Repositório RCAAP

At a locality near Brasilia the sizes of hunting areas and of colonies of 13 species of social wasps varied greatly. Size of the hunting area varied 152 fold and was strongly related to the number of adult wasps per colony which varied 400 fold. The total number of adults of the 13 species was estimated at 182.9/ ha (range 7.1 fold among the species) and their total biomass was 1.6 kg/ ha (range 3.6 fold). Hunting range was not significantly related to body size. Variation in wing area (11.3 fold) was similar to that of the fresh weight of the adult female (10.7 fold). Eleven species showed habitat preferences where they hunted. Models relating prey size to the distance prey are carried are discussed.

Phylogeny for 23 Membracinae genera based on cladistic methodology is proposed. Five Hypsoprorini, two Aconophorini and sixteen Membracini genera were studicd. The Hoplophorionini genera were also analysed.

Data are presenteei on the life cycle and morphology of the immature stages of Loxolomia johnsoni Schaus, 1932. The larva feed on Cariniana legalis (Mart.) O. Ktze (Lecythidaceae).

Marine catfish (Ariidae) are abundant resources in otter trawl fisheries carried out at Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro (Lat. 22º54, 23º04'S; Long. 43º34\ 44º10'W). Relative abundance and distribution were assessed, based in 158 fishing sampling at seven sites in the Bay, between July-1993 e June-1996. Five species were recorded in the following abundance rank order: Genidens genidens (Valenciennes, 1839), Caihorops spixii (Agassiz,1829), Sciadeichthys lunisculis (Valenciennes, 1840), Nelunia barba (Lacépède, 1803), and Bagre marinus (Mitchill, 1814), the latter have been caught in only two samples. Marine catfish showed higher abundance in the inner Bay, with indication of spatial segregation. G genidens was abundant in ali sites of lhe inner Bay, C. spixii e N. barba, near to rivers mouths, andS lunisculis, being widespread in ali studied area. Sazonality was not evident, with few exceplions in some of the three annual cycles; G. genidens and S. luniscutis were more abundant in biomass in summer 1994/95 (G. genidens) and 1993/94 (S. luniscutis). G. genidens e N. barba show higher abundance (CPUE and biomass) between July-93 and June-95 and C. spixii e S. luniscutis between July-95 and June-96. Total association index indicates a overall positive association among ali species, with. higher Jaccard and Sorensen similarities coefficient for the pairs C. spixii/G. genidens, G. genidens/S. luniscutis, e C. spixii/S. luniscutis. Pearson linear correlation and Sperman rank indicate that G. genidens and N. barba are inversely correlated to C. spixii and S. luniscutis. Spatial segregation strategy may be explaining the coexistence of the marine catfish at Sepetiba Bay.

A new genus, Similliserdia gen.n. and two new species, S. aciculata sp.n. (from Santa Catarina) and S. quadriarticulata sp.n. from (from Acre) are described. A study of the morphology of the genitalia is included.

A detailed morphological study of the littorinid Littorina flava (King & Broderip), from Venezuelan and Brazilian coasts, is given and commented. a considerable degree of shell characters variation was found, mainly in color and sculpture. The pallial cavity presents normal fashion of mesogastropods, without any detectable morphological modification for the long air-exposure. The digestive system present odontophore muscles very similar to those of the cerithioideans and hydrobioideans; the radula, however, is enormously long; the stomach lacks differentiate style sac. The penis is characteristic in lacking annex glands. The pallial oviduct has no jelly gland, and has a well developed bursa copulatrix and vaginal tube.

This investigation was conducted to compare the soil ant fauna of an eucalypt plantation to that of a second growth forest; both áreas located in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Tuna fish, honey and cracker baits were used to collect ants along a transect and pitfall traps were distributed in central 900 m of each site. A total of 64 species belonging to 26 genera were collected in the 12 weekly samples; 54 species were captured in the forest and 45 in the Eucalypíus granais plantation. A total of eight species presented frequencies above 10% in at least one area. Species richness was higher in the second growth forest. Additional studies should be considcred for further generalizations of the results.

The tilefish, Lopholatihis villarii Ribeiro, 1915 is a commercially-important demersal fish, in the Southeast Brazil, inhabiting calcareous and rocky substrates of the outer shelf and upper continental slope. This study was based on readings of the scale's age rings of 153 especimens, caught from March, 1995 to March, 1996. Scales were found to grow on an isometric proportion with fish length, and age rings are formed betvveen the third and fourth trimesters (winter and spring). The age groups of sampled fish varied from II to X years, and the growth equation in total length (cm) is Lt = I 13.4 [1-e -0.144 (t+ 1.4)] w ith the correspondem one in weight (kg): W, = 22.5[1-e -0.144 (1 + 14)]3 184 obtained from the weight/length regression equation: ln W = -11.95 + 3.184 In L. The tilefish has a low growth coefficient (K = 0.144), typical of camivorous specics of the fourth trophic levei, and it may reach, theoretically, 41 years of age.

Liolaemus occipitalis (Boulenger, 1885) is an abundant lizard lbundalong lhe coastal dunes of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Fourteen individuais were manually captured in the dunes of Quintão beach (Palmares do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul) and studied in captivity from 23/VII/92 to 30/VII/93. They were kept in a terrarium with sand substrate and vegetation collected in their habitat. Snout-vent length (SVL) and wcighted were measured weekly. They received Tenebrio molitor (Linnaeus, 1758) worms as food; water was abundant. Combats between males for food and territory, and other behavioral displays were observed, like copulation and nesting behaviors. Growth curves for each lizard were analyzed.

The activity rhythm of the lizard Liolaemus occipitalis Boulenger, 1885 was studied during the summer of 93 at the sand dunes of the Quintão beach, from 06:00-18:00h. During sunny days this lizard exhibited two peaks of activity (1000-1200h and 1400-1600h), and in the cloudy days it exhibited one peak of activity (1200-1400h). The number of burrows was observed and the different soil temperatures was compared with the rhythm of activity exhibited by the lizards. Rhythm of activity is determined mainly by soil surface temperatures.

Nesting activity of the neotropical turtle Phrynops hilarii Duméril & Bibron, 1835 was studied from Feb/94 through Jan/95, with weekly visits at the Lami Biological Reserve (30º15'S, 51º05'W), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Nesting behavior was observed 17 times on three different nest sites. Phrynops hilarii laid in average 11 eggs per clutch (10-14; sd±1; n=17), nests' depth ranged from 100 to 150 mm (x=121.53 mm.sd±12.31; n=17). The species presents stereotiped behaviour common to other Testudines. Temperature inside the nest, just after nesting, ranged between 20-31ºC (x=26.29ºC; sd±2.89; n=17); nest predation during this period was 82.35% (14 of 17 nests). From Aug/29 through Oct/03/95, 220 egg shells was collected next to 21 nests destructed by predators in the same sites. At the Reserve, the main nest predator is the nocturnal mammal Procyon cancrivorus Cuvier, 1798.

The taxonomic status of Pseudis fusca Garman and P. bolbodactyla A. Lutz is revalidated, and here they are considered full species. The rediscovery of P. fusca is related, and a redescription of the species is presented. The redescription, the designation of the lectotype, and the description of the tadpole of P. bolbodactyla are provided. Pseudis tocantins sp.n. is described from the Tocantins river basin. The geographical distribution of these three species is discussed.

This paper reports the behavior of the black capped capuchin monkey, Cebus apella, using tools to break seeds of Syagrus romanzoffianum in search of coleoptera larvae that live inside. The study area was the Parque Municipal Arthur Thomas (85,47 ha) located in the city of Londrina, Paraná state. In one year of study, using the ad libitum method, the monkeys were observed using rocks pretty much in the same way as if they were hammer and anvil. Individuais of both sexes including adults, subadults and juveniles with more than two years of age, were involved in such activity. The behavior of the animais consisted of they place the seeds on a large rock in the ground, and using a smaller rock which was hold among the hands, the seeds were beaten repeatedly until breaking. Then they ate the larvae and/or endosperm. The use of tools is thought to have brought benefits to the animais by allowing the access to a source of food that would not normally be used.

The genus Cundinamarca Rindge, 1983 (Geometridae, Ennominae, Nacophorini) is studied. Erilophodes indistincta Warren, 1904, Ischnopteris subalbata Dognin, 1910 and Ischnopteris nigralbata Dognin, 1913 are placed under Cundinamarca comb.n.. Two new synonyms are established: Isclmoplerix subalbata whiíei Prout, 1934 is a júnior synonym of Ischnopteris subalbata Dognin, 1910; Cundinamarca parallela Rindge, 1983 is a júnior synonym of Ischnopteris nigralbata Dognin, 1913. A new species is described: Cundinamarca rindgei. The genus is first time recorded from Brazil and Paraguay.

This paper presents 72 new records and 10 records from literature on the distribuition of nine species of phytophagous mites and nine species of predatory mites from 13 species of palms in 13 Brazilian States.

In a residual forest patch at Curitiba city, captures of culicidae were performed using human bait, at land levei, between 5:00 to 9:00 hours p.m. The period covered 12 months, march-90 to march-91 and the captures lasted 108 hours. In this período were caught 18 specie distributed in nine genera. The four specie caught that made more than ten percent were Aedes (Ochlerotatus) scapularis (Rondani, 1848), Culex (Culex) group coronator Dyar & Knab, 1906, Culex (Culex) quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 e Aedes (Ochlerotatus) crinifer (Theobald, 1903). The most frequent specie was Culex coronator. Along the season, the best yield was at autumn. With regard to the meteorological pattern, Aedes scapularis showed a positive and signifícative associalion with the rainfall and so do Aedes crinifer with the mean temperature. However, Culex coronator e Culex quinquefasciatus showed no association between air humidity and rainfall. During the time interval analised, bitting activity was performed firstly by Aedes scapularis and Aedes crinifer and then by Culex coronator and Culex quinquefasciatus.

The lack of bioecological studies on aphids in regions with complex floristic and faunistic structure, such as the Atlantic Tropical Rain Forest, lead to the initiation of this research. The objectives were to determine species richness and diversity of aphids and to investigate the influence of altitude and environmental perturbations on aphid populations. The collections were made with yellow pan traps at 11 sites with altitudes from -10 m to 1000 m above sea level (a.s.l.), in the Serra do Mar, Paraná, Brazil, from December 1993 to December 1994. Richness and diversity of aphids were greatest at 85 m a.s.l. This site was characterized by three distinct floral communities: primary vegetation, secondaiy vegetation in successional stages, and secondary vegetation subject to regular mowing. No pattern in the number or kinds of species could be established along the altitudinal gradient. These results, indicate that several factors interact, but especially floristic composition and climatic conditions, to determine aphidofauna richness and diversity in this region of the Atlantic Tropical Rain Forest.

In the feeding study of O. longirostris Menezes & Gèry, 1983, 211 stomachs from fish caught between March 1993 and February 1994 were analysed. Diet composition was analysed by the index of relative importance which deals with the numerical and gravimetric occurrence frequency. Results indicated that the species is piscivorous and its preferential food consisted oíAslyanax sp. 2. It was also found that Astyanax sp. 3 became an important food item, depending on the site of capture and its availability. Availability of prey seems to have a strong influence on the diet of O. longirostris. This same tendency has been observed during the different seasons of the year. Ontogenetic changes have also been found in the basic diet.

Stomach contents of Holoshesthes heterodon Eigenmann, 1915 (Teleostei, Cheirodontinae), collected in the depletion zone of Cajuru reservoir when it was at its maximum water level in two stations with different vegetal densities, were studied in order to investigate the influence of the flooded vegetal biomass on the food quantity and quality ingested by fish. Eighteen individuals from each station were examined. The standard length was l.53±0.05 cm and l.52±0.05 cm, respectively at the lower biomass (8.19 kg diy weight/ha) and higher biomass (38.10 kg diy weight/ha) sampling stations. The stomach repletion Index (SRI) was applied for the quantitative analysis. The alimentary index (IAi) was used for the quali-quantitative analysis, with the volume of the items obtained through the points method. SRI did not show values significatively different between the two stations, p>0.05, by applying the Mann-Whitney test. In both situations, Cladocera was the most important item. There were no correlation between the flooded vegetal biomass in the depletion zone and the intake of food by H. heterodon. However, as there were no empty stomachs, possibly even the lower vegetal biomass was enough to provide abundant feeding resources.

Neoechinorhynchus pimelodi sp.n. is described as the first record of Acanthocephala in Pimelodus maculatus Lacépède. 1803, collected in the São Francisco river, Três Marias, Minas Gerais. The new species is distinguished from other of the genus by the three circles of hooks of different sizes, and by the eggs measurements. The hooks measuring 100-1 12 (105), 32-40 (36) and 20-27 (23) in length in the males and 102-142 (129), 34-55 (47) and 27-35 (29) in length in the females for the anterior, middle and posterior circles. The eggs measuring 15-22 (18) in length and 12-15 (14) in width, with concentric layers of texture smooth, enveloping the acanthor.