The first two blind troglobitic spiders of the genus Ochyrocera from caves in Floresta Nacional de Carajás, state of Pará, Brazil (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae)

Three new troglobitic Coarazuphium (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Zuphiini) species from a Brazilian hotspot of cave beetles: exploring how the environmental attributes of caves drive ground-beetle niches

Three new species of troglobitic beetles of the genus Coarazuphium are described from specimens collected in iron ore caves in the Flona de Carajás in Brazil, doubling the number of known species for the Carajás region. The new species of Coarazuphium are morphologically similar to the already described species from the same region and are distributed in a small geographic range. From all Coarazuphium species of the region, including the new ones, two stand out, C. spinifemur and C. xingusp. nov., which are the smallest Coarazuphium species. Both species have shorter legs and antennae when compared to the others. The main characteristic that differentiates C. xikrinsp. nov. and C. kayaposp. nov. from the other two species from the Carajás region, C. tapiaguassu and C. amazonicum, is that the new species have more numerous setigerous punctures dorsally on the head. With the three new species added to the six already described congeners, the area of intense mining of the Carajás region includes the highest diversity of obligatory cave-dwelling beetles in Brazil, representing a hotspot of cave beetles. Coarazuphium xikrinsp. nov. and C. amazonicum co-occur in some of the caves of the Carajás region, which is possible due to putative niche differentiation between the species. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining legal provisions that ensure the preservation of caves, especially those most relevant regarding physical and biotic aspects, which is crucial for the conservation of Brazilian subterranean biodiversity.

Four new species of the genus Ochyrocera (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from iron caves of the state of Minas Gerais, with the description of the third anophtalmic species from Brazil

Four new species of the spider genus Ochyrocera Fage, 1912 are described from iron caves in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Here we present the third anophtalmic and depigmented species of the genus, O. dorinhasp. nov., and three other depigmented species: O. monicasp. nov., O. magalisp. nov. and O. rosinhasp. nov. Only O. dorinhasp. nov. and O. rosinhasp. nov. are considered as troglobites due the ocular reduction or anophthalmia and elongated appendages, two troglomorphic features absent in the other species described.

The Towakkalak System, A Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in Sulawesi, Indonesia

The Towakkalak System located in the Maros karst of South Sulawesi is currently the richest of Southeast Asia in obligate subterranean species. It comprises several caves and shafts that give access to the subterranean Towakkalak river as well as many unconnected fossil caves, stream sinks, and springs located within its footprint. The total length of the caves linked to the active system is 24,319 m and comprises two of the longest caves of Indonesia, Gua Salukkan Kallang and Gua Tanette. Studies of its fauna began in 1985. There are 10 stygobionts and 26 troglobionts that are known from the system. The smaller adjacent system of Saripa has 6 stygobionts and 18 troglobionts, of which 1 and 3, respectively, are absent from Towakkalak. Like all tropical cave inventories, our dataset has limits due to identification uncertainties, gaps in habitat (waters, guano) and taxonomic coverage (micro-crustaceans, mites), sampling methods (pitfall trapping, Karaman–Chappuis), and problems of ecological assignment. A number of additional species are therefore expected to be found in the future. The Towakkalak and Saripa cave systems are included in the Bantimurung-Bulusaraung National Park and are under efficient protection, but parts of the Maros karst outside the park are under serious threat, mainly from quarrying.