Myxomycetes associated with Cactaceae in sub-humid (agreste) and semi-arid (sertão) regions of Pernambuco, Brazil

Abstract

Studies that indicate the presence of Myxomycetes in arid and semi-arid regions of the planet have revealed new taxons and high species diversity. In those environments, the Myxomycetes occupy special microhabitats like those offered by succulent plants. Aiming to expand the knowledge of species that occur in semi-arid environments we investigated the occurrence of Myxomycetes on Cereus jamacaru (mandacaru), Melocactus bahiensis (coroa de frade), Opuntia ficus-indica (palma forrageira) and Pilocereus gounellei (xique-xique) – cacti that compose the natural landscape of the sub-humid (agreste) and semi-arid (sertão) regions of Pernambuco, Brazil. We obtained 158 specimens of Myxomycetes (106 field collections; 52 in moist chamber cultures), representing 16 species distributed in nine genera, with high taxonomic diversity (S/G= 0.63-1.5). All of the identified species are new records for the municipalities studied. Comatricha pulchella, Didymium nigripes and Physarum bogoriense are mentioned for the first time in Caatinga areas in the state of Pernambuco, and Didymium squamulosum and Physarum echinosporum are new records for this biome. Physarum compressum and Badhamia melanospora were the most abundant and frequent species, characterized as constant in the studied myxobiota.

Keywords

• Caatinga biome
• Microhabitat
• Myxobiota
• Semi-arid
• Succulent plants