This work aimed to assess the diversity and microhabitat use of benthic invertebrates in an urban forest stream in southeastern Brazilian region. The invertebrates were sampled in a headwater stream, located at the Tijuca Forest, Rio de Janeiro. Three types of microhabitats were sampled (litter, sand and stone) using a Surber sampler. Specimens were identified to the family-level and rarefaction curves were constructed for the total sampling and for each type of microhabitat. Community structure indices (abundance, taxonomic richness, diversity, and dominance) were calculated for each microhabitat. Differences among indices were tested through a repeated measure ANOVA, and differences among microhabitatsʼ composition through a PerMANOVA. A total of 9,800 specimens were registered in which Chironomidae was the most abundant. The rarefaction curves did not reach the asymptote. Community structure indices exhibited differences (RM ANOVA; p < 0.001), as well as microhabitats’ composition (PerMANOVA; p < 0.001). Abundance and taxonomic richness were the highest in litter, diversity was higher both in litter and stone, and sand had the highest dominance. Results highlighted that the variety of microhabitats may enhance local diversity and that the differences in resources availability of each type of microhabitat determine the distribution of these invertebrates.
Rhagovelia Mayr, 1865 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Veliidae) is a species-rich and widespread genus of semiaquatic bugs, found both in freshwater and coastal marine environments. Despite the considerable number of species recorded from Brazil, the northern and northeastern regions of the country remain poorly explored. We present here the description of a new species of the angustipes complex, Rhagovelia leilae Paiva, Rodrigues & Moreira, sp. nov., and new records for the following species: R. brunae Magalhães & Moreira, 2016; R. evidis Bacon, 1948; R. hambletoni Drake & Harris, 1933; R. humboldti Polhemus, 1997; R. tenuipes Champion, 1898; and R. whitei (Breddin, 1898). These include the first records of species of Rhagovelia from the states of Pernambuco and Tocantins, and also increase the number of known species from the states of Alagoas, Bahia, and Maranhão to six, five and six, respectively.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.