Mortality from collision with vehicles is the most visible impact of road traffic on wildlife. Mortality due to roads (hereafter road-kill) can affect the dynamic of populations of many species and can, therefore, increase the risk of local decline or extinction. This is especially true in Brazil, where plans for road network upgrading and expansion overlaps biodiversity hotspot areas, which are of high importance for global conservation. Researchers, conservationists and road planners face the challenge to define a national strategy for road mitigation and wildlife conservation. The main goal of this dataset is a compilation of geo-referenced road-kill data from published and unpublished road surveys. This is the first Data Paper in the BRAZIL series (see ATLANTIC, NEOTROPICAL, and BRAZIL collections of Data Papers published in Ecology), which aims make public road-kill data for species in the Brazilian Regions. The dataset encompasses road-kill records from 45 personal communications and 26 studies published in peer-reviewed journals, theses and reports. The road-kill dataset comprises 21,512 records, 83% of which are identified to the species level (n = 450 species). The dataset includes records of 31 amphibian species, 90 reptile species, 229 bird species, and 99 mammal species. One species is classified as Endangered, eight as Vulnerable and twelve as Near Threatened. The species with the highest number of records are: Didelphis albiventris (n = 1,549), Volatinia jacarina (n = 1,238), Cerdocyon thous (n = 1,135), Helicops infrataeniatus (n = 802), and Rhinella icterica (n = 692). Most of the records came from southern Brazil. However, observations of the road-kill incidence for non-Least Concern species are more spread across the country. This dataset can be used to identify which taxa seems to be vulnerable to traffic, analyze temporal and spatial patterns of road-kill at local, regional and national scales and also used to understand the effects of road-kill on population persistence. It may also contribute to studies that aims to understand the influence of landscape and environmental influences on road-kills, improve our knowledge on road-related strategies on biodiversity conservation and be used as complementary information on large-scale and macroecological studies. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set other than citation of this Data Paper.

We present here the record of the rediscovery of Crypturellus noctivagus noctivagus in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in a forest area on the border of São Sepé and Formigueiro municipalities. The species was considered probably extinct in the state, being unrecorded for about three decades.

Knowledge about phytoseiid species associated with vines is a preliminary step in the development and implementation of integrated management strategies against phytophagous mites such as Panonychus ulmi. The aim of this study was to perform a comparative survey of phytoseiids present in abandoned, organically managed, and conventionally managed vineyards, as well as to compare ecological indices in these production systems. Samplings were conducted between July and September 2017 in vineyards situated in the Subregions of Lima and Cávado, the Vinho Verde region. A total of 50 leaves/vineyard were collected from 12 vineyards, kept in containers at low temperature and taken to Escola Superior Agrária-Instituto Politécnico Viana do Castelo to be screened under a stereoscope microscope. A total of 3.153 phytoseiid mites were sampled, belonging to eight species distributed across the vineyards analyzed. The most common species were Typhlodromus (Typhlodromus) pyri (45.7%), Kampimodromus aberrans (39%), and Phytoseius macropilis (8.7%). Higher richness occurred in abandoned vineyards, with seven species, and the most abundant were K. aberrans (46.5%) and T. (T.) pyri (28.9%). Only two predatory species were present (in similar proportions) in organically managed vineyards, T. (T.) pyri and K. aberrans, while T. (T.) pyri predominated in conventionally managed vineyards (93.8%). Kampimodromus aberrans, P. macropilis, and T. (T.) pyri were eudominant in abandoned vineyards while K. aberrans and T. (T.) pyri were eudominant in organic vineyards. Typhlodromus (T.) pyri was eudominant and T. (T.) exhilaratus was dominant in conventionally managed vineyards. Therefore, we might conclude that phytoseiid abundance significantly differs among vineyard management types, with higher ecological indices in abandoned vineyards, and lower indices in conventional managed vineyards in the northern region of Portugal.

The dispersion of insects and mites can be favored by many factors, including the increasing circulation of plant materials. Special attention is needed to the eriophyoid mites, which have a greater potential as introduced species, due to their physical and biological characteristics. Aculus schlechtendali (Nalepa) (Eriophyidae, Apple Rust Mite - ARM) is considered an important apple pest in several countries, being recently reported for the first time in Brazil. This study aimed to carry out a survey of the abundance and distribution of ARM in the Southern region of Brazil, in the cultivars Fuji, Gala and Eva, grown in the states of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Santa Catarina (SC) and Paraná (PR). In addition, Moran's I autocorrelation was used as an analytical tool to assess the spatial dependence between the sample points. A total of 94 orchards were sampled in 19 municipalities, distributed in the three evaluated states. Regarding cultivars, there were 40 orchards of Fuji cultivar, 43 of Gala and 11 of Eva. At each one, 20 plants were selected, from which four leaves were collected, totaling 80 leaves/orchard. The screening and identification of the mites occurred at the Laboratório de Acarologia at the Universidade do Vale do Taquari – Univates, and the statistical analysis were made using generalized linear mixed models with subsequent paired analysis, using R-software. A total of 1,647 specimens of ARM were found in 66 orchards located in 17 municipalities, with an average number (mean ± standard deviation) of 24 ± 55 mites/orchard, 44 ± 83 in Fuji, 10 ± 19 in Gala and 17 ± 21 in Eva. The average number of mites differed between cultivars and states, with the lowest number in the cultivar Gala and in Rio Grande do Sul. No spatial autocorrelation was observed between the points, indicating that the dispersion of ARM in Southern Brazil has occurred at random, without a predefined pattern that would indicate a possible hotspot. The presence of this species serves as an alert for the apple production industry, regarding the distribution of a species previously not reported in the region. The recognition of the presence, abundance and distribution of this species will help in the monitoring and future management decisions, as well as the understanding of the distribution pattern.

The production of apples (Malus domestica: Rosaceae) in Brazil is concentrated in three states in the southern region of the country. This crop is of great economic importance for the region, and is usually susceptible to infestations of mite populations. However, recent surveys of mite species associated to apples are scarce. The aim of the present study was to fill this void by analyzing species abundance and composition on three apple cultivars in the southern region of Brazil. The survey was carried out in the states of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Santa Catarina (SC), and Paraná (PR). A total of 94 apple orchards were evaluated (43 Gala, 40 Fuji and 11 Eva), in 19 municipalities. Twenty plants were sampled from each orchard in March 2019, with four leaves collected from each plant, thus totaling 80 leaves/orchard. Mites were screened and identified in the Laboratório de Acarologia of Universidade do Vale do Taquari - UNIVATES. Data were analyzed using the R software with mixed generalized linear models, non-metric multidimensional scaling, and PERMANOVA. A total of 4,909 mite specimens were identified, belonging to eight species and six genera, of which 1,833 were classified as phytophagous, 1,758 as predators, and 1,318 as generalists. The most abundant phytophagous species was Aculus schlechtendali (33.55%), followed by the predator Neoseiulus californicus (33.14%) and by the generalist Tarsonemus (Tarsonemus) sp. (23.99%). Abundance was similar between Eva and Fuji cultivars. However, these cultivars differed in composition, as did Eva and Gala. The mean number of mites found in Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul was similar, although Paraná had a higher number. Species composition also differed among the three states evaluated. Considering the importance of the apple production in the southern region of Brazil, studies on species composition and abundance are important, aiming to monitor potential damage-causing organisms to the crop and associated predators.