Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

The district of Coquimbito, located in the department of Maipú, province of Mendoza, Argentina, is recognized for its wineries, fruit-growing, and industrial activities. Over the years, the area has experienced rapid urbanization. Between 2018 and 2024, non-systematic surveys were conducted to document the presence of vertebrate species in a sector of the district. A total of 61 species were recorded, including 50 birds, 7 mammals, 3 reptiles, and 1 amphibian. It was determined that 54 of them are native and 7 are introduced species, briefly describing some of them such as Plegadis chihi, Coryphistera alaudina, Colaptes melanochloros, Sturnus vulgaris, Lycalopex gymnocerus, Phylodryas trilineata and Rhinella arenarum. The surveyed study area is characterized by a mosaic of agricultural lands, urban development, and natural habitats, with interface zones that enable the recording of fauna species. Despite changes in land use, Coquimbito still supports a diverse range of vertebrates, including several that perform important functions such as pollination and seed dispersal, pest control, or simply for recreational observation, like the aquatic birds present in irrigation ponds. Several current threats to biodiversity are described, such as habitat loss and fragmentation, pollution, wildlife roadkill, and the negative impacts of human activities like hunting and wildlife traffic. The results of this study highlight the importance of conservation efforts in rapidly urbanizing areas and provide valuable reference data for future monitoring and management.

This study documents the range expansion of the Stygian Owl (Asio stygius) in Bolivia, adding three new records from the departments of Tarija and Santa Cruz, including urban areas. A notable specimen, MNKM.AV 6263, was identified during a review of specimens at the Noel Kempff Mercado Natural History Museum. This individual displays a coloration similar to the subspecies A. s. barberoi, known for its specialization in the Chaco region. However, its measurements differ from the reported standards for this subspecies, suggesting possible local variations or adaptations. In contrast, the remaining specimens examined exhibit typical characteristics of the subspecies A. s. stygius, found across diverse Bolivian ecosystems. These new records also indicate that A. stygius may be more adaptable to disturbed habitats and extend its presence further south, potentially connecting populations from northern Argentina. The findings emphasize the need for ongoing monitoring to confirm the presence and variability of these subspecies, thereby enhancing knowledge of the distribution and ecology of this species in Bolivia.

The Speckled Rail (Coturnicops notatus) is a small, little-known rail with a wide but very disjunct distribution in South America. According to databases, there are fewer than 20 records in Argentina, occurring between May and November. Until now, there were records in Formosa, Chaco, Entre Ríos, Santa Fe, Córdoba, La Pampa, and Buenos Aires. On August 4, 2024, around midnight, an individual was found disoriented in the center of Corrientes city, which was released the next day in an area of lagoons and wetlands. This record adds to another citizen science record from November 2023.

The plumage of birds can exhibit various chromatic aberrations, with progressive graying being one example. This condition is characterized by the presence of randomly scattered white feathers, giving the bird a mottled appearance. In this study, we present records of five new cases of birds with progressive graying across five different species. Notably, species such as Phimosus infuscatus, Pygochelidon cyanoleuca, and Aramides cajaneus represent the first documented cases of this type of chromatic aberration. These records spanned the years 2022 to 2023 and were documented in the municipalities of Pelotas and Rio Grande, located in the southern coastal region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The findings presented here contribute to our understanding of birds with progressive graying, documenting the occurrence of this aberration in new species and reinforcing its presence in those previously documented.

The second record of Lethocerus collosicus after more than 100 years is presented, based on a female collected on the island of Útila. In addition, comments are provided on the distribution and a previous GBIF record of this species in Honduras.

Grey-headed Gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus cirrocephalus) in a novel environment and area in Argentina distributed in the last 10 years. The first records of its presence and reproduction documented in inland waters of argentine Patagonia are formally published. Theseare found between about 450 km and 730 km west of their typically coastal Patagonian distribution, and between 535 km and 915 km west-southwest of the southernmost extreme of their reproductive geographic distribution. Particularly in the province of Neuquén, they contribute a new species, both in person present and nesting. Thereproductive ones also turn out to be the first for all of Patagonia, after more than half a century of the first and most southern ones existing with evidence in Argentina being found more than 835 km southwest of these. This publication constitutes an important contribution in terms of evidence, and is significant both geographically andtemporally given the existing scarcity of this type of information. The objective is to update/expand/strengthen knowledge of the geographic distribution (in person and/or reproductive) of wildlife with hard data to develop tools for the protection and conservation of their environment.

Abstract: In this ecological study, the researchers applied themselves to understanding the diet of Vipera ursinii. This viper has a very short period of activity and has a fragmented range; it frequents similar habitats but at different altitudes. In view of its Italian distribution, this study dealt with mountain populations that frequent primary pastures above the forest line, from 1600 to 1850 m a.s.l. At these altitudes and latitudes, the snake is known as a large consumer of meadow orthoptera. The present work was carried out in the Apennines (central Italy), the subjects studied were handled and divided between juveniles and adults. The diet of this snake has never been studied in the areas covered by the following population, so the metapopulation in question is new data. The aim of the research is to identify and analyze the diet of Vipera ursinii even in a period of non-population of orthoptera using methods already in use. Observation of regurgitated material or faecal droppings obtained by non-invasive ventral palpation were the components that led the researchers to unprecedented conclusions for both the species and the snake group: the presence in the diet of new taxa such as ants, slug and caterpillar. This new knowledge may give a new perspective on this taxon that is potentially vulnerable to environmental changes due to environmental thermal alteration phenomena.

This study focuses on endemic Corydoradinae species from the northwestern La Plata River basin, specifically Urkumayu micracanthus, Urkumayu gladysae, Urkumayu petracinii, and Hoplisoma osvaldoi, inhabiting piedmont high-altitude, fast-flowing Andean rivers. Using direct behavioral observations and morphometric analyses, we characterized their swimming behavior and its relationship to the morphology and their habitat conditions characterized by intense seasonal flooding during the summer. The findings reveal that Corydoradinae from these environments exhibit unique swimming behaviors, such as energy-efficient tripod-like resting postures, driven by negative buoyancy and streamlined body shapes. Morphological traits such as reduced pectoral and dorsal-fin spines and lower body depth enhance hydrodynamic efficiency. Comparisons with congeners from low-flow environments highlight evolutionary convergence within the species from different lineages. Conservation assessments reveal significant threats to these species, including habitat degradation, pollution, and anthropogenic disturbances, particularly for U. petracinii and U. gladysae, which are classified as Critically Endangered. This study underscores the critical importance of conserving these ecosystems, providing insights into the interplay between morphology, behavior, and environmental pressures, and advancing our understanding of species diversification in Neotropical freshwater ecosystems.

Dysdercus albofasciatus, Berg 1878 (Hemiptera: Pyrrhocoridae) is a phytophagous bug native to South America and present in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. It is of economic interest as a pest of cotton Gossypium spp. and other Malvaceae. Last summer, in Buenos Aires province in Argentina, it has been spotted in forensic samples, rapidly colonising decomposing meat baits and feeding on them. In this article, we discuss possible causes that explain this opportunistic and occasional behaviour of D. albofasciatus when feeding on forensic baits during a prolonged dry period. This work is of great relevance since it presents the first record of this bug in forensic samples of decomposing meat baits, which it colonises rapidly and feeds on.In view of this curious record, we discussed the possible causes that could explain this behaviour. In this way, we analysed the climatic conditions of the region where the event was recorded. We were able to suggest that the high temperatures and lack of rainfall in the area generated water stress in the plants, which in this situation would have fewer resources available for their development and, consequently, would represent a food source of lower nutritional value for the bugs. In this case, the availability of a food resource rich in amino acids and with high humidity, such as decomposing meat bait, led to opportunistic and occasional feeding behaviour by D. albofasciatus.

This short note is a report of Acromyrmex rugosus collecting a slice of mushroom during its foraging. This behavior was already described for other Acromyrmex species, but our register of A. rugosus collecting Gymnopilus cf. peliolepis is unprecedented and present insights about this behavior. The ants collected were close to a nest of Atta sexdens. This is the first register of this behavior in these farming-ants from areas of Caatinga, with previous records only from the South and Southeastern regions of Brazil. Thus, future studies are needed to understand the benefits of ants belonging to A. rugosus to transport fungal species different from those cultivated by them, and we suspect that this foraging mode probably increase the dispersal of G. cf. peliolepis.