Tag Archives: Bahia

Biotocus turbinatus (Pfeiffer)

Turban Snail (Biotocus turbinatus)

This species was described in 1870, it is known from the states of Alagoas and Bahia, Brazil; it is considered extinct in the IUCN Red List without further explanation.

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Despite the species being believed to be extinct, there actually exist specimens in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris, France that apparently were collected alive in 1998 “under humid tree trunks in Pedra Talhada“, long after the assumed extinction date. 

Yet, the species was not found during the most recent searches in 2015. [1]

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References:

[1] Rodrigo B. Salvador; Laurent Charles; Luiz R. L. Simone; Philippe Maestrati: Presumed extinct land snail Megalobulimus cardosoi found again in Pedra Talhada Biological Reserve, north-east Brasil. Tentacle 26: 13-14. 2018

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Photo from: ‘Abraham S. H. Breure; Jonathan D. Ablett: Annotated type catalogue of the Bothriembryontidae and Odontostomidae (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Orthalicoidea) in the Natural History Museum, London. ZooKeys 182: 1-70. 2012’

(under creative commons license (3.0))
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

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edited: 30.10.2020

Megadytes ducalis Sharp

Giant Diving Beetle (Megadytes ducalis)

The Giant Diving Beetle, described in 1882, was originally known only from a single specimen, which was collected in 1880 (?) at an unknown location in Brazil.

The species was considered extinct.

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However, another ten specimens were discovered in 2019 in different historical museum collections, including drawers with unsorted diving beetle accessions of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, France. These specimens were labeled as having been collected in what today is the municipality of Condeúba in the state of Bahia in northeastern Brazil. 

The species is still officially considered extinct, but searches with the intention to rediscover the species are currently underway. [1]

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References:

[1] Lars Hendrich; Michael Manuel; Michael Balke: The return of the Duke – locality data for Megadytes ducalis Sharp, 1882, the world’s largest diving beetle, with notes on related species (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). Zootaxa 4586: 517-535. 2019

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edited: 29.04.2021

Wingegyps cartellei Alvarenga & Olson

Brazilian Condor (Wingegyps cartellei)

This species was described in 2004 based on fossil remains that can be dated to late Pleistocene or early Holocene age. [1]

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References:

[1] Herculano M. F. Alvarenga; Storrs L. Olson: A new genus of tiny condor from the Pleistocene of Brazil (Aves: Vulturidae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 117(1): 1-9. 2004

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edited: 26.04.2021