern Argentina; however, few studies included the genera Forcipomyia, Dasyhelea, Atrichopogon, Alluaudomyia, Echinohelea, and Bezzia. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the presence and abundance of Ceratopogonidae in this region, their association with meteorological variables, and their variation in areas disturbed by human activity. Monthly collection of specimens was performed from July 2008 to July 2009 using CDC miniature light traps deployed for two consecutive days. A total of 360 specimens were collected, being the most abundant Dasyhelea genus (48.06%) followed by Forcipomyia (26.94%) and Atrichopogon (13.61%). Bivariate analyses showed significant differences in the abundance of the genera at different sampling sites and climatic conditions, with the summer season and El Corralito site showing the greatest abundance of specimens. Accumulated rainfall was the variable that related the most to the abundance of Culicoides (10.56%), while temperature was the most closely related variable to the abundance of Forcipomyia, Dasyhelea, and Atrichopogon.

Structure of three subtropical bat assemblages (Chiroptera) in the Andean rainforests of Argentina

I evaluated bat assemblages in terms of species richness, relative abundance, trophic guild structure, and seasonal changes at three sites along of the Southern Yungas forests. A total of 854 individuals were captured, representing 25 species of three families, with an effort of 27,138 m of mist net opened per hour. Subtropical assemblages showed a similar structure to those from tropical landmark, with a dominance of frugivorous Phyllostomid; in addition, a few species were abundant, followed by a long tail of less common species. However, subtropical sites differed due to the dominance of the genus

Diversity and richness of small mammals at a well-conserved site of The Yungas in Jujuy Province, Argentina

We present the results obtained from 12 small-mammal surveys conducted between 1996 and 2013 in “Finca Las Capillas”, province of Jujuy, Argentina. This region has been formally recognized as an “Area of Importance for the Conservation of Bats” (AICOM) based on the diversity of species detected in our previous studies. This site in the Yungas forests of northwestern Argentina still maintains an excellent conservation status due to restrictions to human activities involving deforestation and limitations to cattle-raising imposed 50 years ago. A total of 39 species belonging to three orders, namely, Didelphimorphia, Chiroptera and Rodentia, were recorded. The species accumulation curve revealed that our records represent 83–95% of the community, and with high diversity indexes. Several of the genera and species that we recorded from our collection trips have been included in the fauna of Argentina. Our previous studies and the present findings provide new records for the province or significant extensions to previously known distributions of several taxa of small mammals. These results show that the site represents an icon for conservation in such a fragmented and exploited area as the Yungas in Argentina today.