Repositório RCAAP

The fine structure of the spermatozoon in the Mellita quinquiesperforata Leske, 1778 was studied. Collected from the Amazon region, were described by light and transmission electron microscopy. The spermatozoon consisted of a acrosome complex, nucleus, four to six mitochondria, two centrioles and flagellum. The acrosome was composed of a acrosome complex, the acrosomal vesicle and the subacrosomal space. The nucleus are composed by dense material. The middle piece contains 4-6 mitochondria which are arranged around the centrioles, the 9p+0, whose axoneme has the classic 9p+2 microtubular construction.

Spermatozoa of amazon fish, Acestrorhynchus falcatus Bloch, 1794 were investigated by optical microscopy (DIC) and electron microscopy (TEM). Spermatozoa have no acrosome, the head is ovoid, and the midpiece region cylindrical, contains spherical mitochondria. The centriolar complex is located at the lateral side of the nucleus, formed by nine peripheral pairs of microtubules and arranged in a right angle to each other. The flagellum consists of nine pairs of peripheral and two central microtubules.

Ultrastructure of spermatozoa of the crab Ucides cordatus Linnaeus, 1763 is described and illustrated. Three parts can be distinguished: 1. the elongate-ovoid acrosome located anteriorly; 2. the cytoplasmic region; and 3. the nuclear region. The acrosome is composed of a thick electron-dense wall and a less electron-dense subacrosomal space. The cytoplasm region connects the acrosome with the nucleus, and three arms filled with microtubules arise from this region. The nucleus is polymorphous. The spermatozoon of Ucides cordatus follows the general pattern described for other Decapods.

The species of Cephise Evans, 1953 are divided in two groups: "cephise" group (hind wing without long tails) and "procerus" group (hind wing with long tails). In the "cephise" group the following species are included: Cephise cephise (Herrich-Schäffer, 1869) with his synonyms Thymele hydarnes Mabille, syn.n., Eudamus zopyrus Plötz, 1881, Telennades injuncta Plötz, 1882, nom. nud., Eudamus maneros Mabille, 1883, syn.n., Nascus orima Schaus, 1902, syn.n., Nascus orita Schaus, 1902; Cephise impunctus sp.n. from Rondônia, Brazil; Cephise glarus (Mabille, 1888), sp. reval.; Cephise nuspesez Burns, 1996; Cephise malesedis sp.n. from Rondônia, Brazil; Cephise maculatus sp.n. from Rondônia, Brazil; Cephise burnsi sp.n. from Espírito Santo, Brazil; Cephise mexicanus sp.n. from Oaxaca and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. In the "procerus" group are included: Cephise procerus (Plötz, 1880); Cephise aelius (Plötz, 1880) sp. reval.. comb.n.. with its synonyms Eudamus auginulus Godman & Salvin, 1893, syn.n. and Eudamus callicina Schaus, 1902, syn.n.; Cephise callias (Mabille, 1888); and Cephise guatemalaensis (Freeman, 1977). Lectotypes are designated for Eudamus cephise Herrich-Schäffer, 1869, Thymele hydarnes Mabille, 1877, Telegonus glarus Mabille, 1988, Eudamus callias Mabille, 1888, Goniurus procerus Plötz, 1888, and Goniurus aelius Plötz, 1880. Neotypes are designated for Eudamus zopyrus Plötz, 1881, and Thymele maneros Mabille, 1883. A pseudotype of Thymele hydarnes is identified, this is actually a female of Cephise impunctus sp.n. Six species of Cephise occur sympatrically in Rondônia, Brazil.

The genus Similiforstona, gen.n. and its type species Similiforstona bella, sp.n. are described from Rondônia, Brazil. S. bella is based on a single female specimen. Similiforstona is very similar to Forstona Rolston, 1992 differing basically on the antennal structure.

Thirty eight species are recognized in the Neotropical Region. Twenty four are redescribed and illustrated and fourteen were not redescribed, because they are well definite in the original description. A new combination for Mydaea triseta Curran, 1931 to Phaonia and the revalidation of P. nigripuncta Stein, 1911 are made. Five new synonyms are proposed: P. coquilletii (Vimmer, 1939) = P. punctinervis Stein, 1911; P. nigrocincta Stein, 1918 = P. abdita (Giglio-Tos, 1893); P. praedatoria (Snyder, 1957) = P. latinervis (Stein, 1904); P. vulgata (Albuquerque & Medeiros, 1980) = P. similata (Albuquerque, 1957); P. nigra (Albuquerque & Medeiros, 1980) = P. trispila (Bigot, 1885). A key to the neotropical species is presented for the thirty eight recognized species.

Chelymorpha rosarioensis a new species from Rosário Oeste, Mato Grosso, Brazil, is described.

No summary/description provided

Longevity is an important characteristic of life history of species which is influenced by environment, genetic constituition and sexual activity. Three sexual activity regimes were investigated in three geographical lineages in Megaselia scalaris Loew, 1866 that have been maintened in the laboratory at 25ºC. It was observed that virgin flies are more longevous than others, females more than males, and a sex-lineage interaction underlying this pattern variation. It was observed an inverse relation between the environmental temperature of the lineages's locality and longevity.

Fifty six specimens of the hybrid "tambacu" (Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg, 1887 male x Colossoma macropomum Cuvier, 1818 female) were collected from fishfarm of Guariba, São Paulo, to evaluate their haematology. Fishes presented 400.0 to 3,100.0 g total weight and 20.0 to 52.0 cm total length. Haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular haemoglobin content (MCHC) and percentage of defense blood cells including leucocytes and thrombocytes, were studied. Statistical analysis showed positive correlation (P<0.01) between haematocrit, MCHC and haemoglobin rate. Nevertheless, thrombocytes and lymphocytes showed negative correlation (P<0.01).

The total protein and ammonia contents in the hemolymph of Bradybaena similaris (Fèrussac, 1821) during the starvation were determined from August, 1996 to March, 1998. The results revealed a significant variation in the total protein content throughout the period of starvation analized, there being a negative relation between the total protein content and the time of starvation. But the same result was not observed in the ammonia content. After 30 days of starvation there was a reduction of 2,8% of the content of ammonia in the hemolymph. A negative relation between the ammonia content and the time of starvation was observed, but this relation was not significative. It is probable that the degradation of the proteins don't lead to an increase of the ammonia in the hemolymph of the snail. It indicates that the increase on the nitrogenous products of degradation, caused by the degradation of the proteins, is detoxified as urea or uric acid.

Leafhoppers are well known biological indicators of zoogeographical regions owing, in part, to their phytodependency, high host plant specificity and relatively low vagility. In this connection, we discuss distributional patterns and possible zoogeographical origins of nine constituent tribes and their genera of the pantropical subfamily Coelidiinae. Among 118 known genera, only eight currently occupy more than one zoogeographical region, indicating an extremely high endemic profile which supports the proposed centers of origin and relatively low rate of intercontinental dispersal. The pantropical tribe Coelidiini is suggested as the basal group of the subfamily which is believed to have arisen prior to continental drift (late Jurassic-early Cretaceous) because there appears to be no other evidence at the present time to explain its near cosmopolitan distribution. Possible origins of three Old World tribes, Hikangiini (Ethiopian), Thagriini (Oriental) and Thanini (Australian) and four New World -(Neotropical) tribes, Teruliini, Tinobregmini, Gabritini and Sandersellini are elucidated. The tribe Youngolidiini occupies the Neotropical and Ethiopian realms but its origin is problematical. There appears to be ample evidence that origin/dispersal patterns are related to the geological history of the areas occupied by its faunal members.

The holotype female, allotype male and nest are described of a new species of social wasp, Mischocyttarus (Kappa) santacruzi (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) from Atlantic coastal forest, Bahia, State, eastern Brazil. Morphologically the species is close to M. (Kappa) adolphi Zikán.

Some individuals of the species Arenaeus cribrarius (Lamarck, 1818) bear a characteristic pink abdomen, which is notably different from the usual white coloration. The incidence of this chromatic alteration was determined for a single population and its relation with other individual variables were examined. The individuals were monthly collected from May, 1991 to April, 1993, in Ubatuba, São Paulo, with the aid of a shrimp fishery boat provided with double-rig trawling nets. All specimens were sexed, measured (CW = carapace width), distributed in 10-mm size classes and classified according to growth phase (juvenile and adult), molting condition and development stage of gonads. The occurrence of pink-colored morphs was also recorded. From a total of 2,096 collected individuals, only 60 females (nine of those ovigerous) presented a pink-colored abdomen, which represents 2.9% of the whole sample and 5.2% of the females. Almost all of them were intermolt individuals (96.6%) and 63.3% showed mature gonads. According to published data, size at the onset of functional maturity in A. cribrarius females is around 60 mm CW, from which the incidence of pink morphs and ovigerous crabs were recorded. The obtained results suggest that such a chromatic alteration is associated to sexual maturity in these females. This characteristic may enhance the attraction potential for mating, shortly after the puberty molt.

The digestive system of Trichomycterus brasiliensis (Lütken, 1874), a small sized tropical Teleostean fish widely distributed in South America, was studied. Tissue samples were prepared for light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Trichomycterus brasiliensis shows stratified esophagus epithelium with taste buds and goblet cells with neutral and acid mucus at the anterior region. The stomach is caecal, presenting a pyloric valve with neutral mucus cells. At the terminal portion it is surrounded by a thick muscular wall. The intestine shows two loops; the epithelium is single columnar, with acid and neutral mucus in goblet cells. Multicellular intestinal glands are absent. Granular cells are often seen in the mucosa, less in the submucosa but were not observed in the muscularis. After the intestine-rectal valve, the rectum shows lower mucosal folds, more goblet cells and a thicker muscularis. No lobes were observed at the liver. Small regions of pancreatic tissue may be identified within the hepatic tissue mainly surrounding vessels and ducts. A compact pancreas may also be observed ventrally to the stomach and covering the bile duct. The possible significance of the heterogeneous character of the digestive tube mucosubstances is discussed. The digestive system of T. brasiliensis presents structural characteristics of a predator fish.

The macroecological approach has been used recently to analyze correlations between ecological variables in large taxonomic groups, at continental scales. A positive relationship between body weight and geographic range size has been described as a poligonal space envelope form, that can be explained by ecological and evolutionary constraints. However, these variables can be disturbed by spatial and phylogenetic autocorrelation effects. In this work, the relationship between body weight and geographic range size was analyzed for 80 species of Neotropical mammals present in the Brazilian "cerrado". Spatial and taxonomic effects were tested using a linear trend surface analysis and an ANOVA (at level of order), combined in a generalized model. Around 61% of variation in geographic range size and 69% of variation in body weight in mammals of the "cerrado" can be explained simultaneously by spatial and taxonomic effects. The analysis of residuals of the generalized model showed that positive correlation between variables persist even after removing these effects. Thus, variation and covariation of traits in the mammals of the brazilian "cerrado" agree with the general macroecological pattern proposed for another taxonomic groups such as mammals, birds and snakes worldwilde.

Two new species of Ablaptus Stål, 1864 are described and illustrated: A. costaricensis sp.n. and A. phoenix sp.n., both from Costa Rica. The female genitalia of A. brevirostrum Rolston, 1988 is described and key to the species of Ablaptus Stål, 1864 (only for females) is presented.

A study on the morphology of the muscular and reproductive systems of Anisancylus obliquus (Broderip &amp; Sowerby, 1832) based on specimens from Chile is presented. Differences are observed in the number of folicules of the ovotestis and prostata when comparing them with specimens from Brazil (chilean specimens: ovotestis = 28 to 32; prostata = 3 to 5; brazilian specimens: ovotestis = 20 to 21; prostata = 6 to 8). In the muscular system, the right aductor muscle scar is often longer than in brazilian specimens. The general morphology of muscular and reproductive systems is similar to that observed to Uncancylus concentricus (d'Orbigny, 1835) and Gundlachia dutrae Santos, 1994 (V-shaped adhesive area; single right anterior muscle with elongated moon-shaped scar; ejaculatory complex with projected ejaculatory duct) and differs from G. ticaga (Marcus &amp; Marcus, 1962), G. radiata (Guilding, 1828) and Hebetancylus moricandi (d'Orbigny, 1837) (elongated adhesive area; double right anterior muscle with rounded or oval-shaped muscle scar and ejaculatoiy complex without projected ejaculatory duct). Differences are also observed when comparing them with Ancylus fluviatilis Müller, 1774 where the right muscle scar is continuous with the posterior one, whereas A. obliquus shows three well defined muscle scars. The ejaculatory system of A. fluviatilis presents flagellum duct and ejaculatory duct opening apart into the sheath; there are penis, prepuce with muscular pillars and a muscular flagellum, whereas A. obliquus shows the flagellum duct and ejaculatory duct reaching the sheath together; there are not penis and muscular pillars on prepuce; the flagellum is glandular. These differences shows A. obliquus and others neotropical pateliforms basommatophorans are not closely related to european Ancylus.

Protothaca (Leukoma) pectorina (Lamarck, 1818) lives from the West Indies to Santa Catarina State, Brazil, in soft muddy beaches in quiet waters of protected bays with little amounts of suspended material. A study of the functional anatomy of P. pectorina and its ecological aspects were undertaken. The anatomy and functioning of the stomach and the mechanisms for selection of particles were observed. The siphons, ctenidia, labial palps and stomach were analised and related to the animal's natural environment. The siphons belong to type B (Yonge 1948), the ctenidia to type C (1a) (Atkins 1937). The ctenidia are homorhabdic (Ridewood 1903) and the stomach belongs to type V (Purchon 1960).

The skeleton of Trachemys dorbignyi (Duméril &amp; Bibron, 1835), based on 16 specimens incluind young and adult of both sexes is described. Designations of some structures are proposed and discussed based on data from literature and norms published in the The World Association of Veterinary Anatomists (1994).