Chironomidae (Diptera, Insecta) of the Atlantic Forest: integrating taxonomic and ecological knowledge of the species

• Grant number: 20/01762-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: September 29, 2021
• End date: September 28, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Carlos José Einicker Lamas
• Grantee: Erika Mayumi Shimabukuro
• Supervisor: Andres Baselga
• Host Institution: Museu de Zoologia (MZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago (USC), Spain
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/11068-9 - Biodiversity in neotropical mountains: macroecological patterns of madicolous insects' community and taxonomy of Chironomidae (Diptera, Insecta), BP.PD

Abstract

Chironomidae is one of the most speciose and widespread families of Diptera (Insecta). Immature individuals are common inhabitants of several types of water bodies, where they play an important role in the ecosystems dynamics. Historically, most of the ecological information on Chironomidae regards the immature forms, while aerial adults have been the focus of taxonomic studies only. The chironomids from the Atlantic Forest were thoroughly studied in the last decades, and although we know there are dozens of species living there, taxonomic and ecological knowledge are still fragmented. The geographical characteristics of the Atlantic Forest lead to high environmental heterogeneity, which allows the existence of a remarkable biodiversity. However, ecological patterns derived from environmental (local scale) and geographical gradients (large spatial scale) have never been verified for huge data sets of Chironomidae species in the Atlantic Forest. We propose the creation of a complete database, integrating taxonomic, biological and ecological information of Atlantic Chironomidae, by assembling about 70 attributes of the species, regarding localization, sampling, ecological requirements, known stages and sexes, abundance, among others. The compilation will result in a data paper. Moreover, we aim to raise new ecological evidences by 1. Determining which ecological filters (environmental, historical, geographical) mostly influence Chironomidae diversity (considering immature and adult requirements) in Atlantic Forest; 2. Evidencing large spatial scale patterns (latitudinal, longitudinal and altitudinal) of Chironomidae diversity in the Atlantic Forest. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SHIMABUKURO, ERIKA MAYUMI; GOMEZ-RODRIGUEZ, CAROLA; LAMAS, CARLOS JOSE E.; BASELGA, ANDRES. Mountain passes are higher at low latitudes for madicolous insect communities of the Neotropical region. DIVERSITY AND DISTRIBUTIONS, v. N/A, p. 11-pg., 2023-08-04. (18/11068-9, 20/01762-5)