Taxonomy and distribution of Talitroides alluaudi (Chevreux, 1896) and T. topitotum (Burt, 1934) (Amphipoda, Talitridae) in Atlantic rain forests of southeastern Brazil

Abstract

The family Talitridae Rafinesque, 1815 is the only group, among the amphipods, that colonized the terrestrial environment, and more than half of its species live in tropical and subtropical forests. Nowadays, the family has approximately 270 species described in 64 genera. Leaf litter samples from Atlantic forests and urban areas of the states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul, provided material to redescribe the two terrestrial species known to Brazil, Talitroides alluaudi (Chevreux, 1896) and Talitroides topitotum (Burt, 1934), and enlarge their known distribution. These species have a worldwide distribution, as they are commonly dispersed in a synanthropic way. Talitroides topitotum seems to be well established in Brazilian Atlantic forests: 96% of the 1787 individuals examined (51 samples) corresponded to this species. Also, females dominated the samples and only six males were found: four from T. alluaudi and two from T. topitotum. A detailed comparison of these two species, as well as their geographical distribution, is given. PU - SOC BRASILEIRA CARCINOLOGIA PI - RIO GRANDE RS PA - LAB CRUSTACEA DOC FURG, AV ITALIA KM 8, CAIXA POSTAL 474, RIO GRANDE RS, CARREIROS 96201-900, BRAZIL