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Leptus (Leptus) brasilicus sp. nov. and L. (L.) planaltensis sp. nov. are described and illustrated from larval mites collected in Central Brazil.

Motivation SIA‐BRA is a data set that compiles stable carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) isotope ratios of terrestrial and aquatic animals sampled in Brazilian biomes and coastal marine areas. Stable isotope ratios are helpful in animal ecology for several reasons; for instance, they can be used to investigate trophic niches, energy sources (diet tracing) and to track migration patterns. The Neotropics are considered one of the most undersampled regions of the world. Given that Brazil is a continental country where most of the dietary ecology of animal species is under‐assessed, we believe that the SIA‐BRA can provide important complementary information to address this gap in the literature. Additionally, the SIA‐BRA data set allows future investigations to address many questions concerning diet tracing, habitat use, food webs, foraging ecology, physiological aspects and effects of phylogeny on dietary ecology. Main type of variable investigated Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios for terrestrial and aquatic animals. Spatial location and grain The SIA‐BRA included animal tissues sampled in 964 sites in the main Brazilian biomes and coastal marine areas. Time period The data represent information published and/or sampled from 1984 to 2021. Major taxa studied and measurement level The SIA‐BRA contains isotopic data of c. 21,804 non‐captive wildlife specimens, excluding livestock production or laboratory experiments. They were 13,881 vertebrates and 7,923 invertebrates. They were divided into the following habitats: terrestrial (30% of the total), freshwater (27%), oceanic (40%) and estuarine (4%). There were 11 phyla, with a clear dominance of Chordata (64%) and Arthropoda (29%), 36 classes, 154 orders, 473 families, 894 genera and 1,157 species. Software format Data are supplied as a comma‐delimited text file (.csv).

Nutrient enrichment and the subsequent chemical changes in dystrophic savanna soils may alter plant richness and nutrient use efficiency, thereby affecting leaf litter chemistry and decomposition. However, the role of soil mesofauna in litter decomposition in savanna ecosystems under nutrient enrichment is not well understood. In soils from a long‐term fertilisation experiment, we evaluated the decay of leaf litter incubated in fine‐ and coarse‐mesh bags over a year to assess the role of soil mesofauna in litter decomposition in the central Brazilian savannas. Experimental plots were established in a woodland savanna and consisted of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), N plus P and lime additions and untreated control (three replicates of each). We evaluated the effect of fertilisation and liming on litter decomposition rates (total, mesofauna‐mediated and microbe‐mediated) and their relationship with the initial litter quality (N, C, lignin, cellulose and polyphenol content). Litter decomposition rates were significantly higher in coarse‐mesh bags in the N plus P treatment compared with the control, which was explained by mesofauna‐mediated decomposition but not by the initial litter quality. Litter mass losses in fine‐mesh bags were significantly higher in the initial months of the experiment in the N treatment and in the intermediate months in the N plus P treatment compared with the control. This result could be explained by the initial litter N content, although it has not reflected in significantly higher microbe‐mediated decomposition rates. The litter mass losses in coarse‐mesh bags in the N plus P treatment were significantly higher only in the final months, indicating that microorganisms and mesofauna differentially affect decomposition over time. Our findings suggest that combined N and P addition could alter soil organic matter dynamics in Brazilian savannas by increasing soil mesofauna‐mediated litter decomposition rates.

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