Species with biotechnological capacity are diminishing and even disappearing.At night in the Cerrado, Brazils savanna and second-largest biome, larvae of the click beetle Pyrearinus termitilluminans, which live in termite mounds, display green lanterns to record prey attracted by the intense light.In more than 30 years of explorations with his trainees to Emas National Park and farms around the preservation system in Goiás state to collect specimens, the phenomenon has never been so unusual, stated Vadim Viviani, a teacher at the Federal University of São Carloss Science and Technology for Sustainability Center (CCTS-UFSCar) in Sorocaba, São Paulo state. Both are authorities on the taxonomy of the click beetle superfamily Elateroidea.Luminous termite mound in Emas National Park, Goiás state: larvae of click beetle Pyrearinus termitilluminans produce a spectacle now confined to the park, an island in an ocean of monoculture. The rest are click beetles (Elateridae), which have two lanterns on their back, and railway worms, also known as radiance worms (Phengodidae), which can produce light of various colors at the very same time.In Goiás, besides the specimens collected in Emas National Park in the municipality of Mineiros, and neighboring farms, the scientists cataloged specimens in Perolândia and Campinorte. Emas National Park was the most productive website, offering 35 species.The researchers say the variety of these beetles in remnants of the Cerrado and farms neighboring the park has decreased sharply over the last 3 years, simultaneously with the alternative of soybean and sugarcane plantations for pasture, as well as a reduction in the Cerrado in general, and more specifically in dense dry forest areas within the Cerrado understood as cerradão.The occurrence of luminescent termite mounds in Chapada dos Guimarães National Park is reported for the first time in this article. The increasing levels of artificial light coming from neighboring city centers at night may threaten numerous bioluminescent types inside Emas National Park.
In Brazils Cerrado, Vadim Vivianis research exposes a concerning decline in bioluminescent beetles, mostly due to farming practices and artificial lighting. This loss threatens biodiversity and limitations opportunities for technological and scientific applications of bioluminescence. (Artists concept.) Credit: SciTechDaily.comSurveys carried out in the Cerrado since the 1990s show falling biodiversity as the agricultural frontier advances in the area of Emas National Park. Types with biotechnological potential are dwindling and even disappearing.At night in the Cerrado, Brazils savanna and second-largest biome, larvae of the click beetle Pyrearinus termitilluminans, which live in termite mounds, show green lanterns to capture victim brought in by the intense light.In more than 30 years of explorations with his trainees to Emas National Park and farms around the conservation system in Goiás state to gather specimens, the phenomenon has never been so rare, said Vadim Viviani, a professor at the Federal University of São Carloss Science and Technology for Sustainability Center (CCTS-UFSCar) in Sorocaba, São Paulo state.” In the 1990s, we would see much of these termite mounds filled with fireflies and other bioluminescent insects, even in areas of pasture. Now, sugarcane is grown in the majority of the areas and we hardly see any,” he noted.Study Findings on Declining BioluminescenceThe scarcity was among the primary findings of a research study supported by FAPESP by means of its Research Program on Biodiversity Characterization, Conservation, Restoration and Sustainable Use (BIOTA-FAPESP), as reported in an article by Viviani and partners published in Annals of the Entomological Society of America.The penultimate author of the post, Etelvino Bechara, a teacher at the University of São Paulos Institute of Chemistry (IQ-USP), was Vivianis masters and PhD thesis consultant in the 1990s and is likewise supported by FAPESP.The other co-authors are Cleide Costa, a scientist at the University of São Paulos Museum of Zoology (MZ-USP), and Simone P. Rosa, an entomologist at the Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI) in Minas Gerais state. Both are authorities on the taxonomy of the click beetle superfamily Elateroidea.Luminous termite mound in Emas National Park, Goiás state: larvae of click beetle Pyrearinus termitilluminans produce a spectacle now confined to the park, an island in an ocean of monoculture. Credit: Vadim VivianiThe survey recorded 51 types, most of which are fireflies (Lampyridae). The rest are click beetles (Elateridae), which have two lanterns on their back, and railway worms, also referred to as radiance worms (Phengodidae), which can produce light of different colors at the very same time.In Goiás, besides the specimens collected in Emas National Park in the town of Mineiros, and nearby farms, the researchers cataloged specimens in Perolândia and Campinorte. In Mato Grosso state, the survey covered Chapada dos Guimarães National Park and three towns (Alto Garças, Novo Santo Antônio and Rio Manso). In Costa Rica, a town in Mato Grosso do Sul state, they went to two farms and Sucuriú Falls Municipal Park. Emas National Park was the most efficient website, supplying 35 species.The scientists say the variety of these beetles in remnants of the Cerrado and farms neighboring the park has decreased sharply over the last three years, concurrently with the replacement of soybean and sugarcane plantations for pasture, as well as a reduction in the Cerrado in general, and more specifically in thick dry forest areas within the Cerrado called cerradão.The occurrence of luminous termite mounds in Chapada dos Guimarães National Park is reported for the very first time in this short article. Numerous mounds loaded with firefly larvae are discovered in Emas National Park and neighboring locations. Previous research by the very same group reported the phenomenon of bioluminescence in the Amazon Rainforest.Railroad Worms Are DisappearingPesticides and artificial lighting are likewise opponents of bioluminescent beetles. Brilliant light produced by human beings avoids them from being found by mates and replicating. In specific, the researchers kept in mind the absence of railroad worm larvae in current explorations. These insects can produce green and red light at the same time and have considerable biotechnological capacity.” The decrease in this household [Phengodidae] was especially evident. Men are no longer drawn in to light traps on farms surrounded by sugarcane given that 2010. Moreover, the increasing levels of artificial light coming from nearby metropolitan centers in the evening may threaten several bioluminescent species inside Emas National Park. The problem benefits special attention and additional research studies,” Viviani said.Extinction of bioluminescent species is not just a loss to biodiversity and the community services provided by these animals but also represents lost technological and financial opportunities.Bioluminescence– production and emission of cold visible light by living beings– is beneficial to many analytical procedures deployed in scientific research study, medicine, market, and environmental management. Cold light means less than 20% of the light generates thermal radiation (i.e. heat). Bioluminescence originates from the oxidation of luciferin, a substance present in these insects and other animals along with some fungis. The oxidation procedure is catalyzed by enzymes called luciferases.Over the years, the group led by Viviani has separated and cloned the largest variety of luciferases of any group globally. The luciferases are from various insects, consisting of flies that produce blue light.Luminescent beetles produce colors such as green, yellow, orange and red. Their luciferases are used to mark cells and proteins, for example.Viviani is currently collaborating a project supported by FAPESP to develop bioluminescent reagents for immunoassays, environmental analysis, and bioimaging. The reagents will be based upon luciferases from Brazilian species. The majority of these products are currently imported.” Its important to grasp the fact that the Cerrado isnt simply scrub or bush. Its a repository of water in the soil, a source of evaporation that produces rain, and also an enormous store of special types. We can discover a tremendous quantity from all that treasure,” Viviani said.Reference: “Inventory and ecological aspects of bioluminescent beetles in the Cerrado ecosystem and its decline around Emas National Park (Brazil)” by Vadim R Viviani, Simone P Rosa, Rogilene A Prado, Gabriel F Pelentir, Daniel R de Souza, Raone M Reis, E J H Bechara and C Costa, 04 October 2023, Annals of the Entomological Society of America.DOI: 10.1093/ aesa/saad029.
