Description of the male of Daguerreia inermis Soares & Soares, with biological notes on population size in the Gruta da Lancinha, Paraná, Brazil (Arachnida, Opiliones, Gonyleptidae)

Abstract

The male of Daguerreia inermis Soares & Soares, 1947, a troglophilic harvestman, is described. Distribution records are given for caves of the Speleological Province of Vale do Ribeira and two non carbonatic areas (Telêmaco Borba and Arapoti, Paraná), in southeastern Brazil. The population of the Gruta da Lancinha (Paraná, Brazil) was studied from October 1988 to February 1989. The population size was estimated, by Fisher Ford's method, between 158-610 individuals. The sex ratio observed was 1:1

Population Dynamics of an Isolated Population of the Harvestman Ilhaia Cuspidata (Opiliones, Gonyleptidae), in Araucaria Forest (Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil)

“…cuspidata is nocturnal, forages near shelters, and are restricted to small areas (around 50 m^). This observation supports the concept of a small home range for gonyleptideans, as was also observed for Goniosoma spelaeum, Daguerreia inermis and Pachylospeleus strinatii (Gnaspini 1996;Pinto-da-Rocha 1996a, 1996b.…”

“…Most species are endemic, occupying small areas, normally one mountain chain or some caves (Pinto-da-Rocha 1999). The cavernicolous harvestmen do not vary in abundance through the year, and their populations seem to be more stable than epigean populations (Gnas-pini 1996;Pinto-da-Rocha 1996a;1996b), probably because epigean climates are more variable than inside caves. Thus, we expect that epigean harvestmen populations will vary in abundance through the year.…”

Associations between Emesinae heteropterans and spiders in limestone caves of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil

“…This record is only the third instance of these interactions in caves in the World and the first in Brazilian caves. The small number of records of emesines interacting with spiders in caves may be due to a generally low abundance of these predatory animals in these habitats (e.g., Pinto da Rocha, 1996;Gnaspini, 1996). It is likely that emesines are important components of the community structure in caves and that their interactions with spiders play an important role in cave communities.…”

The genus Zelurus Hahn, 1826, in Brazilian caves: description of new species and comments on the potential distribution of the genus in South America

“…Goniosoma spelaeum (Mello-Leitão) was observed to be the prey of cavedwelling Zelurus travassosi (Costa Lima, 1940) (Trajano & Bichuette 2010). Zelurus travassosi was also considered as the most important predator of the trogloxene species G. spelaeum in the Brazilian state of São Paulo and the troglophile species Daguerreia inermis Soares & Soares (Arachnida, Opiliones, Gonyleptidae) in the state of Paraná (Gnaspini 1996, Pinto-da-Rocha 1996, Machado et al 2003 (Gil-Santana et al 2015).…”