Navegando por Autor "Barbier, Eder"

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Texto publicado em jornal
Ecology of Antricola ticks in a bat cave in north-eastern Brazil
(2020-09-12) Barbier, Eder; Bernard, Enrico; Dantas‑Torres, Filipe
Argasid ticks are a diverse group of acarines that parasitize numerous vertebrate hosts. Along with birds, bats serve as hosts for several argasid ticks, which are commonly found in bat caves. Argasid ticks have regained attention from tick taxonomists in recent dec-ades, with a number of new species described in various zoogeographical regions. None-theless, studies on their ecology are still scarce. We conducted a 1-year longitudinal study to assess the presence of argasid ticks in a bat cave in the drylands of north-eastern Brazil and evaluate their possible response to abiotic factors. From July 2014 to June 2015, 490 ticks were collected (272 nymphs, 169 males and 49 females) in a cave chamber hosting a large colony of Pteronotus spp. bats, being relatively more frequent from July to December 2014. Adults were identified as Antricola guglielmonei, whereas nymphs were assigned to the genus Antricola. Almost all ticks (98%) were collected on the cave walls. Only 2% were on the ceiling and, surprisingly, no specimens were found on the floor and/or guano. Adults were usually clustered in the crevices and little mobile, whereas nymphs were dispersed and more active, moving over the walls or ceiling of the cave. Although present in most of the studied period, there was a significantly negative correlation between tick abundance and relatively humidity, and A. guglielmonei was more frequent during the dry season. Moreover, there was no evident correlation between the abundance of ticks and bats. Fur-ther long-term studies will be able to verify whether this pattern is repeated over time, and even whether other variables can influence the population dynamics of A. guglielmonei.
Artigo
Life post-death: Colonization of a bat carcass by Microcerella halli (Engel, 1931) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) in a Neotropical cave
(2022-11-01) Vasconcelos, Simão Dias; Barbier, Eder; Barbosa, Taciano Moura
Caves are habitats characterized by low light or total darkness, whose fauna is largely composed of animals that adapt to dark environments, such as bats and many arthropods. Here, we present the first record of bat carcass colonization by Diptera larvae in a cave in the Neotropics. Twenty-one adult specimens of Microcerella halli (Sarcophagidae), seven males and 14 females, emerged from larvae collected in a carcass of Pteronotus gymnonotus (Mormoopidae) found in a twilight zone, about 15m from the cave entrance. The mean time between carcass collection and adult emergence was 17.99±0.44 days. As colonization by M.halli only occurs after death, we estimated the mean duration of the pupal stage – by recording daily pupation and emergence data – and attempted a preliminary estimate of the post-mortem interval, which indicated that larviposition occurred at least 24h before carcass collection. Furthermore, we discussed the fact that M.halli females can find and colonize carcasses in low light environments, reinforcing the forensic potential of the species.
Artigo
Living in the dark: Bat caves as hotspots of fungal diversity
(2020-12-04) O. B. Cunha, Aline; D. P. Bezerra, Jadson; G. L. Oliveira, Thays; Barbier, Eder; Bernard, Enrico; R. Machado, Alexandre; M. Souza-Motta, Cristina; Sabrina Sarrocco
Bat caves are very special roosts that harbour thousands of bats of one or more species. Such sites may hold an incredible “dark fungal diversity” which is still underestimated. We explored the culturable fungal richness in the air, on bats, and in the guano in a bat cave in Brazil’s Caatinga dry forest. Fungal abundance was 683 colony-forming units (CFU) in the guano, 673 CFU in the air, and 105 CFU on the bats. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analysis of ITS, LSU, and TUB2 sequences, fungal isolates of 59 taxa belonging to 37 genera in the phyla Ascomycota (28 genera, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Talaromyces), Basidiomycota (eight genera, including Rhodotorula and Schizophyllum), and Mucoromycota (only Rhizopus) were identified. The fungal richness in the air was 23 taxa (especially Aspergillus taxa), mainly found at 15 m and 45 m from the cave entrance; on the bodies of bats it was 36 taxa (mainly Aspergillus taxa), especially on their wing membranes (21 taxa, nine of which were exclusively found in this microhabitat); and in guano 10 fungal taxa (especially Aspergillus and Penicillium) were found. The fungal richness associated with guano (fresh and non-fresh) was similar from bats with different eating habits (insectivorous, frugivorous, and haematophagous). Sampling effort was not sufficient to reveal the total fungal taxa richness estimated. Eight (21.6%) of the 37 genera and 17 (53.1%) of the 32 identified fungal species are reported for the first time in caves. Our results highlight bat caves in Brazil as hotspots of fungal diversity, emphasizing the need to protect such special roosts.
Texto publicado em jornal
Living in the dark: Bat caves as hotspots of fungal diversity
(2020-12-04) O. B. Cunha, Aline; D. P. Bezerra, Jadson; G. L. Oliveira, Thays; Barbier, Eder; Bernard, Enrico; R. Machado, Alexandre; M. Souza-Motta, Cristina; Sabrina Sarrocco
Bat caves are very special roosts that harbour thousands of bats of one or more species. Such sites may hold an incredible “dark fungal diversity” which is still underestimated. We explored the culturable fungal richness in the air, on bats, and in the guano in a bat cave in Brazil’s Caatinga dry forest. Fungal abundance was 683 colony-forming units (CFU) in the guano, 673 CFU in the air, and 105 CFU on the bats. Based on morphological and phylogenetic analysis of ITS, LSU, and TUB2 sequences, fungal isolates of 59 taxa belonging to 37 genera in the phyla Ascomycota (28 genera, including Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Talaromyces), Basidiomycota (eight genera, including Rhodotorula and Schizophyllum), and Mucoromycota (only Rhizopus) were identified. The fungal richness in the air was 23 taxa (especially Aspergillus taxa), mainly found at 15 m and 45 m from the cave entrance; on the bodies of bats it was 36 taxa (mainly Aspergillus taxa), especially on their wing membranes (21 taxa, nine of which were exclusively found in this microhabitat); and in guano 10 fungal taxa (especially Aspergillus and Penicillium) were found. The fungal richness associated with guano (fresh and non-fresh) was similar from bats with different eating habits (insectivorous, frugivorous, and haematophagous). Sampling effort was not sufficient to reveal the total fungal taxa richness estimated. Eight (21.6%) of the 37 genera and 17 (53.1%) of the 32 identified fungal species are reported for the first time in caves. Our results highlight bat caves in Brazil as hotspots of fungal diversity, emphasizing the need to protect such special roosts.
Artigo
Low-Cost 3D Reconstruction of Caves
(2023) Teixeira, Joao Marcelo; Pimentel, Narjara; Barbier, Eder; Bernard, Enrico; Teichrieb, Veronica; Chaves, Gimena
Caves are spatially complex environments, frequently formed by different shapes and structures. Capturing cave’s spatial complexity is often necessary for different purposes – from geological to biological aspects – but difficult due to the challenging logistics, frequent absence of light, and because the necessary equipment is prohibitively expensive. Efficient and low-cost mapping systems could produce direct and indirect benefits for cave users and policy-makers, enabling from non-invasive research of fragile structures (like speleothems) to new forms of interactive experiences in tourism, for example. Here we present a low-cost solution that combines hardware and software to allow capturing cave spatial information through RGB-D sensors and the later interpretation of the processed data. Our solution allows the navigation in a 3D reconstructed cave, and may be used to estimate volume and area information, frequently necessary for conservation or environmental licensing. We validated the proposed solution by partially reconstructing one cave in Northeastern Brazil. Although some challenges have to be overcome, our approach showed that it was possible to retrieve relevant information despite using low-cost RGB-D sensors.
Artigo
Predation of a mustached bat, Pteronotus sp. (Mormoopidae), by an Amazon tree boa, Corallus hortulanus (Boidae), in the Brazilian Amazon
(2023) Barbier, Eder; Pimentel, Narjara Tércia; Bernard, Enrico
Several bat species use caves as roosts and some of these caves can harbor high concentrations of individuals. Such caves may represent opportunities for certain predators, benefiting from the concentration of potential prey. Here, we report the predation of a Pteronotus bat by a Corallus hortulanus in the Brazilian Amazon. On three occasions over a year, individuals of C. hortulanus were observed around a cave that harbors populations containing tens of thousands of bats. On one occasion, an individual of this snake species was observed preying on a Pteronotus sp. as it left the cave. Our record extends the known diet for C. hortulanus, documenting the predation of a mormoopid bat by this snake species for the first time. This record reinforces the need for longitudinal studies at sites with exceptional bat populations to gain a deeper understanding of the ecological predator-prey relationships involving this diverse group of mammals.
Artigo
Richness of Cladosporium in a tropical bat cave with the description of two new species
(2022-03-04) Pereira, Mayara L. S.; Carvalho, João L. V. R.; Lima, Joenny M. S.; Barbier, Eder; Bernard, Enrico; Bezerra, Jadson D. P.; Souza-Motta, Cristina M.
Caves are important roosts for hundreds of bat species worldwide. Such habitats frequently harbour rich and extremely specialised biotas; however, they remain among the least-studied places on Earth, particularly in the tropical region. The fungal richness in tropical caves in Brazil has recently been studied, and these surveys have reported a largely unexplored mycobiome, highlighting some bat caves as hotspots for fungal findings. During a speleomycological survey in a bat cave in the Caatinga dry forest in Brazil, 15 Cladosporium isolates were obtained from the air and ectoparasitic bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) collected from the bat Pteronotus gymnonotus (Chiroptera: Mormoopidae). Based on morphological features and multi-gene (ITS rDNA, ACT, and TEF1) phylogenetic analyses, we reported eight Cladosporium species in this cave. Two new species, Cladosporium cavernicola and Cladosporium pernambucoense, were isolated from the cave air and have been formally described here. They, along with Cladosporium puris, Cladosporium subuliforme, and Cladosporium tenuissimum, were related to the Cladosporium cladosporioides species complex. Additionally, we recorded Cladosporium austrohemisphaericum, Cladosporium parahalotolerans, and Cladosporium sphaerospermum (C. sphaerospermum species complex). Our findings emphasise the large potential for new fungal species associated with caves and bats worldwide.
Artigo
Streblid flies parasitizing cave bats in Carajás, Amazonia, with a new record for Brazil
(2023) Barbier, Eder; Bernard, Enrico
Streblid flies (Diptera: Streblidae) are hematophagous and highly specialized parasitic insects, found only on bats (Chiroptera). Caves are important roosts for bats but, despite harboring high bat richness, relatively few studies exist on the ecology and biology of streblid flies in cave environments, especially in Amazonia, the largest domain in northern Brazil, with >140 bat species and thousands of caves. To fill some of the gaps in the geographical distribution and interspecific relationships for streblid flies in the region, we sampled bats in six caves in Carajás National Forest, a protected area in Pará state (Brazil). Thirteen of the 14 streblid species found are new records for Carajás, with three new records for Pará state and two for the northern region of Brazil. Nycterophilia fairchildi was recorded for the first time in Brazil. Most streblids had host-specific behavior, however, N. fairchildi, Trichobius caecus, and T. johnsonae were less host-specific, parasitizing different Pteronotus bat species. The gregarious behavior of Pteronotus species and the spatial distribution of their colonies within the caves may be important factors in the flies’ exchange among congener hosts and deserve special attention in future studies. Furthermore, studies on ecological interaction networks between bats and their ectoparasitic flies in caves will be useful for a broader understanding of how this relationship is structured over time and space, as well as its impact on both bats and flies.
Artigo
The bats of Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil
(Biota Neotropica, 2018-04-16) Vargas-Mena, Juan Carlos; Pereira, Kleytone Alves; Barros, Marília Abero Sá; Barbier, Eder; Schmidt, Eugenia Cordero; Lima, Sergio Maia Queiroz; Herrera, Bernal Rodríguez; Venticinque, Eduardo Martins
Artigo
Ticket to ride: fungi from bat ectoparasites in a tropical cave and the description of two new species
(2022-12-01) Carvalho, João Lucas Vitório; Lima, Joenny ; Barbier, Eder; Bernard, Enrico; Bezerra, Jadson Diogo Pereira ; Souza-Motta, Cristina
Bat flies are obligate ectoparasitic dipterans that are highly specialised to bats and have apomorphic characteristics, such as absent or reduced wings, and specialised legs and claws, which contribute to their survival. They are often associated with fungi and harbour a fungal diversity that is still poorly understood. Fungi were found in association with the bat flies in a cave of the Caatinga dry forest in Brazil. In total, 43% of the captured bat flies were associated with fungi. Seventy-six flies were collected. DNA sequence analyses of 39 isolates showed that the isolates belonged to 13 species within nine genera, with 38 isolates belonging to Ascomycota and one isolate to Basidiomycota, and Aspergillus was the most frequently isolated genus. Most of the genera found have also been isolated from bat bodies and other substrates/hosts in caves in different regions of the world. Based on morphological and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses, two new species of Ascomycota were described: Allophoma brasiliensis sp. nov. and Pyrenochaetopsis cecavii sp. nov.
Artigo
Two new cave-dwelling pseudoscorpion species (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) from Northeastern Brazil
(2023-05-22) Bedoya-Roqueme, Edwin ; Tizo-Pedroso, Everton ; Barbier, Eder ; Lira, André Felipe de Araújo
In a study of pseudoscorpions in caves from the northeastern Brazil, eight species of Pseudoscorpiones were identified. The known distribution of the species Pseudochthonius biseriatus Mahnert, 2001, Cryptoditha aff. elegans, Parachernes (P.) nitidimanus (Ellingsen, 1905), Petterchernes brasiliensis Heurtault, 1986, Ceriochernes foliaceosetosus Beier, 1974, and Progarypus setifer Mahnert, 2001 is extended to include the State of Pernambuco. Additionally, Geogarypus gollumi sp. nov. (Geogarypidae) and Progarypus smaugi sp. nov. (Hesperolpiidae) are described as new species.