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Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in subterranean natural cavities of Minas Gerais, Brazil

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Abstract

A list of ant species collected in caves at different localities of Minas Gerais state, Brazil is presented, based on specimens deposited in the Entomological Collection Padre Jesus Santiago Moure (DZUP). Of the 51 species/morphospecies found, two are new records for the state. We encourage an increase in ant collection efforts in Brazilian caves using different sampling techniques and comparative approaches in order to improve the current knowledge of ant diversity in these environments.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in the Supplementary Information, and includes: (i) Table S1. List of ants from karst areas recorded in this study, (ii) Table S2. Material examined in this study, with vouchers deposited at the Entomological Collection Padre Jesus Santiago Moure (DZUP), Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. Available in https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-024-01692-8

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Aline da Silva Reis, which contributed to the collection of the ants in field and Rogério Dell' Antônio, coordinator of the Cadastro Nacional de Cavernas CNC for his collaboration on recovering the type of subterranean cavity of most of the sites explored in this study. Also, we thank Dr. Amanda Dias and Dr. Otávio Morais for the confirmation of Hypoponera and Solenopsis species. RMF was funded by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico—CNPq (grant 301495/2019-0). The biological material used in this study was collected in accordance with SISBio authorizations Number: 50702-1 from the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) and AMF nº 24.011/2019 from the Secretaria de Estado de Meio-Ambiente e Desenvolvimento Sustentável do Estado de Minas Gerais.

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  1. Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Coronel Francisco Heráclito dos Santos, s/n, Caixa Postal 19020, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

    Natalia Ladino, Rodrigo M. Feitosa & John E. Lattke

  2. Observatório Espeleológico, Rua Santa Fé, 66, Sala 502, CEP 30770-430, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Robson de Almeida Zampaulo

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  1. Natalia Ladino
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Ladino, N., M. Feitosa, R., de Almeida Zampaulo, R. et al. Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in subterranean natural cavities of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Biologia (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-024-01692-8

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