RCAAP Repository

A new species of Benthana Budde-Lund, 1908 is described from southern Brazil. Benthana cairensis sp. nov. is distinguished from the other species in the genus by having 17 aesthetascs on the antennula and the elongated male pleopod 1 exopod with a lobe on the inner lateral margin and up to six setae on the outer lateral margin. The new species most resembles B. olfersii (Brandt, 1833), but may be distinguished by lacking the lobe with six setae on the internal margin of the proximal extremity of the merus of pereiopod 7. Furthermore, we include B. olfersii in the subgenus Benthanoscia based on the examined material as described herein.

Protimesius osvaldoi sp. nov. is described from the Reserva Biológica de Sooretama, state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil, being the first record of Stygnidae from this State and the southernmost record of the family in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest (hitherto, the family was recorded down to Bahia only), extending in 210 km south of the previously known distribution. This is a large species, with armature of leg IV very reduced and penial morphology differing from the closest counterparts mainly in the ventral plate, which recedes deeply at the lateral borders and has the distal margin curved ventrally and by the presence of two small intermediate setae. Protimesius Roewer, 1913 consisted hitherto of 17 species, recorded from northern/northeastern Brazil and Amazonia of adjacent countries. A key is given for the 17 species of Protimesius for which males are known.

Nesse trabalho duas novas espécies de Labicymbium Millidge, 1991 do Brasil são descritas: Labicymbium otti sp. nov. e Labicymbium curitiba sp. nov. Espécimes de L. otti sp. nov. foram coletados no estado do Rio Grande do Sul e são caracterizados pela presença de uma apófise suprategular distal projetada, paracímbio com margem arredondada e radix menos desenvolvido. A fêmea dessa espécie apresenta ductos copulatórios curtos formando uma alça na porção posterior. Espécimes de L. curitiba sp. nov., coletados no estado do Paraná, apresentam uma apófise suprategular distal proeminente e arredondada, esclerito hematodocal basal sobre o subtégulo, tíbia do palpo longa, processo cimbial retromediano menos afilado do que aqueles das espécies próximas, paracímbio com projeção sobre o subtégulo e esclerito hematodocal basal. Labicymbium rusticulum (Keyserling, 1891) é registrada de outras localidades do estado do Rio Grande do Sul.

The female of Zimiromus hortenciae Buckup & Brescovit, 1993 is described for the first time and Trachyzelotes kulczynskii (Bösemberg, 1902), a species introduced from Europe, is recorded for the first time on the island of Fernando de Noronha, state of Pernambuco. The latter, along with T. lyonneti (Audouim, 1826) recorded from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, is the second species of this genus to be reported from Brazil. The spiders were collected with pitfall traps in five points of the island. Ecological data showed that Gnaphosidae was the fifth best sampled spider family, with 179 specimens, belonging to two species, T. kulczynskii and Z. hortenciae. Trachyzelotes kulczynskii was the most abundant with 118 adults while Z. hortenciae was represented by only 21 adults. Both species were collected during the dry and wet seasons but T. kulczynskii was more abundant during the wet season while Z. hortenciae was more abundant during the dry season. The male:female ratio for the dry season was similar for both species but in the wet season it was three times higher for T. kulczynskii.

O presente trabalho reúne os resultados de um levantamento de quirópteros conduzido na Reserva Biológica (REBIO) do Tinguá, Nova Iguaçu, estado do Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil. Foram realizadas 31 noites de coletas, em 14 sítios situados em altitudes de 65 a 1270 m. As coletas foram realizadas com redes "mist-nets", armadas ao nível do solo, em trilhas ou clareiras, em frente a plantas em floração ou frutificação, próximo a construções e cavidades naturais, sobre riachos e corpos d'água ou perto desses. Um total de 655 indivíduos foi capturado. Vinte e oito espécies de morcegos, distribuídas em quatro famílias, Emballonuridae (duas espécies), Phyllostomidae (19 espécies), Vespertilionidae (cinco espécies) e Molossidae (duas espécies) são assinaladas para a Reserva. Destacam-se os registros de Lonchophylla bokermanni Sazima, Vizotto & Taddei, 1978, Platyrrhinus recifinus (Thomas, 1901) e Myotis ruber (E. Geoffroy, 1806), que constam como vulneráveis na "Lista das Espécies Brasileiras Ameaçadas de Extinção". Para cada espécie, uma medida externa (comprimento de antebraço) e 13 medidas cranianas foram estudadas. As medidas de machos e fêmeas são tratadas separadamente. Comentários taxonômicos são fornecidos para todas as espécies.

In this study 57 specimens of the lizard Ameiva ameiva (Linnaeus, 1758) collected in the restinga at Barra de Maricá, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, were analyzed to investigate size relations and reproduction (in females) and sexual dimorphism of this population. We answered the following questions: 1) what is the minimum reproductive body size in females? 2) what is the average clutch size and 3) how is clutch size related to body size? 4) Are body and head sizes sexually dimorphic? Mean clutch size was 6.7 ± 2.1 eggs and was positively correlated with female body size. Sexual dimorphism favoring males was found: adult mean snout-vent length was great in males (124.2 ± 17.8 mm) than females (96.5 ± 23.1 mm SVL), and males were larger with respect to head width and length, and body mass. Thus, despite the marked seasonality at Barra de Maricá, A. ameiva has an extended reproductive period. Also, intrasexual selection may have acted on females to produce larger clutches, and on males, favoring larger males.

A fêmea de Pero minetraria (Oberthür, 1912) é descrita e novos registros da espécie no sudeste do Brasil são relatados. A fêmea tem antenas filiformes e coloração geral acastanhada; margem externa da asa anterior mais fortemente denteada que aquela do macho.

Predation on an adult male black capuchin monkey, Cebus nigritus (Goldfuss, 1809) by two domestic dogs was observed in the Parque Estadual Serra do Brigadeiro, in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Minas Gerais. Predation occurred in an area of well preserved native forest 800 m from the nearest forest edge. This is the first confirmed record of predation by domestic dogs in this reserve, yet data from a study in the same area indicates that the domestic dog is the most frequently recorded mammal species, which suggests that it is common in the area. The few published reports indicate that this problem occurs in other conservation units in Brazil and should, therefore, be treated with more rigor by the environmental agencies.

Thomas' Mastiff bat, Eumops maurus (Thomas, 1901) is known from northern South America in Ecuador, Venezuela and Guiana and so it probably occurs in Brazil, yet it has not been reported. Here, we present the first record for E. maurus in Brazil. Captures were from the Brazilian states of Tocantins and Goiás (northern and midwestern Cerrado region of the country), and São Paulo (southeastern Brazil, Atlantic Forest). In the first two locations, all bats were roosting in palm leaves while in the later location, a single animal was found alive in a 15th-storey apartment in the city of São Paulo. This bat inhabits savannas with swamps dominated by the palm Mauritia flexuosa (buriti) and gallery forests. This record is the first of E. maurus in an urban area. Brazilian specimens are apparently larger than those from northern South America.

This study examines the spatial distribution of the ghost crabs, Ocypode quadrata Fabricius, 1787, in thirteen estuarine sandy beaches located along two main axes of the Paranaguá Bay Estuarine Complex, southern Brazil. Burrow densities of ghost crabs were measured at three beach levels established around the high tide mark during the summer and winter of 2005. All beaches showed a steep beach face slope (2.6 to 8.3º) with sediment composition varying from well sorted fine sand to very poorly sorted coarse sand towards the upper estuary. Water salinity ranged from around 31 at those beaches near the bay inlet, to 14 at beaches in the inner estuary. The burrow densities of O. quadrata in the estuarine beaches were similar to those observed in the oceanic beaches. However, the absence of burrows at the four innermost beaches suggests that low salinity and sediment penetrability may prevent ghost crabs from occurring in this region of the estuary. Burrow densities showed strong seasonal variability. The low densities observed during the winter are probably related to a delay crab activities due to low temperatures in the early morning during this season. The absence of a clear zonation pattern was related to estuarine beach morphology.

The individual size of Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) was evaluated twice a month, for a year, based on samples from Veludo Beach (30º12'35"S, 51º11'68"W) in Guaiba Lake, southern Porto Alegre, Brazil. Physical and chemical data on water quality, such as temperature, transparency, depth, pH, dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, chlorophyll "a", and conductivity were also recorded. Adult samples were collected from underwater "sarandi" branches, Cephalanthus glabratus (Spreng) K. Schum (Rubiaceae), an aquatic macrophyte available at each site. Adults placed on artificial substrates were also checked every six months. Data were analyzed by applying multivariate statistics techniques related to the physical and chemical variables of the water and the density of individuals to estimate the patterns of the individual growth over the year. The adults were separated into three groups according to length classes: G1, G2 and G3 (groups 1 through 3). These three groups are related to the differences in behavior, namely, the ability of locomotion and fixation capacity. Individuals from Group 1 (5 to 7 mm in length) were the most abundant and were present in all the sampled months. Adults from artificial substrates were shown to display significant differences in seasonal growth and faster growth during spring and summer months.

Pontoporia blainvillei (Gervais & d'Orbigny, 1844) is threatened throughout its distribution. The species can be found year-round in the Babitonga bay estuary (26º 02'-26º 28'S and 48º28'-48º50'W), in the north coast of the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Boat surveys were conducted in order to evaluate its abundance and density between 2000 and 2003. Sampling was random and stratified, with 46 transects in five sub-areas, comprising a total area of 160 km². Data collection was conducted following the linear transect method with distance sampling. A total of 1174.7 km was scanned and 38 groups were observed. Franciscanas were not uniformly distributed in Babitonga bay. Group size ranged from one to 13 animals (mean ± SD = 5.02 ± 3.62). Model 1 (Half-Normal) showed the best fit to the data. The estimated population size was 50 animals and the density was 0.32 individuals km-2. Density estimates evaluated in the sub-areas where franciscanas occurred resulted in a density of 0.46 individuals km-2. Monitoring this population is of considerable importance due to the constant threats that this species faces in this bay.

Mysidacea are common sublittoral crustaceans that inhabit all coasts in the world. In this study, the population characteristics and the reproductive biology of Metamysidopsis neritica Bond-Buckup & Tavares, 1992 were studied in the surf zone of a south Brazilian beach (Atami). Mysids were sampled at monthly intervals from August, 1999 to July, 2000 (total of 29,490 individuals). Individuals were classified into six population categories. The highest abundance occurred in May (8,665) and August (6,415), and lowest in September (336) and December (368). Three main generations were identified, namely the summer, fall and winter generations. The winter generation was the longest (four to five months). The fall generation lasted four months, and the summer one extended from three to four months. Ovigerous females occurred throughout the year, with a greater proportion in July. The number of eggs or larvae varied from one to 16. Weak associations were found between female length and egg number, egg volume, and the number of larvae with and without eyes. Egg volume increased during the coldest season, whereas the smallest values were recorded during summer. These results suggest a possible direct relationship between egg volume and generation longevity.

We tested the effect of nest deprivation on the mating success and sexual selection of dominant Nile tilapia males in two treatments, consisting of two males and three females kept on aquarium with or without nesting substrate (INS: with substrate inside, N = 9; NOS: non-substrate inside, N = 11). Other male traits potentially affecting mating success, such as aggressiveness level, courtship investment, and condition factor were also analyzed. The dominant male's behavior was video-recorded in four 20-min sessions: 1, 4, 7, and 10 days after grouping. Latency to spawn and spawning frequency were similar in WS and NS groups, showing the same mating success among dominant males on the presence or absence of gravel. Nest investment was the main factor related to female choice in INS groups, but none of the other variables improved mating success in NOS. Although nesting is related to sexual selection in Nile tilapia, gravel substrate deprivation from which they construct a nest does not affect mating success. This finding may explain the reproductive success of the species in a wide range of environments and aquaculture systems.

Howler monkeys (Alouatta Lacèpéde, 1799) are folivores-frugivores with flexible diets depending on conditions. Here, we compare the diets of Alouatta caraya (Humboldt, 1812) in two riparian forests (island and mainland), in Porto Rico region, Upper Paraná River, Southern Brazil. Howlers were followed from October 2004 to September 2005 in the riparian forest of a 1,050 ha island and in the continuous riparian forest on the mainland (left bank of the river). The "scan sampling" method with instantaneous samples every 15 minutes was used. Besides vines, diet breadth was similar: 17 species consumed on the island versus 16 species on the mainland. Both consumed leaves followed by fruits more than any other food type (leaves: island - 65%, mainland - 49%, fruits: island - 24%, mainland - 46%). Even though the plant Cecropia pachystachya Trécul is less abundant in the mainland it was the item most consumed in both locations all year long, which suggests its importance for the howlers. Diet also varied both seasonally and between the island and mainland, apparently following changes in local abundance of each item and due to plant phenologies.

Os hábitos alimentares da onça-parda, jaguatirica e outros carnívoros foram estudados na Juréia (80.000 ha), um dos maiores remanescentes de Mata Atlântica do estado de São Paulo. O estudo foi baseado na análise de fezes encontradas durante um período de amostragem de 15 meses e 415 km percorridos. A diversidade de presas encontradas nas fezes foi alta para ambos os felinos, tendo como presas mais importantes da onça-parda em freqüência de ocorrência e biomassa, o cateto e o tatu-de-rabo-mole, e marsupiais na dieta da jaguatirica. Maior freqüência de fezes de carnívoros foi encontrada distante das casas de moradores tradicionais, sugerindo um comportamento territorial evitando a proximidade da presença humana.

Estudos sobre o mesozooplâncton foram realizados no sistema estuarino de Barra das Jangadas, Pernambuco, Brasil (8º14'36"S, 34º56'28"W) visando analisar a estrutura da comunidade. As amostras foram obtidas com rede de plâncton, com malha de 300 µm, durante os períodos, seco (janeiro/2001) e chuvoso (julho/2001), nas marés de sizígia e de quadratura, em intervalos de três horas. Foram identificados 37 taxa, destacando-se Copepoda com as espécies Pseudodiaptomus acutus (F. Dahl, 1894), Pseudodiaptomus richardi (F. Dahl, 1894), Acartia lilljeborgi (Giesbrecht, 1892), Parvocalanus crassirostris (Dahl, 1894), Oithona hebes (Santos, 1973) e Notodiaptomus cearensis Wright, 1936. A densidade total durante o período seco variou de 69,34 a 8.568,34 org.m-3. Para o período chuvoso variou de 261,98 a 10.224,83 org.m-3. Os Crustacea meroplanctônicos (Brachyura zoea) foram muito freqüentes e muito abundantes, destacando seu importante papel na cadeia trófica pelágica. A diversidade específica durante o período seco, variou de 0,44 a 3,13 bits.ind-1, e para o período chuvoso de 0,66 a 2,93 bits.ind-1. Os baixos valores de diversidade ocorreram devido à dominância de Brachyura (zoea). A análise de agrupamento revelou a formação de dois grupos. O primeiro formado por espécies marinhas e euri-halinas, e o segundo por espécies indicadoras de ambientes estuarinos.

Fungus-growing ants (tribe Attini) are characteristic elements of the New World fauna. However, there is little information on the patterns of diversity, abundance, and distribution of attine species in their native ecosystems, especially for the so-called "lower" genera of the tribe. A survey of attine ant nests (excluding Atta Fabricus, 1804 and Acromyrmex Mayr, 1865) was conducted in a variety of savanna and forest habitats of the Cerrado biome near Uberlândia, Brazil. In total, 314 nests from 21 species of nine genera were found. Trachymyrmex Forel, 1893 was the most diverse genus with 10 species. Eighteen species were found in the savannas, including Mycetagroicus cerradensis Brandão & Mayhé-Nunes, 2001, a species from a recently-described genus of Attini, whereas in the forests only 12 species were found. Forest and savannas support relatively distinct faunas, each with a number of unique species; the species present in the forest habitats did not represent a nested subset of the species found in the savannas. Furthermore, although many species were common to both types of vegetation, their abundances were quite different. The density of attine nests is relatively high at some sites, exceeding an estimated 4,000 nests per hectare. In this sense, attine ants can be regarded as prevalent invertebrate taxa in the Brazilian Cerrado.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi registrar ocorrências de predação e canibalismo em protozoários ciliados no rúmen de ovinos. Foram analisadas amostras de conteúdo ruminal de cinco ovinos mestiços Santa Inês, fistulados no rúmen, mantidos em pastagem natural de caatinga, no município de Sertânia, Pernambuco. Foram obtidas seis amostras de conteúdo ruminal de cada ovino, totalizando 30 amostras, as quais foram fixadas em formalina 18,5% (v/v). De cada amostra foi retirada uma alíquota de 1 ml de conteúdo ruminal ao qual se adicionaram três gotas de solução de lugol para a coloração e identificação dos protozoários ciliados. Estas alíquotas foram analisadas utilizando-se lâminas e lamínulas, em campos determinados randomicamente. Constatou-se a ocorrência de interações do tipo predador-presa entre ciliados de Ophryoscolecidae Stein, 1859, onde Elytroplastron bubali (Dogiel, 1928) apresentou comportamento predatório sobre Enoploplastron triloricatum (Dogiel, 1925) e sobre outras espécies de Epidinium Crawley, 1923 e de Entodinium Stein, 1859. Foram ainda observados casos de canibalismo entre espécimes de E. bubali, o que consiste no primeiro registro deste tipo de interação nesta espécie. Registra-se, ainda, pela primeira vez a ocorrência de E. bubali no rúmen de ovinos no Brasil.

A morfologia externa do adulto de A. melanisans Oberthür, 1917 é descrita e ilustrada. Os resultados obtidos foram comparados com outros já publicados para a morfologia externa de Nymphalidae (Danainae, Brassolinae/Brassolini sensu CASAGRANDE (2004), Morphinae/Morphini sensu LAMAS (2004a), Ithomiinae e Charaxinae). É apresentado um padrão para a caracterização morfológica do gênero, sendo esse o primeiro estudo detalhado de morfologia de uma espécie de Acraeini, agregando informações úteis para subsidiar a análise filogenética das espécies Neotropicais.