Mining tailings alter insects: revealing fluctuating asymmetry in the caddisfly Smicridea coronata.

The Samarco/Vale/BHP mine tailing dam breach that took place in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, in 2015, deposited high concentrations of metals and metalloids in the Rio Doce basin, severely impacting freshwater and riverine forest ecosystems. To assess developmental instability of caddisflies in response to the environmental impacts of the dam breach, we investigated the fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in the species Smicridea (Rhyacophylax) coronata (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae). FA was assessed at individual and populational scales using geometric morphometric methods in the cephalic capsule and mandibles of larvae and also on the forewings of adults, both collected under the impacted condition, and under the least disturbed condition. The levels of FA increased in response to stressors on the forewings at the populational scale, and on the mandibles, at individual scale. These morphological variations in the larval and adult stages may lead to detrimental effects and result in high mortality rates as well as lower adult fitness. Trichoptera forewings are revealed as suitable traits for assessing FA, holding potential for applications in biomonitoring programs. Directional asymmetry levels were higher than FA levels for all traits, and this correlation could be explained by a transition from fluctuating to directional asymmetry in the presence of heightened disturbance. Our results validate the relationship between the impacts from the dam breach and increased developmental instability in this species with likely cascade effects on the insect community.

The genus Macrostemum Kolenati 1859 (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) in the Neotropical Region: Description of two new species, taxonomic notes, distributional records and key to males.

The genus Macrostemum Kolenati contains 105. described species, with 15 valid species in the Neotropical region. The Adults are recognized principally by wing membranes strongly marked with dark and light colors. The Neotropical species Of Macrostemum were described based on the wing colors patterns and body morphology. In this paper we present a taxonomic study of the Neotropical species, descriptions of two new species from Brazil, distributional records and a key to males. The male of Macrostemum negrense Flint 1978 is described for the first time, Names of three Neotropical species, M. ramosum (Navás 1916), M. trigramma (Navás 1916), and M. triste (Navás 1916) are designated nomina dubia.

Description of female genitalia, additional morphological variations, and courtship behavior and copulation of Macrostemum brasiliense (Fischer 1970) (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae).

Macrostemum Kolenati 1859 is a cosmopolitan caddisfly genus with 105 described species easily recognized by the remarkable contrasting dark and clear wing patterns. The larvae of the genus build retreats with capture nets adapted to filter fine particulate organic matter. The genus has 19 described, Neotropical species, almost all described only by wing patterns and male genitalia. To date, only two Neotropical species have an associated immature stage and only one has the female genitalia described. Macrostemum brasiliense occurs in southeastern Brazil, primarily in the Atlantic Rainforest. The species has characteristic wing and body patterns, and phallic morphology recorded in literature and further described here. We contribute to knowledge of this species by further describing and illustrating the female genitalia, adding detail about wing variation patterns and venation, including the intriguing melanic female variation. This conspicuous Atlantic Rainforest caddisfly is now among the best-known species of Neotropical Trichoptera.

The neotype of Macrostemum hyalinum (Pictet 1836) (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) and a key to males of Neotropical species of this genus.

The Macrostemum Kolenati is a conspicuous genus of Trichoptera containing 18 species in the Neotropical region. This study designates a neotype of Macrostemum hyalinum, the type species of the genus, establishes the Atlantic Forest of Espirito Santo, Brazil, as the species type locality, and proposes a key to males of Neotropical species in this genus.

New species of Plectromacronema Ulmer 1906 (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) from Brazil, with association of immature stages and aspects of its biology.

Plectromacronema Ulmer 1906 is a Neotropical genus recorded sparsely from South of Mexico to the North of Argentina. The genus is placed within the Macronematinae sub-family, members of which are relatively large among the Trichoptera and bears conspicuous wing ornamentations. There are only two species recorded for Brazil, Plectromacronema comptum Ulmer 1906 and Plectromacronema subfuscum (Banks 1920). Plectromacronema lisae Flint 1983 recorded for Mexico and Costa Rica is the only species in the genus with immature stages described. Immature stages species level identification is required for water quality biomonitoring and most of the Trichoptera taxonomy is based only on adult male genitalia. In this paper, we propose a new species, Plectromacronema solaris sp.nov., larva, pupa, and adult. Aspects of the life history of the new species are also discussed. This record also represents a new genus record for the state of Minas Gerais, extending the knowledge on the diversity, distribution, biogeography, and biology of this remarkable genus.

Brazilian Trichoptera Checklist II.

A second assessment of Brazilian Trichoptera species records is presented here. A total of 625 species were recorded for Brazil. This represents an increase of 65.34% new species recorded during the last decade. The Hydropsychidae (124 spp.), followed by the Hydroptilidae (102 spp.) and Polycentropodidae (97 spp.), are the families with the greatest richness recorded for Brazil. The knowledge on Trichoptera biodiversity in Brazil is geographically unequal. The majority of the species is recorded for the southeastern region.

Checklist of butterflies (Insecta: Lepidoptera) from Serra do Intendente State Park - Minas Gerais, Brazil.

In order to contribute to the butterflies' biodiversity knowledge at Serra do Intendente State Park - Minas Gerais, a study based on collections using Van Someren-Rydon traps and active search was performed. In this study, a total of 395 butterflies were collected, of which 327 were identified to species or morphospecies. 263 specimens were collected by the traps and 64 were collected using entomological hand-nets; 43 genera and 60 species were collected and identified.