Most of the caves in the State of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) are located in the limestones of the Jandaíra Formation, in the Caatinga. This region is considered to be of high biospeleological relevance, as it presents a high richness and concentration of species that are adapted to underground environments. Among them are the arachnids of the order Schizomida, also known as the short-tailed whip scorpion, whose species Rowlandius potiguar was recorded in 30 caves in western RN. Although some caves are protected in the Furna Feia National Park (PNFF), the majority are not in protected areas, making them vulnerable to different types of anthropogenic impacts. This wide distribution may reflect a troglophilic species that eventually colonized caves throughout the Jandaíra Formation, or a complex of troglobite species, as detected in other invertebrates in the region. To answer this question through a phylogeographic approach, we collected these schizomids in 12 caves of their known distribution, including the Casa de Pedra cave, which is the southernmost record of Rowlandius in RN, in the Jucurutu formation, as well as recording 14 new occurrences. Phylogeographic and phylogenetic analyses, using the molecular markers mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase I and nuclear rDNA 28s, indicated that R. potiguar is a species complex, with two possible new species, one restricted to the Casa de Pedra cave (Rowlandius sp. n.2), and one more supported by morphological data on the female internal genitalia and the shape of the terminal flagellum at the end of the male abdomen, occurring in thirteen caves (Rowlandius sp.n.1). Furthermore, phylogeographic analyzes detected a structure of five populations for R. potiguar and three for Rowlandius sp.n.1. These lineages occur in allopatry and did not present a defined distribution pattern. We also highlight that the species identified in the complex are protected in conservation areas, such as the Furna Feia National Park, in Baraúna, and the Cavernas de Martins Natural Monument, in Martins. However, it is important to highlight that there are vulnerable populations in the municipalities of Governador Dix-Sept Rosado and Felipe Guerra. With this, we propose updating the taxonomy and geographic distribution of R. potiguar, while suggesting an increase in the richness of the genus Rowlandius in the Caatinga.

This study aimed to provide a faunal survey of the Collembola in the Environmental Protection Area of the Parnaíba Delta – Ilha das Canárias, and to describe how the richness and abundance of their populations are affected by seasonal variations, environmental variables, and spatial characteristics of the region. For specimen sampling, two collections were carried out, one in the rainy season and another in the dry season, with five sampling points containing pitfall traps along a 200 m transect in each phytophysiognomy. Data on environmental variables (air and soil temperature, pH, vegetation richness, soil moisture, organic matter, canopy cover, and soil texture) were collected. The collected material was sorted, morphotyped, and mounted on slides for taxonomic identification. Alpha diversity was quantified using species richness and diversity indices (Shannon-Weaver, Simpson, Pielou), while Whittaker's index was used to estimate Beta diversity. Abundance and α diversity were individually assessed in relation to space-time factors through Mixed Generalized Linear Models and Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance for β diversity. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling was used to plot the biotic data matrix in relation to space-time factors. Finally, the abundance of each taxon was related to the sampled environmental variables through Redundancy Analysis. A total of 5,350 specimens were collected, representing three orders, eight families, 23 genera, and 31 morphospecies and one nominal species. In the dry season, 2,205 individuals were collected, representing three orders, six families, 16 genera, and 21 morphospecies. The highest abundance was observed in Riparian Forest (1147), followed by Restinga (934) and Mangrove (89). In the rainy season, a total abundance of 3,145 individuals was collected, representing three orders, eight families, 19 genera, and 25 morphospecies. Restinga showed the highest abundance (1513), followed by Mangrove (1339) and Riparian Forest (291). Riparian Forest presented the highest α diversity values with higher species richness. β diversity was recorded at higher values in Mangrove. The environmental variables vegetation richness, soil moisture, and litter significantly influenced the species Dicranocentrus sp.1, Proisotoma sp.1, Lepidocyrtus sp.3, and Salina sp.1; while Seira sp.2, Pseudosinella sp.1, and Seira sp.1 were positively associated with soil temperature, air temperature, and pH. Other species showed low explanatory power with the analyzed environmental variables. This study represents an initial effort to understand a unique fauna with potentially several new species in a previously unexplored ecosystem.

Springtails are microarthropods widely distributed in all terrestrial ecosystems, primarily associated with the soil environments. Despite playing a fundamental role in ecosystem functioning, studies involving these animals are limited and mostly deal with taxonomy, especially those conducted in Brazil. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to compare the community of epedaphic springtails in different phytophysiognomies of the National Park of Serra das Confusões (PNSC - Piauí state, Brazil), namely Floresta Semidecidua (Canion), Savana Estépica (Lajeiro), and Carrasco, assessing the effects of seasonality, vegetation profiles, and other biotic and abiotic variables on the populations surveyed. Two collections were carried out in the PNSC, representing two periods: one during the dry season and one during the rainy season, using pitfall traps and measuring environmental variables such as air and soil temperature, soil humidity, relative humidity, soil pH, litter depth, canopy shading, and plant richness. In the laboratory, specimens were screened, morphotyped, assembled, and identified. To recognize which variables had the highest values among the vegetation types and periods, an analysis of environmental characterization was conducted through a Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA). Alpha diversity analysis included estimates of abundance, richness, diversity, and evenness, with a subsequent analysis of variance. For beta diversity analyses, PERMANOVA was conducted, Whittaker's method was used for beta diversity, and species composition was plotted in a Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis. Indicator species analysis was calculated with the IndVal index Finally, a Redundancy Analysis was performed to assess the influence of environmental parameters on the Collembola community. A total of 29,616 springtail specimens belonging to three orders, 12 families, 31 genera, 42 morphospecies, and 4 nominal species were sampled during the two collection periods. Abundance and richness analyses indicated significant differences between the different seasons, with the dry period showing higher values compared to the rainy season. Shannon-Wiener and Simpson Diversity analyses indicated significant differences in the interaction between the two periods, especially in the Lajeiro vegetation type, with lower diversity in the area, as well as the Pielou's evenness index, which also showed significant differences in the Lajeiro during the rainy period. The main environmental variables influencing diversity patterns were: canopy cover, litter depth, silt percentage, and soil temperature. Also, our date resulted in a comprehensive inventory of families and genera for the state of Piauí, resulting in an increased understanding of the group in the region.

Biodiversity loss is currently a major concern in conservation and evolutionary biology. Global warming can aggravate this scenario, as numerous species are already living closer to their thermal limits, especially tropical ones. Understanding the environmental features that drive population dynamics is an important step towards establishing the sustainable use of natural resources, once the environment influence species’ distribution, diversity and, ultimately, their evolution. In the present thesis, divided in three chapters, I used genomic and ecological data to understand how the environment guides the evolution of scaled sardines Harengula sp., a putative undescribed species at the Brazilian coast. In the first chapter, I estimated how past climatic cycles impacted the demographic history of Harengula sp. in the Atlantic Southwest. I found that this lineage is structured by depth and salinity in two populations that reflect the shallow-water habitat expansion following the LGM: a large, more diverse and expanding at the Brazilian coast, (coastal population, Ne 3.6) and a smaller, which contracted to a third the size of an ancestral population at the oceanic archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (FNO, island population, Ne 0.3). The status of the FNO population is more sensible, considering that Harengula sp. is of fundamental commercial and ecologic importance as the only sardine species in the archipelago, where conflicts remain unsolved between park managers and local fishers demanding the exploitation of this fishery in the park’s no-take zone. High differentiation (Fst 0.14) despite symmetric gene flow between coastal and insular populations reinforces the need for different management strategies for these two populations. In the second chapter, I investigated the dynamics of habitat occupation in the present climate and estimated habitat change given a future of global warming. Niche modelling indicates southward shift and range contraction of environmental suitability for the scaled sardines Harengula sp., a change that increases as the scenarios modelled for the future are aggravated. Larval dispersal models indicate that marine protected areas (MPAs) in islands, such as FNO, Abrolhos, and Rocas Atoll, currently act as a biodiversity and fishery spillover to the coastal mainland, potentially minimizing the effects of overfishing at the Brazilian coast and increasing population resilience to cope with habitat change. However, distantly located MPAs (>1,000 km) such as Trindade-Martim Vaz, are not a source of sardines’ larvae to the coast. The larval connection between FNO and the Brazilian coast reflects the genetic admixture between coastal and island populations aforementioned, demonstrating the dispersal potential of early life stages of this species. In the third chapter, I tested the effects of the environment on the structure of coastal and island (FNO) populations, testing the hypothesis of climatic stability over time harbour higher genetic diversity. I found no statistically significant correlation between the environmental features (present suitability and climatic stability) and genetic patterns tested (nucleotide diversity and demography). Here, the model that considers only geographic distance explains the patterns of genomic diversity of Harengula sp. as well as the model that includes environmental resistance combined with geographic distance, reflecting the pattern of isolation by distance indicated in chapter 1. In this thesis, combining methods allowed uncovering cryptic genetic diversity, detecting population dynamics, estimating dispersal ability, habitat change and its impacts on the evolutionary trajectory of an undescribed marine species in the Atlantic Southwest.

Aquatic hyphomycetes constitute the asexual phase of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes that complete one or more phases of their life cycle in water. These fungi act in the decomposition of submerged substrates, making the dissolved organic matter more palatable and with greater nutritional value for consumption by other decomposers. In Brazil, the first records were known in the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo in 1989. In the Brazilian Northeast, records are scarce in remnants of the biome of the states of Bahia, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte. The present study aimed to carry out an inventory of aquatic hyphomycetes in areas of the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as to analyze the diversity and composition of communities of these fungi in streams and lakes in Rio Grande do Norte. An inventory of aquatic hyphomycetes previously isolated from the streams was carried out: Baldum (Georgino Avelino-RN), Boa Cica (Nísia Floresta), Catu (Canguaretama-RN), Espinho (Canguaretama-RN), Pedra (Baía Formosa-RN) and Guajú (Formosa Bay-RN). In addition, submerged substrates (leaves and branches) and water parameters were collected from the water bodies of the Pium and Jiqui streams (Parnamirim-RN), and from the Jiqui lakes (Parnamirim-RN) and Ilhota (Nísia Floresta-RN) from June 2021 to April 2022. Humid chamber and submerged incubation methodologies were applied. For the ecological analyses, the T test and the Mann-Whitney Wilcoxon test were used to compare the averages of the environmental variables between different types of ecosystems, in addition to the sampling methods, considering abundance, richness and diversity. The composition of genera in ecosystems and methodologies was analyzed using Sankey and Venn diagrams. Nested ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis were performed to assess the difference in means between ecosystems. Nested PERMANOVA was used to compare total beta diversity (βtot), turnover (βrep) and nesting (βnes) between lakes and streams and between leaves and twigs within the two types of ecosystems. With the results of the dissertation, two chapters were written: i) Aquatic hyphomycetes associated with plant debris in freshwater ecosystems of the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil; and ii) Comparison of sampling methods for analyzing the replacement of fungal species in contrasting aquatic ecosystems. In the first chapter, 76 taxa were observed, distributed in 35 genera of aquatic hyphomycetes associated with plant substrates in water bodies of the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte. Among the identified species, Flagellospora minuta is a new record for the Americas; Gyrothrix encephalarti and Triscelophorus konajensis for Brazil; Flagellospora stricta, Polylobatispora deltoidea, Pseudoxylomyces elegans and Spirosphaera carici-graminis are new records for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest; and 13 are new records for Rio Grande do Norte. While, the second chapter presented 42 taxa of aquatic hyphomycetes, distributed in 34 genera. Twenty-three taxa were found on leaves, 12 on branches and seven on both substrates. For the methodologies, 25 taxa were found in humid chamber, 14 in submerged incubation and three in both methodologies. Twenty taxa were found only in lakes, 19 only in streams and four in both environments. The environments were little variable regarding the abiotic parameters of the water bodies. The only significant difference found was between the pH values of the Ilhota and Jiqui lakes. No effects were observed on abundance, richness and diversity between ecosystems and within sample units. However, the contribution of nesting increases the variation in fungal species composition when species abundances are considered. For the submerged incubation methodology, beta diversity is highest in the twig substrate. The study demonstrated a high richness of aquatic hyphomycetes for the Atlantic Forest of Rio Grande do Norte and can subsidize Funga conservation studies in these areas. In addition, the high substitution of species between the methods reinforces the importance of the combined use of different sampling strategies for a greater and better representation of fungal communities in continental aquatic ecosystems.

The edaphic fauna holds a great importance for the dynamics of soil ecosystems. Among the components of the edaphic fauna the Collembola stand out. They are small arthropods which present great sensitivity to the changes on the physicochemical nature in the environment where they are inserted. The Pampa Biome is a highly diverse grassland domain, poorly protected and sensitive to environmental changes. Thus, in this study ecological indices of Collembola populations were used to identify the impacts of the changes in the conversion of native fields in the Pampa biome into soybean monoculture. The Collembola fauna was compared in nine paired native grasslands areas and soybean sites in four municipalities in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, taking into account both the effects of the conversion and the main environmental factors. A matrix data of the specimens was generated for comparison between the areas. A total of 975 individuals were sampled: 359 in the native grassland areas and 616 in the soybean sites. The analyses indicated significant changes in the composition of the communities. While the abundance indices were higher in the soybean areas, the Shannon Diversity Index was higher in the native field areas. No significant differences were observed in richness and Pielou Eveness Index between the studied areas. Regarding environmental variables, the Shannon Diversity Index was positively affected by the variables: elevation, plant richness, plant diversity and richness of non-grass plants. The increase in the population of Collembola may reflect a phenomenon of classical resurgence and would indicate a simplification in trophic chains. The reduction in the number of predators, the changes in the physicochemical characteristics of the soil and a possible resistance of some Collembola to some groups of insecticides could explain this phenomenon.

Tylopilus sensu lato is quite diverse within the Boletaceae and, due to the considerable morphological plasticity of the genus, the taxonomic and phylogenetic limits were evaluated in parts, and its infrageneric classification still remains unclear. As an example, we have Tylopilus balloui, originally described for North America and comprising fungi with an orange-toned cap, white to cream to yellow pores that turn brown to the touch, and a stipe with yellowish tones. Because the works are fragmented and with little abrangent about the genus, reanalysis using, in addition to morphology, molecular tools is necessary. The objective of this work is to analyze the species richness of T. balloui sensu lato collected in the states of Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte and to interpret which morphological characteristics can be used in the delimitation of cryptic species for a better understanding of this group. For this study, six specimens were studied, two belonging to specimens collected in the Parque Estadual das Dunas do Natal and the other four in the REBio Guaribas (area of SEMA II), which are conservation units considered areas of coastal plains and tableland forests. Morphological and phylogenetic analyzes followed the traditional methodology for macrofungi. After ITS analysis, T. dunensis was identified, constituting a new record for Paraíba. Additionally, two new species will be proposed. One of these species might be considered as semi-cryptic with sympatric speciation with T. dunensis. The another is a well-delimited new taxon based on phylogenetic and morphological evidence. Thus, we describe two additional taxa of Tylopilus from ‘tabuleiro’ forest in the state of Paraíba.

The genus Gymnodactylus is endemic to Brazil and currently comprises five species, two of which are recorded for the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Gymnodactylus geckoides, predominant in the Caatinga, and Gymnodactylus sp. nov., endemic to the northeastern Atlantic Forest. In some areas of the Brazilian Northeast, such as the dune and restinga ecosystems of the Atlantic Domain in Rio Grande do Norte, these species occur in sympatry, which makes it important to know how they coexist and/or segregate their ecological niches, compared to the use of these niches in areas where only one of these species occurs. In this sense, the feeding ecology and habitat use of G. geckoides and Gymnodactylus sp. nov. were analyzed in two areas of the Atlantic Forest Domain and one of Caatinga. In one of the Atlantic Forest areas (Parque Estadual Dunas do Natal - PEDN), the species occur in sympatry, while in the other, Area de Proteção Ambiental Jenipabu (APAJ), only G. geckoides occurs, similar to the Caatinga area of Estação Ecológica Seridó (ESEC Seridó). As they use different habitats in these areas, the influence of habitats on the morphology of G. geckoides was analyzed. The specimens were captured manually for analysis of stomach contents, and data about the habitat and microhabitat where they were first sighted were recorded. To find out the diet, 105 stomachs were analyzed, 37 from G. geckoides from ESEC Seridó, 23 from G. geckoides from APAJ, 14 from Gymnodactylus sp. nov. and 31 from G. geckoides from PEDN. For analysis of ecomorphological variation, 10 morphometric variables of G. geckoides populations were used. At ESEC Seridó and APAJ, termites (Isoptera) were the most important prey in the diet of G. geckoides. At PEDN, the diet of G. geckoides was mainly composed of Hemiptera, while for Gymnodactylus sp. nov., Isoptera and Formicidae. Regarding electivity, of the 27 categories of prey available at ESEC Seridó, those preferred by the G. geckoides population were Dermaptera, Diplopoda and Isopoda; the other categories were considered rejected. For the APAJ population, out of 20 available prey categories, Blattodea, Coleoptera, Isoptera, Insect Larvae, Pseudoscorpiones and Scorpiones were preferred; Araneae and Hemiptera were slightly preferred and the others were rejected. For the PEDN, among the 20 available categories, the G. geckoides population demonstrated a preference for Hemiptera, Insect Larvae and Lepidoptera, while Gymnodactylus sp. nov. demonstrated to prefer prey such as Coleoptera, Dermaptera, Diptera and Isoptera. A high level of overlap in terms of food niche and total segregation in the spatial niche was found between the two species in sympatry in the PEDN: Gymnodactylus sp. nov. it inhabits areas of high forest and low forest, while G. geckoides was restricted to open areas of beach dunes. The population of G. geckoides in APAJ was recorded in restinga vegetation and in anthropic areas, while in ESEC Seridó, arboreal-shrub vegetation and rocky outcrops were the most used habitats. Due to their restricted occurrence in soil-associated microhabitats, both species were considered terrestrial, but, in sympatry, they segregate in terms of habitat use. Morphological variations were found between populations of G. geckoides from the Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest; for PEDN and APAJ, the morphometric profiles demonstrated similarity. The hind limbs of Atlantic Forest populations are more elongated than those of the Caatinga, demonstrating that the habitat used by the species influences their morphology.

Kryptolebias is a genus of non-annual fish of the Rivulidae family, its representatives inhabiting diverse microhabitats, ranging from small streams and coastal freshwater marshes to mangroves. Freshwater species that are endemic to South America have a restricted geographic distribution, including critically endangered species. On the other hand, estuarine representatives have a wide geographic distribution, with the species of the K. marmoratus complex (K. marmoratus and K. hermaphroditus) occurring from Florida, in the United States, to São Paulo in Brazil and K. ocellatus occurring from Rio from January to Santa Catarina. These species overlap throughout their total range with K. marmoratus overlapping with K. hermaphroditus in the western North Atlantic in localities of San Salvador and Cuba, just as K. ocellatus overlaps with K. hermaphroditus in areas of mangroves in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Historically, mangrove Kryptolebias faced taxonomic problems, with inconsistencies between molecular and morphological data. However, with advances in genetic studies with the group, a greater understanding of the limits of distribution between lineages and genetic structure has emerged. In Brazil, initially the species of the genus Kryptolebias were only known from the southeast region, having purely descriptive works. However, records in the north and northeast, which included the first male of K. hermaphroditus in a Brazilian locality, in addition to the possible occurrence of K. marmoratus in the northeast, raised questions about the real distribution of the genus in the mangroves of the Western Atlantic. Phylogeographic studies suggested different lineages occurring in the K. marmoratus complex, but with large gaps in genetic information and distribution throughout South America. Therefore, a project with national and international partnerships was necessary, in order to investigate the distribution and history natural species of the genus Kryptolebias. Based on this, the objectives of this work are to indicate the current distribution for Kryptolebias species from mangroves on the Brazilian coast, with a phylogeographic approach, indicating the genetic structure along the distribution. In addition to testing, based on ecological niche models, whether climate changes after the last glacial maximum, mainly the increase in temperature, promoted the expansion of the distribution of K. hermaphroditus. The results indicate 14 new records covering 5,434 km of the braziliam coast, expanding the limits of distribution of the Central and Southern clade clade (K. hermaphroditus). An evident genetic structure is observed in the populations of the Caribbean, Bonaire and Aruba, with the population of northeastern Brazil demonstrating a probable population expansion. In contrast, the southeastern population of K. hermaphroditus shares a single mitochondrial haplotype, an indication of recent colonization. The distribution models of indicate a probable expansion of K. hermaphroditus, where the Middle Holocene demonstrated a larger area of habitat suitability than the current scenario. The same is observed in K. ocellatus appears to have a loss of suitability at present, in relation to paleoclimatic scenarios. Despite the overlapping distribution between K. hermaphroditus and K. ocellatus in southeastern Brazil, the results of environmental niche overlap did not show significant values.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) are symbiotic microorganisms from terrestrial and aquatic plant roots. However, lentic and lotic aquatic ecosystems are little explored regarding their occurrence and ecology. Few diversity inventories have documented more than 100 species and ecological studies have tested the influence of
environmental variables on the degree of root colonisation, but the structure of AMF communities under these two conditions and the influence of environmental variables is poorly known. This work objective was to make an inventory of the AMF species in two lentic environments (Carcará and Arituba Lagoons) and two lotic environments (Boa Cica Stream and Pium River) in the municipality of Nísia Floresta, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, and evaluate the influence of water and seasonal parameters on species composition, diversity, richness, and sporulation. For this purpose, two samples were taken in the dry (December 2016) and wet (July 2017) periods, removing rhizospheric soils of different species of macrophytes inhabiting depths from 0.02 to 2.72 m. Glomerospores were extracted from 50 g of soil and mounted on slides for taxonomic identification. Species were evaluated for occurrence frequency and relative abundance, being later classified as dominant, common, and rare. Differences in the species composition were tested by Cluster Analysis, ANOSIM, and SIMPER. Diversity was evaluated among different conditions and seasons using rarefaction curves interpolated and extrapolated to Hill numbers. Richness and sporulation were tested in relation to conditions, seasons, and depth by Generalized Linear Models and ANOVA. Eighty-eight species were identified and classified in 5 orders, 11 families, and 21 genera. Sixty-one species occurred in the lentic condition (57 in the Arituba Lagoon and 24 in the Carcará Lagoon) and 55 in the lotic condition (39 in the Boa Cica Stream and 31 in the Pium River). Seventeen species were shared among the four sites. Glomeraceae and Acaulosporaceae were the most representative families in species richness in all lentic and lotic interactions and species abundance in lotic interactions, while the Ambisporaceae family showed high abundance in lentic interactions. Species composition differed significantly between lentic and lotic interactions. Greater Shannon and Simpson diversity were found in the Arituba/Dry interaction to the detriment of lower diversity in Boa Cica/Dry. Lotic interactions did not differ in species richness and glomerospores density but were significantly different from lentic interactions in species richness. The lentic interactions, on the other hand, differentiate among themselves, in higher richness and sporulation found in Arituba Lagoon, which also showed the highest nutrient concentration in sediment. There was a decrease in richness and glomerospores density caused by a depth gradient increase only in Arituba Lagoon; it is possibly related to a mesotrophic trait of this lagoon. This work results bespeak these aquatic ecosystems potencial in harboring high richness of AMF species and suggest that communities composition and species richness are influenced by lentic and lotic condition and also that richness and sporulation vary among lentic environments with different trophic status.

Panaeolus (Fr.) Quél is a psychoactive mushroom genus, distributed worldwide, commonly found in meadows, grasslands, gardens or in dung of herbivores. In Brazil, its species are poorly cited in the taxonomic literature, especially for the North and Northeast regions. This dissertation concerns the taxonomy of Panaeolus sensu lato and more specifically reviews the identification of excicata from the fungal collections: INPA, JPB, UFACPZ, UFRN-FUNGOS and URM. Thus, aiming to obtain a descriptive knowledge of these individuals (semaphores) of Panaeolus s.l. and explain their relationships of morphological similarities and differences through comparisons with the taxonomic system and type descriptions. The materials obtained as loans were described by the preparation of slides from dried fungal tissues, rehydrated in 5% KOH solution, or stained in Congo Red, which were then observed under a microscope. It was possible to identify a total of eight species and one variety (P. papilionaceus var. parvisporus Ew. Gerhardt), two of them, proposed as new species for science, based on materials collected in Acre, northern region of the country. The new records of species described here demonstrate that there may be an endemic diversity of the genus in new and unexplored habitats, such as the Amazon region. The information generated here aims to contribute to the taxonomy of the genus in Brazil, facilitating future phylogenetic systematics studies that integrate morphological and molecular data in order to resolve the controversies here discussed.

Cave crickets of the Phalangopsidae family are poorly studied and have low dispersal capacity and wide distribution, which make them interesting for phylogenetic and phylogeographic investigations. Within this family is the genus Endecous, which has been subdivided into three subgenera based on morphological characters and has most of its type localities in caves. Currently, all taxonomic research involving the genus uses morphological, bioacoustic and cytogenetic characters. Here, we reconstruct the phylogeny and phylogeography of E. potiguar Castro-Souza, Zefa & Ferreira, 2017 based on 151 partial sequences of the COX-1 gene with 571 bp for 21 different localities. Molecular phylogenies were reconstructed using Bayesian inference and Maximum Likelihood, and three approaches (ABGD, PTP and GMYC) were used for lineage delimitation. A Bayesian Analysis of Population Structure was performed using BAPS. Additionally, some specimens were selected for extraction of the phallic complex and analysis of morphological characters based on the description article (Castro-Souza, Zefa & Ferreira, 2017). Some acoustic samples were also used for analysis. The Bayesian analysis suggested two clades, here treated as two possible species, which was supported by two of the three delimitation analyses, except for the PTP that followed the division made by Maximum Likelihood into three clades. The divergence time estimate suggests that this speciation occurred 7.40 Ma (95% HPD 13.80-3.75 Ma) ago. The initial divergence between the species is possibly correlated with a mechanism of vicariance after the emergence of the channel that would give rise to the Apodi-Mossoró River, in the period between the Miocene and the Quaternary. With the decrease in humidity, these species would have dispersed to caves with recent divergence times between the groups. We observed a morphological stasis, perhaps the result of a stabilizing selection due to niche conservatism.

Rhipsalideae includes the majority of epiphytic cacti, distributed mostly in South America. Currently, it comprises 62 species distributed in five genera, with a center of diversity in eastern Brazil, inhabiting mainly the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. However, the generic and subgeneric delimitations of the group and the knowledge of divergence times and about the diversification of the tribe is still incipient. Thus, this work aimed to present a consensual hypothesis for the phylogeny of Rhipsalideae and to investigate the biogeographic history and evolutionary aspects of the tribe. In the first chapter, biodiversity patterns were investigated and a bioregionalization scheme was proposed for Cactaceae in the Neotropical region based on occurrence data from public databases to produce a comparative framework for subsequent biogeographic analyses carried out in the other chapters. We concluded that the three main centers of diversity of the family are in Mexico, in the Andean region and in Eastern Brazil. Our analyses produced an original bioregionalization scheme for cacti, which was used as a backbone for exploring aspects of patterns and processes underlying the biogeographic history and diversification of Rhipsalideae (chapter 3). In the second chapter, the dated phylogeny of Rhipsalideae was reconstructed using DNA sequence data available in Genbank. The tribe was confirmed as monophyletic and two main clades were recovered, the first including Rhipsalis and the second including Hatiora, Lepismium, Rhipsalidopsis and Schlumbergera. The origin of the tribe dates back to the Miocene, as well as for the genera Schlumbergera, Hatiora and Lepismium. Rhipsalis dates from the Pliocene and the extant species diversified more recently, during the Pleistocene. Finally, patterns of distribution, richness and endemism of Rhipsalideae were identified and the evolutionary biogeography of the tribe was investigated in chapter 3. Three patterns of geographic distribution were outlined: intercontinental disjunct, restricted to the humid forests of southern Central America and northern South America and restricted to South America. The areas with the greatest richness, phylogenetic diversity and endemism of the tribe are in the Atlantic Forest, in eastern Brazil, where the tribe originated.

Neptunia Lour. (Leguminosae-Caesalpinioideae) has a pantropical distribution with near 12 species. It is characterized by the heteromorphic inflorescences and yellow petaloid staminodes, often associated with flooded environments. Revisional studies for Neptunia date back over 50 years, demonstrating the need for taxonomic and nomenclatural updates, since the taxa present cryptic and polymorphic characters, leading to imprecisions in identifications, and consequently, cascading failure. The objectives of this thesis are: (1) to perform a classical taxonomic revision and morphological characterization of Neptunia in the Americas and (2) to develop an environmental education program, focused on the Leguminosae family, for the visitors and seed collectors in the Assú National Forest. For the 1^st objective, collections were made following the usual methodology, as well as analysis in national and international herbaria. For the Americas, five species were revised, with comments, identification key, distribution data and illustrations. To clarify the nomenclatural history of the genus, we assigned lectotypes to six names: Neptunia depauperata, N. tenuis, N. pubescens, N. mazatlana, N. pubescens var. microcarpa and N. palmeri. and synonymization of N. amplexicaulis f. richmondii and N. gracilis f. glandulosa under N. amplexicaulis and N. gracilis, respectively. The proposal for environmental education aimed at valuing the flora of the caatinga, through the identification of trees, mainly Legumes, 92 individuals were marked and identified in the field, of which 13 species and 34 individuals of Leguminosae, and 58 individuals and 21 species belong to the families Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae, Bignoniaceae, Bixaceae, Boraginaceae, Burseraceae, Cactaceae, Capparaceae, Combretaceae, Chrysobalanaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae and Rhamnaceae. Educational signs about legumes and other species were developed and two options of trails were mapped, serving both students and researchers and parataxonomists. It is concluded that the present work has advanced the knowledge about Legumes and Neptunia, contributing to an increase in collections and a deepening of the knowledge of the taxonomy of the genus. Also, we could implement, in practice, strategies to combat plant blindness and to popularize science, promoting the caatinga’s flora.

Trogolaphysa Mills (Paronellidae) is widely distributed in tropical regions, with 65 species described worldwide. Neotropical species of Trogolaphysa are better understood than the Afrotropical ones, however there are large gaps in knowledge for several species from the two regions, which are mainly recognized by color patterns, number of eyes, empodial complex and furcula morphologies. Many species of Trogolaphysa are troglophiles, and some have evident troglomorphisms such as the reduction or absence of eyes, body lacking pigments and elongated antennae. Caves provide an important role for biological processes due to the unique environmental stability, but they also have an important economic role in Brazilian mining, with limestone extraction being the main economic activity in municipalities that share carbonate rock caves in Rio Grande do Norte (RN). Previous surveys have shown that Trogolaphysa is the dominant Collembola genus in RN caves. This genus has species with questionable status and its taxonomic study may assist in conservation policies. For this reason, this work presents a detailed taxonomic review based on Trogolaphysa bibliography, with a revised diagnosis and a summary of the general morphology of the genus, detailed diagnoses for all species, comparative tables, key for all taxa of the genus and the description of two new species of Trogolaphysa. The specimens representing new species were collected with entomological aspirators and brushes, outside and inside of 10 limestone caves from the Caatingaa biome. We suggested as species inquirendae taxa which status was considered doubtful due to uninformative diagnoses, dubious taxonomic characteristics and/or inaccurate data on distribution. Fourteen species inquirendae were identified and 51 valid Trogolaphysa diagnoses were remarked. A synthesis on the general morphology of the genus was also presented, summarizing the variations in the chaetotaxy and in other main structures. The description of two new species of Trogolaphysa widely distributed in RN caves, along with the genus revision, provide more accurate data in the species diagnoses, increases the knowledge to the world fauna of Trogolaphysa which can assist in the conservation policies of caves in the RN.

Underground systems can be found in several mineral formations, sheltering a fauna with different life strategies, which together can use the underground environment permanently or temporarily. Among these inhabitants, the troglobites stand out, a group that brings together organisms that present a series of ecological, physiological, morphological and behavioral adaptations associated with the underground environment. In Brazil, the troglobite fauna has been described with greater intensity in the last two decades, with the prospect of new places and the integration of different analytical tools. Despite this, the South and Southeast regions still stand out at the expense of the others, concentrating most of the taxonomic, ecological and genetic studies of troglobite organisms. However, the Northeast, especially the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), has stood out in terms of knowledge of this fauna, with the discovery of new species of troglobite invertebrates, such as crustaceans, flatworms and insects. Among the new organisms described in RN, there is the amphipod genus Potiberaba, monotypic and endemic to caves in the region, which for seven years had a distribution restricted to the type locality. After new expeditions, specimens were registered in another eleven locations, and whose molecular data indicated possible new species in caves in the region. Until then, the hypothesis was based only on delimitations using a mitochondrial marker. Thus, through an integrated approach between molecular (including nuclear markers) and morphological tools, the study proposed to assess the convergence between different information to support the hypothesis of a complex of species, as well as to identify morphological characters capable of distinguishing. las, and at the end, propose the description of the new species of Potiberaba. Through an iterative approach between morphological information and molecular markers (cox1 and 28S), the study proposes the existence of five allopatric species, four of which have a restricted distribution, with low genetic and morphological diversity, while P. porakuara is widely found in the south of the Jandaíra Formation. The study also indicated that in addition to genetic divergences, the strains can be identified through morphological characters with a high hit rate, showing that the species richness of this formation is underestimated.

The genus Geastrum Pers. is the most representative (100-120 spp) of the family Geastraceae and is characterized by its basidiomes with starlike dehiscence, making them known as earthstars. It has distribution in all continents except Antarctica. In the last estimate, 71 species of Geastrum were cataloged in Brazilian territory, which represents about 50% of the known species. This genus presents a great pharmacological and biotechnological potential, besides the important role in the cycle of molecules such as carbon and nitrogen, reinforcing the importance of correctly identifying these organisms. The identification of fungi based only on morphological aspects aggravates taxonomic problems such as the cryptic or semi-cryptic species. The nominal species Geastrum javanicum Lév. and Geastrum velutinum Morgan harbor a species complex, concealing the diversity of the genus, mainly due to the use of these names for species not yet described by science. Thus, comparative studies using molecular (sequencing of ribosomal DNA regions) and morphological data from exsiccata named G. javanicum and G. velutinum were performed to correctly identify the specimens. The analyses were based on methodologies specific for Geastrum and adding new taxonomic characters (size of hyphae of the exoperidium, basidiospores ornamentation size, crystals found in the rhizomorph). 62 exsiccates named G. javanicum and G. velutinum have been analyzed and three new species identified: Geastrum calycicoriaceum, G. tupiense e Geastrum sp. nov. The present work can also contribute to the generation of new Geastrum sequences for the Neotropical region, elucidating the position of these individuals in the systematics of the genus from morphological and phylogenetic studies, promoting a greater evolutionary and systematic understanding of the group.

Karyotypic stasis processes and intense chromosomal changes exemplify extreme phenomena of karyotypic changes. Some groups of marine fishes have both conditions reflected in the karyotypes of their species. One of these groups, Pomacanthidae, presents 12% of the species with karyotypes with a high degree of conservatism in the diploid number (2n = 48), but with karyotype structures that can be very divergent. Here are presented cytogenetic data of six species of the family, Pomacanthus paru, P. arcuatus, Holacanthus tricolor, H. ciliaris, Centropyge aurantonotus (Atlantic ocean), and C. eibli (Indian ocean), obtained by conventional methods and fluorescent in situ hybridization of six repetitive DNA classes (rDNAs, microsatellites, transposable elements, histones) that demonstrate the karyotypic diversity and contrasting patterns of chromosomal evolution of the group. The analyzed species share the same diploid number (2n = 48), with karyotypes formed mainly by acrocentric chromosomes, except for C. aurantonotus, which exhibits a large profusion of bi-brachial elements. Despite the numerical and structural conservatism of karyotypes, there were variations in the distribution and organization of some repetitive DNA classes. All species exhibited only one 18S rDNA loci, while the 5S rDNA regions were more variable, occurring in most chromosomes of C. aurantonotus. Pomacanthus paru and P. arcuatus, with recent divergence, exhibit very similar karyotypes, including the arrangements of the 18S rDNA sites, but differ in the positioning of the 5S rDNA regions. Holacanthus species showed considerable variation in number and position of histone H4 sites. The occurrence of evolutionary traits related to chromosomal structure and organization of repetitive sequences in some species indicate disruptive events on the limited karyotypic diversification of the group, mediated by pericentric inversions and heterochromatinization processes.

Caves have historically attracted attention of scientists due to troglobites, exclusively subterranean organisms that often have restricted distribution and high levels of endemism. Paleoclimatic events have been pointed out as the main responsible for the origin of troglobitic species, and the west of the Jandaíra formation, northeast of Brazil, combines the occurrence of extensive karst areas, huge concentration of caves and subterranean aquifers in a region that is currently semi-arid. This region is recognized due to the richness and concentration of troglobitic species, some of which (isopods, amphipods and planthoppers) have a relatively wide distribution in geologically and hydrologically distinct areas. Through phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyzes, we aim to assess the patterns of genetic variation of these taxa, investigate possible cryptic diversity and delimit operational taxonomic units (OTU’s), as well as indicate the factors that possibly influenced their diversification. In addition, we aim to assess the conservation status of the lineages and identify priority areas for their conservation. With the exception of Cirolanidae sp.1 (Isopoda), the other taxa showed extensive diversity of cryptic lineages and, in addition to the identification of three OTU’s for Cirolanidae sp.2 and five for Potiberaba (Amphipoda), K. troglobia (Hemiptera) probably is a complex with seven cryptic species, distributed according to microbasins (aquatic taxa) and outcrops (Kinnapotiguara). Only a small portion of the lineages are found in protected areas, while the majority occur in areas exposed to anthropic threats and can be considered endangered: Cirolanidae sp.1 was categorized as Vulnerable, while Cirolanidae sp.2 has one Least Concern (LC) and two Critically Endangered (CR) lineages. For Potiberaba, there are two LC, one Endangered (EN, P. porakuara) and two CR lineages, and, for Kinnapotiguara, there are four EN and three CR (including K. troglobia) lineages. Two priority areas were identified for the conservation of these lineages, with emphasis on the region of Abreu stream microbasin and Rosário outcrop, in Felipe Guerra municipality, which harbor half (eight, six of which are endemic) of the identified lineages. The Rosário outcrop, which can be considered a cave system and harbor 24 troglobitic species, is a new hotspot of subterranean biodiversity. Finally, we present the booklet “Vida nas CaveRNas”, designed as an educational strategy with the aim of arousing interest in caves, their inhabitants and their conservation.

Springtails are small hexapods which emerged during the Devonian and are considered one of the oldest taxa of terrestrial invertebrates. Collembola is widely distributed and currently holds more than 9,300 described species in the world. Collembola monophyly is widely accepted, since the group show important and clear synapomorphies, like the colophore, furcula and tenaculum, among others. Currently Collembola is represented by four orders, Entomobryomorpha, Poduromorpha, Symphypleona and Neelipleona, however, the relationship between these orders and among their internal groups are not resolved. The main objective of this study is to propose a phylogenetic hypothesis for the Collembola orders and families based on complete mitogenomes, with emphasis on Entomobryoidea. For this, 105 sequences of complete mitochondrial genomes available in GenBank were used, of which 101 belong to Collembola and four from Diplura and Protura used as outgroups. Phylogenies were based on Maximum Likelihood analysis using the 13 protein coding genes that together almost correspond to the entire DNAmt (mitogenome). The results corroborate Collembola's monophyly and show Diplura as its sister group. Entomobryomorpha and Poduromorpha were recovered as polyphyletic, with unexpected positions of Oncopoduridae and Tullbergiidae; Symphypleona and Neelipleona as monophyletic and on basal positions in the phylogeny. The Entomobryoidea + Isotomidae clade was recovered, but the monophyly of Isotomidae has not been recovered. Orchesellidae gathered the subfamilies with and without scales; Entomobryidae was recovered as paraphyletic and Paronellidae as polyphyletic, with Salininae among Entomobryinae; finally, the Seirinae + Lepidocyrtinae grouping was recovered.

Entomobryoidea is the largest superfamily of Collembola and the most representative considering cave taxa. Trogolaphysa Mills, 1935 (Entomobryoidea, Paronellidae) is commonly found in Neotropical caves and there are three cave species registered from southeastern Brazil, of which T. hauseri Yosii, 1988 is considered vulnerable by the Brazilian Red Book of Endangered Fauna. In this sense the identification and description of subterranean fauna is important for conservation of an area since each cave ecosystem has particular features and could hold endemic taxa. This study aims to describe new species of Trogolaphysa from a cave complex, Lagoa Santa Karst, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. Specimens were collected from caves in Matozinhos municipality during the dry season (2017) and wet season (2018). The material was mounted on slides, analysed and drew under an optical microscope. Four new species of Trogolaphysa were found and described. Trogolaphysa sp. nov. 1 is diagnosed by 8+8 eyes, head with macrochaetae A0, A3, S5 and Pa5, 21–23 spines on trochanteral organ, unguiculus lanceolate with serrated external edge and 22–24 inner spines on dens; Trogolaphysa sp. nov. 2 present  8 + 8 eyes, head with macrochaetae A0, A2, S3, Pa5 and Pm3, 20 spines on trochanteral organ, unguiculus lanceolate with external serrated edge and 22–33 inner spines on dens; Trogolaphysa sp. nov. 3 is diagnosed by absence of eyes and pigments, head with macrochaetae A0, A2, S3 (S3 as microchaeta in some specimens), Pa5 e Pm3,  thorax II with three macrochaetae on p3 complex, 18 spines on trochanteral organ, unguiculus truncate with smooth external edge and 21–23 inner spines on dens; and Trogolaphysa sp. nov. 4 is diagnosed by 8+8 eyes, head with macrochaetae A0, A2, S3, S5, Pa5 e Pm3, thorax II with 4–6 macrochaetae (2–3 macrochaetae on p3 complex), 32 spines on trochanteral organ, unguiculus lanceolate with smooth external edges and 33–36 inner spines on dens. The new records and descriptions of species, especially Trogolaphysa sp. nov. 3 bearing clear troglomorphisms (absence of eyes and body pigment) suggests some sampled caves possibly hold endemic fauna and therefore such areas could be considered priority areas for conservation which should be spared of exploration and other anthropic activities.

Represented by six species, the genus Microcambeva comprises small psamophilic catfishes endemics of costal basins of Antlantic
forest, southeastern Brazil, occurring from north of Paraná state until to south extreme of Bahia state. Recent samplings listed new records of the genus in median
portions in Doce river basin, states of Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, and in Guapi-Macacu river basin, in state of Rio de Janeiro, represents a new species. A new
specie, Microcambeva sp. n. “Doce” easily diagnosed from all congeners for nasal, maxillary and rictal barbells medium in size and by the cephalic staining pattern a
heart. Distinguish from M. ribeirae and M. filamentosa, except of species “Clade M. draco” for presenting ossification in anterior poriton of autopalatine. Differ, M.
barbata¸ except de M. mucuriensis, M. jucuensis and M. draco for presenting ossification on autopaletine rudimentary. Differ of M. mucuriensis and M. draco, except
M. jucuensis for anterior process of opercle forked. Distinguish from M. jucuensis for nine odontodes opercle. Microcambeva sp. n. “Guanabara” easily diagnosed from
other species, except M. ribeirae and M. filamentosa for absence ossification on anterior portion of autopalatine and fusion of supraorbital pore s6, in central portion of
head. Distinguish from all species, excepted M. ribeirae, pectoral din ray not modified in filament, in all species the first ray may change to 5%-80%. Microcambeva sp.
n. “Guanabara” differs M. filamentosa for eight odontodes in opercular and interocular patch. The new species differs from M. ribeirae for a rictal barbell elongated,
reaching anterior portion of interopercular patch, origin of anal fin verticality in 19th vertebra and a patterns color formed for dark chromatophores in median of trunk.

Seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF) are widely distributed throughout the tropical region. In Brazil, this formation is represented by the Caatinga, which presents a great richness and endemism of angiosperms among the Neotropical SDTF. However, only a small portion (7.8%) of its total area is protected. The biome is also deficient in the study of flora, especially in remote and scientifically neglected areas, such as the Seridó region. Located between the states of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) and Paraíba (PB), the Seridó region has an underestimated floristic diversity, mainly in non-tree components, such as climbers. Given this scenario, it is essential to increase efforts in surveying flora, especially in remote and historically neglected areas. The implementation of these measures benefits the dissemination of taxonomic information from these regions, and consequently, favors actions for the conservation of local flora. Thus, the proposed work aims to: survey the climbers of the Seridó Ecological Station, a federal conservation unit located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as providing a multi-access key, taxonomic treatment and guides field for the species existing in the unit. For this, collections were carried out between 2018 and 2019 as well as consultation of material deposited in the UFRN herbarium. Altogether, 52 species of climbers were listed, among them, 32 herbaceous and 20 woody. Among these species, five are new occurrences for the RN, as well as one genus (Tetrapterys). In addition, there was an increase of 23.1% the number of species in relation to the previous checklist performed at the unit. The identification key is already available on the Xper³ online platform (available at: xper3.fr/xper3GeneratedFiles/publish/identification/-4505993480748774750/mkey.html) and the complete flora, together with the others products will be made available on the website of the “E-flora of ESEC do Seridó” project, facilitating access to the most diverse audiences.

Despite the accumulation of cytogenetic information, which already exceeds 3,000 species, different fish groups, regardless of their diversity, are still lacking useful cytogenetic information in evolutionary inferences. Gempylidae (Scombriformes) with 16 genera and 26 meso or bentopelagic species and relative importance in commercial fishing, has no cytogenetic information. Similarly, the diverse family Balistidae (Tetraodontiformes), with 42 species, has less than half of species with known karyotypes. Aiming to contribute to the mitigation of gaps in the knowledge of cytogenetic aspects of marine fish, especially those that inhabit Brazilian island environments, the Promethichthys prometheus and Ruvettus pretiosus (Gempylidae) and Canthidermis maculata and C. sufflamen (Balistidae) species from Archipelago of St. Peter and St. Paul, Meso-Atlantic region. Cytogenetic analyzes employed conventional methodologies (Giemsa staining, Ag-NORs staining and C-banding), base-specific fluorochrome staining (CMA³ / DAPI) and repetitive DNAr18S, rDNA 5S, microsatellite (CA)15 and (GA)15, and transposable elements Tol2 and Rex3, by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Promethichthys prometheus and R. pretiosus have 2n = 48 chromosomes, however, differ considerably in karyotype formula (NF = 84 and NF = 50, respectively.) The mapping patterns of the different classes of repetitive DNA, however, suggest a small divergence in microstructure. On the other hand, C. maculata (2n = 46 and NF = 58) and C. sufflamen (2n = 44 and NF = 58) exhibit reduced karyotypes resulted from tandem fusions rearrangements, which contributed to structural and numerical variation of karyotypes, followed by small diversification in the internal organization of chromosomes. The present results corroborate that the remarkable diversity of marine fish groups in some groups is accompanied by particular karyoevolutionary tendencies.

Stingrays of the genus Hypanus Rafinesque (1818) have distribution areas along Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the American continent, as well as a species at the Guinea Gulf, in Eastern Atlantic. Since most Hypanus species are classified under Data Deficiency (DD) at IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, there is a need to solve their taxonomic and geographic distribution issues for future evaluations of their conservation statuses. By studying mitochondrial genomes of all valid species (H. americanus (Hildebrand & Schroeder, 1928), H. dipterurus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1880), H. guttatus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), H. longus (Garman, 1880), H. marianae (Gomes et al., 2000), H. rudis (Günther, 1870), H. sabinus (Lesueur, 1824), and H. say (Lesueur, 1817))) we delimited 14 lineages, and two of them are the species H. geijskesi (Boeseman, 1948) and H. colarensis (Santos et al., 2004), that used to belong to the genus Fontitrygon (Last et al., 2016), and were now allocated to the genus Hypanus. The species with the widest distribution, H. americanus, is a non-monophyletic group and the lineage that occurs south of Amazon river discharge to Southeastern Brazil is a yet undescribed species and sister to H. rudis, in Atlantic African coast. We examined specimens of the clade H. americanus (H. americanus, H. longus, and H. rudis) to describe a new species using an integrative approach of data from DNA barcode, morphology, and ecological niche modeling. Besides, we inferred Hypanus’ lineages divergence times and identified possible biogeographic barriers posed by the American continent: Isthmus of Panama, Florida Peninsula, Amazon River water discharge, distance between continents separated by the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and temperature limitations in Northern and Southern Hemispheres (temperate and tropical waters). The results indicate the geographic distribution of Hypanus species is smaller than previously defined, encompassing yet undescribed species. At the Brazilian coast there are six species of the genus, H. colarensis, H. geijskesi, H. guttatus, H. marianae, H. say, and H. sp. 1,with at least four endemic ones, including the newest herein described. Therefore, with the morphological, genetic, geographical distribution and identification of suitable habitats it is possible to accomplish an evaluation of the conservation status of some species que are classified under Data Deficient in IUCN, even though they are widely fished and consumed in the Brazilian coast.  

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) play a symbiotic mutualistic association with most plant species in the most varied terrestrial ecosystems, however, AMF sporocarp species (the only members of the group with macroscopic structures) have been little investigated and taken into account in the taxonomic studies. This fact is mainly attributed to methodological restrictions. The use of the term sporocarp in the Phylum Glomeromycota is controversial, considering diversity of species that present this habit, a consequence of the complex morphology found in the group, which up to the present moment does not have a comprehensive analysis about the informative characters for the delimitation of species. In addition, 77% of the species recognized as sporocarpous were included exclusively on the basis of morphology data, a fact that makes a phylogenetic systematic of this group limited. Thus, the present study aimed at a morphological and molecular review of the sporocarpous species of AMF through the analysis of morphological data and sequences of SSU, LSU and ITS region of DNA. For this, species deposited in institutional collections and collected in areas belonging to strategic domains such as the Amazon, “Brejos de Altitude” and Atlantic Rainforest were analyzed. A total of 64 specimens from institutional collections were reviewed, of which 6 constituted emendations.  In the sampled areas, 17 species were collected, of which 5 new species and a new genus for science. The results obtained allowed to elucidate aspects of the taxonomy, systematics and evolution of the group, including a delimitation of the term sporocarp for the film Glomeromycota, as well as the records of occurrence records for the country, descriptions of taxa and addition of data for use of keys identification.

The Northeastern region of Brazil, which includes five distinct hydrographic ecoregions, is suitable for river capture mainly due to
lithological and geological characteristics as well as successive fault reactivation phases. However, the biogeographic history of neotropical watersheds in this region remains poorly understood despite their high level of fish endemism. The genus Parotocinclus presents high richness of endemic species in region, with species with restricted distribution to only one basin and others with wider distribution, occurring in some ecoregions. In this sense, unravel the evolutionary history of the genus Parotocinclus can help to elucidate the processes that structured the genetic variation of freshwater fish in these coastal basins. However, the validity of some species is questioned. Moreover, most descriptions of species of genus are old and little informative, and do not present diagnostic characters that enable the recognition of specific complexes. Thus, some other authors considered P. cearensis and P. cesarpintoi as junior synonym of P. spilosoma. However, tests performed with material recently collected in type localities, as well as type series data, revealed some morphological characters that can be used to differentiate these species. Phylogenetic analyzes with molecular data were made to contrast with morphological and biogeographic data. As a result of integrative analysis (morphology and molecular), in first chapter the validity of Parotocinclus cearensis was confirmed by differentiating it from P. spilosoma and P. cesarpintoi. The redescriptions of P. cearensis, P. cesarpintoi and P. spilosoma are presented, adding new diagnostic characters. In second chapter are observed the relationships of species, identified possible new species, as well being investigated the diversification of lineages of genus in Brazilian Northeast. It was also evaluated which events may be associated with bioogeographic patterns. In third chapter, a new genus for subfamily Hypoptomatinae is described, with four new species being described, corroborated by morphological and molecular data, besides presenting geographic isolation.

Springtails are very diversified microarthropods, often found in the soil. They are members of the edaphic mesofauna, where they compose the basis of soil food chain, as well as they act in the cycling of nutrients and organic matter decomposition. Considered as bioindicators of soil quality, they provide rapid responses to environmental variations, including those associated with anthropogenic action. The superfamily Entomobryoidea is the richest in species among the Collembola, being constituted mainly by epiedaphic species, with Entomobryidae and Paronellidae as its main families, both well represented in Brazil. The focus of this study was to identify and describe new species following specialized literature, in addition to expanding the list of taxa records for the region. The collections were carried out in Bahia State, in the municipalities of Abaíra, Andaraí and Lençóis, using pitfall traps and entomological aspirators to capture specimens directly from the substrate. In the laboratory it was performed the screening, morphotyping and assembly of the individuals in slide for microscopy. Four new species were described: Dicranocentrus sp. nov.; Entomobrya sp. nov.; Seira (Lepidocyrtinus) sp. nov. and Trogolaphysa sp. nov. These species were compared for distinctive morphological aspects such as colour pattern, number of spines of the metatrochanteral organ, dorsal head and body chaetotaxy, and also the chaetae composition of the labial region. The results point out Chapada Diamantina as a rich region to the Entomobryoidea fauna, possibly with more new species to be described. This survey promotes the knowledge of the group in Caatinga areas and, consequently, leads to a greater understanding of biodiversity in this biome. In addition, this taxonomic study generates data that can make viable the realization of future conservation measures.

The northeastern region of Brazil, specifically Rio Grande do Norte state, holds several spots of Atlantic Rainforest with potentially large biological diversity, nevertheless still with a quite limited number of registers of springtails, particularly, of the subfamily Seirinae. At the same time, urban remnants of forested areas present great anthropic influence and the recognition of this diversity is the first step for their maintenance. This study had for main objective to perform a taxonomic study of the Seirinae species in such urban remnants, through the analysis of specimens deposited at the Collembola Collection of UFRN, collected between the July 2012 to July of 2017 with entomological aspirators and pitfall traps. Four species of Seira were redescribed in detail: S. paraibensis, S. arenicola, S. harena and S. brasiliana. S. dapeste, recently described from the study area was also included in the study. S. arenicola when compared with S. brasiliana, S. coroatensis and S. mataraquensis is dissimilar especially in number of macrochaetae on dorsal head as well as in the quantity of spines of the metatrocanteral organ. S. paraibensis was compared with another three species: S. harena, S. dapeste and S. diamantine signaling differences in the number of macrochaetae on “An” series of the cephalic chaetotaxy and quantity of spines on metatrocanteral organ. S. harena compared to S. dapeste, S. diamantinae and S. prodiga differs in the quantity of the macrochaetae of cephalic region, Abd I, Th III, pseudopores in the manubrial plate and thorns on metatrocanteral organ. S. potiguara was identified as a junior synonym of S. brasiliana and it was compared with S. arenicola, S. jiboiensis e S. tinguira, and all species differ in number of the macrochaetae of Abd II and ventral tube chaetotaxy. This study contributes with the increase of knowledge of Entomobryoidea fauna from Northeastern region of Brazil, producing metadata which can be used for maintenance of Parque Estadual Dunas do Natal.

The family Cynolebiidae, belonging to the family Cyprinodontiformes, was annulled as Rivulidae, is best known for the peculiar species of anise, which makes up a diverse group of small mammals that live in aquatic or glassy environments. With about 350 valid species and companies, the distribution of continental microhabitats, in all streams and shallow freshwater marshes, with roots of species in brackish waters. The non-series ranges are in a monophyletic group of the genus Kryptolebias, composed of seven valid nominal species, occurring in Florida in the United States to Santa Catarina in Brazil. Within the genus, the group of species K. marmoratus (K. hermafrodito, K. marmoratus and K. ocellatus), exclusive of estuarine regions, stand out. These lines have a liquid taxonomy, with diagnostic and distribution in the genesis, based on incompatibility of information on an important factors. A recent study with morphological data suggested that two sibling species, K. marmoratus (known from the US and Caribbean) and K. hermaphrodites, the only known self-fertilizing vertebrates, improvised in southeastern and southeastern Brazil, respectively. In addition to morphological differences between species of the Brazilian coast, other ecological aspects were pointed out, related to the distance of the sea and aspects of the microhabitat, as well as the geographic gaps (Bahia and Sergipe and west of Rio Grande do Norte) between geographic themselves. However, a large molecular study indicated that the complex is formed by three variants, with only one sample along the mangroves of the Brazilian coast. The latest data were performed in terms of morphological and ecological data, so that the data has been corrected in the country, and its geographic distribution, as well as providing original ecological data of these lines. Locations with data and online database, including a locality type, were cataloged as well as new records, including some protected areas. All the collections were done in an active way, with hand sieves, in addition to collections with standardized effort, delimited parcels, environmental data and monitoring of fauna, to provide ecological information. With the dates of contact to date, as areas of incidence of the species of the K. marmoratus complex for Brazil were expanded. The southern clade boundary (K. hermafrodito) was expanded about 300 km to the south, at ESEC Jureia-Itatins in São Paulo, and from the Central Clado of approximately 1,590 km to the south, in the Marajó river basin, in Pará. New records were made beyond Pará, in Piauí, Ceará, Sergipe, Bahia, Sergipe, thus covering a gap in northern and northeastern Brazil, ruling out a hypothesis that the absence of records indicates the existence of a barrier between K. marmoratus in northeast and K. hermaphrodito of the Southeast. The herdability of hermaphroditus, which individual affairs, pheneview male, the beenised by locality of Southeast that its read data computed extremes, or that shall a hypothesis of an a loss of the ambience in case in the primary machous. In Rio Grande do Norte, a single secondary male was collected in 2015, during a period of more than six years of visits to the mangrove swamp. The supposed emission gaps in Brazilian countries are in fact pointed out by a large number of gemstones, but they occupy a specific micro-fact, composed of traits, de-insurances and neglected by ichthyologists, corroborating a lack of invent in the intertidal areas in the mangroves. These amphibian hermaphrodites are broadwed from the 19th century in Brazil, they are the first standardized ecological data of K. hermaphroditus, a species that for its reproductive and physiological peculiarities presents high potential for experimental and environmental studies. The molecular data pointed to a greater genetic extension in the northeastern wings, and a non-oceanic homogeneous end with a single haplotype, besides indicating the individuals of Pará are inserted in the center, presenting a presence of two distinct species of the K. marmoratus complex in the north of Brazil. Three regimes were included in the Brazilian coast associated to the tide regimes (macrotidal north, mesotidal northeast, and microtidal southeast). Thus, as the morphological differences in the study may include a separation of spaces, at the same time as the territory of a nation, the southeast and northeast, which may be being enhanced by the peculiar individual reproduction of this group of vertebrates.

The order Gobiiformes is composed of 9 families, 268 genera and 2,210 species, representing one of the most diversified groups among teleosts. The high species diversity in this group is accompanied by significant karyotype diversity. In fact, although the cytogenetic data are still very scarce (5% of the species), they reflect the rich evolutionary history of this group. The association of the karyotype diversity of this group with possible biological parameters promotes diversification has not yet been fully established. Among the less diversified families is the family Eleotridae, with 23 genera and 171 species. In the Brazilian Atlantic coast this group is formed by only 6 species, inhabiting rivers near the coast and estuarine regions. In order to increase the cytogenetic data for the group, four species of the family Eleotridae (Dormitator maculatus, Eleotris pisonis, Erotelis smaragdus and Guavina guavina) were analyzed in the South Atlantic. Cytogenetic analyzes included conventional methodologies (Giemsa staining, impregnation base-specific (MM / DAPI) staining, in situ hybridization with 18S and 5S DNAr fluorescent probes and CAA and CA sequence microsatellites. Three species presented 2n = 46 chromosomes and one presented 2n = 52, with some variation in karyotypes. So while Er. Smaragdus, E. pisonis and G. guavina presented only acrocentric chromosomes (NF = 46), (NF = 52) respectively, D. maculatus exhibits karyotype formula with 36sm + 4st + 6a (NF = 86). Ag-RON sites occur in a single chromosomal pair in Er. smaragdus (par 10), E. pisonis (par 21), D. maculatus (par 4) and G. guavina (par 19). The heterochromatic pattern in E. pisonis and G. guavina is preferably centromeric, while in Er. smaragdus and D. maculatus, heterochromatic blocks can occur in the centromeric, pericentromeric and terminal regions of the chromosomes. The 18S rDNA sites correlate with Ag-RONs and showed some evolutionary stability between species. On the other hand, 5S rDNA sites revealed considerable variation among the species of these genera of Eleotridae. In fact, they occur in two acrocentric pairs in E. pisonis, they are co-located with 18S rDNA sites in the interstitial portion of pair 21 in Er. smaragdus and duplicates were found, in G. guavina common markings were found in teleosteis, and a remarkable structural polymorphism was found in D. maculatus. In this last species the DNAr sites presented two patterns of organization. While some individuals show single sites of 18S rDNA and 5S rDNA in two different chromosome pairs, other individuals presented karyotypes with one chromosome carrying a 18S rDNA site, one chromosome with a 5S rDNA site, and a third chromosome with 18S and 5S rDNA sites co-located . Although macroscopic (D. maculatus) or internal arrangement of ribosomal sequences (D. maculatus, E. pisonis and Er. Smaragdus) indicate a strong participation of chromosomal inversions in the karyotype evolution of the family.

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical rainforest in the world, with high biodiversity of organisms. In relation to fungi, mainly the gasteroids, this biodiversity is little known. Gasteroid fungi belongs to the phylum Basidiomycota. They are recognized by the maturation of basidiospores inside the basidioma and by the passive release of spores. The Amazonian domain in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil, is located in a region known as "deforestation arc", where the agricultural frontier advances towards the forests. This region encompass the highest rates of deforestation along the entire Amazonian domain. This corroborates the urgency of research establishment in the region, both to exploit this little-known biodiversity and to delineate effective conservation strategies. This work aims to investigate gastrophobic fungi species in forest areas in the state of Mato Grosso, through taxonomic studies of collected specimens and bibliographic review. During the rainy season of 2017 and 2018 (February and March, respectively), field trips were made to collect the basidiomas at the study areas.  The basidiomas were photographed, described and illustrated macro- and microscopically. The data obtained are 14 species of the genus Geastrum, Cyathus, Morganella, Phallus and Xylophallus. From the species identified, two are a new species (Geastrum hialimum e Geastrum sp. nov.) and Geastrum pusillipilosum, G.albonigrum, G.entomophilum, G.javanicum, G.schweinitzii, G. rusticum, G.javanicum, G.triplex, Lycoperdon fuligineum, Phallus indusiatus, Cyathus amazonicus and Xylophallus xylogenus constitute new records for the State of Mato Grosso. G. pusillipilosum and G. rusticum are new records for the Amazonian domain.

About 97% of fungi species have not been described by science, although the identification being the basis for many applicate studies (ex: bioprospecting, evolution, ecology, conservation). Barcodes have been very useful to species delimitation. Mainly for gasteroid fungi (Basidiomycota), the Internal Transcribed Spacer of DNA (ITS) has demonstrated to be very efficcacy to discover hidden diversity.  The family Geastraceae is constituted by the gasteroid genus Geastrum and Myriostoma, being the specimens popularly known as earthstars. Although it is one of the richest families in the phylum, the knowledge about the diversity of this family has gaps, especially in the Neotropical region, where there are megadiverse countries, “hotspots” and tropical ecosystems, which have high potential to shelter hidden diversity. Thus, this study aimed to review collections of family Geastraceae, emphasizing those with Neotropical distribution. Two hundred and fifteen samples from ten distinct international and national fungal collections were studied, which 14 of these are type collections. The methods consisted in a deep revision of morphological characters, besides the molecular phylogentic analyses of the DNA regions ITS, LSU, ATP6, RPB2 e TEF1α, following Maximum Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses. There were generated 186 new sequences, which were compared with 294 homologue sequences from GenBank data. Twelve news species of Geastrum were described:  G. laevisporum J.O. Sousa & Baseia; G. pusillipilosum J.O. Sousa et al.; G. verrucoramulosum T.S. Cabral, J.O. Sousa & Baseia; G. magnosporum J.O. Sousa et al.; G. caatingense J.O. Sousa, M.P. Martín & Baseia; G. parvistellum J.O. Sousa, M.P. Martín & Baseia; G. baculicrystallum J.O. Sousa et al.; G. brunneocapillatum J.O. Sousa et al.; G. courtecuissei P.-A. Moreau & C. Lécuru, G. neoamericanum J.O. Sousa et al.; G. rubellum P.-A. Moreau & C. Lécuru; G. rubropusillum J.O. Sousa et al. For the genus Myriostoma, two new species were described: M. calongei Baseia, J.O. Sousa, & M.P. Martín and M. australianum J.O. Sousa Baseia & M.P. Martín; moreover, two new combinations were proposed: M. areolatum (Calonge & M. Mata) M.P. Martín, J.O. Sousa & Baseia and M. capillisporum (V.J. Stanek) L.M. Suz et al.; the epitype for the genus was elected. The data generated by this revision changed the systematic interpretations about the family Geastraceae and it was possible to enhance the knowledge about the richness of this family.

Collembola are small arthropods widely distributed all over terrestrial ecosystems, with a body size ranging between 0.12 and 17 mm, and about of 9,000 described species in the world. Entomobryoidea is the largest Collembola superfamily, encompassing Microfalculidae, Entomobryidae and Paronellidae, with only the last two recorded from Brazil, where the Collembola taxonomic richness is subestimated, with about of 291 recorded species. Caatinga is among the less sampled Brazilian domains, although it comprises a huge diversity of environments and microhabitats, forming a mosaic of different types of deciduous vegetation with high endemism rates. In Collembola, morphology is the primordial source of taxonomic characters and the study of the dorsal chaetotaxy is almost universally used as a preponderant character. In this study, four priority areas for the Caatinga biodiversity conservation were sampled, all of them with very few information about Collembola: Serra da Capivara, Serra das Confusões and Sete Cidades National Parks, and Picos municipality, all these areas in the Piauí State. At the end of this study it was possible to delineate an initial profile of the Entomobryoidea fauna in the sampled areas, providing an inventory of species occurring in these areas and their distribution. Eight new species were described: Capbrya sp. n., Cyphoderus equidenticulati Nunes and Bellini, Lepidosira neotropicalis Nunes and Bellini, Nothobrya sertaneja Nunes and Bellini, Pseudosinella triocellata Nunes and Bellini, Seira sp. nov.1, Seira sp. nov.2 and Trogolaphysa piracurucaensis Nunes and Bellini. Identification keys were provided for the Brazilian species of Cyphoderus, Pseudosinella and Trogolaphysa, for the Neotropical genera of Entomobryinae, for the known species of Nothobryinae, and for the Entomobryoidea species from the four sampled areas. Records of Entomobryoidea from the studied areas went from 4 to 22 species, 9 genera, 6 subfamilies and 2 families. After an extensive bibliographic revision, we proposed a new diagnosis for Lepidosira, described the complete dorsal chaetotaxy of a species of this genus for the first time, and proposed a hypothesis of phylogenetic positioning based on two nuclear (18SrRNA and 28SrRNA) and one mitochondrial (COI) markers, corroborating the transfer of the Lepidosira-group from Seirinae to Entomobryinae for the first time. We also elucidate key characters for the Nothobryinae systematics and proposed its division in two tribes (Capbryini and Nothobryini), and their inclusion in the subfamily Orchesellinae, invalidating Nothobryinae as an independent subfamily.

Phallales is the order represented by fungi called stinkhorns that use attractive odors and an adhesive gleba to propagate its spores through dispersing agents, mainly arthropods. The genus Blumenavia is a gasteroid fungi. This genus is included in the family Clathraceae. Currently, based on only in morphological data, two species are considered for the genus: Blumenavia rhacodes and B. angolensis, whose type localities are Brazil and Africa, respectively. Two other species, described previously, were considered synonymous by some authors: Blumenavia toribiotalpaensis originally described for Mexico and synonimized with B. rhacodes and B. usambarensis synonimized with B. angolensis. It was verified the inconsistency of the morphological characters used for the delimitation of the species and the scarcity of molecular data, especially of the ITS region. With the objective of reviewing and identify informative characters of the genus and the best species delimitation, the present work was conducted by comparative morphological and molecular studies using ITS, LSU, ATP6, RPB2 and TEF1α sequences from 32 collections from several herbaria, as well a specimen collected from the state of Ceará-BR. For the morphological description of these specimens were analyzed macro and microstructures (rhizomorph, volva, columns, glebiferous and spores) in 5% KOH, Melzer Reagent, 1% Congo Red and Cotton Blue. Seven species for this genus was delimited based on the concatenated results (morphological and molecular, with 42 new sequences generated). Blumenavia rhacodes and B. angolensis manteined, B. usambarensis and B. toribiotalpaensis were reconsidered here, and three new species are proposed for the genus. The characters: arms color and thickness, as well as the presence of grooves on their faces; shape and arrangement of glebifers; size and shape of basidiospores; hyphae of apical exoperium and criytals in peridium layers were defined as relevant for segregation and delimitation of species within the genus.

The genus Farfantepenaeus is one of the most exploited fisheries resources in the world. The genus is composed by nine species, including the recently described F. isabelae, presented as a cryptic species with F. subtilis. There are evidences of the occurrence of both species in the coast of Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, where they would coexist sympatrically with F. brasiliensis. The great similarity between the species of the genus, the lack of identification keys that contemplate the juvenile stage, and the need for new approaches to search for new characters to better distinguish them, are remarkable. Thus, this study proposes the characterization of the secondary sexual characters through ontogeny and the evaluation of allometry of these characters in relation to of the cephalothorax for F. subtilis and F. brasiliensis. A quantitative evaluation of adrostral groove; a morphological analysis, including scanning electron microscopy, in the search for new characters to a better identification and differentiation between F. subtilis, F. brasiliensis and F. isabelae. The samples were collected on the north and east coast of the state. Identification of the specimens was confirmed by molecular analysis. A specific quantitative pattern was defined for the groove of each of the three species. New and effective diagnostic characters were defined to distinguish them, from the juvenile stage, for both sexes in for F. subtilis and F. brasiliensis, with highlighting to the found differences between F. subtilis and F. isabelae; positive allometry was reported for Carapace Length vs Petasma Length ratios (males), Carapace Length vs Height of side plates and Carapace Length vs Width of side plates (females). The results presented, serve as basis to future studies of systematics, evolution and ecology, among species of the genus.

Macrobrachium amazonicum (Heller, 1862) is a species of freshwater prawns with wide geographical distribution in the Neotropical region and of great socioeconomic importance in Brazil. The species is found in several cisandian hydrographic ecoregions, occurring from large hydrographic basins, such as the Amazon and Paraná-Paraguay rivers, to smaller coastal basins in different phytophysiognomic domains. However, part of this occurrence may be due to anthropic introductions. Because it is a freshwater species, it is expected that the dispersion will be limited and that it will present population structuring related to the hydrographic ecoregions. But occurrence in estuarine areas may allow connection between adjacent watersheds. Despite this, few studies on the systematics and geographic distribution of this species were carried out in the Brazilian northeast, where the species was supposedly introduced. The present study aims to investigate the molecular diversity of the shrimp strains of the M. amazonicum group of the ecoregions of the Brazilian northeast (Maranhão-Piauí, Northeast Middle East and São Francisco), in order to determine if the genetic structure of the species is related to hydrographic ecoregions, and to verify possible areas of introduction of the species. Mitochondrial DNA sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI) and phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyzes were used. The molecular data showed the existence of three clades - Amazonas, Coastal and Paraná/Paraguay. Northeastern Brazilian specimens belong to the coastal clade and present low haplotypic diversity in the ecoregion of the Northeast of the Middle East, as well as haplotypes similar to those in the Amazon Estuary ecoregion, and distinct from the adjacent ecoregion (Maranhão-Piauí), corroborating the hypothesis that the populations of this region, as well as the ecoregion of the Upper Paraná, also with low haplotype diversity, are in fact derived from anthropogenic introductions. This information on the evolution and geographic distribution of the M. amazonicum group in Brazil can help in the management and conservation, when recognizing a distinct lineage, as occurred with the description of M. pantanalense Santos, Hayd & Anger, 2013, the results of the delimitations of lineages and distance values p indicate a possible new species within this group, as well as it is possible to recognize areas of anthropic introduction.

Two studies about environmental factors influencing on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) distribuition were conducted in two coastal areas of Rio Grande do Norte state between 2013 and 2015. Biological material collections occurred during rainy and dry periods. The first study was carried out in an Atlantic Forest area, in two distinct phytophysiognomies, where it was evaluated whether the local AMF community responded to soil component’s variation under the hypothesis that nutritional deficiency could favor AMF diversity and is directly associated with the distribution pattern of these organisms. Divergent than expected, the AMF of the locality was not significantly influenced by the observed edaphic variables, showing signs of its distribution being positively related to the plant diversity of the locality where they are inserted. In this study was found the first record of Septoglomus furcatum for Atlantic Forest areas. The second study was carried out in a coastal dune region with a Caatinga vegetation, in which the distribution of AMF was observed in floodable and non-floodable areas due to hypersaline fluvial influence. In this study, it was observed that the fluvial waters act as an environmental filter influencing the AMF species distribution. For species registered in the second study, three represent new records for science (Scutellospora sp. and Rhizoglomus sp.), one species is considered rare (Acaulospora spinosissima) and two have old original description (Glomus nanolumem and Rhizoglomus microaggregatum). In the studie’s course, some spores were described as "sp" due to the low amount of glomerospores obtained by wet sieving and centrifugation in water and sucrose, leading to the search for an improvement of these methods or proposing of AMF soil extraction processes, suggesting the methodology here called "wet shaking", which proved be more efficient in relation to aforementioned methodologies.

Harpalyce is one of the most representative genus of the tribe Brongniartieae (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae) and includes about 35 species. The genus is characterized by shrub or arboreal habit, peltate multicellular glandular trichomes, leaves imparipinnate, bilabiate calyx (vexillar and carinal lips), dehiscent legume ans seeds strophiolate. In the last taxonomic revision the genus was subdivided into three sections: Brasilianae, Cubenses and Harpalyce. Although several works of phylogeny confirmed the monophyletic of the genus, no representative sampling of all the morphological diversity of the taxa was obtained. The objective of this study was to evaluate the monophyly of Harpalyce, its infrageneric classification, to infer the time of divergence and to reconstruct the evolution of the ancestral characters. In the present study, Harpalyce phylogenetic reconstructions were performed from nuclear ribosomal DNA (ITS/5.8S + ETS) and chloroplast (matK/trnK + trnL intron) sequences, involving a wide sampling of species belonging to all sections and other genera of the tribe Brongniartieae. The results of the phylogenetic reconstructions demonstrated the monophyletic of Harpalyce and the three sections. Molecular dating revealed that Harpalyce diverged from other genera of the tribe Brongniartieae in the Oligocene 30.6 Ma and diversified 21 Ma. In addition, the taxonomic revision of the sect. Brasilianae that includes a key of identification, data on geographical distribution, taxonomic notes and state of conservation of all the species; and the other study was the description of two new species.

Knowledge about Neotropical gasteroid fungi has increased nowadays, although new species from this region are constantly described. However, there is no biogeographic or evolutionary studies about these fungi. It is consensual that Neotropical mophoclimatic domains have been contiguous in the past. The genus Geastrum is the better sampled and represented gasteroid fungi in Neotropical morphoclimatic domains, reason why it was chosen as a model for testing the influence of the Neotropical biogeographical evolution over fungal diversification. Diversity within subsect. Epigaea was assessed through morphological and molecular analysis (ITS and LSU nrDNA). Divergence times between clades where estimated through fossil calibration of molecular clock in a concatenated
dataset. Here, six new species are proposed, and two previously synonymized species are validated. The ancestral biogeographic reconstruction, the haplotypic distribution through S-DIVA algorithm from one of the new species, along with the divergence times, corroborate the hypothesis that environmental changes that resulted in current Neotropical morphoclimatic domains have influenced irradiation of Neotropical Geastrum species in subsect. Epigaea.

The state of Rio Grande do Norte concentrates great fishing activity as well as farmed shrimp production. The introduction of alien species for cultivation may allow the invasion of these species in natural aquatic environments and promote loss of native biodiversity. Species with high morphological similarity may be functionally similar, increasing the susceptibility of natural populations to the impacts promoted by the invasion of non-native species. This thesis proposes to compare morphologically and morphometrically exotic Litopenaeus vannamei with Brazilian native species, L. schmitti, by external morphology of secondary sexual characteristics and variation of carapace shape. The morphological evaluation showed that the secondary sexual character has differences between ontogenetic stages intra and interspecifically in both males and females. In addition, the study on the growth of petasma in relation of cephalothorax length showed that these structures present distinct growth relationships between species and between ontogenetic groups. There is also a marked difference in the size of the first maturation between the two species but not between the L. vannamei groups of nature and farmed. In the evaluation of the shape of the cephalotorax, a morphological distinction between the species was evident, showing a significant geometric variation between the cephalotorax of the native and nonnative species, but in an intraspecific approach it was not possibile to distinguish the L. vannamei specimens cultured from those acclimated to the natural environment.

Lamiaceae, 236 genera and about 7,200 species distributed in seven subfamilies, has cosmopolitan distribution, with most of its species occurring in the tropical region of the planet. For Brazil, 524 species are listed in 46 genera, of which six genera and 343 species are endemic. In the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN), they are cataloged of genera and 13 species, where only one genus and four species are endemic to Brazil. This dissertation is divided into two chapters, which are presented here as independent manuscripts already in the standards required for journals chosen for publication, whose norms are attached to this dissertation. The chapters are: Lamiaceae in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, where is the taxonomic and floristic treatment of the Lamiaceae family in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. In this study, 30 species were recorded, of which 14 are exotic, cultivated or cultivated, and 16 are native species. The species Hyptis brevipes Poit. e Vitex rufescens A.Juss. occur only in the Atlantic Forest domain, while Amasonia campestris (Aubl.) Moldenke, Eriope macrostachya Mart. Harley & J. F.B.Pastore, Mesosphaerum pectinatum (L.) Kuntze, Hyptis lantanifolia Poir., Mesosphaerum sp., Vitex gardneriana Schauer, Vitex schaueriana Moldenke, occur only in the Caatinga domain. The species Mesosphaerum suaveolens (L.) Kuntze and Marsypianthes chamaedrys (Vahl.) Kuntze were the ones that presented the largest distribution in the territory of the state. In the second chapter, New records, conservation assessments and distribution of Lamiaceae in Rio Grande do Norte, northeastern, Brazil, is presented the Status of conservation of the species of Lamiaceae and their distribution in the RN including the species and genera mentioned for the first time for the state. Among the native species, three were classified as 'Threatened', four as 'Vulnerable', three are 'Least Concern', two are 'Near Threatened' and four are 'Data Deficient'. The phytogeographical domain Caatinga, a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (SDTF), has the highest number of Lamiaceae species, although less than 1% of this region is protected by conservation units. This study reveals the worrying state of conservation of the Lamiaceae family in the NR and the need for conservation actions such as the creation of new conservation units to preserve the quality of the habitat and the remaining natural formations and to monitor populations in the wild.

Brazil has the largest forest remnants on the planet, a great complexity of environments and high diversity of species. All this biodiversity is threatened mainly by human intervention in natural areas and more intensely in the coastal zone, where the largest urban areas are located. In this context, the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest are some of the most threatened domains in Brazil. This study aimed to answer the following questions: 1) what the floristic composition along a stretch of coastal vegetation in semi-arid enviroment? 2) is there variation in this composition? 3) what are the determinant factors? 4) in which domains species have the most affinity? To do this, 120 sampling units (UAs) of 10 × 10 m were unsystematically allocated in six blocks of 1 × 5 km in the coastal region of Rio Grande do Norte. In all UAs the occurrence of species in any form of growth was noted. The floristics data were crossed with climatic variables and analyzed through RStudio and Microsoft Excel software. A total of 148 species were recorded and Fabaceae, Rubiaceae, Poaceae and Euphorbiaceae were the richest families. Exotic species also had a relevant participation in the communities, mainly in block 6, where they dominated. Variable mean elevations (MTC) minimum precipitation (Pmin), dry months (MS) and very dry months (Tmed) had a significant relationship with the sample blocks. suggesting that the supply of water through rainfall, more than other factors, is what most influences the distribution of species along the coast. The region from the center to the west of the state is more related to each other and the region at the eastern end forms a distinct group from the other regions of the state. The species richness was decreasing in the east-west direction, which, together with the highest precipitation rates, reflects the relation of the easternmost regions to the Atlantic Forest domain. When it enters the interior the composition will depend on the adjacent phytogeographic domain. The coastal formations formed from the central portion to the western end of the state have a greater relationship with the Caatinga domain.

Earth’s biodiversity is estimated to include about 50 million species. For Fungi this estimate is around of 5.1 million species, and to identify them all, it is believed would take the taxonomists about 1000 yrs. The taxonomists have been making the effort to identify these fungal species, including the puffballs genus, Lycoperdon Pers. Traditionally, the taxonomy of Lycoperdon has been based only on morphological characters, and individual taxonomists have adopted their own distinct concepts to separate the species. Through the end of 1980`s many projects based on morphological taxonomy were published to describe the diversity of species of Lycoperdon encompassing almost all continents, to separate cryptic species, and to solve problems of divergence by synonymizing of taxons. In the beginning of the 90`s there was a revolution in the taxonomy of fungi with the introduction of molecular tools in species classification, as well to infer phylogenetic relationships and to identify new taxa. Lycoperdon taxonomy was hit by these new tools in the beginning of the 21th century; with the 2008 Larsson and Jeppson work, some genera, such as Morganella and Vascellum were recognized as being subgenera of Lycoperdon. During this period, identifying species by a molecular bar coding gained acceptance, opening the era of DNA barcoding to identify animals and plants, and for fungi, using the internal transcribed spaced region (ITS) to distinguish among species. The work described here is the first to focuss on extensive DNA barcoding to classify the species in the Lycoperdon genus. The present work aims to review the species of Lycoperdon from South America, based on morphological features and on the use of ITS as barcode. Also, using the large subunit (LSU) of nrDNA, to check wether the South American species, Morganella could be a subgenus of Lycoperdon. For this work, loans were made from nationals and international herbaria; the specialized literature in the taxonomy of Lycoperdon was studied, and renowned experts of Lycoperdon were consulted. Afterward the DNA was extracted from little portions of the inside of basidiomata; next the product extracted was amplified and sequenced. The sequences were edited and submitted to the search by similarity on the GenBank website using the BLAST software to check whether the sequences matched homologous sequences or were contaminants. Sequences were aligned with the aid of free software for download, such as Geneious Pro v4.8.5. After the editing of the sequences, analyses 
of maximum parsimony and distance (K2P) were carried out with the PAUP software; the distance tree was constructed by Neighbor-Joining. Also, a Bayesian analysis was done using MrBayes software. The generated trees were viewed with FigTree software and edited on InkScap software. Based on ITS as barcoding of Lycoperdon genus, the following results were obtained: 65% of the samples were successfully amplified; 19 species, excluding those under Morganella, were identified from Central and South America; four are first records to South American continent: Lycoperdon calvescens, L. endotephrum, L. ericaeum and L. eximium. Adding the LSU region, Morganella is confirmed as a subgenus of Lycoperdon; L. demoulinii is a new species for science; and a new subgenus, Arenicola, emerged. Based on morphological analyses and DNA barcoding, it was possible to identify 43 species of Lycoperdon genus around the world; 30 species from Central and South America; few species are distributed in both Hemisphere (around 30%). Finally, we concluded that the ITS is promising as DNA barcode of Lycoperdon; however, some groups need to include more specimens and markers. Morphological data are crucial for interpretation of the data generated by molecular methods of taxonomy.

The genus Pilosocereus belongs to Cactaceae (subfamily Cactoideae) and is one of the largest and most widely distributed genera within the tribe Cereeae. With 42 species divided in two subgenera, Pilosocereus and Gounellea the group is disjunctly distributed in the Neotropics and centered in eastern Brazil, occurring in many different types of habitats associated with xeric environments. Due to its morphological features, providing great adaptability to xeric environments (as all Cacti), Pilosocereus species are often dominant and play an important ecological and ethnobotanical role where they occur. However, there were few studies so far that focused on the genera as a whole. Thus, this thesis aimed to investigate the phylogenetic relationship, biogeography and evolutionary aspects of the genus Pilosocereus. The first Chapter focused in investigating Pilosocereus diversification processes in arid habitats in the Neotropics, using phylogenetic relationships, clades divergence times and reconstruction of ancestral areas. The conclusion was that the genus is not monophyletic and that the main clade (Pilosocereus sensu stricto) diversified very recently (mainly in Late Pleistocene), with origin in the Caatinga and posterior migration events to other xeric environments in North/Central America, Northwest of South America and Caribbe. In Chapter 2, the phylogenetic relationships in the genus were reconstructed through Bayesian and Maximum Parsimony analyses, with expanded taxon sampling and genomic regions in comparison with previously published works. Again, the genus was found as non-monophyletic, as well as four heterotypic species, what led to the proposition of taxonomic changes, including the resurrection of three species, three new synonyms, a new name in the species rank and a new name in the generic rank, Xiquexique (composed of the species formally positioned in P. subg. Gounellea), while Pilosocereus was newly circumscrybed with 42 species and four subspecies. Finally, Chapter 3 presents the distribution patterns, richness, endemism and current conservation scenario for all species of the group. Some taxa are restricted to vegetation types, but most of them are widely distributed in different environmental gradients. The greatest species richness and phylogenetic diversity are found in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais, with areas of endemism in Eastern Brazil and Mexico. Thus, this thesis had a multidisciplinary approach in order to elucidate different aspects of the biology of this large and diverse group, which remained unknown until now.

The integrative approach applied to species conservation is essential to understand the factors that contribute to population diversification, speciation processes and identification of ecological patterns. To propose a panorama for the conservation of Octopus insularis, a wide distributed species in the Tropical Atlantic, an integrative approach involving phylogeny, phylogeography, Barcoding, climatic niche modeling and landscape genetics was adopted. The present study was performed in 15 localities of the Tropical Atlantic west coast and oceanic islands. It was identified a northward increase in the O. insularis distribution area towards the Caribbean Sea, which confirms high potential of this species to dominate warm and shallow waters. Furthermore, misidentification of the species that compose fisheries stocks in the Gulf of Mexico was detected, which may threaten the endemic species O. maya. By using phylogeny approach with biogeographic interference, it was possible to identify Caribbean Sea as an origin area of O. insularis, which diverged from others congeners after the uplift of Isthmus of Panama. Tree clades formed by transisthmian species confirmed the importance of this geological event on speciation processes in octopod. The influence of the historical e future climate changes on distribution and expansion of O. insularis populations was analyzed by ecological niche modeling in five temporal scenarios. The analysis revealed a climatic niche expansion of O. insularis towards temperate regions on global warming scenarios. Whereas, phylogeography and population structure showed four populations/stocks well delimited, mainly due to South Equatorial Current and seamounts. These results corroborate the Isolation by Distance hypothesis. The present results allowed a holistic view, including genetic, ecology and oceanographic factors, which influences O. insularis life history. Those findings can help to build an actual panorama of species conservation and regulation, as well, to suggest future management measures to attenuate possible consequence of global climatic changes.

Seirinae is one of the most diverse subfamilies of Collembola, and a considerable part of this diversity is comprised by Seira Lubbock, which currently gathers approximately 220 species. So far no internal phylogeny Seirinae was proposed, what leads to difficulties in the establishment of comparative knowledge, description of new taxa, and also the understanding of the evolutionary patterns within this taxon. The dorsal chaetotaxy is the main morphological component utilised to distinguish species, and although undoubtedly diagnostic, it can be variable interspecifically. The main aim of this work is to clarify the phylogenetic relations within the Neotropical Seirinae based on both molecular and morphological data, which might result in a better internal organization of the subfamily. For this aim, 27 samples of different species belonging to Entomobryidae and one of Paronellidae were sequenced. As for molecular analyses genomic DNA of one individual/sample was extracted and quantified and sequencing libraries were built and sequenced using Next-Generation Sequencing on HiSeq 2000. The whole mitochondrial genome (DNAmt) of the species was reconstructed by two methods: SOAPdenovo_Trans and MIRA/MITOBim. Two phylogenies were then proposed: one containing only genomes reconstructed in this study as well as a complementary one, where 11 Collembola DNAmt available in a public database were also included. The phylogenies were generated through Bayesian analyses using the thirteen protein coding genes that almost correspond to the entire DNAmt. The results corroborate the current proposal which claims the order Poduromorpha as the most basal order of Collembola; the order Symphypleona as the sister-group of Entomobryomorpha, which shows clear division into two superfamilies, Isotomoidea and Entomobryoidea; the placement of Lepidocyrtoides Schött and Lepidosira Schött genera inside Entomobryinae corroborates the most recently published phylogeny; the monophyly of the internal groups of Seirinae based on molecular evidence was confirmed for the first time showing high nodal support; Tyrannoseira Bellini & Zeppelini, recently described, was validated phylogenetically; Lepidocyrtinus Börner was elevated to genus status; and three species synonyms were proposed; finally some morphological characteristics of Seirinae were identified as diagnostic and having phylogenetic signal, for instance, the quantity of macrochaetae on the first abdominal segment.

Labridae possui grande interesse ecológico devido as suas complexas interações com o ambiente recifal. Representa uma das famílias mais diversas, com mais de 530 espécies, distribuídas em 82 gêneros, com importantes relações ecológicas e aspectos econômicos. Suas espécies estão amplamente representadas nos oceanos Índico, Pacífico e Atlântico. O gênero Halichoeres, é o mais diverso dentro da família. Os budiões, como são conhecidos os representantes da família, apresentam variações no padrão de cor que podem se modificar de acordo com o sexo ou fase de desenvolvimento. Diante disso, muitas espécies vêm sendo reavaliadas e reordenadas. Apesar das contribuições significativas na identificação dos mecanismos de divergência cariotípica intra e interespecíficas na família, poucas espécies tiveram seus padrões cromossômicos analisados com técnicas mais resolutivas. Aqui são apresentados dados citogenéticos que ampliam as informações citogenéticas para os gêneros Halichoeres e Thalassoma, analisando padrões heterocromáticos qualitativos, com distribuição de regiões (GC+/AT-), localização e frequência de sítios Ag-RON e hibridização fluorescente in situ com sondas ribossomais, das populações do litoral nordeste e ilhas oceânicas do Brasil. As espécies Halichoeres radiatus, H. poeyi, H. brasiliensis, H. penrosei apresentaram 2n=48 (48a), enquanto Thalassoma noronhanum apresentou 2n=48 (2m+46a). O mapeamento de sequências repetitivas ribossomais (DNAr 18S e 5S) identificou sítios DNAr 18S, múltiplos (3 a 5 loci), e DNAr 5S, simples ou múltiplos, bem como sintenia destes genes. Comparações populacionais evidenciaram diferenciações conspícuas quanto à frequência de sítios ribossomais DNAr 18S entre populações de H. radiatus. A extensa ocorrência de sítios 18S/5S co-localizados, em todas as espécies, demonstra uma condição basal das espécies de Halichoeres do Atlântico. Apesar de independentes evolutivamente, a sintenia destes genes se mostra filogeneticamente compartilhada para os gêneros Halichoeres e Thalassoma. Esta condição estrutural indica que co-localizações de sítios ribossomais 18S/5S podem ser estáveis, funcionais e mais frequentes do que se pensava em alguns grupos de peixes.

Tetraodontiformes order is featured for exhibiting extremely singular morphological and genetics characteristics, representing one of the main derivatives branches of the teleosts diversification. Some of its groups constitute vertebrates with the most compact genomes, qualifying them as a model of genome evolution studies. This genomic feature looks to be the result of evolutionary DNA loss. In order to perform cytogenomic comparisons between species of some Tetraodontiformes groups, cytogenetic analyzes were done on species Cantherhines pullus and Monacanthus chinensis (Monacanthidae) Sphoeroides testudineus (Tetraodontidae) and Melichthys niger (Balistidae). The analysis used classical methodologies (Giemsa staining, C-banding, Ag-NORs), fluorochromes base-specific staining and chromosomal mapping by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of telomeric and the ribosomal sequences 18S and 5S. The species C. pullus and M. niger revealed karyotypes composed of 40 chromosomes, all acrocentric. Both have only a single pair of NORs and heterochromatin, mostly, pericentomeric, however, the telomeric sequences mapping in C. pullus showed interstitial telomeric marks, result of the chromosomal rearrangements dynamics wich occurrs in the group. Cytogenetic comparisons among the species S. testudineus (2n = 46, NF = 74) and M. chinensis (2n = 34, NF = 34) revealed disparate karyotypes in relation to diploid and chromosomal arm numbers, as well as the tiny size of S. testudineus chromosomes in relation to the large acrocentric chromosomes present in M. chinensis. The striking differences on the chromosomes size, karyotypical structure and heterochromatin distribution evidences high chromosomal dynamics and multiple karyoevolutive trends present in Tetraodontiformes. In face of the interest on the genomic evolution in this Order, new contributions to the knowledge of their genomes and karyotypes are provided and discussed over cytogenomic and evolutionary perspectives.

The Parotocinclus genus comprises 29 valid nominal species of small Hypoptopomatinae
armored catfishes widely distributed in cisandine Neotropical Region. Although the subfamily
Hypoptopomatinae is monophyletic, the genus has been recognized as a polyphyletic
assemblage. In northeastern Brazil, which covers four distinct ecoregions, Parotocinclus show
a high species richness, represented by twelve species described to date, usually with
restricted geographic distribution. Among these, P. cearensis from Acaraú river basin in
western Ceará State, was described from the distinction of the type series of P. spilosoma,
from Paraíba do Norte river basin, in Paraíba State, having been some controversy regarding
the validity of the first. In recente ichthyological surveys in several drainages of the Mid-
Northeastern Caatinga and São Francisco ecoregions some Parotocinclus specimens similar
to P. cearensis were captured, suggesting that this species has a wide distribution in
Northeastern Brazil, or it is a species complex. To address this taxonomic uncertainty,
morphological and molecular analyzes were performed, which confirmed the validity of P.
cearensis and identified the presence of possibles new related species. Thus, there is provided
a redescription of P. cearensis and P. spilosoma, and identified the co-occurrence of lineages
in some hydrographic basins, suggesting a secondary contact.

Rubiaceae is the fourth largest family of Angiosperms, with 13.526 species and 620 genera. In Brazil, the family is represented by 1.375 species, of which 389 occurs in the Northeast region. The Spermacoceae is a tribe with pantropical distribution pattern, characterized by predominantly herbaceous plants with fimbriate stipules and flowers usually tetramerous, represented in Brazil by 217 species and 17 genera. This study aimed the taxonomic survey of the Spermacoceae in Rio Grande do Norte (RN), in order to contribute to the knowledge of the flora, as well as offer support to the correct identification of this group's species, which are easily confused due to the morphological resemblance, even at the generic level. For this study, field expeditions were made to collect and observe the Spermacoceae in areas of the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga in the state, followed by the identification, description of the specimens and further incorporation in herbaria. Were registred 24 species and eight genera. The most species-rich genera were Borreria (8 spp.), Mitracarpus (6 spp.) and Hexasepalum (4 spp.); Oldenlandia (2 spp.) each and Leptoscela, Richardia, Spermacoce e Staelia had only one species each. Six species are new records for the flora of Rio Grande do Norte: Borreria ocymifolia, Mitracarpus baturitensis, M. hirtus, M. longicalyx, Oldenlandia corymbosa e Staelia virgata. Descriptions, illustrations, identification key, habitat data, fenology and distribution of the species are presented.

A oportunidade ecológica que surge com a colonização de novos ambientes pode favorecer a diversificação morfológica e ecológica das espécies. Os canídeos chegaram no continente sul-americano depois da formação do istmo do Panamá e tiveram uma rápida diversificação, ocupando uma grande variedade de hábitats em todo o continente. Analisamos em um contexto filogenético a evolução e divergência nas características morfológicas e ecológicas de oito espécies de canídeos endêmicos da América do Sul. Para isso utilizamos métodos de morfometria geométrica, modelagem de nicho e métodos comparativos. Ainda, utilizando regressões filogenéticas baseadas em distância, testamos se as características morfológicas das espécies estão relacionada com a radiação do grupo em ambiente diferentes ao longo do continente. Observamos que as diferenças nas características do nicho climático são independentes do tempo de divergência entre as espécies. Ainda, encontramos que a forma do crânio não apresenta uma estruturação filogenética, estando relacionada com gradientes climáticos, e com características do nicho trófico. A forma da mandíbula apresenta sinal filogenético e está relacionada com gradientes climáticos e a dieta. Entretanto, o tamanho corporal não apresenta sinal filogenético e está relacionado com característica do nicho trófico. Nossos resultados evidenciam que a diversificação dos canídeos na América do Sul está relacionada com a divergência e ocupação dos nichos ao longo do continente, e que características bioclimáticas e do nicho trófico tem influenciado a evolução do fenótipo nessas espécies. Este estudo apresenta pela primeira vez evidências de uma possível radiação adaptativa em escala continental dos Canídeos da América do Sul.

A família Acanthuridae é um grupo bastante representativo dentre os peixes marinhos e que desempenha um papel fundamental na dinâmica ecológica dos recifes de corais. Três espécies pertencentes ao gênero Acanthurus são comuns ao longo dos recifes costeiros do Atlântico Ocidental: A. coeruleus, A. bahianus e A. chirurgus. No presente estudo, são apresentados dados citogenéticos para estas três espécies de Acanthurus com base em métodos citogenéticos clássicos e no mapeamento de sequências ribossomais repetitivas, como DNAr 18S e 5S, além de sondas teloméricas com a finalidade de auxiliar na compreensão da carioevolução deste grupo. O padrão citogenético dessas espécies indica que as etapas sequenciais de rearranjos cromossômicos, que datam 19-5 milhões de anos atrás (Ma), são responsáveis por suas diferenças interespecíficas. Acanthurus coeruleus (2n=48; 2sm + 4st + 42a), A. bahianus (2n=36; 12m + 2sm + 4st + 18a) e A. chirurgus (2n=34; 12m + 2sm + 4st + 16a) compartilham um antigo conjunto de três pares cromossômicos originados através de inversões pericêntricas. Um conjunto de seis grandes pares metacêntricos formados por translocações Robertsonianas (Rb) encontrado em A. bahianus e A. chirurgus e uma suposta fusão em tandem presente em A. chirurgus são eventos mais recentes. A falta de sequências teloméricas intersticiais (ITS), apesar de várias fusões cêntricas em A. bahianus e A. chirurgus pode estar relacionada com o longo período de tempo após a sua ocorrência (estimado em 5 Ma). Além disso, as homeologias entre os pares de cromossomos que carregam os genes ribossomais, além de outras características estruturais, destacam grandes regiões cromossômicas conservadas nas três espécies. Nossos resultados indicam que as mudanças macroestruturais ocorreram durante a cladogênese dessas espécies não foram seguidas por rearranjos microestruturais visíveis nos cariótipos.

A taxonomia é a base de qualquer ciência que envolva biodiversidade, como a ecologia e biogeografia. Entre os invertebrados marinhos, os moluscos gastrópodes são um dos grupos mais diversos. O grupo “Opistobranchia” apresentam redução, internalização ou ausência da concha calcária, e apresenta também a maior diversidade de formas entre os gastrópodes. Estima-se que existam entre 5000 e 6000 espécies em todo globo terrestre, dentre estas, aproximadamente 235 são reportadas para o Brasil, com apenas 12 registradas para o estado do Rio Grande do Norte. O presente projeto visa o levantamento taxonômico dos opistobrânquios no litoral do estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Para isto foram realizadas expedições às praias do litoral deste estado. Alguns opistobrânquios foram coletados diretamente no campo, enquanto outros foram separados em laboratório de substratos coletados (i.e., macroalgas, cascalho e pequenas rochas soltas). As coletas se deram manualmente sobre os arrecifes na região entre-marés, ou através de mergulhos livres e autônomos (sublitoral). As espécies encontradas foram medidas e fotografadas in vivo no Laboratório Didático II do Departamento de Botânica, Ecologia e Zoologia da UFRN. A identificação dos espécimes foi feita através da comparação dos caracteres diagnósticos de cada grupo, embasada na literatura específica. Foram encontrados 34 novos registros para o litoral do RN, dentre estes, quatro novos registros também para o nordeste, assim como três novas ocorrências para o Brasil e Atlântico Sul. O presente levantamento contribuiu, portanto, para uma melhor estimativa da fauna de opistobrânquios do litoral norte rio-grandense. Acredita-se que são necessários mais estudos que envolvam diferentes aspectos ecológicos, biológicos e biogeográficos dos opistobrânquios no Brasil e especialmente no Nordeste.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are important components of soil-plant system due to mutualistic symbiosis with plant roots, promoting the increase in the growth of the plant symbiont and tolerance to environmental stresses. Ecological studies on the structure of AMF communities have focused most in the restricted areas the superficial zone, however, some studies have suggested that the abundance and diversity of AMF may differ considerably according to soil depth and it is relevant to studies devoted to the assessment of the diversity of AMF, especially in impacted areas, considering that the harmful practices of land use tend to the impoverishment of species. This study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of AMF in different soil depths in forest fragments of the Fazenda Experimental Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, a transition area between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes located in Sete Lagoas, MG, in order to characterize the composition and distribution AMF species depending on the vertical distribution in the soil. For this, in january 2014, soil samples were taken in eight forest fragments, with maximum deepth of 230 cm, as the follow: I: 0-20 cm; II: 20 - 40 cm; III: 40 - 60 cm; IV: 60 - 80 cm; V: 80 - 120 cm; VI: 120 - 160 cm and VII: 160 - 230 cm. Part of the soil samples was destined for the implementation of trap crops for subsequent extraction and collecting of AMF glomerospores and part was destined for physicalchemical evaluation. A total of 62 species belonging to nine families was recorded: Acaulosporaceae (29) Ambisporaceae (1), Archaeosporaceae (2), Dentiscutataceae (2), Diversisporaceae (1), Entrophosporaceae (2), Glomeraceae (19), Paraglomeraceae (3) and Scutellosporaceae (2). A tendency to decrease the number of species and diversity in relation to depth was detected, and a significant variation between different depths was found. Some species have occurred only in surface areas or in deep zones, as well as other species were widely distributed over the entire gradient. Ca, P, Mn, organic matter and pH were the soil properties that affect the distribution of the majority of the species found. These results show that the sampling of deeper soil zones on the AMF diversity surveys allows to access a diversity hitherto neglected including the detection of species with restricted occurrence in these soil zones.

Os fungos gasteroides englobam várias linhagens distintas de basidiomicetos que foram agrupados por apresentar algumas características marcantes em comum, como o desenvolvimento angiocárpico dos basidiomas e liberação passiva dos basidiosporos. Durante longo período, esses fungos foram acomodados na classe Gasteromycetes. Todavia, estudos bioquímicos e moleculares mostraram a polifilia do grupo e, atualmente, esta classe encontra-se destituída de valor taxonômico. Esses organismos influenciam a ecologia dos mais diversos ecossistemas, entretanto, são pouco estudados e o conhecimento de sua diversidade nos ecossistemas neotropicais permanece insuficiente, apesar dos estudos que vem sendo desenvolvidos nos últimos anos. A região semiárida brasileira possui muitas áreas com a sua micobiota praticamente inexplorada. O Estado do Ceará apresenta áreas de extrema importância biológica, e para este estudo foram escolhidas três Unidades de Conservação: Área de Proteção Ambiental da Serra da Ibiapaba, Parque Nacional de Ubajara e a Área de Proteção Ambiental de Baturité. Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho foi inventariar os fungos gasteroides ocorrentes nestas três áreas localizadas na região semiárida do Ceará. As expedições, herborização e análise dos espécimes foram baseadas em metodologias tradicionais utilizadas para identificação de fungos gasteroides. Foram identificadas 16 espécies pertencentes a 5 famílias: Agaricaceae, Clathraceae, Geastraceae, Nidulariaceae e Phallaceae. Morganella nuda Alfredo & Baseia é reportada pela segunda vez para o mundo e Blumenavia angolensis (Welw. & Curr) Dring e Mutinus elegans (Mont.) E. Fisch. correspondem a primeiros registros para o Nordeste brasileiro. Com exceção de Abrachium floriforme (Baseia & Calonge) Baseia & T.S. Cabral e Geastrum lloydianum Rick, todas as demais espécies estudadas são consideradas novos registros para o Ceará, aumentando a lista de fungos gasteroides da região de 3 para 17 espécies. As espécies identificadas foram depositadas no acervo do Herbário da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. Embora essas áreas tenham se mostrado propícias para o estudo de fungos gasteroides, ainda são necessários maiores esforços de coleta para ampliar o conhecimento desses fungos na região.

Os anfíbios anuros formam um grupo comprovadamente monofilético e apresentam várias características em comum que estão relacionadas, principalmente, a adaptação das espécies à ambientes úmidos, aonde estas se desenvolvem e reproduzem. Apesar da restrição do ambiente de reprodução, as espécies de anfíbios anuros apresentam grande diversidade morfológica, como também a maior diversidade de modos reprodutivos relatados para todos os grupos de tretápodas atuais. O Brasil é o país com maior riqueza de anfíbios anuros com, aproximadamente, 950 espécies descritas até o momento. A maioria das espécies do território brasileiro apresentam uma fase larval que, na maioria dos casos, se desenvolve no ambiente aquático e não apresenta qualquer semelhança com a sua forma adulta, seja na sua morfologia ou no nicho ecológico que ocupa. As larvas de anfíbios anuros são comumente utilizadas em estudos taxonômicos e fornecem informações importantes que auxiliam na classificação das espécies. Além disso, a identificação das espécies baseadas na forma larvária facilitam estudos de ecologia de populações e comunidades, como também, tornam mais precisos inventários faunísticos. Apesar disso, aproximadamente 50% dos girinos das espécies de anuro que ocorrem no território brasileiro não são conhecidas e existem poucos trabalhos com foco na variação dos caracteres larvais ao longo de várias populações, o que dificulta a avaliação da sua utilidade em estudos taxonômicos e pode contribuir, por exemplo, para a existência de espécies crípticas. Além disso, existem poucos trabalhos que descrevem a diversidade morfológica larval com enfoque em regiões específicas e, no Brasil, exsitem, apenas, três chaves de identificação de espécies com base nos caracteres larvais. A falta de descrições afeta diretamente trabalhos sobre anurofauna no país, e dificultam o desenvolvimento de trabalhos experimentais ou de interações ecológicas, por exemplo. Logo, descrições de girinos são necessários para tornar mais completo o conhecimento sobre a anurofauna das espécies que ocorrem no território brasileiro. Com isso, este trabalho teve como objetivo fornecer dados que complementam o conhecimento existente sobre as formas larvais no território brasileiro, com foco na anurofauna da região sudeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. Neste trabalho, são descritos os girinos de cinco espécies cuja forma larval ainda não era conhecida, como também, elaboro uma chave de identificação dicotômica baseada em caracteres larvais para a região sudeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte e comento sobre a utilidade dos caracteres larvais para a taxonomia e sistemática dos diversos grupos de anfíbios anuros abordados neste trabalho. Além disso, uma nova espécie do gênero Pseudopaludicola é descrita e os caracteres larvais auxiliaram em sua diagnose e na diferenciação de congeneros. Os resultados gerados aqui poderão ser úteis ou auxiliar em trabalhos futuros que necessitem da identificação das formas larvais de anfíbios anuros, principalmente, no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte.

O Nordeste brasileiro, majoritariamente imerso no bioma Caatinga, se caracteriza pelo clima semi-árido, baixa precipitação e um regime de rios intermitentes. Quanto ao conhecimento ictiofaunístico, a região é considerada uma das maiores lacunas mundiais, e uma das mais ameaçadas pelas atividades antrópicas. Além disso, a região está passando por obras de transposição, que ligará águas do rio São Francisco com quatro bacias da região: Jaguaribe, Apodi-Mossoró, Piranhas-Açu e Paraíba do Norte. Perda de diversidade, hibridização de espécies, alterações de comunidade, homogeneização de populações, alteração de qualidade e regime de fluxo de água, são impactos ambientais já atribuídos a empreendimentos similares. O presente estudo objetiva investigar a variação morfológica e molecular de Cichlasoma orientale Kullander 1983 e Crenicichla menezesi Ploeg 1991, duas espécies com ampla distribuição ao longo das bacias do Nordeste brasileiro, através de métodos de sistemática integrativa. Além disso, o estudo visa analisar a influência de fatores climáticos e geomorfológicos nesta variação, e apontar possíveis impactos da conexão artificial das bacias envolvidas na transposição do rio São Francisco. Para estes fins, foram utilizadas análises de morfometria geométrica e filogeográficas com indivíduos de três ecorregiões hidrográficas do Nordeste brasileiro. Nossos resultados mostraram que há uma significativa variação morfológica nas bacias envolvidas na transposição do rio São Francisco, que não está ligada à uma separação ancestral das bacias, evidenciando uma variação morfológica que pode representar um conjunto de respostas plásticas às constantes transformações principalmente relacionadas ao regime hídrico da região. O papel de respostas plásticas em ambientes naturalmente variáveis, assim como o potencial impacto do distúrbio no regime hídrico a ser trazido pela transposição do rio São Francisco, são discutidos. Além disso, nossos dados moleculares permitiram fornecer mais informações sobre a distribuição das espécies e sua taxonomia, incluindo a identificação de uma potencial nova espécie de Crenicichla na bacia do rio São Francisco. Os dados também mostraram alguns haplótipos compartilhados para ambas as espécies, que podem representar cenários incompletos de separação de linhagens ou fluxo gênico recente entre populações, porém forte estruturação entre a maior parte das bacias. Eventos climáticos como a regressão da Mata Atlântica durante o Pleistoceno, flutuações do nível do mar e a dispersão por paleorios na porção estuarina das bacias que desaguam no litoral norte da região nordeste, além de eventos neotectônicos envolvendo captura de cabeceiras, parecem ter contribuído para a atual distribuição de linhagens destas espécies no Nordeste brasileiro. Além disso, análises de variância molecular (AMOVA e SAMOVA) evidenciaram que a atual conjuntura das bacias se mostrou um fator importante para a variação molecular, apesar da indicação de compartilhamento recente entre algumas bacias. Diferenças de padrões de diversidade intrapopulacional entre as espécies podem estar relacionadas a múltiplos eventos históricos de colonização, ou à diferenças biológicas. O presente estudo representa o primeiro esforço de sistemática integrativa com espécies da ictiofauna continental do Nordeste brasileiro, e revelou variações morfológicas e moleculares entre drenagens isoladas que podem ser irrecuperavelmente afetadas com a conexão artificial destas bacias a partir das obras de transposição do rio São Francisco.

O metabolismo vegetal é composto por uma complexa rede de eventos físicos e químicos resultantes na fotossíntese, respiração, e na síntese e degradação de compostos orgânicos. Isto só é possível graças aos diferentes tipos de respostas as inúmeras variações ambientais que um vegetal pode estar sujeito, adquiridas ao longo da evolução, levando também a conquistas de novos ambientes. O ciclo do glioxilato é uma via metabólica localizada nos glioxissomos de plantas, que possui papel único no estabelecimento das plântulas. Considerado como uma variação do ciclo do ácido cítrico esta via utiliza uma molécula de acetil-Coenzima A, oriunda da beta-oxidação de lipídios para sintetizar compostos que são utilizados na síntese de carboidratos. As enzimas Malato sintase (MLS) e Isocitrato liase (ICL) são exclusivas deste ciclo e essenciais na regulação da biossíntese de carboidratos. Devido à ausência das etapas de descarboxilação, como fatores limitantes da velocidade, estudos mais detalhados da filogenia e evolução molecular dessas proteínas permite o esclarecimento dos efeitos da presença desta rota nos processos evolutivos envolvidos na sua distribuição no genoma de espécies vegetais. Portanto, o objetivo deste estudo foi estabelecer uma relação entre a evolução molecular das enzimas características do ciclo do glioxilato (Isocitrato liase e Malato sintase) e sua filogenia molecular, entre as plantas verdes (Viridiplantae). Para isso, foram utilizadas sequências de aminoácidos e nucleotídeos dos genes, a partir de repositórios online como o Genbank e Uniprot. As sequências foram alinhadas e, em seguida, submetidos à análise estatística dos modelos de melhor ajuste de substituição. A filogenia foi reconstruída por métodos de distância (Neighbor-joining) e métodos discretos (Máxima Verossimilhança, Máxima Parcimônia e Análise Bayesiana). O reconhecimento de padrões estruturais na evolução das enzimas foi feito por predição e modelagem por homologia das estruturas das sequências das proteínas obtidas. Com base nas análises comparativas entre modelos in silico, das enzimas, e partir dos resultados de inferência filogenética, ambas as enzimas apresentam um padrão de conservação relativamente elevado em sua estrutura e geram topologias condizentes com dois processos de seleção e especialização dos seus respectivos genes. Deste modo, corroborando com a relevância em se realizar novos estudos para se elucidar o metabolismo vegetal sob uma perspectiva evolutiva das relações entre os genes e a expressão de suas enzimas.

Os fungos gasteroides constituem um agrupamento de vários clados de Basidiomycota com origens evolutivas distintas (grupo polifilético). Embora, seus táxons apresentem uma grande diversidade morfológica, por muito tempo foram agrupados como uma classe bem definida, denominada Gasteromycetes, com base nos basidiomas angiocárpico e dispersão passiva dos esporos (estatismósporos). A região Nordeste do Brasil possui áreas consideradas de extrema importância biológica com grande riqueza de espécies e sem estudos sobre fungos gasteroides. A Caatinga, que foi foco desta pesquisa, possui até então, vinte e cinco espécies registradas. Desta forma, o presente estudo teve como objetivo fazer um levantamento dos fungos gasteroides em duas áreas de brejo de altitude consideradas de extrema importância biológica: APA da Serra de Ibiapaba, no Estado do Ceará e Reserva Ecológica Estadual Mata do Pau-Ferro, no Estado da Paraíba. Excursões foram realizadas no período de abril a junho/2012 e resultaram em 103 coletas de fungos gasteroides. As análises microscópicas utilizaram microscopia eletrônica de varredura a fim de observar detalhes difíceis de serem percebidos com a microscopia óptica. Foram identificadas 17 espécies representadas pelas famílias: Clathraceae, Geastraceae, Lycoperdaceae, Phallaceae e Rhizopogonacea. O gênero com maior número de espécies coletados foi Geastrum (Geastraceae) com nove espécies, seguidas por: Morganella (Lycoperdaceae) com duas espécies. Os demais gêneros: Abrachium, Calvatia, Lycogalopsis, Mutinus e Phallus foram representados por uma espécie cada. Calvatia cava sp. nov. e Morganella nuda sp. nov. são espécies novas para a ciência. Rhizopogon luteolus e Lycogalopsis sp. são primeiros registros para região Nordeste e Caatinga. Geastrum morganii, G. pectinatum, G. rusticum e Mutinus caninus são primeiros registros para Caatinga. Para a região Nordeste houve um aumento de quatro espécies (5.7%) totalizando 74 espécies de fungos gasteroides para a região. Para a Caatinga houve um acréscimo de oito espécies (32%) totalizando 33 espécies. Com isto, as regiões de brejos de altitude em áreas de Caatinga mostraram-se propícias para estudos sobre fungos gasteroides, desta forma, novos estudos devem ser realizados em áreas de brejo de altitude a fim de melhorar o esforço amostral, ampliando o conhecimento sobre os fungos gasteroides nestas áreas.

Os fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA) são organismos simbiontes obrigatórios de raízes de vasto número de táxons vegetais, sendo encontrados em todos os ecossistemas terrestres. Estes fungos promovem maior tolerância a estresses ambientais aos vegetais associados favorecendo o estabelecimento de comunidades vegetais, especialmente quando a fertilidade do solo é fator limitante, como em áreas de Caatinga, domínio exclusivamente brasileiro que vem sendo foco de pesquisas em função da particular biodiversidade que pode proporcionar maior compreenção da história vegetacional de parte da América do Sul. Devido à importância ecológica dos FMA, ao limitado número de trabalhos e o potencial em diversidade da Caatinga, este trabalho visa inventariar a diversidade e determinar as comunidades de FMA em áreas com diferentes fisionomias ocorrentes na FLONA Araripe, Ceará (CE). A coleta das amostras ocorreu em quatro períodos, no início e final da estação seca (agosto e dezembro de 2011, respectivamente) e chuvosa (fevereiro e junho de 2012, respectivamente) em uma área de brejo de altitude e de cerradão da Chapada do Araripe, Crato, CE. Os glomerosporos foram extraídos por peneiramento úmido e centrifugação em água e sacarose (50%), montados entre lâmina e laminula utilizando PVLG e PVLG + Reagente de Melzer. No total, foram encontradas 46 espécies de FMA distribuidas em oito famílias e 16 gêneros: Acaulospora (6), Ambispora (1), Cetraspora (2), Dentiscutata (5), Fuscutata (2), Gigaspora (6), Glomus (13), Intraornatospora (1), Kuklospora (1), Orbispora (1), Paradentiscutata (1), Quatunica (1), Racocetra (1), Scutellospora (2), Septoglomus (2) e um novo gênero. Análises ecológicas mostraram que cada área de estudo apresenta dinâmicas sazonais próprias, com a área de cerradão com maior diversidade de espécies ao longo do ano, enquanto que o brejo de altitude mostrou maior variação nas espécies encontradas entre os periodos de coleta, mostrando que a vegetação e a pluviosidade tem forte influência na dinâmica sazonal dos FMA, assim como a disponibilidade de nutrientes e o pH so solo.

Leguminosae é a terceira maior família de angiospermas, apresentando cerca de 19.325 espécies e 727 gêneros e distribuição pantropical. Papilionoideae é a mais diversa das três subfamílias de leguminosas, com cerca de 13.800 espécies (71%) subordinadas a 478 gêneros e 28 tribos. É caracterizada pelo hábito herbáceo, arbustivo, lianescente ou arbóreo, folhas pinadas, trifolioladas, unifolioladas ou simples, flores frequentemente papilionadas, com as pétalas diferenciadas em estandarte, carena e alas em prefloração imbricativa descendente ou vexilar, androceu geralmente diplostêmones e sementes sem pleurograma, com hilo bem desenvolvido e embrião com radícula geralmente curvada. O presente estudo teve como objetivo realizar um estudo taxonômico das Papilionoideae ocorrentes na Mata Atlântica do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil através do levantamento de dados de herbários, coletas de materiais em campo e análise morfológica dos espécimes coletados e/ou depositados em herbários. São apresentadas chave de identificação, descrições, caracteres diagnósticos, ilustrações e distribuição geográfica das 68 espécies e 32 gêneros distribuídos nas tribos Phaseoleae (11 gêneros/24 espécies), Dalbergieae (9/20), Swartzieae (3/3), Millettieae (2/4), Sophoreae (2/2), Abreae (1/1), Crotalarieae (1/3), Desmodieae (1/7), Indigofereae (1/3) e Sesbanieae (1/1). Os gêneros mais representativos foram Desmodium Desv. (7 espécies), Centrosema (DC.) Benth. (5), Stylosanthes Sw. (5), Aeschynomene L. (4) e Macroptilium (Benth.) Urb. (4). Quanto ao hábito, predominou o herbáceo e arbustivo com 60% (41 spp.), seguido do trepador e lianescente com 28% (19 spp.) e o arbóreo com apenas 12% (8 spp.). Neste trabalho, 32 espécies e os seguintes gêneros são registrados pela primeira vez para a flora do Rio Grande do Norte: Chaetocalyx, Cochliasanthus, Crotalaria, Galactia, Geoffroea, Macroptilium, Rhynchosia, Swartzia, Trischidium e Vigna.

Paronellidae está entre os mais diversos e característicos componentes da fauna epiedáfica de colêmbolos em países tropicais. No entanto, apenas 15 espécies da família foram registradas no Brasil, sendo apenas duas para a Região Nordeste do país. Este dado claramente está relacionado a um baixo esforço amostral e ausência de especialistas na área. Assim, este trabalho objetivou estudar a fauna de Paronellidae, do ponto de vista taxonômico, em seis ambientes distintos na Região Nordeste do Brasil (nos Estados de Alagoas, Bahia, Ceará, Paraíba e Piauí), sendo cinco áreas de Caatinga e uma de Mata Atlântica. Foram realizadas coletas ativas durante a estação chuvosa em cada área. Os espécimes coletados foram triados com ajuda de lupa e montados em lâminas para microscopia. Os espécimes identificados como representantes da família Paronellidae tiveram sua ocorrência registrada, assim com foi feita a descrição de cinco novas espécies para a ciência. Também foi elaborada de uma chave de identificação para os gêneros da família que ocorrem no Brasil. Doze registros de espécies de paronelídeos foram feitos para o Brasil: Campylothorax mitrai; Lepidonella. sp. nov. 1; Lepidonella sp. nov. 2; Lepidonella sp. nov. 3; Lepidonella sp. nov. 4; Lepidonella sp. nov. 5; Dicranocentruga sp. nov. 1; Dicranocentruga sp. nov 2; Dicranocentruga sp. nov 3; Paronella sp. nov; Serroderus sp. nov e Trogolaphysa sp. nov. 1, onde C. mitrai, Lepidonella. sp. nov. 1, Dicranocentruga sp. nov. 1, Dicranocentruga sp. nov. 2 e Dicranocentruga sp. nov. 3 foram descritas. Os registros dos gêneros Serroderus e Dicranocentruga foram os primeiros destes gêneros para o Brasil. A descrição de Lepidonella sp. nov. 1 também corresponde à primeira descrição de uma espécie do gênero para o país. Os dados apresentados mostram uma elevada riqueza potencial de espécies de Paronellidae, não apenas na Região Nordeste, mas como no Brasil. De fato, com os registros apresentados neste trabalho, o número de registros de espécies de Paronellidae no país aumentou em 80%. Políticas de conservação ambiental podem ser direcionadas através do estudo desta fauna, especialmente em áreas de Caatinga.

Os ecossistemas edáficos são base para toda produção de recursos biológicos terrestres e sua dinâmica afeta não apenas os ambientes naturais, mas também a sociedade e suas atividades econômicas. Na Caatinga, o clima semiárido associado ao uso inadequado do solo têm potencializado a degradação e a perda do potencial produtivo das terras. Considerando que a fauna edáfica, incluindo os colêmbolos, é um importante indicador da qualidade do solo, este trabalho objetivou avaliar a fauna de Collembola numa área de Caatinga do Rio Grande do Norte, verificando a influência de fatores bióticos e abióticos, tais como características do solo, da vegetação e do clima, sobre a estrutura da taxocenose. As variáveis ambientais utilizadas foram: granulometria (representada pela proporção de areia), quantidade de matéria orgânica e pH do solo; riqueza, densidade e biomassa aérea vegetal; e necromassa. Foram utilizadas armadilhas de queda (pitfall) para coletar espécimes da fauna epiedáfica de Collembola em 30 pontos localizados na Fazenda Cauaçu, João Câmara, RN, nos meses de julho (período chuvoso) e novembro (período seco) de 2011. Foram coletados 5.513 indivíduos de 15 espécies, distribuídas em 13 gêneros e 9 famílias de Collembola. Cinco das espécies registradas são novas para a ciência, confirmando a expectativa de alto grau de endemismo para o bioma, e a maior abundância de indivíduos foi registrada na estação chuvosa, o que sugere sensibilidade dos colêmbolos à baixa umidade. Quatro espécies foram mais abundantes na estação seca, todas da Ordem Entomobryomorpha, e os resultados das análises estatísticas sugerem que a riqueza de plantas, a biomassa vegetal aérea, a proporção de areia no solo, o pH e a umidade devida às chuvas sejam os principais influenciadores da abundância de Collembola na região estudada.