Diversity of mites associated with native plant species from southern Bahia in the interior and edge of Atlantic Forest fragments

• Grant number: 23/00051-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: October 01, 2023
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Carlos Lofego
• Grantee: Amanda Conceição dos Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Mites are the second largest group of arthropods, but the number of described species is still small. Among the groups of mites that live on plants known in Brazil, the predatory and phytophagous mites are the most common. In natural vegetation environments, predators are widely represented by the family Phytoseiidae wich are important biological control agents. The Atlantic Forest is considered one of the most important "hotspots" for biodiversity preservation, and the southern region of Bahia is home to the most significant portion of this biome in northeastern Brazil. Despite this, fragmentation has been a recurring problem. The edge effect is a result of fragmentation and alters abiotic parameters in areas near the edge of fragments, influencing the abundance and distribution of species. The general objective of the proposed study is to investigate the diversity of mite communities that live associated with native plant species in southern Bahia, Brazil, on the edge and in the interior of Atlantic Forest fragments. The plant material for mite collection will be sampled in protected areas, within and at the edge of at least 10 fragments, located in the Central Atlantic Forest Corridor in southern Bahia. Mites will be identified and new taxa will be described. To quantify the variation in diversity and community composition and verify how environmental and climatic variables can influence these patterns, the following analyses will be developed: PERMANOVA + NMDS, diversity indexes ², GLM, RDA, ANOVA and rarefaction analyses. Finally, it is expected to know the diversity of plant mites in the native vegetation of the region and analyze variations in the diversity and composition of mite communities present at the edge and within the fragments. (AU)