First records of myxomycetes (Amebozoa, Eumycetozoa) in cave in Central Brazil

More than 26,000 caves occur in the extensive Brazilian territory, distributed across the country’s five geopolitical regions. Some of these caves have been studied for the biodiversity they harbor; however, many groups of organisms are neglected, as is the case with myxomycetes. Herein we present the second record of myxomycetes in Brazilian caves, based on specimens sampled in a cave in the Central-West region, in the state of Goiás.

Leaf litter and decaying wood fragments from the photic, penumbra, and aphotic zones were incubated in humid chambers and monitored for 90 days. Of the 22 humid chambers prepared, 45 % were positive. Three species were identified: Arcyria cinerea (Arcyriaceae), Cribraria elegans (Cribrariaceae), and Perichaena depressa (Trichiaceae), in addition to one unidentified specimen.

This study, the first conducted in Cerrado caves, expands the known occurrence of myxomycetes in Brazilian subterranean environments, reporting Cribrariaceae and P. depressa for the first time in caves and A. cinerea for the first time in a Brazilian Cerrado cave.