Notalina (Neonotalina) ralphi: A new species of Long-horned Caddisfly from Brazil

Caddisflies, Trichoptera, are a widespread and numerous (over 12 000 described species) group of Insects closely related to the Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths). Like Butterflies and Moths, Caddisflies undergo a complete metamorphosis upon reaching maturity, with a long-lived caterpillar-like larvae, and a shorter-lived flying adult stages (which typically lives one-to-two weeks). However, unlike the larvae of Butterflies and Moths, Caddisfly larvae are entirely aquatic, with only the winged adults emerging above the water surface. Most larval Caddisfly inhabit cases which they make out of silk, which some species are noted for covering with small stones, pieces of plant matter, shells or other matter they find in their environment. The larvae may be herbivorous or carnivorous, adult Caddisfly generally do not eat at all. Long-horned Caddisflies, Leptoceridae, are the second most numerous group of Caddisflies, with about 2200 described species grouped into four subfamilies the Grumichellinae, the Leptocerinae, the Leptorussinae, and the Triplectidinae. The tropical Southern Hemisphere genus Notalina is placed within the Subfamily Triplectidinae, and is itself divided into two subgenera, Notalina (Notalina), which is found in Austalasia and Notalina (Neonotalina) from South America.

In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys on 11 July 2022, Erica Silva Pereira of the Programa de Iniciação Científica and the Divisão do Curso em Entomologia at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Ian Oliveira of the Laboratório de Entomologia Aquática at the UniversidadeFederal da Bahia, Gleison Robson Desidério, also of the Divisão do Curso em Entomologia at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Adolfo Calor, also of the Laboratório de Entomologia Aquática at the Universidade Federal da Bahia, and Neusa Hamada, once again of the Divisão do Curso em Entomologia at the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, describe a new species of Notalina (Neonotalina) from Brazil.

The new species is described from specimens collected using Malaise traps close to rivers in the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) biome in Brazil's Federal District, and Tocatins and Bahia states. It is named Notalina (Neonotalina) ralphi, in honour of Ralph Holzenthal of the University of Minnesota, for his work on Neotropical Caddisflies and support for new entomologists.

Notalina (Neonotalina) ralphi, lateral view. Silva Pereira et al. (2022).

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Difroehlichia elenae: A new species of Terrestrial Flatworm from Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

New World Terrestrial Flatworms, Geoplanidae, are carnivorous free-living Platyhelminth Worms found in terrestrial habitats. Like other Platyhelminths they have a very simple bodyplan, lacking an internal body cavity which holds the organs or any form of circulatory system or reproductive organs. They have flattened bodies, which allows oxygen absorbed through the skin to reach all the cells, with a simple gut with a single opening that serves as both the mouth and anus. Most Land Flatworms are extremely limited in their environmental tolerances, and consequently have very limited geographical ranges, but a few species have proved to be much more tolerant and have become highly invasive pest species.

In a paper published in the journal PeerJ on 4 December 2018, Ana Leal-Zanchet and Alessandro Damasceno Marques of the Instituto de Pesquisas de Planárias at the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, describe a new species of Terrestrial Flatworm from Minas Gerais State in Brazil.

The new species is described from a single specimen assessed to be a member of the New World Terrestrial Flatworm Family Geoplaninae, on the basis of its subcylindrical body, poorly developed sub-epidermal musculature and a narrow creeping sole. However, it could not be assigned to any previously described genus within that family, and is therefore placed in a new genus, named Difroehlichia, in honour of Claudio Froehlich and the late Eudóxia Froehlich, for their work on the study of terrestrial Flatworms, and given the specific name elenae, in honour of the late Elena Diehl, for her studies of the Ants and Termites of southern Brazil.

Difroehlichia elenae is dark brown in colour and has a length of 13.5 mm and width of 1.5 mm. It has eyes along the margins of both sides of its body, with the exception of the very tip; these are small and monolobate towards the front of the animal and larger and trilobate along the majority of the body, becoming sparse towards the rear. The body is divided into two parts by a muscular, cylindrical pharynx, which is where the mouth is located.

Difroehlichia elenae, general dorsal view of preserved specimen. The arrow indicates the anterior extremity. Leal-Zanchet & Marques (2018). 

The specimen was found in the entrance to a cave in banded ironstone in an area of cerrado grassland, with a laterite soil and numerous rocky outcrops at the eastern margin of the Serra do Espinhaço Plateau, during the rainy season (November). It appeared to have recently mated and produced eggs, and it is possible that it had come to the cave for this purpose.

Entrance of the ferruginous cave at the basis of a vertical slope in rocky outcrop in the Brazilian where Difroehlichia elenae was discovered. Leal-Zanchet & Marques (2018).

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Physoctonus amazonicus: A new species of Far-tailed Scorpion from Pará State in Brazil.

Fat-tailed Scorpions, Buthidae, are the largest group of Scorpions, with over 800 described species. They get their name from the fact that many species have thick tails and slender claws, primarily relying on their venom for both offence and defence, with a handful of species being capable of killing a Human with their sting. The genus Physoctonus currently contains two species, both from the caatingas thornscrub of northeastern Brazil.

In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys on 23 October 2017, Wilson Lourenço of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle at the Sorbonne Universités describes a new species of Physoctonus from Pará State in Brazil, based upon material collected by French zoologist Jean Vellard in 1929, and stored since then in the collection of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle.

The Vellard made two trips to the Amazon region of Brazil in the 1920s, during which time he studied the Scorpions and Venomous Fish of the area. He subsequently described four new species of Scorpion from Brazil, all of which are still considered valid today. Vallard also left a number of undescribed specimens in museum collections, though these have largely been overlooked to date.

The new species is named Physoctonus amazonicus, in reference to the area where it was found, in the Campos do Pará region between rivers Xingu and Araguaya, part of the Amazon drainage system. The species is a small-to-medium sized Scorpion, reaching a size of at least 28.4 mm (based upon the size of the single known female specimen – the males are unknown) and yellow in colour with brown spots. The only known specimen was found under a Termite mound in cerrado (savanna) grassland.

Physoctonus amazonicus, female specimen in dorsal and ventral views. Lourenço (2017).

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Dolichothele mottai & Dolichothele camargorum: Two new species of Tarantula from Brazil and Bolivia.

Tarantulas, Theraphosidae, are large and usually hairy Mygalomorph Spiders, the group that also includes Trapdoor and Baboon Spiders, and which is noted for features such as non-oposable fangs and only having two pairs of book-lungs. Most Tarantula species are found in the Americas, and while members of this group are found on every continent, most Old World species referred to as 'Tarantulas' are in fact large members of other groups, usually other Mygalomorphs or Wolf Spiders. Tarantulas seldom bite defensively, instead defending themselves with a dense covering of irritating 'urticating hairs' on their abdomens, which can be loosed by brushing with the hind legs and wafted at potential predators, causing irritation to the eyes and nose.

In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys on 21 December 2017, Irene Soliz Revollo of the Instituto de Biociências at the Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, and the Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução at the Instituto Butantan, Pedro Ismael da Silva Júnior of the Laboratório Especial de Toxinologia Aplicada, also at the Instituto Butantan, and Rogério Bertani, again of the Laboratório de Ecologia e Evolução at the Instituto Butantan, describe two new species of Tarantula from Brazil, both of which are placed in the ground-dwelling genus Dolichothele.

The first new species described is named Dolichothele mottai, in honour of the arachnologist Paulo Cesar Motta, for his work on the Mygalomorph Spiders of the Brazilian Cerrado. The species is described from two specimens, a female with a body length of 9.4 cm and a male with a body length of 8.1 cm. Both sexes are covered in iridescent red hairs. The species was found in Cerrado (savanna) environments in the Distrito Federal and state of Goiás, where they build silk tunnels under rocks and logs, males were seen roaming in search of mates in September to November.

Dolichothele mottai, male specimen. Paulo Cesar Motta in  Seliz Revollo et al. (2017).

The second new species is named Dolichothele camargorum, in honour of Erney Plessmann de Camargo and Luis Marcelo Aranha Camargo, for their work on medical and biological research in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. The species is described from two specimens, a male with a body length of 5.6 cm and a female with a body length of 10.9 cm, both are black and brown with brown hairs. The species was found in Cerrado fragments in Rondônia State in Brazil and the department of La Paz in Bolivia.

Dolichothele camargorum, female specimen. Rogério Bertani in Seliz Revollo et al. (2017).

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Manihot pachycaulis: A new species of Cassava from Goiás State, Brazil.

Cassavas, Manihot spp., are a group of trees and shrubs in the Milkspurge family, Euphorbiaceae, which includes the widely cultivated Edible Cassava, Manihot esculenta. The genus is thought to have originated in Central America, but reaches its maximum diversity in the Cerrado (savanah), Caatinga (thornscrub), and Amazon (rainforest) ecosystems of Brazil, where about 80 of the 100 known species are found.

In a paper published in the Nordic Journal of Botany on 22 January 2016, Marcos José da Silva, Alexandre Antonio Alonso, and Rodolfo Carneiro Sodré of the Departamento de Botânica at the Universidade Federal de Goiás, describe a new species of Cassava from the Cerrado of Goiás State, Brazil.

The new species is named Manihot pachycaulis, where 'pachycaulis' means 'thick-stemmed'. The plants are dwarf shrubs reaching 15-45 cm in height, with pendant flowers and lobed leaves. The species was found growing on Cerrado Grasslands in the Chapada dos Veadeiros region of Goiás State, on hillslopes with clay or clay and rock soils, at altitudes of between 705 and 1028 m above sealevel.

Details of Manihot pachycaulis (A) general aspect of the plant, (B) flowering branch, (C) detail of the stem, note the enlarged base, (D) aspect of the inflorescence showing the staminate flower resupined, (E) detail of pistillate flowers. Marcos José da Silva in Da Silva et al. (2016).

All of the colonies of the plant discovered were within a 100  km² area in an area without any conservation protection, and none of these colonies contained more than about 10 plants. For this reason the species is considered to be Vulnerable under the terms of the  International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species.

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Catasetum telespirense: A new species of epiphytic Orchid from the southern Brazilian Amazon.                                                                     In 2011-2012 a series of series of rescue expeditions recovered and relocated around 105 000 epiphytic plants (plants which live on other plants, typically...

Two new species of Bigonia from Brazil. Bigonias of the genus Tynanthus are lianas (woody climbers) found across the Neotropics (tropical areas of Central and South America), but reaching their maximum diversity in the wet forests of...

Two new species of Milkvine from Venezuela and Brazil.                                          Milkvines of the genus Malalea are found across southern parts of North America, Central America and northern South America. They are perennial twining vines, who get their common name from the milky...

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