RCAAP Repository

It is described herein a case study of albinism in Chauna torquata Oken, 1816 (Southern screamer) occurred at the Ecological Station of Taim, Rio Grande do Sul. Brazil. Screamers are birds of marshes, wet grasslands and forest lagoons. The bill is short and curved, the head is small and slender and the neek rather short. The strong wings are armed with two large, sharp spurs on their forward edge. The feet and legs are fleshy, the lower half of the tibia is bare, and the three long front toes show just a trace of webbing between them, They are often seen walking in pairs on the floating masses of vegetation or in large groups for feeding. The albino specimen described herein was observed feeding in the midst of a group of almost fifty birds. Their plumage was white but their legs and bill were normally red pigmented, and also presented a light grey ring on its neek. It did not represent a case of total albinism, in which pigment should be totally absent.

Myrciamyia maricaensis, gen.n. and sp.n. and Neomitranthella robusta, gen.n. and sp.n. associated with Myrtaceae are described and illustrated (male, female, pupal skin, larva and gall). Some biological informations are provided.

The reproductive system of Gundlachia concentrica (Orbigny, 1835) and Gundlachia moricandi (Orbigny, 1837) are described. The following structures distinguished the specimens of those species: ovotestis, seminal vesicle, tubular prolongation of dorsoposterior region of uterus and duet of the copulation pouch.

The result of an agreement between Universidade Santa Ursula, Rio de Janeiro and the Museum of Natural History of Paris, was the oceanographic campaign MD-55 Brasil which took place between May 6th and June 2nd of 1987, aboard the R/V "Marion Dufresne" of the Terres Australes et Antartique Françaises (TAAF). Samples were collected between latitudes 23º36'40"S and 18º49'S. Ichthyofauna sampled was relatively low, and comprised of just one family of Chondrichthyes (three species) and 50 families of Osteichthyes (104 species). Zenion hololepsis (Goode & Bean, 1895) (Zeniodontidae) is recorded for the first time from the western South Atlantic, as well as is extended the geographic limits for Myrophis frio Jordan & Davis. 1892 (Ophichthidae) and Prionotus nudigula Ginshurg, 1950 (Triglidae). Even though relatively not very representative, the species collected from the seamount chain Vitoria/Trindade and Martin Vay suggest being identical to those which occur along the Brazilian continental platform.

A survey on the use of host plants by treehoppers in plants in cerrado (savanna) vegetation at Moji-Guaçu (São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil) was made. Fifty-two species of treehoppers were recorded in association with 40 host plant species from October 1980 to February 1982. The families Araliaceae, Asteraceae, Leguminosae, Malpighiaceae, Myrtaceae and Nyctaginaceae were the most commonly used for oviposition. Byrsonima intermedia A. Juss. (Malpighiaceae) had the highest number of associated treehopper species (10 species). The abundance of treehopper individuals was related to the hot and rainy season (from October to February), while during the cold and dry season (from March to September) there was a decrease in the number of these Homoptera. After the occurrence of a frost, few adults and nymphs were observed on the host plants for one to two months.

Haematological changes in ascorbic acid deficient fishes, observed by some authors, awoked the interest in the haematological response of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus. The present work studied the influence of different levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in the ration on the haematological parameters of pacu. Fishes at the beginning of the experiment, presented average body weight 8.64±1.62g and 6.15±0.33cm standard length, were fed with diets containing 0. 50, 100 and 200mg ascorbic acid/kg dry ration. The present work was developed for a period of 24 weeks at the Fish Nutrition Laboratory of Aquaculture Center of Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Jaboticabal (São Paulo). The fishes were distributed by the completely randomized design in 20 aquaria of 100 liters capacity with six animals in each and five fold treatment. Condutivity, alcalinity. pH and oxigen were measured weekly and temperature daily. The blood colect was done in 60 anesthetized fishes with 50mg MS-222/1. The results suggests that 50mg ascorbic acid/kg dry ration improved the mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and decreased haematocril in unsupplemented fishes, although not differing significantly (P>0.05). The erytrocyte diameter indicated the presence of macrocytic cells in unsupplemented fishes (P<0.05) and the regression analysis showed too reduced neutrophils in unsupplemenled ones, 50mg ascorbic acid/kg dry ration supplementation was enough to development and haematological responses. Furthtermore, the optimum level to the growth is 139mg vitamin C/kg dry ration (P<0.05).

The Lernaea cyprinacea Linnaeus, 1758 copepodids experimental contamination on the Rana catesbeiana Shaw, 1802 ladpoles was analized. Sixty percent (12) of infested tadpoles was found parasitized. High mortality range, lower appetence, equilibrium loss and apathy were observed. The parasites showed the preference for the mouth and cloaca: in 72 hours lhe egg saes had already developed.

The most frequent endoparasite of the Maned wolf - Chrysocyon brachyurus (Illiger, 1815) is the giant kidney-worm. Dioctophyma renale (Goeze, 1782). It has heen responsible for the majority of deaths of captive animals. Twenty-six marked wolves have been followed in the field with ear-tags and radio-collar tagged (Tab. II) to investigate their interactions with the environment, their diurnal shelters, movements and habits, and their delivery sites. Ten years of life history data have heen gathered. They are territorial and monogamous, and give birth to two or three young once a year, after a 63 days gestation, on average. Maned wolves inhabit the open areas and have omnivorous feeding habits.

The ocurrence of Cupiennius Simon. 1891 restricted to Central America, Colombia, Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba, is now confirmed to South America and the geographical distribution of C. celerrimus is extended to Venezuela and north and northeaster regions of Brazil. A redescription of C. celerrimus is given based on specimens from the type locality and adjacent localities.

The study of 41 individually specimes of Subulina octona (Bruguiére. 1789) during 182 days indicated that oviposition occur between 10pm and 10am. The interval between ovipositions was from seven to 31 days. In the eggs, the greatest axis was 1.5-2.0mm while the smallest was 1.2-1.6mm. The lenght of shell of recently ecloded snails was 1.3-1.8mm. The growth rale of adult snails was measured and they grew more in the first 45 days than in the last 75 days subsequent of the study.

The ocurrence of males, gamic and ambiohasic females of the greenbug Schizaphis graminum (Rondani, 1852) among parthenogenetics reared on Sorghum bicolor (Linnaeus) Moench, in Ribeirão Preto (São Paulo, Brazil), from 1980 through 1983, follows an annual cycle. They appear from April through June, when the photoperiod has about 11 hours of daily photophase. Despite the low number these findings support the potential for holocycle, triggered by variable abiotic factors in this region with mild winters.

The total level of mercury detected in the sediment and in the tissues of molluscs from the Bento Gomes basin, although low, have shown that the mercury used in the gold mining activities in the Poconé wetlands has contaminated those aquatic habitats in Pantanal. From 69 sediment samples analyzed, 26 % (N = 18) have shown levels ranging from 0.01 to 0.25µg.g-1 of mercury (moist weight). Mercury levels analyzed in 54 samples of mollusc tissues (Ampullaria scalaris Orbigny, 1835; A. canaliculata Lamarck, 1819 and Marisa planogyra Pilsbry, 1933) have shown that 30% (N = 16) were contaminated with levels ranging from 0.02 to 1.16µg.g-1 moist weight. This study shows that the mercury used in digs for gold mining and released into the environment has reached the habitats of Pantanal spread from the sediment into the molluscs living in the region.

A revised classification for the Neotropical subfamily Brassolinae based on the morphological study of seventy six of the eighty one know species (Stichel, 1932), divided the subfamily in two tribos, according to the following list: Brassolini Boisduval, 1836 including forteen genera: Brassolis Fabricius, 1807 (type genus): Caligo Hübner, 1819. Penetes Doubleday. 1849; Dynastor Doubleday, 1849; Opsiphanes Doubleday. 1849; Dasyophthalma Westwood. 1851; Eryphanis Boisduval. 1870; Opoptera Aurivillius, 1882; Selenophanes Staudinger. 1887; Catoblepia Stichel, 1902; Caligopsis Seydel, 1924; Mielkella Casagrande, 1982; Orobrassolis Casagrande, 1982, and Mimoblepia Casagrande, 1982, Naropini Stichel, 1925 including two genera: Narope Doubleday, 1849 (type genus) and Aponarope Casagrande, 1982.

The Genus Oryssomus is revised and illustrations of pertinent characters are provided. A key to the genera of Oryssomini and to the species of Oryssomus and Gordonoryssomus are added. Gordonoryssomus. gen.n. is described: type species: Oryssomus deyrollei Crotch, 1874. A new species of Oryssomus, O. unimaculatus, sp.n.. from Amazonas, Brazil and three of Gordonoryssomus, G. nigrus, sp.n.. from Santa Cruz, Bolívia, G. nigripilosus. sp.n., from Espirito Santo, Brazil and G. delicatus, sp.n.. from Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, are described.

Self-fertilization in Subulina octona (Bruguiére, 1789) was observed among 32 snails. Individually isolated for 154 days. Eggs were dctected in 38 to 50 days old snails; total number of ovipositions per snail varied from six-nine; number of eggs per cluster, one-nine and total number of eggs per snail, 16-56 during the period of study. A period of incubation of one to 15 days and a viability of 94.8% were observed for eggs layed by these isolated snails.

Egg viability and nymphal development of the predatory bug Supputius cincticeps (Stål, 1860) were evaluated during two generations in the Biological Control Laboratory of the Núcleo de Biotecnologia Aplicada à Agropecuária (Bioagro/UFV) in Viçosa (Minas Gerais, Brazil) at 24.72±1.10ºC and photophase of 12 hours. Three treatments were represented by S. cincticeps fed with Zophobas confusa Gebien, 1906, Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus, 1758 and Musca domestica Linnaeus, 1758 larvae. Higher egg viability of this predator was found when the preys were Z. confusa and T. molitor, 74.46% and 80.91 %, than in M. domestica, 57.02%, but incubation period showed no differences between preys. Shorter nymphal development and higher nymphal viability were found with Z. confusa and T. molitor than with M. domestica. Higher weight increase was found for nymphs which originated males and females in the second generation specialy with the first two preys.

Caterpillars of Cerconota achatina (Zeller, 1855) feed on lhe leaves of Byrsonima Rich in cerrado (savanna) of Brasília (Distrito Federal). They build shelters by tying leaves together with silk and frass. Within the leaf shelters the caterpillars form a tube of silk in which they feed. develop and pupate. In the laboratory the pupal stage is 14,4 days (sd=8,6: n=46). It was not possible to determine the age or numbers of instars of caterpillars in the wild. Of 93 caterpillars collected. 60% were feeding on B. cocclohifolia (Spr.) Kunth, 25% on B. crassa Nied. and 15% on B. verbascifolia [Rich. ex] Adr. &amp; Juss. These numbers suggest a preference for B. coccolobifolia. Caterpillars of all size were found in every month of the year which suggest ovelapping generations and multivoltinism. They did not show a preference for new foliage and 75% of them were found on host-plants on wich less than 25% of leaves were young.

A new occurrence for Jacamaralcyon tridactyla (Vieillot, 1817) for the state of Minas Gerais is registered here. Some remarks about the species behavior are also included and compared with the syntpatric species Galbula ruficauda Curvier, 1816.

Paracaphylla setifemorata, sp.n., the second species for the genus, an Eriophyidae - Phyllocoptinae acarina from Hydrangea sp. (Saxifragaceae) in Brazil, is described and figured.

The ultrastructural observation of the hemocytes of D. saccharalis larvae showed different hemocyte tvpes in various stage of interaction with microorganisms, which were interpreted as bacteria. The microorganisms were observed either free in the hemolymph or into the insect hemocytes. The bacteria were detected mostly into lhe granulocytes and plasmatocytes: the spherule cells and the oenocytoids also presented intracytoplasmic microorganisms, but less frequently. The fagocytic capacity of the different hemocyte tvpes is discussed.