cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328446
title: The effects of rainfall and arthropod abundance on breeding season of insectivorous birds, in a semi-arid neotropical environment

description: ABSTRACT Rainfall in tropical semi-arid areas may act as a reliable cue for timing bird reproduction, since it precedes future food supply. With this in mind, we set-up a study to test the reproductive response of insectivorous bird to arthropod abundance and rainfall patterns. Sampling occurred in a seasonally dry Neotropical forest, in north-eastern Brazil, between October, 2015 and October 2016, at 14-day intervals. We used brood patch to assess reproductive periodicity of insectivorous birds (eight species, 475 captures, 121 patch records). We sampled arthropods to quantify abundance, using biomass and number of individuals (1755 individuals, 15 Orders). Rainfall temporal distribution was analyzed using daily precipitation data. We used a cross-correlation function to test for correlation and time-lags between the covariates under study. Both the number of reproductively-active birds and arthropod abundance were higher in time periods close to the rainy season. Increase in arthropod biomass in the aerial stratum preceded the period of greatest rainfall by one (14 days, r = 0.44) to three sampling periods (0.47). In contrast, the highest proportion of individuals with brood patches occurred after the main rainfall peak, with the strongest relationship occurring after two (0.52) to four (0.50) time lags. Finally, the proportion of individuals with brood patches was positively correlated with aerial stratum arthropod biomass when five time lags were considered (0.55). Our results support the hypothesis of a temporal process involving rainfall, arthropods and reproduction of insectivorous birds in the wet/dry tropics. However, rainfall did not appear to act as a cue for the timing of reproduction, since records indicated higher arthropod biomass before the main rainfall peak. At least occasionally in the study area, insectivorous bird reproduction peaks after food abundance.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328446.v1
title: The effects of rainfall and arthropod abundance on breeding season of insectivorous birds, in a semi-arid neotropical environment

description: ABSTRACT Rainfall in tropical semi-arid areas may act as a reliable cue for timing bird reproduction, since it precedes future food supply. With this in mind, we set-up a study to test the reproductive response of insectivorous bird to arthropod abundance and rainfall patterns. Sampling occurred in a seasonally dry Neotropical forest, in north-eastern Brazil, between October, 2015 and October 2016, at 14-day intervals. We used brood patch to assess reproductive periodicity of insectivorous birds (eight species, 475 captures, 121 patch records). We sampled arthropods to quantify abundance, using biomass and number of individuals (1755 individuals, 15 Orders). Rainfall temporal distribution was analyzed using daily precipitation data. We used a cross-correlation function to test for correlation and time-lags between the covariates under study. Both the number of reproductively-active birds and arthropod abundance were higher in time periods close to the rainy season. Increase in arthropod biomass in the aerial stratum preceded the period of greatest rainfall by one (14 days, r = 0.44) to three sampling periods (0.47). In contrast, the highest proportion of individuals with brood patches occurred after the main rainfall peak, with the strongest relationship occurring after two (0.52) to four (0.50) time lags. Finally, the proportion of individuals with brood patches was positively correlated with aerial stratum arthropod biomass when five time lags were considered (0.55). Our results support the hypothesis of a temporal process involving rainfall, arthropods and reproduction of insectivorous birds in the wet/dry tropics. However, rainfall did not appear to act as a cue for the timing of reproduction, since records indicated higher arthropod biomass before the main rainfall peak. At least occasionally in the study area, insectivorous bird reproduction peaks after food abundance.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328452
title: Structure of the leaf litter frog community in an area of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil

description: ABSTRACT Different spatial and temporal factors can influence the species richness and abundance of leaf anurans that are fundamental for the ecosystem functioning, as they act as predators and integrate the trophic chain as prey of other animals. There are relatively few studies that aimed to understand the spatio-temporal variation and the influence of environmental factors on leaf litter communities. We studied parameters of the anuran community living in the forest leaf litter in the Duas Bocas Biological Reserve (DBBR), Espírito Santo, Brazil. We sought to understand the extent to which richness, abundance, biomass and density varied between two locations with different stages of preservation (primary and secondary forest). In addition, we tested the effect of temperature and local humidity on abundance. We conducted the samplings monthly from October 2017 to September 2018, establishing 98 4 x 4 m plots (16 m2 each) demarcated on the DBBR forest leaf litter. We measured temperature (°C) and relative air humidity (%), and each plot was carefully surveyed by four observers. We tested for differences in anuran density between the two sampled locations and estimated the effects of environmental variables in the community. We recorded 102 individuals of anurans from 11 species belonging to eight families. The DBBR anuran community parameters significantly differed between the two studied locations, with the highest values of anuran richness and abundance occurring in the area covered by primary forest, probably due to differences in the preservation of each area. However, temperature and humidity did not affect the abundance of anurans in the sampled areas. Our results provide the first information about spatial variation and influence of environmental factors, directed to the community of leaf litter anurans in DBBR, and represents the second study on this group of anurans in the state of Espírito Santo.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328450
title: The bat fauna (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of Carlos Botelho State Park, Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil, including new distribution records for the state of São Paulo

description: ABSTRACT Carlos Botelho State Park (PECB) is a large remnant of Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil, with more than 37,000 ha. As its bat fauna is still unknown, we performed the first bat survey on PECB, to provide data on the distribution, natural history and taxonomy of the species. Fieldwork was conducted monthly, from October 2016 to September 2017. Captures were made using ground-level mist-nets (39600 m2.h), canopy mist-nets (2017.5 m2.h) and searches for roosts (42 hours).We captured 412 bats from 34 species of Phyllostomidae, Molossidae and Vespertilionidae. A total of 11 species were captured only in ground-level mist-nets, five in canopy mist-nets, and seven in roosts. Dermanura cinerea Gervais, 1856, Eptesicus taddeii Miranda, Bernardi & Passos, 2006, Glyphonycteris sylvestris Thomas, 1896 and Lampronycteris brachyotis (Dobson, 1879) are rare on surveys conducted in the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo and were captured in canopy mist-nets. Micronycteris schmidtorum Sanborn, 1935 and Molossus currentium Thomas, 1901 constitute the first record for the state of São Paulo, and were captured in canopy mist-nets and roosts, respectively. The species richness registered for PECB surpasses other surveys conducted in Atlantic Forest localities that use only ground-level mist-nets. Our results reinforce the importance of employing mixed capture methods, such as elevated mist-nets and searches for roosts.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328450.v1
title: The bat fauna (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of Carlos Botelho State Park, Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil, including new distribution records for the state of São Paulo

description: ABSTRACT Carlos Botelho State Park (PECB) is a large remnant of Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil, with more than 37,000 ha. As its bat fauna is still unknown, we performed the first bat survey on PECB, to provide data on the distribution, natural history and taxonomy of the species. Fieldwork was conducted monthly, from October 2016 to September 2017. Captures were made using ground-level mist-nets (39600 m2.h), canopy mist-nets (2017.5 m2.h) and searches for roosts (42 hours).We captured 412 bats from 34 species of Phyllostomidae, Molossidae and Vespertilionidae. A total of 11 species were captured only in ground-level mist-nets, five in canopy mist-nets, and seven in roosts. Dermanura cinerea Gervais, 1856, Eptesicus taddeii Miranda, Bernardi & Passos, 2006, Glyphonycteris sylvestris Thomas, 1896 and Lampronycteris brachyotis (Dobson, 1879) are rare on surveys conducted in the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo and were captured in canopy mist-nets. Micronycteris schmidtorum Sanborn, 1935 and Molossus currentium Thomas, 1901 constitute the first record for the state of São Paulo, and were captured in canopy mist-nets and roosts, respectively. The species richness registered for PECB surpasses other surveys conducted in Atlantic Forest localities that use only ground-level mist-nets. Our results reinforce the importance of employing mixed capture methods, such as elevated mist-nets and searches for roosts.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328452.v1
title: Structure of the leaf litter frog community in an area of Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil

description: ABSTRACT Different spatial and temporal factors can influence the species richness and abundance of leaf anurans that are fundamental for the ecosystem functioning, as they act as predators and integrate the trophic chain as prey of other animals. There are relatively few studies that aimed to understand the spatio-temporal variation and the influence of environmental factors on leaf litter communities. We studied parameters of the anuran community living in the forest leaf litter in the Duas Bocas Biological Reserve (DBBR), Espírito Santo, Brazil. We sought to understand the extent to which richness, abundance, biomass and density varied between two locations with different stages of preservation (primary and secondary forest). In addition, we tested the effect of temperature and local humidity on abundance. We conducted the samplings monthly from October 2017 to September 2018, establishing 98 4 x 4 m plots (16 m2 each) demarcated on the DBBR forest leaf litter. We measured temperature (°C) and relative air humidity (%), and each plot was carefully surveyed by four observers. We tested for differences in anuran density between the two sampled locations and estimated the effects of environmental variables in the community. We recorded 102 individuals of anurans from 11 species belonging to eight families. The DBBR anuran community parameters significantly differed between the two studied locations, with the highest values of anuran richness and abundance occurring in the area covered by primary forest, probably due to differences in the preservation of each area. However, temperature and humidity did not affect the abundance of anurans in the sampled areas. Our results provide the first information about spatial variation and influence of environmental factors, directed to the community of leaf litter anurans in DBBR, and represents the second study on this group of anurans in the state of Espírito Santo.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328456
title: Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna: order Trichoptera (Insecta), diversity and distribution

description: ABSTRACT Caddisflies are a highly diverse group of aquatic insects, particularly in the Neotropical region where there is a high number of endemic taxa. Based on taxonomic contributions published until August 2019, a total of 796 caddisfly species have been recorded from Brazil. Taxonomic data about Brazilian caddisflies are currently open access at the “Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil” website (CTFB), an on-line database with taxonomic information on the animal species occurring in Brazil. The order Trichoptera at CTFB includes a catalog of species recorded for the country, with synonymic lists, distribution throughout six biomes, 12 hydrographic regions, and 27 political states (including Federal District) from Brazil. The database is constantly updated to include newly published data. In this study, we reviewed the taxonomic effort on Brazilian caddisflies based on data currently in CTFB database. The accumulation curve of species described or recorded from the country, by year, shows a strong upward trend in last 25 years, indicating that it is possible that there are many more species to be described. Based on presence/absence of caddisfly species at three geographic levels (biomes, hydrographic regions, and states), second order Jackknife estimated at least 1,586 species occurring in Brazil (with hydrographic regions as unities), indicating we currently know about 50% of the Brazilian caddisfly fauna. Species distribution by Brazilian biomes reveals that the Atlantic Forest is the most diverse, with 490 species (298 endemic), followed by the Amazon Forest, with 255 species (101 endemic). Even though these numbers may be biased because there has been more intense collecting in these two biomes, the percentage of endemic caddisfly species in the Atlantic Forest is remarkable. Considering the distribution throughout hydrographic regions, clustering analyses (UPGMA) based on incidence data reveals two groups: northwestern basins and southeastern. Although these groups have weak bootstrap support and low similarity in species composition, this division of Brazilian caddisfly fauna could be related to Amazon-Atlantic Forest disjunction, with the South American dry diagonal acting as a potential barrier throughout evolutionary time.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328456.v1
title: Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna: order Trichoptera (Insecta), diversity and distribution

description: ABSTRACT Caddisflies are a highly diverse group of aquatic insects, particularly in the Neotropical region where there is a high number of endemic taxa. Based on taxonomic contributions published until August 2019, a total of 796 caddisfly species have been recorded from Brazil. Taxonomic data about Brazilian caddisflies are currently open access at the “Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil” website (CTFB), an on-line database with taxonomic information on the animal species occurring in Brazil. The order Trichoptera at CTFB includes a catalog of species recorded for the country, with synonymic lists, distribution throughout six biomes, 12 hydrographic regions, and 27 political states (including Federal District) from Brazil. The database is constantly updated to include newly published data. In this study, we reviewed the taxonomic effort on Brazilian caddisflies based on data currently in CTFB database. The accumulation curve of species described or recorded from the country, by year, shows a strong upward trend in last 25 years, indicating that it is possible that there are many more species to be described. Based on presence/absence of caddisfly species at three geographic levels (biomes, hydrographic regions, and states), second order Jackknife estimated at least 1,586 species occurring in Brazil (with hydrographic regions as unities), indicating we currently know about 50% of the Brazilian caddisfly fauna. Species distribution by Brazilian biomes reveals that the Atlantic Forest is the most diverse, with 490 species (298 endemic), followed by the Amazon Forest, with 255 species (101 endemic). Even though these numbers may be biased because there has been more intense collecting in these two biomes, the percentage of endemic caddisfly species in the Atlantic Forest is remarkable. Considering the distribution throughout hydrographic regions, clustering analyses (UPGMA) based on incidence data reveals two groups: northwestern basins and southeastern. Although these groups have weak bootstrap support and low similarity in species composition, this division of Brazilian caddisfly fauna could be related to Amazon-Atlantic Forest disjunction, with the South American dry diagonal acting as a potential barrier throughout evolutionary time.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328458
title: Altered retina and cornea of Clarias gariepinus (Siluriformes: Clariidae) under the effect of bright and dim lights

description: ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of constant bright light on the cornea and retina of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) and to examine whether it can change after constant exposure to dim light. Twenty-one adult individuals of C. gariepinus were divided into three groups (n = 7). The first group was maintained under normal light (NL). The second group was exposed to the intense bright light (BL) (3020 Lux) of white light lamps for seven days. The third group was exposed to dim light for seven days (DL) following the previous exposure to intense bright light for seven days. The eyes of each fish group were removed and fixed. The following aspects of the eye were investigated: histopathological, immunohistochemical (GFAP and BAX) staining and biochemical study for lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PDH). Also, isoenzyme electrophoresis of LDH, G6PDH and SOD were performed. The present study found that, seven-days BL exposure caused damage to both cornea and retina. However, after exposure to dim-light after bright light there was partial improvement in corneal and retinal structure and an increase in the assayed SOD and G6PDH levels, along with a reduction in MDA content and activity of LDH. These findings demonstrate a plasticity that may help C. gariepinus survive disturbances in the aquatic environment.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328458.v1
title: Altered retina and cornea of Clarias gariepinus (Siluriformes: Clariidae) under the effect of bright and dim lights

description: ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of constant bright light on the cornea and retina of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) and to examine whether it can change after constant exposure to dim light. Twenty-one adult individuals of C. gariepinus were divided into three groups (n = 7). The first group was maintained under normal light (NL). The second group was exposed to the intense bright light (BL) (3020 Lux) of white light lamps for seven days. The third group was exposed to dim light for seven days (DL) following the previous exposure to intense bright light for seven days. The eyes of each fish group were removed and fixed. The following aspects of the eye were investigated: histopathological, immunohistochemical (GFAP and BAX) staining and biochemical study for lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G6PDH). Also, isoenzyme electrophoresis of LDH, G6PDH and SOD were performed. The present study found that, seven-days BL exposure caused damage to both cornea and retina. However, after exposure to dim-light after bright light there was partial improvement in corneal and retinal structure and an increase in the assayed SOD and G6PDH levels, along with a reduction in MDA content and activity of LDH. These findings demonstrate a plasticity that may help C. gariepinus survive disturbances in the aquatic environment.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328461
title: The chiggerflea Hectopsylla pulex (Siphonaptera: Tungidae): infestation on Molossus molossus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) in the Central Andes of Colombia

description: ABSTRACT Some species of mastiff bats, Molossus Geoffroy, 1805, inhabit human shelters such as houses and barns. Among them, the Pallas’s mastiff bat, Molossus molossus Pallas, 1766, is the most common species in South America. There are a few studies on this bat in Colombia, mostly on colony size, diet, ectoparasite records, and activity patterns in the Andean and Caribbean regions. Here, we provide information on the prevalence of chiggerfleas, Hectopsylla pulex (Haller, 1880), on M. molossus, along with molecular data on the flea, and its distribution in Colombia. In addition, we describe the size and sex ratio of the infested bat colony, located in the central Andes of Colombia. The bat colony was represented by ca. 45 individuals, of which 33 were captured. The colony had more females (25 individuals) than males (8 individuals). A total of four Pallas’s mastiff bats had chiggerfleas, H. pulex, most of which were attached to the bat’s faces and ears. The composition of the colony (sex ratio) and the observed activity times match those reported for other colonies of the species in Colombia. The cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, and the 12S rRNA mitochondrial gene obtained from H. pulex represent the second and first available sequences for the species, respectively. The level of infestation of individuals in the colony was low, similar to that observed in other South American countries, such as Brazil. Finally, the new locality is the seventh confirmed and the highest elevational record of H. pulex in Colombia.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.14328461.v1
title: The chiggerflea Hectopsylla pulex (Siphonaptera: Tungidae): infestation on Molossus molossus (Chiroptera: Molossidae) in the Central Andes of Colombia

description: ABSTRACT Some species of mastiff bats, Molossus Geoffroy, 1805, inhabit human shelters such as houses and barns. Among them, the Pallas’s mastiff bat, Molossus molossus Pallas, 1766, is the most common species in South America. There are a few studies on this bat in Colombia, mostly on colony size, diet, ectoparasite records, and activity patterns in the Andean and Caribbean regions. Here, we provide information on the prevalence of chiggerfleas, Hectopsylla pulex (Haller, 1880), on M. molossus, along with molecular data on the flea, and its distribution in Colombia. In addition, we describe the size and sex ratio of the infested bat colony, located in the central Andes of Colombia. The bat colony was represented by ca. 45 individuals, of which 33 were captured. The colony had more females (25 individuals) than males (8 individuals). A total of four Pallas’s mastiff bats had chiggerfleas, H. pulex, most of which were attached to the bat’s faces and ears. The composition of the colony (sex ratio) and the observed activity times match those reported for other colonies of the species in Colombia. The cytochrome oxidase subunit 1, and the 12S rRNA mitochondrial gene obtained from H. pulex represent the second and first available sequences for the species, respectively. The level of infestation of individuals in the colony was low, similar to that observed in other South American countries, such as Brazil. Finally, the new locality is the seventh confirmed and the highest elevational record of H. pulex in Colombia.