Systematic challenges and opportunities in insect monitoring: a Global South perspective.

Insect monitoring is pivotal for assessing biodiversity and informing conservation strategies. This study delves into the complex realm of insect monitoring in the Global South-world developing and least-developed countries as identified by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development-highlighting challenges and proposing strategic solutions. An analysis of publications from 1990 to 2024 reveals an imbalance in research contributions between the Global North and South, highlighting disparities in entomological research and the scarcity of taxonomic expertise in the Global South. We discuss the socio-economic factors that exacerbate the issues, including funding disparities, challenges in collaboration, infrastructure deficits, information technology obstacles and the impact of local currency devaluation. In addition, we emphasize the crucial role of environmental factors in shaping insect diversity, particularly in tropical regions facing multiple challenges including climate change, urbanization, pollution and various anthropogenic activities. We also stress the need for entomologists to advocate for ecosystem services provided by insects in addressing environmental issues. To enhance monitoring capacity, we propose strategies such as community engagement, outreach programmes and cultural activities to instill biodiversity appreciation. Further, language inclusivity and social media use are emphasized for effective communication. More collaborations with Global North counterparts, particularly in areas of molecular biology and remote sensing, are suggested for technological advancements. In conclusion, advocating for these strategies-global collaborations, a diverse entomological community and the integration of transverse disciplines-aims to address challenges and foster inclusive, sustainable insect monitoring in the Global South, contributing significantly to biodiversity conservation and overall ecosystem health. This article is part of the theme issue 'Towards a toolkit for global insect biodiversity monitoring'.

Diversity and Flight Patterns of Caddisflies (Trichoptera) in an Atlantic Forest Fragment: Implications for Species Conservation in Threatened Ecosystems.

Anthropogenic activities have decimated the Atlantic Forest domain (AF) and increased the pressure on freshwater biota, such as Trichoptera, which is the most affected order by the current insect decline. Adult mobility is crucial for the colonisation of new environments unconnected by water sources. In this article, we describe the assemblage of caddisflies in a preserved AF fragment related to their functional feeding group and provide empirical data on the patterns of horizontal and vertical flight. Adults were collected using white sheet and light attraction traps, placed at different distances and heights from a stream in Pernambuco, Brazil. A total of 2934 specimens of 15 species from five families were collected, mostly collector-filterers. Horizontal flight was limited, with 80% of the abundance concentrated up to 20 m. Vertical stratification was also concentrated at lower heights. A female-biased proportion was observed at higher strata. The richness and abundance of species decreased with increasing distances and heights from the stream. Overall, Chimarra sp. and Macrostemum scharfi were the dominant species. Trichoptera is a key taxon used as a biological indicator of water quality, and here, knowledge on the diversity and flight patterns of adults is expanded. At the risk of intensive pollution of rivers in Atlantic forests, data on the adult dispersal can be incorporated in the assessment of endangerment status and in conservation strategies.

LEAq - Laboratório de Entomologia Aquática "Prof. Claudio Gilberto Froehlich" and the task of facing the biodiversity knowledge deficits on Caddisflies (Trichoptera), Bahia, Brazil

ABSTRACT Insects are fundamental to biodiversity conservation in almost all ecosystems, and their population decline, and extinction directly result from environmental impacts. These facts are aggravated by the lack of knowledge of insect biodiversity, the so-called biodiversity deficits, especially the Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls. In freshwater ecosystems, biodiversity loss is higher among aquatic insects, and caddisflies comprise one of the most vulnerable orders. In this way, research focusing on describing new caddisfly species and understanding their distribution ranges will increase knowledge of caddisfly biodiversity. In the past 14 years, the team from the Laboratório de Entomologia Aquática "Prof. Dr. Claudio Gilberto Froehlich" (LEAq, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil) and collaborators have been addressing these issues, resulting in 55 described species of caddisflies. Taxa in other insect orders have also received attention and an additional 16 species have been described (eight mayflies, four stoneflies, four neuropteran spongillaflies, and antlions). Here, eight caddisfly species are described and illustrated (Atopsyche froehlichi sp. nov., Austrotinodes zeferina sp. nov., Cernotina kariri sp. nov., Neoathripsodes froehlichi sp. nov., Notalina claudiofroehlichi sp. nov., Oecetis marcus sp. nov., Phylloicus froehlichi sp. nov., and Polycentropus claudioi sp. nov.), five of them in honor of LEAq's patron. In addition, new distributional data are presented for 10 known species. A checklist of the caddisfly fauna of Bahia state is also presented, with 138 species, around 75% and 30% of them recorded and described by the LEAq team, respectively. Currently, for caddisflies, Bahia is the fifth most species-rich state in Brazil, and the first in the Brazilian Northeast region.

Systematic revision and phylogeny of Paragripopteryx Enderlein, 1909 (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae).

Among the Neotropical gripopterygids, the genus Paragripopteryx occurs along the Brazilian Atlantic coast to Uruguay. Since its first recognition by Enderlein in 1909, the genus underwent a confusing taxonomic history with some combinations. In this study, we aim to revise Paragripopteryx and present the first morphology-based phylogeny for the genus. The analysis comprised 38 morphological characters and their respective states in 30 terminal taxa, including 13 Paragripopteryx species, two new species identified as belonging to Paragripopteryx, and 15 outgroup species, among which we can highlight 12 different South American genera and one Australian genus of Gripopterygidae. The cladistic analysis yielded a parsimonious tree for k = 3 (137 steps, consistency index = 0.445, and retention index = 0.591) where most Paragripopteryx are nested, except for Uruguayan Paragripopteryx munoai. We can then infer that in its current circumscription Paragripopteryx is polyphyletic. The following two species are described: Paragripopteryx dasalmas sp. nov. and Paragripopteryx ogum sp. nov. Paragripopteryx baratinii is designated as a nomen dubium. Additionally, we provide a key for species identification, updated geographical records, and illustrations for all species. As a corollary, our study gathers relevant morphological information that can help to better understand this genus and create foundations for the next steps.

Caddisflies (Trichoptera) checklist and a new species of Helicopsyche von Siebold, 1856, from the Brejo de Altitude de Triunfo, a relict rainforest within the Caatinga domain, Northeast Brazil.

Brejos de Altitude are evergreen seasonal forests, associated with plateau regions in the middle of the Caatinga domain in Northeast Brazil, which possibly acted as biological corridors between the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon rainforest during the Pleistocene. The first entomological survey in the highest point in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, the Brejo de Altitude de Triunfo, was implemented and resulted in a checklist of caddisflies with six families, nine genera, and eleven species, including a new species. Helicopsycheralphi sp. nov. is described and illustrated, based on all semaphoronts. A key to Brazilian Helicopsyche (Feropsyche) Johanson, 1998 species is also provided. In addition to the caddisfly survey in the Brejos de Altitude, the results include new records for the state, region, and also for the country. Thus, this study updates the number of species in the Brazilian Northeast region and Pernambuco state to 169 species and 43 species, respectively.

The spongillafly genus Sisyra Burmeister, 1839 (Neuroptera: Sisyridae) from Brazil: Distributional, taxonomical and bionomical notes.

Sisyridae is a small family of aquatic insects, with 73 extant species described worldwide. In Brazil, 17 species of two genera, Climacia McLachlan, 1869 and Sisyra Burmeister, 1839, have been reported. In this paper, the family is recorded from the Caatinga biome (semiarid region), Northeastern Brazil, for the first time, including a record of the genus Sisyra from Ceará State. Additional distributional data are presented for both S. apicalis Banks, 1908 and S. panama Parfin Gurney, 1956. Sisyra ariasi Penny, 1981 is here synonymized with S. panama, NEW SYNONYMY. Illustrations of the male genitalia of S. minuta Esben-Petersen, 1935, and bionomic notes for S. panama are provided.

Atopsyche Banks (Trichoptera, Hydrobiosidae): New species, redescription, and new records.

Atopsyche is the largest genus of hydrobiosids, comprising 139 species in three subgenera (Atopsyche, Atopsaura, and Dolochorema), distributed from southwestern United States to northeastern Uruguay. Atopsyche (Atopsaura) is the most diverse subgenus with 65 species, Atopsyche (Atopsyche) with 51, and Atopsyche (Dolochorema) with three. This paper provides a taxonomic study of Atopsyche, including descriptions of A. (Atopsyche) bravoi n. sp. from Ecuador, A. (Atopsaura) beckeri n. sp. from Cuba, A. (Atopsaura) japi n. sp. from Brazil, and the redescription of A. (Atopsaura) usingeri. Additionally, the morphological variations of A. (Atopsaura) antisuya and A. (Atopsaura) diamantina are presented, as well new records. These results contribute to taxonomical knowledge of Atopsyche and increase the number of described species to 142.

Taxonomy of Atopsyche Banks (Trichoptera: Hydrobiosidae) from Brazil: New species, distributional notes and identification key.

Three new species of Atopsyche Banks 1905 are described and illustrated from Brazil: Atopsyche diamantina n. sp., A. kamakan n. sp., and A. muelleri n. sp. New records of A. apurimac Schmid 1989, A. sanctipauli Flint 1974, A. serica Ross 1953, and A. zernyi Flint 1974 are included, as well as the first records to states of Bahia, Goiás, and Rio Grande do Sul. Atopsche rinconi Holzenthal & Cressa 2002 is recorded from Brazil for the first time. An identification key is also provided for species of the genus from Brazil. Moreover additional characters and illustrations of A. sanctipauli and A. zernyi are presented.

A Review of the Genus Oecetis (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) in the Northeastern Region of Brazil with the Description of 5 New Species.

Within Leptoceridae, the genus Oecetis contains about 500 species around the world, including 53 in the Neotropics. In Brazil, there are 15 recorded species of Oecetis. These species were described over several decades by numerous authors with the results that descriptions are not comparable and diagnoses are incomplete. Also, the apparently unbranched M vein, in the forewing, a diagnostic character for Oecetis pointed by McLachlan, is controversial and no consensus has been reached about its homology. Additionally, the only revision for the genus was never published; thus the information and proposed taxa are not available according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. We analyzed specimens collected in the Brazilian Northeast Region and compared these with described species and literature descriptions and Oecetis from other regions. We provide herein the description of five new species, additional characters for diagnosing seven of the species recorded from Brazil, new distributional records, and a dichotomous key to the Brazilian species. Additionally, we contrast the two hypotheses of forewing M vein homology and support the unbranched hypothesis. In this way, we improve the knowledge of the genus in the Neotropics, making the species descriptions comparable in a way that facilitates species identification.

New species and records of Chimarra (Trichoptera, Philopotamidae) from Northeastern Brazil, and an updated key to subgenus Chimarra (Chimarrita).

Two new species of Chimarra (Chimarrita) are described and illustrated, Chimarra (Chimarrita) mesodontasp. n. and Chimarra (Chimarrita) anticheirasp. n. from the Chimarra (Chimarrita) rosalesi and Chimarra (Chimarrita) simpliciforma species groups, respectively. The morphological variation of Chimarra (Curgia) morio is also illustrated. Chimarra (Otarrha) odonta and Chimarra (Chimarrita) kontilos are reported to occur in the northeast region of Brazil for the first time. An updated key is provided for males and females of the all species in the subgenus Chimarrita.

The genus Alterosa Blahnik, 2005 (Trichoptera, Philopotamidae, Philopotaminae) in northeastern Brazil, including the description of three new species and an identification key for the genus.

Alterosa Blahnik, 2005 contains 35 described species distributed in southern and southeastern Brazil. Three new species of Alterosa from northeastern Brazil are described and illustrated, Alterosa amadoi sp. n., Alterosa castroalvesi sp. n. and Alterosa caymmii sp. n., the first records of the genus from northeastern Brazil. An identification key for all known species of the genus is also presented.

Checklist dos Trichoptera (Insecta) do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil / Checklist of Trichoptera (Insecta) from São Paulo State, Brazil

Os Trichoptera compreendem a maior ordem de insetos estritamente aquáticos e constituem a maior proporção da comunidade dos macroinvertebrados bentônicos. Há 13.000 espécies descritas no mundo, cerca de 2.500 espécies na Região Neotropical e 479 ocorrentes no Brasil. A fauna brasileira de Trichoptera inclui membros de 16 famílias (Anomalopsychidae, Atriplectididae, Calamoceratidae, Ecnomidae, Glossosomatidae, Helicopsychidae, Hydrobiosidae, Hydropsychidae, Hydroptilidae, Leptoceridae, Limnephilidae, Odontoceridae, Philopotamidae, Polycentropodidae, Sericostomatidae e Xiphocentronidae). No Estado de São Paulo, há 126 espécies catalogadas em 15 famílias, sem registros apenas para Limnephilidae.

Trichoptera are the major order among the aquatic insects and constitute a large proportion of benthic macroinvertebrate community. There are about 13,000 described species of caddisflies in the world, 2,500 in Neotropics and 479 species records to Brazil. The Brazilian caddisflies fauna included members of 16 families (Anomalopsychidae, Atriplectididae, Calamoceratidae, Ecnomidae, Glossosomatidae, Helicopsychidae, Hydrobiosidae, Hydropsychidae, Hydroptilidae, Leptoceridae, Limnephilidae, Odontoceridae, Philopotamidae, Polycentropodidae, Sericostomatidae and Xiphocentronidae). In São Paulo State, there are 126 registered species in 15 families, without records only to Limnephilidae.

A new species of Notalina Mosely, 1936 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) from Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, Goiás state, Brazil / Uma nova espécie de Notalina Mosely, 1936 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) proveniente do Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, Brasil

The endemic Neotropical long-horned caddisfly subgenus Notalina (Neonotalina) Holzenthal contains nine described species in two species groups, the brasiliana and roraima groups, from the Brazilian Southeastern and Amazonian regions, respectively. In this paper, a new species of Notalina in the brasiliana species group, from Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, Goiás state, Brazil, is described and illustrated. The new species is easily recognized by the following character set: presence of two pairs of processes on abdominal segment X; presence of well-developed basoventral protuberances, mesally directed in ventral view; presence of triangle-shaped, acuminated mesoventral process on the inferior appendages; and phallic apparatus with flanges slightly curved in dorsal view, not laterally directed.

O subgênero neotropical Notalina (Neonotalina) Holzenthal contém nove espécies descritas em dois grupos de espécies, brasiliana e roraima, provenientes do Sudeste brasileiro e da região Amazônica, respectivamente. Neste artigo, uma nova espécie de Notalina é descrita e ilustrada a partir de espécimes colecionados no Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros, Goiás, Brasil. A nova espécie é facilmente diagnosticada pelo seguinte conjunto de caracteres: presença de dois pares de processos no segmento abdominal X; presença de protuberâncias basoventrais bem desenvolvidas, mesalmente direcionadas em vista ventral; presença de processo mesoventral acuminado, com formato triangular no apêndice inferior, e aparato fálico com extensões laterais levemente curvadas em vista dorsal, não direcionadas lateralmente.