New additions to the myxobiota of Peru

Abstract

Recent efforts to study myxomycetes in many areas of the world have resulted in a considerable increase in the number and quality of regional species lists, especially during the last decade. However, in South America certain countries such as Peru continue to be highly understudied with respect to this group of organisms. During a series of surveys carried out in 2007 in several different areas of Peru, 49 species of myxomycetes not previously known for this country were recorded. Basic ecological information was also collected and analyzed in the context of available data on myxomycetes for the Neotropics. With the new species reported herein, the myxobiota of Peru is increased to 80 species, which is still a low number when the natural and biogeographical characteristics of Peruvian landscapes are considered.

Myxomycete diversity in the coastal desert of Peru with emphasis on the lomas formations

“…In Peru previously reported only from Madre de Dios (Rojas & al., 2011). Specimen aet 12239, isolated from cactus flowers, has large flat branched or ring-shaped plasmodiocarps with an egg-shell like outer layer that is yellowish.…”

“…The thickened areolae of the peridium, mentioned in the original description, is only evident in specimens Lado 22083 and Lado 22025, in the rest the colour is uniform. In Peru previously reported from Madre de Dios (Rojas & al., 2011). Collection Lado 22543 has sessile sporocarps or short plasmodiocarps with the typical aereolate peridium that is characteristic of the species.…”

“…The delimitation of some of these collections with D. nigrisporum was difficult but the dimension of the spores 10-11 (-12) A species widely distributed throughout the Neotropics and usually associated with succulent plants. In Peru previously reported from Cuzco (Rojas & al., 2011 This species is usually associated with xeric environments often developing on the remains of cacti and other desert plants. These collections are typical.…”

“…(2011) A widely distributed species in South America, but in Peru previously reported only by Rojas & al. (2011) A widely distributed species in the Neotropics but in Peru previously reported only by Rojas & al. (2011) Widely distributed throughout the Neotropics.…”

“…These arid regions have become even more interesting because of the number of new species that have been discovered and described from them (Lado & al., 1999(Lado & al., , 2007(Lado & al., , 2013(Lado & al., , 2014Estrada-Torres & al., 2001, 2009Wrigley de Basanta & al., 2008b, 2009, 2010a, 2015. These new species represent four different orders, and the genera Cribraria, Didymium, Licea, Macbrideola, Perichaena and Physarum. Since the publication of the first records by Rudolphi (1829), only 31 species of myxomycete had been published from Peru, until a recent paper increased the number to 80 (Rojas & al., 2011), but almost all of these records were from the tropical forests of the Amazon basin, to the East of the Peruvian Andes. In the checklist compiled by the country was among the least studied in the whole of the Neotropics with only five publications referring to Myxomycetes.…”