Biodiversity Data Journal :
Taxonomic Paper
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Corresponding author:
Academic editor: Adriano Kury
Received: 08 May 2015 | Accepted: 06 Nov 2015 | Published: 10 Nov 2015
© 2015 Bruno Gabriel do Monte, Jonas Eduardo Gallão, Diego von Schimonsky, Maria Elina Bichuette
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
do Monte B, Gallão J, von Schimonsky D, Bichuette M (2015) New records of two endemic troglobitic and threatened arachnids (Amblypygi and Opiliones) from limestone caves of Minas Gerais state, southeast Brazil. Biodiversity Data Journal 3: e5260. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.3.e5260
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The endemic and threatened troglobites (organisms restricted to caves) Charinus eleonorae (Amblypygi) and Iandumoema uai (Opiliones), both from Olhos d’Água cave, located at Peruaçu Caves National Park (southeast Brazil), have their distribution expanded for a new locality inside of the National Park (Lapa do Cipó cave), extending their distribution at least in 9.5km2.
This new data suggest that these arachnids can be in a differentiation process and/or there are several possibilities of dispersion in the karst of Peruaçu. Indeed, a revision of their categorical status at IUCN Red List is necessary. We herein report a new distribution range (Lapa do Cipó cave) of the troglobitic species I. uai and C. eleonorae, which are, to date, known to occur in the Olhos d’Água cave, located at the Peruaçu Caves National Park (PCNP).
Charinus, Iandumoema, new distribution, Olhos d’Água cave, Lapa do Cipó cave
In Brazil there are thirteen species of troglobitic (obligatory cave-dweller) opilionids, belonging to two families: Gonyleptidae Sundevall, 1833 (Pachylospeleus strinatii Šilhavý, 1974; Iandumoema uai Pinto-da-Rocha, 1996; Giupponia chagasi Pérez & Kury, 2002; Discocyrtus pedrosoi Kury, 2008; Eusarcus elinae Kury, 2008; Spinopilar moria Kury & Pérez-González, 2008; Iandumoema setimapocu, Hara & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2008; Iandumoema sp. n.; Eusarcus sp. n. 2; Eusarcus sp. n. 3 and two undescribed Pachylinae) and Escadabiidae Kury and Pérez, 2003 (Spaeleolepts spaeleus Soares, 1966) (
The troglobitic belonging to the genus Iandumoema Pinto-da-Rocha, 1996 consists of three species, Iandumoema uai Pinto-da-Rocha, 1996, Iandumoema setimapocu Hara and Pinto-da-Rocha, 2008 and Iandumoema sp. n. All of the species occur in the center-north of Minas Gerais State and each one of them is recorded only from their type-locality. For example, I. uai is found at the Olhos d’Água cave (
The genus Charinus Simon, 1982 is the most diverse in Order Amblypygi and the Family Charinidae Quintero, 1986. This genus comprises 17 species in South America and 11 species in Brazil (
Out of these, two are trogobitic species: C. troglobius Baptista and Giupponi, 2002 and C. eleonorae Baptista and Giupponi, 2003.
However, endemism is not necessarily a characteristic of such obligatory cave-dweller arachnids in Brazil, since there are records of troglobitic species occurring in two or more caves in Brazil. For example, the opilionid Discocyrtus pedrosoi Kury, 2008 from Chapada Diamantina, central region of Bahia State, occurs in seven caves (J.E. Gallão, pers. obs.) and the opilionid Giupponia chagasi Pérez and Kury, 2002, as well as the amblypygid C. troglobius, both from Serra do Ramalho karstic area, south of Bahia state, occur in two caves (
The ecological importance and fragility of the troglobitic species, I. uai and C. eleonorae, are recognized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Both these species are included in the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered (CR), the higher risk category, highlighting their extremely vulnerability (
We herein report a new distribution range (Lapa do Cipó cave) of the troglobitic species I. uai and C. eleonorae, which are, to date, known to occur in the Olhos d’Água cave, located at the Peruaçu Caves National Park (PCNP).
The Peruaçu Caves National Park (PCNP) located at the Peruaçu Basin of the São Francisco River Basin, is compound by large rocky outcrops with predominance of limestone rocks of Bambuí karst area (
The Olhos d’Água cave is the largest cave of Minas Gerais State, with approximately nine kilometers of horizontal projection (
We conducted fieldtrips to PCNP in June and August of 2014 for sampling caves (Fig.
Type-locality (Olhos d’Água cave) and new records (Lapa do Cipó cave) for the troglobitic Iandumoema uai and Charinus eleonorae. The soil level represents the relative altitudes in the area and the drainages are in the lowest level. Olhos d’Água cave resurgence is the main entrance for this cave. See the two separated drainages for both caves.
To recognize the minimal occurence area of the species, we did a triangulation with the three points of caves (see Fig.
We employed the direct qualitative search and hand collecting sampling method targeting walls, under block rocks, organic matter, and unconsolidated substrate (wet and dry). The collected individuals were fixed in 70% ethanol.
Identification and diagnosis of species was conducted following the original description of taxa (
In addition, for body measurements, we used the classical morphometric data specific for each group to confirm the identification. The measurements for opilionids and amblypygids were conducted as described by
Images were taken using a Leica DFC 295 camera attached to a Leica M205C stereomicroscope with a PlanApo (1.0) objective. The figures were produced using multiple frames of LAS software (Leica Application Suite v3.7).
The genus Iandumoema is characterized by a single erect spine on eye mound, areas of dorsal scutum unarmed, and presence of mesal-subapical setae on the pedipalpal femur (Fig.
Iandumoema uai, male from Lapa do Cipó cave.
The genus Charinus is characterized by the following characteristics: pedipalpal basitarsus with two long dorsal spines and one ventral; pedipalpal tibia expanded dorsally, with a spine and a setiferous tubercle distally in relation to its longest dorsal spine; trochanter with a well-developed ventral protuberance, with setiferous tubercles anteriorly projected (
According to 2014 IUCN revision, this species is CR (Critically Endangered) category.
Expansion of occurrence of troglobitic species previously known for only a single cave.
According to 2014 IUCN revision, this species is CR (Critically Endangered) category.
Expansion of occurrence of troglobitic species previously known for only a single cave.
Individuals of I. uai and C. eleonorae, recorded from Lapa do Cipó cave, are the first reported occurrence of these species from any other cave beyond their type-locality, Olhos d’Água cave. We observed that all individuals from both the species present the diagnostic characters for I. uai and C. eleonorae, with no sharp differences in characters among the specimens from both localities. However, all the three C. eleonorae specimens from Lapa do Cipó cave had only eyespots with the median eyes absent, which are reduced in the specimens from Olhos d’Água cave. Morphometric data of both the species from Lapa do Cipó cave are in agreement with the original description with subtle differences (Tables
Mean measurements values and standard error for the opilionid Iandumoema uai from Olhos d’Água and Lapa do Cipó caves. The fifth column brings the data of the original description – type-series (
Olhos d’Água n = 7 |
Lapa do Cipó n = 6 |
Type-series n = 9 |
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Pedipalpus |
Trochanter |
0.48(0.01) |
0.52(0.02) |
0.54 |
Femur |
2.03(0.05) |
1.92(0.08) |
1.96 |
|
Patella |
1.01(0.02) |
1(0.04) |
1.10 |
|
Tibia |
1.46(0.04) |
1.33(0.04) |
1.40 |
|
Tarsus |
1.01(0.03) |
1(0.03) |
1.10 |
|
Total |
6(0.11) |
5.78(0.18) |
6.10 |
|
Leg I |
Trochanter |
0.54(0.02) |
0.528(0.03) |
0.46 |
Femur |
4.57(0.06) |
4.09(0.18) |
4.40 |
|
Patella |
1.08(0.02) |
0.989(0.03) |
1.12 |
|
Tibia |
3.51(0.07) |
3.17(0.08) |
3.37 |
|
Metatarsus |
5.83(0.03) |
5.26(0.2) |
5.69 |
|
Tarsus |
2.48(0.24) |
3.72(1.1) |
2.75 |
|
Total |
18.03(0.26) |
17.76(1.1) |
17.79 |
|
Leg II |
Trochanter |
0.60(0.02) |
0.56(0.03) |
0.60 |
Femur |
9.24(0.07) |
8.12(0.3) |
8.64 |
|
Patella |
1.61(0.01) |
1.27(0.07) |
1.44 |
|
Tibia |
8.05(0.02) |
7.26(0.2) |
7.37 |
|
Metatarsus |
9.44(0.08) |
8.72(0.22) |
8.88 |
|
Tarsus |
10.16(0.18) |
9.75(0.14) |
9.84 |
|
Total |
37.31(1.3) |
32.63(3.56) |
36.77 |
|
Leg III |
Trochanter |
0.61(0.03) |
0.58(0.03) |
0.62 |
Femur |
6.21(0.06) |
5.6(0.18) |
5.70 |
|
Patella |
1.22(0.02) |
1.13(0.04) |
1.28 |
|
Tibia |
3.88(0.05) |
3.56(0.11) |
3.56 |
|
Metatarsus |
6.55(0.08) |
6.03(0.21) |
6.31 |
|
Tarsus |
3.10(0.05) |
2.98(0.61) |
2.87 |
|
Total |
21.60(0.17) |
18.24(1.57) |
20.34 |
|
Leg IV |
Trochanter |
1.05(0.03) |
0.99(0.16) |
1.15 |
Femur |
8.17(0.06) |
7.6(0.26) |
8.10 |
|
Patella |
1.42(0.07) |
1.42(0.09) |
1.69 |
|
Tibia |
5.94(0.07) |
5.37(0.21) |
5.56 |
|
Metatarsus |
8.85(0.19) |
8.25(0.28) |
8.56 |
|
Tarsus |
3.84(0.02) |
3.75(0.09) |
3.59 |
|
Total |
29.29(0.4) |
25.40(2.03) |
28.65 |
|
Dorsal scute length |
3.86(0.07) |
3.7(0.15) |
4.04 |
|
Prosoma length |
4.40(0.09) |
3.55(0.08) |
1.52 |
|
Prosoma width |
3.77(0.29) |
3.72(0.24) |
1.88 |
|
Opisthosoma width |
2.44(0.04) |
2.13(0.2) |
3.16 |
Mean measurements values and standard error for the amblypigid Charinus eleonorae from Olhos d’Água and Lapa do Cipó caves. The fourth column brings the data of the original description – type-series (
Olhos d’ Água n = 7 |
Lapa do Cipó n = 3 |
Type-series n = 17 |
|
Femur |
2.89 (0.36) |
3.09(0.01) |
4.2(3.4-5.6) |
Tibia |
3.47(0.43) |
3.86(0.22) |
4.0(3.2-5.4) |
Basitarsus |
1.47(0.17) |
1.76(0.11) |
1.8 (1.6-2.2) |
Distitarsus |
1.15(0.07) |
1.35(0.06) |
1.2(1.1-1.4) |
Tarsal claw |
0.73(0.03) |
0.85(0.01) |
0.9(0.8-1.1) |
Total |
9.74(1.02) |
10.93(0.36) |
|
Cephalotorax length |
2.97(0.22) |
3.23(0.32) |
3.5(3.1-4.0) |
Cephalotorax width |
3.15(0.25) |
3.52(0.19) |
4.3(3.9-5.1) |
Abdomen length |
4.60(0.43) |
6.17(0.24) |
5.0(4.2-5.6) |
Body length |
7.41(0.58) |
9.12(0.37) |
7.8(7.0-9.1) |
The Olhos d’Água cave is the largest cave in the Minas Gerais State with a significant number of troglobitic species and restricted range distribution (
The occurrence of I. uai and C. eleonorae in Lapa do Cipó cave (distant 6.5 km northwest from Olhos d'Água cave) either indicates the existence of a complex system of subterranean microspaces (such as cracks and fissures), interconnecting both caves in the karst of Peruaçu; or the past existence of a whole unique system, reaching these two caves. In the first case, the dispersion can occur through the voids connected through cracks and fissures, typical of the MSS habitat (mesovoid shallow substratum, sensu
In terms of median eyes, we observed that the C. eleonorae populations from Lapa do Cipó cave showed a higher frequency of individuals without them comparing to the observed for Olhos d’Água cave population. The absence of median eyes is considered a rare condition by (
For conservation purposes, the data presented herein, such as the occurrence area of 9.5km2 made by triangulation of A, B and C points (Fig.
We are grateful to Vandeir B. de Jesus (“Branco”) for help in the fieldtrips; to Peruaçu Caves National Park administrators for support. We also thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) for financial support and grants to BGOM and DMS (doctoral scholarships); to the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for grants to JEG (doctor scholarship - CNPq142276/2013-8) and MEB (fellowship); to Dr. Angélica M.P.M. Dias and Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Hymenoptera Parasitóides da Região Sudeste Brasileira (INCT Hympar Sudeste) for providing us the use of the stereomicroscope Leica DFC 295; to L.B.R. Fernandes for image captures; to M.P. Bolfarini for photography of Lapa do Cipó cave; to the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) for collection permit (28992-4) and to the Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais da Universidade Federal de São Carlos (PPGERN/ UFSCar) for the infrastructure to develop this work. A native speaker revised the work.
BGOM, JEG and DMvS collected, identified and contributed for writing.
MEB help in the identification, called attention to the new distribution and contributed for writing.
DMvS confeccioned the map and formated the figures.