A monograph of the Oligochaete family Alluroididae.

The Alluroididae is a small oligochaete family with 8 genera and 13 known species occurring in freshwaters and in riverine soils in Africa, the Caribbean and Central and South America. It is here argued that their anatomy shows a transition from that of microdriles to that of megadriles (Metagynophora). A detailed description of comparative anatomy is given, followed by the systematics and some aspects of the ecology of all known genera, species and subspecies.

Multiple invasion routes have led to the pervasive introduction of earthworms in North America.

Soil-dwelling organisms play a key role in ecosystem functioning and the delivery of ecosystem services. As a consequence, soil taxa such as earthworms are iconic in good land management practices. However, their introduction in places where species did not co-evolve with them can trigger catastrophic changes.

Semi-empirical models for remote estimating colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) in a productive tropical estuary.

Inland waters are important components of the global carbon cycle as they regulate the flow of terrestrial carbon to the oceans. In this context, remote monitoring of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) allows for analyzing the carbon content in aquatic systems. In this study, we develop semi-empirical models for remote estimation of the CDOM absorption coefficient at 400 nm (a) in a tropical estuarine-lagunar productive system using spectral reflectance data.

A new semiaquatic worm (Annelida, Oligochaeta) from southeastern Mexican tropical rain forests.

A new Oligochaete worm genus with a single species is described from tropical rain forests of Southern Mexico. Lacandodrilus paludosus Fragoso & Rojas gen. et sp.

Unveiling demographic and mating strategies of in the Pantanal, Brazil.

We conducted the first long-term and large-scale study of demographic characteristics and reproductive behavior in a wild jaguar () population. Data were collected through a combination of direct observations and camera trapping on a study area that operates both as a cattle ranch and ecotourism destination. Jaguars exhibited two birth peaks: April/May and October/November, that are the end and the beginning of the wet season in the Pantanal, respectively.

Wildfires disproportionately affected jaguars in the Pantanal.

The Pantanal wetland harbours the second largest population of jaguars in the world. Alongside climate and land-use changes, the recent mega-fires in the Pantanal may pose a threat to the jaguars' long-term survival. To put these growing threats into perspective, we addressed the reach and intensity of fires that have affected jaguar conservation in the Pantanal ecoregion over the last 16 years.

Epidemiological compatibility of Amblyomma sculptum as possible vector and Panthera onca as reservoir of Cytauxzoon spp. in Midwestern Brazil.

Cytauxzoonosis is an acute and highly lethal tick-borne disease of wild and domestic cats, and is widely distributed in Africa, Asia, Europe, the USA and Brazil. So far, only two tick species present on the USA are experimentally confirmed in Cytauxzoon transmission however, in Brazil and other continents, the epidemiology of the disease remains unknown. Evidences points to Panthera onca as a possible reservoir, but there is no evidence to point the vector.

Uncertainties Involved in the Use of Thresholds for the Detection of Water Bodies in Multitemporal Analysis from Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 Images.

Although the single threshold is still considered a suitable and easy-to-do technique to extract water features in spatiotemporal analysis, it leads to unavoidable errors. This paper uses an enumerative search to optimize thresholds over satellite-derived modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI). We employed a cross-validation approach and treated accuracy as a random variable in order to: (a) investigate uncertainty related to its application; (b) estimate non-optimistic errors involving single thresholding; (c) investigate the main factors that affect the accuracy's model, and (d) compare satellite sensors performance.

A Regional Approach Shows Differences Among Invasive Ants Solenopsis geminata and Wasmannia auropunctata (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Within Its Native Range of Distribution.

Worldwide, two of the most harmful invasive ants typical of disturbed sites are Solenopsis geminata (Fabricius) and Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger). Both are natives of the Neotropics and are widely distributed all over the tropics. Within its original geographic range, there are few data on its abundance and potential damage to natural ecosystems.

Global data on earthworm abundance, biomass, diversity and corresponding environmental properties.

Earthworms are an important soil taxon as ecosystem engineers, providing a variety of crucial ecosystem functions and services. Little is known about their diversity and distribution at large spatial scales, despite the availability of considerable amounts of local-scale data. Earthworm diversity data, obtained from the primary literature or provided directly by authors, were collated with information on site locations, including coordinates, habitat cover, and soil properties.

Dermatobiosis in Panthera onca: first description and multinomial logistic regression to estimate and predict parasitism in captured wild animals.

Dermatobia hominis is a parasite widely distributed in neotropical regions. The parasitic phase of the cycle is characterized by the formation of a subcutaneous nodule in the host, which can promote infestation by other dipterans and skin infections. The aim of this report is to register parasitism by D.

Southern coastal subtropical shallow lakes skin temperature driven by climatic and non-climatic factors.

Subtropical coastal shallow lakes (SCSL) are sensitive ecosystems. The lake-skin-water temperature (LSWT) is an average lake temperature proxy and responds to changes in surroundings, affecting biological and physical lake processes. In this study, M*D11A1 products are used to develop daytime and nighttime LSWT time series for 20 SCSL in South America.

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics.

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae.

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics.

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown.

Population genetics and diversity structure of an invasive earthworm in tropical and temperate pastures from Veracruz, Mexico.

(Müller, 1857) is an invasive tropical earthworm, globally distributed. It reproduces through parthenogenesis, which theoretically results in low genetic diversity. The analysis of the population structure of using molecular markers may significantly contribute to understanding the ecology and reproductive system of this earthworm species.

More new Diplotrema earthworm species from southern Mexico (Annelida, Crassiclitellata, Acanthodrilidae, Acanthodrilinae).

Three new Acanthodrilinae species from the states of Oaxaca, Tabasco and Chiapas in southern Mexico are described, Diplotrema oaxacana sp. nov., Diplotrema tabascensis sp.

Description of a new Central African earthworm, Petroscolex centenarius gen. et sp. nov. (Crassiclitellata, Eudrilidae), celebrating the 100th birthday of Pietro Omodeo.

Prof. Pietro Omodeo (University of Siena, Italy), the world-renowned earthworm taxonomist and evolutionary biologist, was born in Cefalù, Sicily, Italy on the 27th September, 1919. He celebrates his 100th birthday in 2019 and members of the international community of earthworm taxonomists salute him with Petroscolex centenarius gen.

Global distribution of earthworm diversity.

Soil organisms, including earthworms, are a key component of terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about their diversity, their distribution, and the threats affecting them. We compiled a global dataset of sampled earthworm communities from 6928 sites in 57 countries as a basis for predicting patterns in earthworm diversity, abundance, and biomass.

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics.

Xenarthrans-anteaters, sloths, and armadillos-have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths.

Protozapotecia acaxetlensis and Protozapotecia oyametlensis, two new earthworm species (Crassiclitellata: Acanthodrilidae) from Mexican central mountains.

Two earthworm species from central Mexico are described: Protozapotecia acaxetlensis sp. nov. and Protozapotecia oya-metlensis sp.

New Diplotrema and Lavellodrilus earthworm species from southern Mexico (Annelida, Crassiclitellata, Acanthodrilidae).

Two acanthodriline new species from the states of Tabasco and Chiapas in southern Mexico are described, Diplotrema chajulensis sp. nov. and Lavellodrilus sheylae sp.

Insomnia in Community-Living Persons with Advanced Age.

Objective: To evaluate the epidemiology of insomnia, including demographic and clinical correlates, in older adults.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Community.

Dopamine-Related Genotypes and Physical Activity Change During an Intervention: The Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Study.

Objectives: To determine whether intervention-induced physical activity (PA) changes in sedentary older adults differed according to dopamine-related genotype.

Design: Randomized clinical trial (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Trial (2010-13)).

Setting: Multicenter study, 8 U.