Biodiversidade em seis cavernas no Parque Estadual do Sumidouro (Lagoa Santa, MG)

Abstract

This work presents data on richness, abundance, diversity, dominance and similarity from six limestone caves located in the Parque Estadual do Sumidouro, Lagoa Santa municipality, Minas Gerais state, Brasil. A total of 9051 individuals from 175 morphospecies and 87 families were observed in those caves. Túneis/Macumba cave presented the highest richness (78 morphospecies), followed by Lapinha cave (75 species) and Macumba (46 morphospecies). The richest order was Araneae (34 morphospecies) followed by Diptera (32 morphospecies), contrasting with Neuroptera, with only one morphospecie. We found two morphospecies with troglomorphic traits: Trichorhina sp. (Isopoda: Plathyartridae) from Lapinha, Pacas and Helictites caves, and a Labidostomatidae mite (Acariforme), only found in Lapinha cave. The latter deserves special attention, due to its restricted distribution and low densities inside the cave, which is a show cave.