Paraguay
Freshwater
fish found
only in Paraguay include the Chaco Lyrefin Simpsonichthys chacoensis
(SAA),
the Redflank Bloodfin Aphyocharax
rathbuni (jjphoto.dk),
and several catfishes: Ancistrus
pirareta (PlanetCatfish),
Ancistrus
piriformis (PlanetCatfish),
Hypostomus
latifrons (FishBase),
and Otocinclus
mimulus (PlanetCatfish).
Recently described species include a cichlid Gymnogeophagus caaguazuensis
(Cichlid
Room Companion), Phallotorynus dispilos
and Phallotorynus
psittakos (both at BioOne), and the
catfishes Microglanis carlae (ScotCat)
and Otothyropsis
piribebuy (Practical
Fishkeeping).
Mixobrycon
ribeiroi (CAS)
is an endemic genus of characin.
Mammals
unique to
Paraguay include the Chacoan Tuco-tuco (IUCN Red List) and the
Pilar Tuco-tuco (Fauna
Paraguay). An additional
tuco-tuco Ctenomys
paraguayensis (MACN
pdf file) was described in 2000.
Amphibians known with
certainty only from Paraguay include the recently described Paraguayan
Redbelly Toad Melanophryniscus
paraguayensis (Fauna
Paraguay), Cope's Toad Bufo
(or Chaunus
or Rhinella)
diptychus
(NBII
Life), and a tree frog of questionable validity Hypsiboas
(formerly Hyla)
palliata (BHL).
Reptiles
exclusive to Paraguay include a
marked gecko Homonota
rupicola (Phyllomedusa
pdf file), a spectacled lizard Colobosaura
kraepelini (Reptile
Database), a false coral snake Phalotris nigrilatus
(BioOne),
a ground snake Atractus
kangueryensis (BioOne),
and a false coral snake Simophis
rohdei (BHL).
Longhorned beetles restricted to Paraguay include Stizocera asyka (MZUSP),
Amethysphaerion
guarani (MZUSP),
and Parmenonta lenticula
(Smithsonian).
Other endemic insects include the butterflies Taygetis tripunctata
(PyBio)
and Nicolaea demilineata
(Butterflies
of America), the saturnid moths Ptiloscola paraguayensis
(PyBio)
and Eudyaria sigridae
(PyBio),
a damselfly Argia iralai (Smithsonian),
an ant Linepithema cryptobioticum
(AntWeb),
a green lacewing Ceraeochrysa
fiebrigi (p. 49 of Texas
A&M pdf file), a ladybird beetle Carinoscymnus majusculus
(Coccinellidae
de Paraguay),
the leaf beetles Botanochara
boggianii (Cassidinae
of the World) and Agroiconota
paraguayana (Cassidinae
of the World) and several scarabs: Coprophanaeus rigoutorum
(Käfer
der Welt), Anomiopus
paraguaiensis (SciELO
Brasil), and Anahi
guaraniticus (p. 3 of SciELO
Brasil pdf file). Cyclosternum
(or Tmesiphantes)
spinopalpus
(giantspiders.com)
is an endemic tarantula.
Cacti known solely from Paraguay include Gymnocalycium paraguayense
(cactusinhabit),
Frailea
concepcionensis (Frailea),
Echinopsis
adolfofriedrichii (Wikimedia
Commons), Cereus
lanosus (CactiGuide.com),
and Cereus haageanus
(cactaceae.NET).
Other endemic species include the palms Syagrus campylospatha
(PACSOA)
and Butia campicola
(PACSOA),
a bromeliad Tillandsia
esseriana (FCBS),
a lily Herreria stricta
(Tropicos),
Croton
paraguayensis (NYBG),
Diodia paludosa
(NYBG), Trixis cerroleonensis
(BGBM),
Dasyphyllum
maria-lianae (Botanicus),
and several orchids: Oncidium
fuchsii (IOPSE),
Epidendrum rojasii
(NYBG),
Microchilus
pedrojuanensis (Harvard),
and Bulbophyllum rojasii (Harvard).
Paraguay includes part of the Atlantic Forest
biodiversity hotspot (Biodiversity
Hotspots). Important terrestrial ecoregions include
the Chaco (EoE)
and the Humid Chaco (EoE).
Important freshwater ecoregions include the Paraguay (FEOW),
the Upper Parana (FEOW),
and the Lower Parana (FEOW).