Biota colombiana

21-33

Authors: Matheus Y. Halmenschlager, Juan C. Agudelo Martínez, Nestor F. Pérez-Buitrago

We analyzed 72 specimens from the Arauca (71) and Casanare (1) departments in the Orinoco region of Colombia. The specimens belong to 10 genera and 18 species of vespid wasps. Four species are reported for the first time for the region and 14 are new records for the Arauca department. There is a likely new record of Stenodynerus cf. australis for the Neotropical region.

50-74

Authors: Santiago Gaviria, Nelson Aranguren-Riaño

We present the compilation of published and unpublished records of continental copepods of Colombia, as well as personal observations by the authors, yielding an additional list of 52 species and subspecies (7 calanoids, 20 cyclopoids, 25 harpacticoids). In addition to our former inventory (2007) of 69 species, the total number now reaches 121 taxa, increasing by 75 % the known number of continental copepods. Freshwater taxa increased in 15 species and subspecies. The number of brackish species (and marine species collected in brackish environments), recorded from coastal lagoons and temporal offshore ponds reached 39 species and subspecies. Thirteen taxa with locus typicus in Colombia have been described since 2007. Between 2007 and 2018, thirty-nine departmental records were made, and 43 new habitat records were reported (not including the species recorded as new for the country). Parasitic copepods of fish reached six species. However, the number of species is expected to increase with the survey of poorly studied regions like the Amazon and the Eastern Plains, and habitats like groundwater, benthos of lakes and ponds, semiterrestrial environments and additional coastal lagoons.

91-105

Authors: Sergio Chaparro-Herrera, Andrea Lopera-Salazar, Ana M. Gutiérrez-Zuluaga, Jefry Betancur, Dariel Martínez Alvarado, Héctor Fabio Rivera Gutiérrez, Juan L. Parra

We characterized bird communities in two paramo complexes (Frontino-Urrao and Sonsón) in the department of Antioquia, Colombia, including the transition zones and the upper boundaries of cloud forests. We recorded 197 bird species (40 families), of which 7 presented some threat category, 1 is almost threatened, 5 are endemic, 15 near endemic, 4 boreal migratory species and 1 austral migratory species. We point out 12 species that are relevant, either due to their degree of national threat or because they represent geographic or altitudinal range extensions.

120-125

Authors: Glenda M. Pozo-Zamora, Mario H. Yánez-Muñoz

Endoparasites of the genus Porocephalus, which mainly affect lungs of snakes, are distributed in Asia, Africa and America. In Ecuador, these parasites have been reported only for Boa constrictor. Here, we report the first record of infestation of Porocephalus in Epicrates cenchria cenchria from the Ecuadorian Amazon, based on examination of museum specimens. We found 26 parasitic individuals in 4 infected snakes, with a maximum of 16 individuals in a juvenile snake, and a minimum of 2 in an adult snake. Morphometric characters of the Ecuadorian populations of Porocephalus do not agree with those described for the genus. Therefore, we recommend a thorough analysis to define the taxonomic identity of these parasites.

132-145

Authors: Luis Francisco Henao Díaz, Sandy Arroyo, Ghislaine Cárdenas-Posada, Mateo Fernández, Juan Pablo López, David Camilo Martínez, Juan Salvador Mendoza, Ariadna Mondragón-Botero, Olga León, Karen L. Pulido-Herrera, Nicolás Rodríguez-Cerón, Santiago Madriñán

The Chingaza paramo complex is located in the Colombian eastern Cordillera, in the departments of Cundinamarca, Boyacá and Meta. Most of our current knowledge about this complex comes from studies conducted near Bogotá and some focal sectors in the National Natural Park Chingaza. The goal of this study was to characterize the treeline transition zone through five elevational transects. As a result, we report 11 588 occurrences and 1382 data of functional traits for plants, edaphic fauna, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. In addition, we report occurrences from two vulnerable (VU) plant species (Hedyosmum parvifolium and Centronia brachycera) and a new endemic species (Puya loca). Preliminary analyses show natural variation in the landscape, community composition and altitudinal location of transition zones along the gradient and between locations. Using this dataset, it is possible to recognize defined transitions between high Andean forests and paramo ecosystems, and their elevation turnover through their physiognomic, floristic, ecological and chorological attributes.