An estimate of the potential number of mayfly species (Ephemeroptera, Insecta) still to be described in Brazil

Abstract

G Model No. of Pages 7 Revista Brasileira de Entomologia xxx (2015) xxx-xxx w w w . r b e n t o m o l o g i a . c o m a b s t r a c tThis study reviewed the data on the Brazilian Ephemeroptera, based on the studies published before July, 2013, estimated the number of species still to be described, and identified which regions of the country have been the subject of least research. More than half the species are known from the description of only one developmental stage, with imagoes being described more frequently than nymphs. The Brazilian Northeast is the region with the weakest database. Body size affected description rates, with a strong tendency for the larger species to be described first. The estimated number of unknown Brazilian species was accentuated by the fact that so few species have been described so far. The steep slope of the asymptote and the considerable confidence interval of the estimate reinforce the conclusion that a large number of species are still to be described. This emphasizes the need for investments in the training of specialists in systematics and ecology for all regions of Brazil to correct these deficiencies, given the role of published papers as a primary source of information, and the fundamental importance of taxonomic knowledge for the development of effective measures for the conservation of ephemeropteran and the aquatic ecosystems they depend on.

Ecological studies of mayflies (Insecta, Ephemeroptera): Can sampling effort be reduced without losing essential taxonomic and ecological information?

“…We believe that the minor loss of information resulting from the shift from a species-to a genus-level may be related to the reduced species diversity of the order Ephemeroptera, which is represented by only 592 recognized species in the Neotropical Region (Salles et al 2014). While a recent estimate (Cardoso et al 2015) suggests that the number of as-yet-undescribed species in Brazil is much higher than this, many genera are monospecific. These species include Amanahyphes saguassu Salles & Molineri, 2006, Callibaetoides caaigua Cruz, Salles & Hamada, 2013, Coryphorus aquilus Peters, 1981, all of which were sampled in the present study, and in some cases represent monospecific families.…”

Assessing the distribution of mayflies (Ephemeroptera: Insecta) in the Brazilian Amazon to guide more effective conservation

“…Mayfly diversity is closely linked to the conservation of environments, given that their diversity and abundance tend to be greater in better preserved environments, which tend to be more complex, with a greater diversity of microhabitats and resources (see Silva, Frizzas & Oliveira, 2011). Knowledge on the ecology of the order is still considered inadequate for much of Brazil – in particular, its northern, north‐eastern and central regions (Cardoso et al, 2015). One estimate suggests that more than 10,000 mayfly species have yet to be described in Brazil (Cardoso et al, 2015) and hundreds of species descriptions are being published year after year, in particular in the tropics (Jacobus, Macadam & Sartori, 2019).…”

“…Knowledge on the ecology of the order is still considered inadequate for much of Brazilin particular, its northern, north-eastern and central regions (Cardoso et al, 2015). One estimate suggests that more than 10,000 mayfly species have yet to be described in Brazil (Cardoso et al, 2015) and hundreds of species descriptions are being published year after year, in particular in the tropics (Jacobus, Macadam & Sartori, 2019).…”

Riqueza genérica y distribución de los efemerópteros (Insecta: Ephemeroptera) de la Colección Limnológica del Chocó

“…En la región Neotropical existen 16 familias, con cerca de 130 géneros y 820 especies, número que se ha incrementado en los últimos 10 años (Domínguez & Dos Santos, 2013, Cardoso et al, 2015Hamada et al, 2018, Domínguez et al, 2019. En Colombia, son importantes contribuciones al conocimiento de la riqueza y distribución de este grupo los trabajos de Días et al (2009), Gutiérrez & Reinoso (2010), Salinas et al (2012), Gutiérrez & Días (2015), Rúa et al (2015), Barrios-Núñez & Granados-Martínez (2016), Salinas-Jiménez et al (2017), Granados-Martínez et al (2018, Chaux-Rojas (2020), entre otros.…”