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Pizarro-Luna M, Alfaro FM, Elgueta M, Pizarro-Araya J. Natural History of the Genus Elasmoderus Saussure, 1888 (Orthoptera: Tristiridae), an Endemic and Eremic Element of the Transitional Coastal Desert of Chile. INSECTS 2024; 15:513. [PMID: 39057247 PMCID: PMC11277456 DOI: 10.3390/insects15070513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
The genus Elasmoderus belongs to the family Tristiridae, an orthopteran group that is distributed across the transitional region of South America and represented in the Andean areas of Peru, Argentina, and Chile. The species of Elasmoderus have morphological adaptations that make them especially suited for surviving in extreme arid environments and are an endemic and eremic group of the north-central region of Chile. On the basis of field samplings, direct observations, and a comprehensive literature review, we collected information about the genus Elasmoderus. The objectives of this research were: (i) to provide updated information on the geographical distribution range of the species of the genus Elasmoderus, and (ii) to collect and synthesize the most relevant information on the natural history and ecology of this orthopteran group as a basis for future long-term studies of its populations. Although this genus is underrepresented compared to other orthopteran families, it has developed interesting adaptations to extreme arid environments that remain unstudied to this date. E. lutescens is known to be one of the species with a wider latitudinal distribution, mostly on the coast and longitudinal valley of Atacama. E. minutus has a more restricted distribution, whereas E. wagenknechti is concentrated in coastal and interior environments of the Coquimbo region, an area where it reaches high population densities, thus affecting crops and natural vegetation and polluting water sources. Our findings underscore the importance of conducting comprehensive research on native insect groups that are poorly known but crucial for arid and semiarid ecosystems. These data will serve as a starting point for conducting long-term studies on this orthopteran group to gain a better understanding of the importance and role of these species in the semiarid ecosystems of northern Chile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Pizarro-Luna
- Carrera de Ingeniería Agronómica, Departamento de Agronomía, Escuela de Agronomía, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena, Chile;
- Laboratorio de Entomología Ecológica (LEULS), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena, Chile;
| | - Fermín M. Alfaro
- Laboratorio de Entomología Ecológica (LEULS), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena, Chile;
- Doctorado en Biología y Ecología Aplicada, Universidad Católica del Norte, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena, Chile
| | - Mario Elgueta
- Área de Entomología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Casilla 787, Santiago, Chile;
| | - Jaime Pizarro-Araya
- Laboratorio de Entomología Ecológica (LEULS), Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 554, La Serena, Chile;
- Doctorado en Conservación y Gestión de la Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Ejército 146, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
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Duffus NE, Echeverri A, Dempewolf L, Noriega JA, Furumo PR, Morimoto J. The Present and Future of Insect Biodiversity Conservation in the Neotropics: Policy Gaps and Recommendations. NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2023; 52:407-421. [PMID: 36918492 PMCID: PMC10181979 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-023-01031-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that insect populations may be declining at local and global scales, threatening the sustainability of the ecosystem services that insects provide. Insect declines are of particular concern in the Neotropics, which holds several of the world's hotspots of insect endemism and diversity. Conservation policies are one way to prevent and mitigate insect declines, yet these policies are usually biased toward vertebrate species. Here, we outline some key policy instruments for biodiversity conservation in the Neotropics and discuss their potential contribution and shortcomings for insect biodiversity conservation. These include species-specific action policies, protected areas and Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs), sectoral policies, biodiversity offsetting, market-based mechanisms, and the international policy instruments that underpin these efforts. We highlight that although these policies can potentially benefit insect biodiversity indirectly, there are avenues in which we could better incorporate the specific needs of insects into policy to mitigate the declines mentioned above. We propose several areas of improvement. Firstly, evaluating the extinction risk of more Neotropical insects to better target at-risk species with species-specific policies and conserve their habitats within area-based interventions. Secondly, alternative pest control methods and enhanced monitoring of insects in a range of land-based production sectors. Thirdly, incorporating measurable and achievable insect conservation targets into international policies and conventions. Finally, we emphasise the important roles of community engagement and enhanced public awareness in achieving these improvements to insect conservation policies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alejandra Echeverri
- Centre for Conservation Biology, Dept of Biology, Stanford Univ, CA, Stanford, USA
- The Natural Capital Project, Stanford Univ, CA, Stanford, USA
| | - Lena Dempewolf
- Ministry of Planning and Development, Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Jorge Ari Noriega
- Grupo Agua, Salud y Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad El Bosque, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Paul R Furumo
- Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford Univ, Stanford, USA
| | - Juliano Morimoto
- School of Biological Sciences, Univ of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Ecologia E Conservação, Univ Federal Do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Institute of Mathematics, Univ of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, Scotland
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Ibáñez ST, Muñoz-Schick M, Scherson RA, Moreira-Muñoz A. A new species of Diplostephium (Asteraceae, Astereae) from the Atacama Desert, Chile. PHYTOKEYS 2022; 215:51-63. [PMID: 36761092 PMCID: PMC9836661 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.215.89175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A new species, Diplostephiumpaposanum S.T.Ibáñez & Muñoz-Schick, sp. nov., is described for Chile, extending the southern distribution of the genus. Its position within the genus was confirmed by morphological and molecular data, discussed here. The new species was found in a coastal environment, new to the genus, and is geographically far removed from the other Chilean species, which are from the Andes. The formation where it occurs, known as lomas, acts as a biodiversity refuge in hyperarid environments. The presence of D.paposanum in this environment contributes to the evidence of a floristic connection between the Atacama Desert and the Neotropical Andes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio T. Ibáñez
- Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias (INIA), Centro Regional de Investigación Intihuasi, Vicuña, ChileInstituto de Investigaciones AgropecuariasVicuñaChile
| | - Mélica Muñoz-Schick
- Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Casilla 787, Santiago, ChileMuseo Nacional de Historia NaturalSantiagoChile
| | - Rosa A. Scherson
- Laboratorio de Sistemática y Evolución de Plantas, Departamento de Silvicultura y Conservación de la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 9206, ChileUniversidad de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Andrés Moreira-Muñoz
- Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avda. Brasil 2241, Valparaíso, ChilePontificia Universidad Católica de ValparaísoValparaísoChile
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Moreira-Muñoz A, Palchetti MV, Morales-Fierro V, Duval VS, Allesch-Villalobos R, González-Orozco CE. Diversity and Conservation Gap Analysis of the Solanaceae of Southern South America. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:854372. [PMID: 35656013 PMCID: PMC9152431 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.854372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There is a need to make substantial advances in the taxonomic, systematic, and distribution knowledge of plants, and find better ways of transmission of this information to society to surpass the general pattern described as "plant blindness." The diversity of the plant family Solanaceae reaches its peak in South America; however, many of its species are threatened due to the expansion of the human footprint. Here, we examine the diversity patterns of the family in southern South America (Argentina and Chile) by means of species richness (SR), weighted endemism (WE), and corrected weighted endemism (CWE). We also evaluated conservation gaps in relation to protected areas and the human footprint as a proxy for potential impacts on this biodiversity. Results show two richness centers in NW and NE Argentina, with a high degree of overlap with protected areas, which, on the other side, show a relative high index of human footprint. Comparatively, coastal Atacama (Chile) shows lower richness values, but outstanding CWE and WE values. The coast of Atacama harbors high values due the presence of species of the genus Nolana with restricted distributions. Protected areas in this tight coastal strip are sparse, and the human footprint is also relatively high. The degree of protection based on these parameters is then unbalanced, highlighting the need for a geographically explicit strategy for the conservation of the family at subcontinental scale. In doing so, it is likely that other representatives of these unique centers of richness and endemism will benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Moreira-Muñoz
- Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - María Virginia Palchetti
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal - IMBIV, CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
- Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | - Valeria Soledad Duval
- Departamento de Geografía y Turismo, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahía Blanca, Argentina
| | | | - Carlos E. González-Orozco
- Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria- Agrosavia, Centro de Investigación La Libertad, Meta, Colombia
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