Shedding light on a neglected Plecoptera diversity hotspot in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Gripopterygidae from the Mananciais da Serra Protected Area and a checklist of stoneflies from the state of Paraná

In this study, we aimed to fill gaps in the knowledge on stoneflies from Atlantic Forest by providing new data on Gripopterygidae from the Mananciais da Serra Protected Area (MASE), located in Pico do Marumbi State Park, as well as a comprehensive checklist of all Plecoptera species recorded in the state of Paraná. We identified 17 gripopterygid species from MASE, of which six are firstly recorded from Paraná, and 10 correspond to undescribed species, totalling 16 new records to the state. Collected specimens belong to the four genera occurring in Brazil as follows: Gripopteryx Pictet, 1841 (4 spp.), Guaranyperla Froehlich, Citation2001 (1 sp.), Paragripopteryx Enderlein, 1909 (7 spp.), and Tupiperla Froehlich, Citation1969 (5 spp.). Guaranyperla, previously known from Brazilian Southeast Region, has been firstly recorded in the South Region. With 17 species, MASE is the third species-richest area of gripopterygid in the country. This fact alone places MASE as one of the top five hotspots of Plecoptera diversity in Brazil. The new data on Gripopterygidae increased the number of stoneflies species recorded in Paraná to 33 (19 Gripopterygidae, 14 Perlidae). Through this study, we have taken another step towards understanding the rich diversity of stoneflies in the southern Atlantic Forest.