Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: MICHELE MARIA DOS SANTOS

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : MICHELE MARIA DOS SANTOS
DATE: 17/11/2025
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Google meet
TITLE:

Integrative taxonomy applied to the identification of helminths in bats Artibeus lituratus and Artibeus planirostris from Chandless State Park, municipality of Manoel Urbano, State of Acre.

KEY WORDS:

Amazon; Chiroptera; helminths

PAGES: 35
BIG AREA: Ciências Agrárias
AREA: Medicina Veterinária
SUBÁREA: Medicina Veterinária Preventiva
SPECIALTY: Doenças Parasitárias de Animais
SUMMARY:

The Amazon biome spans nine South American countries, including Brazil, and harbors the richest biodiversity on the planet, with extensive genetic variation among species. The State of Acre, located within this biome, contains the Chandless State Park (PEC), an area of high conservation value situated along the deforestation arc. This region has a remarkable diversity of bats, with an estimated 64 species, among which the genus Artibeus is the most abundant and widely distributed. Nevertheless, the helminth fauna associated with Amazonian bats remains poorly known.

This study aimed to identify the helminth species parasitizing the hosts Artibeus lituratus and Artibeus planirostris, collected during a single expedition to the PEC, in the municipality of Manoel Urbano, Acre, using an integrative taxonomy approach. The specific objectives included: identifying helminths based on classical taxonomy; applying genetic sequencing as a complementary tool; depositing the resulting data in GenBank for future studies; and describing results obtained through integrative taxonomy that had not yet been revealed by classical taxonomy.

Bat captures were conducted between November and December 2019 using ground-level mist nets over six nights of sampling. After capture, bats were identified, euthanized, and examined for helminths in the gastrointestinal tract and body cavities. Cestodes and nematodes were processed for morphological analyses (light microscopy, SEM, and histology) and molecular analyses (sequencing of 18S rDNA and 28S rRNA gene fragments).

The analyses led to the identification of two new species: Vampirolepis dalvae n. sp. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) and Cheiropteronema intermedia n. sp. (Nematoda: Molineidae). The availability of genetic sequences contributed to clarifying phylogenetic relationships within both genera, reinforcing the importance of integrative taxonomy in characterizing the parasitic diversity of the Amazon.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 2242796 - JOSE LUIS FERNANDO LUQUE ALEJOS
Externa à Instituição - ANA PAULA NASCIMENTO GOMES - UERJ
Externa à Instituição - BEATRIZ ELISE DE ANDRADE SILVA - UERJ