RESUMO
The West Indies represents one of the world's hotspots for beetles in the family Lampyridae and includes many endemic taxa. Nine out of 19 genera and 181 out of 186 species of the currently described firefly taxa present in the West Indies are endemic to the region. The objective of this catalog and bibliography is to generate an exhaustive list of firefly taxa present in the West Indies. A short discussion of previous efforts to catalog this fauna is presented, and all published distribution data is herein synthesized. This catalog serves as a starting point for systematic and taxonomic research on the fireflies of this region and provides a full bibliography for each species. The following species were deemed subspecific and unavailable: Callopisma rufa var. humeralis E. Olivier, Lucidota fulvotincta var. flavicollis Mutchler, and Robopus magnus var. turquino (Mutchler).
Assuntos
Vaga-Lumes/classificação , Animais , Índias OcidentaisRESUMO
Here we describe a new Photinina genus with three species endemic to Serra dos Órgãos Mountains in Brazil. Ybytyramoan gen. nov. occurs in high altitudes, from 980m up to 2000m, and has the following unique set of characters: head abruptly depressed at vertex; lanterns not fully developed, somewhat rounded or anteriorly rounded, straight posteriad, with posterolateral rounded projections (billycock-shaped), at the middle of the abdominal sterna VI and VII; abdominal sternum VIII not covered by VII; phallus and parameres apically teethed. We provide illustrations and a key to the three species in this genus: Ybytyramoan praeclarum sp. nov. (type-species), Y. diasi sp. nov., Y. monteirorum sp. nov.
Assuntos
Vaga-Lumes/classificação , Estruturas Animais/anatomia & histologia , Estruturas Animais/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Animais , Tamanho Corporal , Brasil , Ecossistema , Feminino , Vaga-Lumes/anatomia & histologia , Vaga-Lumes/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Masculino , Floresta ÚmidaRESUMO
Bioluminescence in beetles is found mainly in the Elateroidea superfamily (Elateridae, Lampyridae and Phengodidae). The Neotropical region accounts for the richest diversity of bioluminescent species in the world with about 500 described species, most occurring in the Amazon, Atlantic rainforest and Cerrado (savanna) ecosystems in Brazil. The origin and evolution of bioluminescence, as well as the taxonomic status of several Neotropical taxa in these families remains unclear. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the phylogeny and evolution of bioluminescent Elateroidea we sequenced and analyzed sequences of mitochondrial NADH2 and the nuclear 28S genes and of the cloned luciferase sequences of Brazilian species belonging to the following genera: (Lampyridae) Macrolampis, Photuris, Amydetes, Bicellonycha, Aspisoma, Lucidota, Cratomorphus; (Elateridae) Conoderus, Pyrophorus, Hapsodrilus, Pyrearinus, Fulgeochlizus; and (Phengodidae) Pseudophengodes, Phrixothrix, Euryopa and Brasilocerus. Our study supports a closer phylogenetic relationship between Elateridae and Phengodidae as other molecular studies, in contrast with previous morphologic and molecular studies that clustered Lampyridae/Phengodidae. Molecular data also supported division of the Phengodinae subfamily into the tribes Phengodini and Mastinocerini. The position of the genus Amydetes supports the status of the Amydetinae as a subfamily. The genus Euryopa is included in the Mastinocerini tribe within the Phengodinae/Phengodidae.
Assuntos
Vaga-Lumes/classificação , Vaga-Lumes/genética , Filogenia , Animais , Brasil , DNA Ribossômico/genética , Vaga-Lumes/química , Proteínas de Insetos/genética , Luciferases/genética , Luminescência , Dados de Sequência MolecularRESUMO
A species of firefly discovered in a fragile and rapidly disappearing Atlantic Rainforest biome in Brazil does not fit into any of the existing subfamilies nor described generic categories in the Lampyridae and is described here as Memoan ciceroi gen. et sp. nov. and classed as Lampyridae Incertae sedis, as it exhibits features of both the Amydetinae and Lampyrinae. An overview of subfamily arrangements and relevant generic characters is given to support this action. Memoan gen. nov. can be distinguished by its alveolate pronotum and elytra; subserrate antennae, antenommeres II-IX compressed, antennal sockets obliquely inserted on tubercles; labial palp one-segmented and obconic, and by its conspicuous pleuroventral suture.
Assuntos
Vaga-Lumes/classificação , Distribuição Animal , Estruturas Animais/anatomia & histologia , Estruturas Animais/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Animais , Feminino , Vaga-Lumes/anatomia & histologia , Vaga-Lumes/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Masculino , Floresta ÚmidaRESUMO
Mature larva of Alampoides alychnus (Kirsch) is described and compared to known Pyrophorini immatures. Larvae were collected live in the soil of a region dominated by sugarcane plantation and gallery forest in Campo Novo dos Parecis, Mato Grosso, Brazil. They were maintained in laboratory and the pupal period lasted 14 days. This larva differs from other Pyrophorini larvae mainly by bioluminescent pattern: one pair of luminous spots on the mesonotum, and a longitudinal series of median spots on the metanotum and all abdominal segments. The morphology of larva and the bioluminescent pattern of larva and pupa are described for the first time to the genus and the tribe. The fact that adults show no trace of luminescence is emphasized.(AU)
Assuntos
Animais , Proteínas Luminescentes , Larva/química , Vaga-Lumes/classificação , Especificidade da Espécie , BesourosRESUMO
Mature larva of Alampoides alychnus (Kirsch) is described and compared to known Pyrophorini immatures. Larvae were collected live in the soil of a region dominated by sugarcane plantation and gallery forest in Campo Novo dos Parecis, Mato Grosso, Brazil. They were maintained in laboratory and the pupal period lasted 14 days. This larva differs from other Pyrophorini larvae mainly by bioluminescent pattern: one pair of luminous spots on the mesonotum, and a longitudinal series of median spots on the metanotum and all abdominal segments. The morphology of larva and the bioluminescent pattern of larva and pupa are described for the first time to the genus and the tribe. The fact that adults show no trace of luminescence is emphasized.
Assuntos
Animais , Especificidade da Espécie , Larva/química , Proteínas Luminescentes , Vaga-Lumes/classificação , BesourosRESUMO
Firefly luciferases usually produce bioluminescence in the yellow-green region, with colors in the green and yellow-orange extremes of the spectrum being less common. Several firefly luciferases have already been cloned and sequenced, and site-directed mutagenesis studies have already identified important regions and residues for bioluminescence colors. However the structural determinants and mechanisms of bioluminescence colors turned out to be elusive, mainly when comparing luciferases with a high degree of divergence. Thus comparison of more similar luciferases producing colors in the two extremes of the spectrum could be revealing. The South-American fauna of fireflies remains largely unstudied, with some unique taxa that are not found anywhere else in the world and that produce a wide range of bioluminescence colors. Among them, fireflies of the genus Amydetes are especially interesting because its taxonomical status as an independent subfamily or as a tribe is not yet solved, and because they usually produce a continuous bright blue-shifted bioluminescence. In this work we cloned the cDNA for the luciferase of the Atlantic rain forest Amydetes fanestratus firefly, which is found near Sorocaba municipality (São Paulo, Brazil). Despite showing a higher degree of identity with the South-American Cratomorphus, the European Lampyris and the Asiatic Pyrocoelia, phylogenetical analysis of the luciferase sequence support the inclusion of Amydetes as an independent subfamily. Amydetes luciferase displays one of the most blue-shifted emission spectra (λ(max) = 538 nm) among beetle luciferases, with lower pH-sensitivity and higher affinity for ATP when compared to other luciferases, making this luciferase attractive for sensitive ATP and reporter assays.
Assuntos
Evolução Molecular , Vaga-Lumes/enzimologia , Luciferases/metabolismo , Trifosfato de Adenosina/metabolismo , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Animais , Brasil , Vaga-Lumes/classificação , Genes Reporter , Concentração de Íons de Hidrogênio , Luciferases/química , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Filogenia , Estrutura Terciária de Proteína , Alinhamento de Sequência , Espectrometria de FluorescênciaRESUMO
Coctilelater minimus from Brazil (Pará) is described and illustrated. This new species is mainly characterized by small size and coloration pattern.
Coctilelater minimus sp. nov., coletado no Brasil (Pará) é descrita e ilustrada. Essa espécie é caracterizada principalmente pelo pequeno tamanho e pela coloração geral do corpo.
Assuntos
Animais , Masculino , Vaga-Lumes/anatomia & histologia , Vaga-Lumes/classificação , Brasil , Árvores , Clima TropicalRESUMO
Metapyrophorus, a new monotypic genus, is erected based on M. pharolim, new species from Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. The genus is characterized mainly by its pair of convex pronotal bioluminescent organs, equidistant between the median line and the lateral margin.
O gênero monotípico Metapyrophorus é erigido com base na nova espécie M. pharolim, de Trinidad e Tobago e Venezuela. O gênero é caracterizado principalmente por um par de órgãos bioluminescentes convexos, localizados próximos da margem posterior do pronoto, eqüidistantes à linha mediana e à margem lateral.