Repositório RCAAP

A total of 58 Ucides cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) ovigerous females in final embryonic stage were collected in mangrove forest at Iguape (São Paulo). Each female were kept in laboratory until the larvae hatching and had their carapace width (CW) measured with caliper (0.05 mm) and the larval number (LN) calculated by volumetric method. The hatching rates (HR) were calculated for each animal's size class (5 mm). The values of LN and CW obtained were subjected to regression analyses and the best fitting model was chosen by comparing the obtained determination coefficients (R²). The fertility varied from 71,200 to 220,800 larvae (147,169 ± 32,070 larvae), corresponding to 41.7 to 76.8 mm CW (63.7±7.9 mm), respectively. The relationship LNxCW was expressed by the equation LN = 284.1CW1.5º¹ (N = 58; R² = 0.74; p < 0.01), that showed a positive correlation between the variables. Most part of ovigerous females (89.7%) showed their hatching during the nightly period. A negative correlation between HR and CW was observed in these animals (p < 0.05), probably due to reduction of spermatophores in the seminal receptacle (multiparous females) or due to senility in the females with large size. The biological studies of U. cordatus are very important for practices adoption that preserve and make the rational use of this recourse in Brazilian's mangrove forests.

Use of the space by the opossum Didelphis aurita Wied-Newied, 1826 (Mammalia, Marsupialia) in a mixed forest fragment of southern Brazil. The space use of the marsupial Didelphis aurita was studied in a forest fragment of southern Brazil from February 1995 to January 1996. The method used was the 'distribution utilization' in which each trap was set in 38 x 38 m quadrats. Captures of each marked individual in each point give information on its habitat use. Food availability was searched and compared to the habitat utilization and to the food consumption of opossums. Distribution patterns of captures (aggregated to random) and spatial overlap between individuals were searched. Results showed aggregated distributions of individuals, particularly females, in the fragment. Females used exclusively the fragment during the drier season. Opossums tend to not choose the sites with highest food availability to establish home ranges. Spatial overlap was usually low between forest resident and neighbouring resident females, but much lower during the breeding season (only forest resident females) in an apparently pattern of territoriality. Hence, core areas of females decreased in size during the breeding season. Males probably searched primarily for mates during the breeding season being less opportunistic than females in feeding habits, yet their space use did not correlate to food consumption.

The gastropods Costaclis egregia (Dall, 1889), Thaleia nisonis (Dall, 1889), Tjaernoeia michaeli Engl, 2001 and the bivalves Bathyarca sp., Myonera aff. ruginosa (Jeffreys, 1882) are recorded for the first time in Brazilian waters. This paper presents a brief description of these species and also include ilustrations.

Lamprosoma alacre sp. nov. from Mato Grosso is described and illustrated. The genus Lamprosoma is redescribed and illustrations of characters are provided. The following south american species are redescribed: L. amethystinum Perty, 1832, L. azureum Germar, 1824, L. bicolor W. Kirby, 1818, L. chrysopygium Germar, 1824, L. corruscum Guérin-Méneville, 1844, L. podtiaguini Monrós, 1947 and L. triste Guérin-Méneville, 1844.

From the analysis of 230 scats, the diet of the maned wolves, Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815), was determined in a private natural reserve in southeastern Brazil in which ecotourism activities are developed and the animals are deliberately fed bovine meat. A total of 569 occurrences of food items were recorded, of which 56.8% were of animal origin and 29.1% of vegetal origin. Rodents, insects and birds added up to 35.8% of the occurrences, yet accounted for 68.5% of the total number of preys (277). Insects, however, had practically no importance (0.1%) in the total estimated biomass consumed. Even though the fruit Solanum lycocarpum St.-Hil. is a common food item in the diet of the maned wolf, its occurrence in the diet at the Serra do Caraça Reserve was insignificant, accounting for only 4.8% of the total number of food item occurrences and 3.4% of the total estimated biomass consumption. Food items of anthropic origin and inorganic items (e.g., plastic) represented 14.1% of all occurrences, which shows that the animals are used to the presence of humans. Seasonal variations in consumption were found for S. lycocarpum (c² = 10,09; p < 0,001), for other fruits (c² = 19,73; p < 0,001), and for reptiles (c² = 15,56; p < 0,001), all of which were more frequently eaten during the dry months. There was a significant correlation between the availability of small mammals and their consumption by the maned wolves (r s = 0.59; p = 0.041), yet the same was not observed for the fruits of S. lycocarpum (r s = 0,101; p = 0,754). Our findings stress the need for a better understanding of the effects of additional foods on the natural feeding habits of the maned wolf.

The Serra do Caraça Reserve is situated in the southern portion of the Espinhaço Mountain Range, and contains areas of "campos de altitude", "cerrado" and atlantic forest. This study had as its objective the registering of the bats species that occur in the reserve. The data collection was carried out in one year through monthly samplings, using mist nets set on trails, and also through hand capture. A total of 246 individuals were collected (0.72 bats/net-hour), distributed across 15 species, belonging to the families Phyllostomidae (83.0%; nine species), Vespertilionidae (12.5%; three species) and Molossidae (4.5%; three species). The most abundant species were Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810) (n = 121, 60.5%), Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821) (n = 21, 10.5%) and Platyrrhinus lineatus (E. Geoffroy, 1810) (n = 10, 5.0%), and less represented were Lasiurus blossevilli (Lesson y Garnot, 1826) (n = 2, 1.0%), Eumops perotis (Schinz, 1821) (n = 2, 1.0%) e Vampyressa pusilla (Wagner, 1843) (n = 1, 0.5%). The richness of species found and the non-occurrence of phyllostomines in the reserve could be indicative of some level of forest disturbance.

The Mollusca Pteropoda from Fernando de Noronha Chain Northeastern Brazil were studied in order to know their taxonomy and distribution. Collections were carried out during the I Oceanographical Expedition of the REVIZEE Program (Live Resources of the Economical Exclusive Zone) from August to September 1995. The studied area is located between 03°04'S-04°23'S and 32°19'W-36°26'W, comprising 35 stations. Sampling was performed through oblique hauls from 50m depth to surface and from 100 m depth to surface, with a Bongo net (300 and 500 µm mesh size, net diameter: 60 cm), that was equipped with a flow meter. Samples in a total of 99 were preserved, immediately, in buffered 4% formaldehyde. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the samples were performed based on total sample. The samples were analysed on a counting plate "Bogorov" type under a stereo microscope. A total of 8,258 organisms were identified belonging to: 8 families, 16 genera and 27 species. Limacina inflata (d´Orbigny, 1836) and Creseis virgula (Rang, 1828) were frequent and very frequent in the area outranking among the studied Pteropoda. The total density varied from 2.5 to 3,012.05 org.m-³. Highest richness was registered at the Continental Shelf and Slope with 1two species. The Pteropoda association showed higher differences between day and night collections. Limacina inflata caused this difference due to its higher density at night collections and it was independent of the depth, mesh size and temperature. Creseis virgula had its occurrence, mainly, during day time.

Data on nematodes of the genus Pelecitus Railliet &amp; Henry, 1910, namely P. fulicaeatrae (Diesing, 1851) López-Neyra, 1956, P. anhingae Vuylsteke, 1957, P. tubercauda Vanderburgh, Anderson &amp; Stock, 1984, P. vuylstekae (Molin, 1860) Bartlett &amp; Greiner, 1986, P. tercostatus (Molin, 1860) Railliet &amp; Henry, 1910, P. helicinus (Molin, 1860) Railliet &amp; Henry, 1910, P. circularis (Molin, 1860) Railliet &amp; Henry, 1910 and Pelecitus sp., are presented, with basis on 29 nematode samples recovered from Brazilian birds representing 13 families and 19 species that were captured between 1934-1951 in the southeastern and central regions; parasites were formerly deposited as unidentified material in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute.

The first occurrence of phyllostomid bat Glyphonycteris sylvestris Thomas, 1896 in Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil is reported. An adult female was caught with mist net in the Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca, an AtlanticForest area in West Zone of Rio de Janeiro city, in July 9th, 1996. Morphological aspects of this species are discussed. Measurements obtained for the specimen are also provided.

Anchoa tricolor (Agassiz, 1829) is the only anchovy of commercial importance in Sepetiba Bay, supporting an intensive commercial fishery by small sized seine boats provide of hydroacustics sounder detecting device. This study analyses the accompanying fauna in the A. tricolor fishery, and the influence of environmental parameters in fish composition. Seven samples were taken with a seine net between March and September 1999, capturing 114,430 fish, comprising 17 species and 11 families. Engraulidae and Clupeidae were the most abundant families, accounting to 94.2 % of the total number of fish. A. tricolor was the most abundant species contributing to more than one half of the total numerical abundance, followed in decreasing order by Anchoa januaria (Steindachner, 1879), Sardinella brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1789) and Harengula clupeola (Cuvier, 1829). A. tricolor showed a highly significant positive correlation with salinity, transparency and depth. A. januaria showed the opposite, being inversely correlated to these parameters and directly correlated to temperature. Clupeidae, on the other hand, seems to show a wider distribution in relations to these environmental parameters.

This study reports the mite fauna associated with Tabebuia roseo-alba, a native and ornamental tree, determining the abundance and seasonal occurrence of species and the diversity of the community. Twenty three species were found belonging to 11 families, 10 of predatory habits and five phytophagous. The food habits of the eight remaining species are not known. Besides the great richness, the diversity was small, as consequence of the dominance of Lorryia formosa Cooreman, 1958 and Aculus sp., the most abundant species. These species occurred in the same microhabitat but with seasonal segregation: L. formosa was the most abundant in the dry season, while Aculus sp. occurred only in the rainy season. In August, when the plant lost its leaves, the following species were found in the apical branch structures: Brevipalpus sp. (aff. phoenicis), Cheletogenes sp., Euseius citrifolius Denmark &amp; Muma, 1970, Lorryia formosa, Pronematus sp., and diapause females of Tenuipalponychus tabebuiae Aguilar, Flechtmann &amp; Ochoa, 1991. In September, with leaves growing again, Aceria sp. was the only species on the plant, and its abundance decreased accentuately in October. The richness and the abundance of the mite fauna were not correlated with the temperature or the precipitation. These data suggest that the plant phenology was more important than the climate in the occurrence of species.

Three new species of Aglaenita Spinola, 1850 are described: Aglaenita similis sp. nov., Aglaenita elegans sp. nov. and Aglaenita dubia sp. nov. from Amazonas State, Mato Grosso State and Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, respectively. Illustrations and a key for the species and new occurrences for A. bipunctata Spinola, 1850 are presented. The three new species are similar among them, even so they can be distinguished by the aspect of the male genitalia, mainly by the aedeagus and pygofer.

Sycorax bahiensis sp. nov. from Bahia is described and illustred.

Parandra scaritoides Thomson, 1861 is removed from synonymy of Hesperandra colombica (White, 1853) and reinstated. Both species are redescribed. New species described from Venezuela: H. solangeae. A key to the three species is added.

Heterotermes tenuis (Hagen, 1858) is a subterranean termite that cause damage in forests, crops and urban areas. The population and foraging territory of an urban colony were determined using triple mark-release-recapture technique. Foraging population was estimated in 134,583 ± 5,803 individuals. The foraging territory encompassed an area of 175,5 m² and the maxim linear foraging distance was 36 m.

The histology of the salivary glands of six species of Limacoidea, Boettgerilla pallens Simroth, 1912, Deroceras laeve (Müller, 1774), Deroceras reticulatum (Müller, 1774), Deroceras rodnae Grossu &amp; Lupu, 1965, Malacolimax tenellus (Müller, 1774) and Lehmannia marginata (Müller, 1774), and a species of Milacidae, Tandonia budapestensis (Hazay, 1881) is comparatively described herein. In the glandular parenchyme four to five secretory cell types are distinguished and characterised, besides a cell type which is probably undifferentiated. The secretory cell types are classified into two groups, mucous and serous cells. Two types of mucous cells and two to three types of serous cells are distinguished. The salivary glands of the herein studied Limacoidea and Milacidae show a duct system composed of intralobular, interlobular and main ducts, each one presenting a characteristic type of epithelial lining. The results are comparatively discussed with the data available in the literature, in order to verify the correspondence between the different cell types described for other Pulmonata.

The growth relations of the shrimps Farfantepenaeus brasiliensis (Latreille, 1817) and F. paulensis (Pérez-Farfante, 1967) were evaluated at Imboassica lagoon, Macaé, Rio de Janeiro State, between June 1995 and September 1997, in four periods after events of sandbar opening. This sandbar separated the lagoon from the Atlantic Ocean. Through the evaluation of the weight/length relationships for the two species, significant differences in each interval after the sandbar openings were observed, as much among males and females as among all individuals of the same species. The results indicated that both species presented negative allometric growth in most of the studied occasions. The frequency and abundance of the two species in the lagoon is linked to many factors, among them the season of the sandbar opening, the span of time in which the sandbar remains opened, and the presence of a reproductive stock of adults close to the area when the sandbar is open. Through the analysis of the relative condition factor (Kr), it was verified that usually the conditions inside the lagoon are favorable to the development of both species, with the exception of the occasions when the sandbar opening events happen quickly and close to each other, allowing to conclude that the sandbar openings have an influence on the growth rates and in the general status of the organisms.

A detailed study of the thoracic external morphology of both sexes of Thyridia psidii cetoides (Rosenberg &amp; Talbot, 1914) is presented. The studied material was obtained at the city's plant nursery "Horto Florestal de Curitiba", Paraná, Brazil; mainly by rearing eggs and larvae collected on Cyphomandra betacea (Canavilles) Sendtner, 1845 (Solanaceae). When possible, all the results obtained were compared with those already available in the literature concerning other Nymphalidae subfamilies morphology (Brassolinae, Morphinae, and Danainae); the most striking feature being the almost totally transparent lateral faces of the thoracic mesoscutum in both sexes.

Foraging activity of a solitary bee species - Melissoptila thoracica Smith, 1854 (Eucerini) - was studied considering its phenology, floral preferences, foraging patterns and pollen's transportation structures. M. thoracica females present a clear preference for flowers of Sida Linnaeus (Malvaceae) in relation to pollen collection. The fidelity for the plant was observed considering foraging flights and analyzing the pollen carried in the females' scopes. The collection of pollen by bees was estimated throughout the counting of remaining grains in the anthers, over one and three visits. Females were examined in scanning electronic microscopy for the analysis of pollen grains in the ventral pilosity and in the scopes. M. thoracica was considered an effective pollinator of Sida flowers.

Myrciamyia maricaensis Maia, 1995 (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) induces a gall in lateral and apical shoots in the plant Myrcia lundiana Kiaersk (Myrtaceae) which is used and modified by two eulophid wasps species. In both cases the gall former species suffer high rate of attack exceeding the importance of parasitoid species as mortality factors. In this study these interactions are described and their effects as mortality of gall former. The intensity of occurrence of the two eulophid species as modifiers and of microhymenopteran parasitoids, and the relative importance of these species as mortality agents of the M. maricaensis larvae is compared. This comparison reveals that two modifiers species found in the gall tissue modification causing the death of the M. maricaensis larva and it is a more important factor of mortality than the cecidomyiid larva parasitism. The fluctuation of the number of each type of gall along the year was monitored in the research field and confirmed in numerical and in synchronic terms of occurrence of the galls; the importance of the species of the gall modifier eulophids, particularly one of these species, as factors of mortality of the M. maricaensis larvae and justified our comparing the relationship between these species and M. maricaensis as similar to the parasitoid-host relationship. The gall shape modification by one of the eulophids allows the occurrence of other inquiline insect species, what means that this gall modification becomes it more heterogeneous and allows the increase of the species richness to the system.