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Bioluminescent click-beetles of SA de Paranapiacaba: (a) Pyrophorus divergens; (b) Ptesimopsia luculenta; (c) Ptesimopsia cincticollis; (d) Pyrearinus candelarius; (e) Pyrearinus micatus, (f) Pyrearinus brevicollis; (g) Hapsodrilus pyrotis. Figura 4. Elaterideos bioluminescentes da SA de Paranapiacaba: (a) Pyrophorus divergens; (b) Ptesimopsia luculenta; (c) Ptesimopsia cincticollis; (d) Pyrearinus candelarius; (e) Pyrearinus micatus, (f) Pyrearinus brevicollis; (g) Hapsodrilus pyrotis.
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Brazil is the country with the largest number of bioluminescent beetle species in the world. However, estimates suggest that this number could much be higher, since many species remain to be discovered. In this work we made a survey of the species of bioluminescent beetles in Serra de Paranapiacaba – the largest remnant of Atlantic Forest in São Pa...
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... (Fig. 4). The studied area was especially rich in luminescent click-beetles, with eight species: Hapsodrilus pyrotis Germar 1841, Hypsiophtalmus sp 1 , Ptesimopsia luculenta, Pyrearinus brevicollis, Pyrearinus candelarius, Pyrearinus micatus, Pyrearinus sp., Pyrophorus divergens. All these species were found at ...
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... Despite the megadiversity, taxonomic and systematic studies for this group of beetles in Brazil are still scarce. Surveys of bioluminescent beetle species were already performed by our research group in the Atlantic rain forest morphodomain of Eastern São Paulo state, evidencing a very rich biodiversity with about 70 species occurring in Paranapiacaba Mountain Range (Serra da Paranapiacaba) and Sea Mountain Range (Serra do Mar), mainly in the most preserved areas (Viviani et al. 2010, Viviani and Santos 2012, Santos et al. 2016). More recently, surveys were also made at Serra dos Órgãos in Rio de Janeiro state, revealing a comparatively high biodiversity (Silveira et al. 2020). ...
Among the richest ecosystems in bioluminescent Coleoptera in Brazil, the Cerrado (savannas) is the most threatened one by agricultural expansion. The Emas (PNE) and Chapada dos Guimarães (PNCG) National parks are 2 of the last main remnants of the original Cerrado ecosystems in Central-west Brazil. During the past 3 decades, we have conducted several expeditions to collect, observe and study bioluminescent beetles occurring in the PNE and surrounding farms. More recently we also started to investigate the PNCG. We recorded a total of 51 bioluminescent species, including fireflies (n = 29), click beetles (n = 11), phengodids (n = 10), and staphylinids (n = 1). The PNE region was the richest one, especially for phengodids (n = 9). Among the habitats that compose the Cerrado physiognomy, the Cerrado and cerradão hosted most of the bioluminescent species, followed by forest, open fields and marshes. Most fireflies inhabiting the Cerrado ecosystem emit yellow-green light, whereas most click beetles emit predominantly green light, and among phengodid species, orange and red-light emission was found in 3 species. The spectacular click beetle Pyrearinus termitilluminans Costa-lodging luminous termite mounds were found in PNE and also reported for the first time at PNCG. In the farms around the PNE, however, a declining number of bioluminescent species was recorded in cerradão areas after the replacement of the surrounding cattle pastures by sugarcane plantations, especially adult phengodid males that were no longer attracted to light traps. Habitat reduction, use of agricultural pesticides and artificial night lighting are thought to be the major causes of such impact on bioluminescent beetle diversity.
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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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Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) are charismatic insects that have been fruitful model systems in biotechnology. However, lack of information about firefly taxonomy and ecology renders species identification a hard task, especially in the Neotropical region, where fireflies are most diverse. A major gap in the literature on Neotropical fireflies is the lack of knowledge on species’ ecological niches and habitats, which are fundamental aspects for understanding their biology. Here, we provide an annotated checklist of the firefly fauna of the Serra dos Órgãos mountain range (Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil), with information on the natural history of each species. We assembled data in three ways: monthly sampling with Malaise traps and active search along an elevational transect from 130 to 2,170 m, over 2 years (2014–2016), extensive field observations, and extracted from historical species records for the Serra dos Órgãos from museum specimens in key collections in Brazil and Europe. We provide a taxonomic key to the genera recorded in the region, and a differential diagnosis for each species, highlighting key references for each taxon. We report 58 species representing 21 genera, making the Serra dos Órgãos one of the richest firefly hotspots on Earth. Most species are restricted to one or two habitat types and/or just one of the regional seasons (warm or cool), and many were only collected either by malaise traps or active search, underlining the importance of sampling different habitat types and seasons, and using different sampling methods when surveying fireflies. Out of the 51 species observed in the field, 49 were active either during the day or the night, although two species – Photuris elliptica and Pyrogaster nigrolineatus – were active in both periods, which is rare in fireflies.
... nov., and Lucernuta minuta Pic, 1930 is transferred to Cratomorphus, generating Cratomorphus minutus (Pic, 1930). Olivier, 1895 (Figs 62-96, 102) Cratomorphus besckei Olivier, 1895: 146-147;Blackwelder 1945: 355;Santos et al. 2016: 5-6. Lucernuta paraguayensis McDermott, 19601966: 27 syn. ...
The Neotropical genus Lucernuta Laporte, 1833 comprises a mixed assembly of taxa, whose diagnoses currently overlaps with some species listed under Cratomorphus Motschulsky, 1853. Here, we review, provide new biological data, and update the geographic range of the species currently listed under Lucernuta in McDermott 1966. We
propose the following nomenclatural decisions: Lucernuta fenestrata Germar, 1824 is considered a junior synonym of L. savignii Kirby, 1818; Lucernuta minuta Pic, 1930 is transferred to Cratomorphus, therefore generating the new combination C. minutus Pic, 1930; L. hammari McDermott, 1959 is considered a junior synonym of Platylampis
diversithorax Pic, 1943; Lucernuta paraguayensis McDermott, 1960 is considered a junior synonym of Cratomorphus besckei Olivier, 1895. Therefore, Lucernuta is regarded as monotypic, with L. savignii as the sole species in this genus, which is endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Moreover, we designate a lectotype and describe for
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Studies of the effects of elevation and associated habitat changes on biodiversity have a rich history in conservation biology and have seen a resurgence of interest in recent decades. Mountainous regions are particularly important because they harbour endemic species and are relatively spared from anthropogenic effects. The rather drastic temperature decrease as elevation increases in tropical regions has generated more research on the effects of elevation, especially since global warming could negatively impact the biodiversity of tropical forest mountainous species. Fireflies, especially the solitary species, represent a challenge to work with because though they are biologically diverse, they typically occur at low densities and have rarely been studied across elevations. Many are habitat specialists and have limited dispersal abilities. Firefly diversity changes on five mountains located on the main mountain range of Peninsular Malaysia, which is highly representative of five major elevational forest types, were assessed. Fireflies were restricted to a certain eleva-tional range of mountains, and the turnover of species was significant among forest types across elevations. The forest type and canopy closure were the main characteristics affecting species diversity , although other habitat characteristics may be significant. The ability to reveal any possible associations was limited, as strong statistical associations were not possible due to their low abundance and difficulty in detecting their presence. The firefly species occurrence across elevations is restricted, and habitat loss could pose a risk to lower-elevation species, while global warming could be a threat to high-elevation species.
