Response of aquatic insects to an environmental gradient in Amazonian streams.

The increasing land use in the Amazon region has resulted in the widespread substitution of forest areas with pasture and bauxite mining. These land uses reduce the forest cover of streams and modify their characteristics, reducing the diversity of aquatic insect assemblages. In the present study, we aimed to identify the threshold of the assemblages of the larvae of insects of the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (collectively known as EPT), and adults of the order Odonata, along an environmental gradient of land use and land cover (LULC). We sampled 30 streams along an environmental gradient determined by the proportion of forest, pasture, and bauxite mining observed within the catchment of each stream. We identified 12 taxa associated with forest (nine positively and three negatively) and four negatively associated with pasture. However, no taxa were associated explicitly with the bauxite mining gradient. As forest is converted to pasture, the abundance and frequency of occurrence of the taxa sensitive to pasture are reduced, reflecting their environmental sensitivity and their potential as sentinels of preserved streams. The identification of the thresholds of the EPT and odonates taxa allowed us to determine which of these organisms are positively or negatively associated with the environmental gradient of LULC in Amazonian streams. We hope that the results of the present study can be applied in future biomonitoring programs, particularly for monitoring the response of aquatic insects to the degradation of streams.

Aquatic insects and their environmental predictors: a scientometric study focused on environmental monitoring in lotic environmental.

Since early studies about aquatic ecology, it has been found that changes in environmental conditions alter aquatic insect communities. Based on this, the combined study of environmental conditions and aquatic insect communities has become an important tool to monitor and manage freshwater systems. However, there is no consensus about which environmental predictors and facets of diversity are more useful for environmental monitoring. The objective of this work was to conduct a scientometric analysis to identify the main environmental predictors and biological groups used to monitor and manage lotic freshwater systems. We conducted a scientometric study on the Web of Science platform using the following words: stream, river, aquatic insect, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Odonata, Heteroptera, Chironomidae, bioindicator, environmental change, anthropic, and land use. Although most of the environmental predictors employed are local, intrinsic of freshwater systems using local environmental and associated landscape variables is a better strategy to predict aquatic insect communities. The facets of diversity most used are composition and richness of species and genera, which are not efficient at measuring the loss of ecosystem services and extinction of phylogenetic lineages. Although very important, these functional and phylogenetic facets are poorly explored for this purpose. Even though tropical regions are the most diverse globally and are experiencing major losses of native vegetation, these ecosystems are the least studied, a knowledge gap that needs addressing to better understand the effect of anthropogenic activities on the diversity of aquatic insects.

Effect of oil palm on the Plecoptera and Trichoptera (Insecta) assemblages in streams of eastern Amazon.

The production of oil palm is expected to increase in the Amazon region. However, expansion of oil palm plantation leads to significant changes in the physical structure of aquatic ecosystems, mainly through the reduction of riparian vegetation that is essential for aquatic biodiversity. Here, we evaluated the effects of oil palm on the physical habitat structure of Amazonian stream environments and assemblages of Plecoptera and Trichoptera (PT), ​both found in these streams. We compared streams sampled in oil palm plantations (n = 13) with natural forest areas ("reference" streams, n = 8), located in the eastern Amazon, Brazil. Our results showed that oil palm streams were more likely to be in close proximity to roads, had higher pH values, and higher amounts of fine substrate deposited in the channel than reference streams. Further, these environmental changes had important effects on the aquatic invertebrate assemblages, reducing the abundance and richness of PT. Nevertheless, the genera composition of the assemblages did not differ between reference and oil palm (PERMANOVA, pseudo-F (1,19) = 1.891; p = 0.111). We conclude that oil palm production has clear negative impacts on aquatic environments and PT assemblages in Amazonian streams. We recommend that oil palm producers invest more in planning of road networks to avoid the construction of roads near to the riparian vegetation. This planning can minimize impacts of oil palm production on aquatic systems in the Amazon.

Trichoptera Life Stages Present Distinct Responses to Environmental Conditions in Amazonian Streams.

Biological communities have their biodiversity patterns affected by environmental, spatial, and biogeographic factors that vary from taxa to taxa, and often between life stages. This is especially true when there are differences in the habitat the species use in each of them. Individuals of the insect order Trichoptera are mostly aquatic in their larval stage and terrestrial in their adult stage, which may result in different behaviors and environmental requirements. Our goal was to evaluate the congruence between the larval and adult stages of Trichoptera in Amazonian streams regarding their abundance, richness, and assemblage composition. Additionally, we tried to identify the main environmental factors related to each life stage. For this, larvae and adults of Trichoptera were sampled in the same sites at 12 streams in the Caxiuanã National Forest, Pará state, Brazil. Adult assemblages had greater richness of genera and abundance of individuals than the larval ones, and there was no congruence in the genera composition between these life stages. Our results also showed that different environmental variables structured Trichoptera larvae and adults. Since the sampling of larvae and adults proved to be complementary in the studied streams, we advise that Trichoptera diversity surveys consider both life stages of these organisms.

An updated distribution list of Leptophlebiidae Banks, 1900 (Ephemeroptera: Insecta) for Piauí state / Uma lista de distribuição atualizada de Leptophlebiidae Banks, 1900 (Ephemeroptera: Insecta) para o estado do Piauí

Abstract Leptophlebiidae is the second most diverse family within Ephemeroptera, with species distributed across various States in Brazil, but with gaps in distribution records in others. Currently, nine species of Leptophlebiidae are recorded for the state of Piauí. Based on this information gap, the objective of this study was to present an updated species list of the family Leptophlebiidae new occurrence records and distributional sites for the state of Piauí, Brazil. By analyzing 447 specimens, we have significantly expanded our knowledge about the distribution of Leptophlebiidae species in the state of Piauí, increasing the recorded species from nine to 17. We have also added new occurrence records for six species and, for the first time, documented the presence of four genera. It is important to highlight that there is still an extensive area within the Cerrado and Brazilian semiarid regions where the occurrence of Ephemeroptera is unknown, confirming that the diversity in this area is underestimated and that knowledge of Ephemeroptera species and their distributions can expand with increased sampling efforts in the coming years, reducing the Linnean and Wallacean shortfall regarding this group. Our results also demonstrate the urgent need for inventories in the southern part of the state of Piauí, particularly in the sub-basins of the middle and upper Parnaíba river, which are considered suitable for monoculture expansion in Brazil.

Resumo Leptophlebiidae é a segunda família mais diversa de Ephemeroptera, com espécies distribuídas em vários estados do Brasil, mas com lacunas no registro de distribuição em outros. Por exemplo, no estado do Piauí tem registrado apenas nove espécies de Leptophlebiidae. Baseada nessa lacuna de informação, o objetivo deste estudo foi apresentar uma lista atualizada de espécies da família Leptophlebiidae, novos registros de ocorrência e sítios de distribuição para o estado do Piauí, Brasil. Ao analisar 447 exemplares, ampliamos significativamente nosso conhecimento sobre a distribuição das espécies de Leptophlebiidae no estado do Piauí, aumentando o número de espécies registradas de nove para 17. Também adicionamos novos registros de ocorrência para seis espécies e, pela primeira vez, documentamos a presença de quatro gêneros. Destacamos que ainda existe uma extensa área do Cerrado e semiárido brasileiro que se desconhece a ocorrência de Ephemeroptera, confirmando que a diversidade nessa área é subestimada e que o conhecimento sobre as espécies de Ephemeroptera e suas distribuições podem se expandir com o aumento do esforço amostral nos próximos anos, diminuindo as lacunas Lineana e Wallaceana sobre esse grupo. Nossos resultados também demonstram a necessidade emergencial de inventários no sul do Estado do Piauí, principalmente nas sub-bacias do médio e alto rio Parnaíba que é considerado adequado para a expansão da monocultura no Brasil.