RCAAP Repository

Bairdiella ronchus is one of the most common species of demersal ichthyofauna in Guaratuba Bay, south Brazil. However, this study reveals that is does not inhabits permanently the mangroove area. Individuals with more than 94mm total lenght leave mangroove area in late summer and early auntumn and returming in the spring. when they start ovarian veitellogenesis. During late spring and early summer, the oocytes are hydrated, and empty follicles can be found in the ovaries, indicating that this is the reproductive time for this species As other Sciaenidae. B. ronchus is a multiple spawner species.

Lanthanomelissa pampicola, sp.n., Lanthanomelissa magaliae, sp.n., Lanthanomelissa betinae. sp.n., and Lanthanomelissa clementis, sp.n. from southern Brazil, and Lanthanella luciane, sp.n. from Argentina are described.

Biological aspects of Chelonus insularis (Cresson, 1865) an egg-larval parasitoid reared on Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797) eggs Chelonus insularis (Cresson. 1865) has been cited in the international literature as a promissing biological control agent against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Smith, 1797). Its field occurrence in Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais (Brasil) has been increasing in the last years. For these reasons this experiment was conducted in the laboratory, at the National Corn and Sorghum Research Center, of EMBRAPA, under temperature of 25ºC. RH of 73% and photophase of 12 hours. Ten couples of the parasitoid were individually placed in a glass jar (5 liters capacity). They were fed on a 10% sugar solution. Each couple received one fall armyworm egg mass to oviposit during a 24-hour period. After hatching, the larvae were fed on artificial bean diet, up to the death caused by the parasitoid larvae. The total biological life cycle was 26.61 days on the average (larval period of 20.42 and pupal period of 6.19 days). The average weight of two days - old pupae was 0.02g. The adult longevity was on average. 10 days (8.4 days for males and 11.6 days for females). The greatest rate of parasitism occurred when the female was three days old, with a maximum of 92 eggs parasitized in that day.

Balloniscus glaber sp.n., is described from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The morphology, ontogeny, life-cycles and distribution of species of the Order Proteocephalidea (Cestoda), is discussed. A brief historic of the classifications is presented. The actual scheme of taxonomy of WOODLAND (1924-1935) is criticicized and a new classification for the group is proposed. The phylogenetic uniformity of Proteocephalideans is reestablished with this classification. The genera of Monticelliidae (sensu Woodland) are transferred to the subfamilies Proteocephalinae and Corallobothriinae. Only one family is accepted in the Proteocephalidea. Proteocephalidae La Rue. 1911: with five subfamilies: Proteocephalinae. Corallobothriinae. Sandonelliinae. Gangesiinae and Acanthotaeniinae.

Redescriptions of Rhabdotoptera Stein and of R. striatipennis Siein, with discussion of the systematic position of the genus and description of the morphology of male terminalia, are given.

Redescription of Schoenomyza Haliday, 1833 and the description of S. napensis, sp.n. from Napo Province. Ecuador are presented. Morphology of the terminalia are described and illustrated.

Polietina nigra, sp.n. from Una, Bahia and Rio de Janeiro and Polietina univittata. sp.n. from Curitiba, Paraná and Rio de Janeiro are described from adults and P. nigra also from the mature third instar larvae.

The occurence of Decapoda crustaceans in the diet of Dasyatis guttata (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (Elasmobranchii. Dasyatididae) is reported. Inferences are also made about some aspects of the predator - prey relationship in the area around the Ecological Station.

Species of Mantispa Illiger, 1798 ocurring in Rio Grande do Sul State, including synonyms, morphometrics aspects and systematics keys for several taxa, are given. Besides of Mantispa minuta (Fabricius, 1775) already mentioned in the bibliography, several registers of distribution of Mantispa axilaris Navás. 1908. Mantispa gracilis Erichson, 1839 and Mantispa lineaticollis Enderlein. 1910 are included.

The visit of two species of bats to the flowers of Pseudobombax grandiflorum (Cav.) A. Robyns was observed in the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro during the period of may and july of 1989. The flowers of this vegetal species present attributions in accordance to the Syndrome of Chiropterophily and receive the visit of Glossophaga soricina (Pallas. 1766) and Phyllostomus hastatus (Pallas. 1767). Glossophaga soricina has morfological caracteristes for nectarivory, Phyllostomus hastatus is omnivorous and starts its visils soon after the anthesis. That bats present landing behaviour during the visit.

Hemocytes of Diatraea saccharalis larvae aging from 13 to 26 days old were morphological and quantitatively characterized by phase contrast microscopy. Six hemocyte types were described and identified as: prohemocytes (PR), plasmatocytes (PL), granulocytes (GR), oenocytoides (OE). spherulocytes (SP) and verm cells (VE). The total hemocyte counts showed no significant difference in the number of these cells along the normal development of the larvae. However, the relative number of different circulating hemocyte types fluctuated, and it could be expressed as: PL > GR > SP> PR > VE > OE in larvae up to 14 days old; and as: GR > SP > PL > VE > OE > PR in those older than 24 days.

Odontesthes mirinensis, a new species of silverside, is described in coastal lagoons system of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The new species is distinguished from other Odontesthes species by short snout and having 24-29 gill rakers on the lower branch of the first branchial arch. Osteological features (bones of the skull, axial skeleton and girdles) are included and discussed. Meristic and morphometric variables were analyzed separately, through multivariate procedures. Principal Component Analysis show that Odontesthes mirinensis, sp.n. does not exhibit significant geographic variation on body shape.

An experiment to observe some changes of composition and population of Oribatei and Collembola was carried out on a Cambicsoil covered with Pinus taeda L. (Pinaceae). This study area is located on the Canguiri Experimental Station Center, Universidade Federal do Paraná, 20km north to Curitiba city, Brazil. The climate of the area is subtropical. The observations resulted in a conclusion that the compaction strongly changes the structure of edaphic mesofauna community as the consequence of the modification of physical properties of soils.

The type specimens of Neotropical Teirapedia (s. str.) described by Friese, 1899, namely T. peckoltii, T. curvirarsis, T. amplitarsis and T. pyramidalis are redeseribed. T. xanthostigma Schrottky, 1913, is considered as synonym of T. pyramidalis Friese. 1899.

The following species of Friese's Tetrapedia are removed from this genus to Paratetrapedia pallidipennis (Friese, 1899), Paratetrapedia flaviventris (Friese, 1899). Xanthopedia iheringii (Friese, 1899) and Lissopedia globulosa (Friese, 1899). When necessary lectotypes are proposed and redescriptions provided. Paratetrapedia (Xanthopedia) tricolor Michener & Moure, 1957, is considered a synonym of Xanthopedia iheringii, and Arhysoceble melampoda Moure, 1948, of Arhysoceble picta (Friese, 1899). These specimens belong to the Zoologisches Museum der Humboldt Universität, Berlin.

Among the specimens of Neotropical Bees described by Friese and preserved in the Berlim Museum the following ones were studied, or synonymized, or to some of them given a new status and redescribed, namely: the specimen of Megacilissa pretiosa Friese, 1898, is considered the holotype of Ptiloglossa pretiosa. Ptilothrix ? similis Friese, 1899 is a synonym of Melitoma nudipes (Burmeister, 1876). Centris (Epicharis) pygialis Friese, 1899, is an independent species. the present specimen the holotype and Bahia the type locality. Centris (Epicharis) flava Friese, 1900 a widely distributed species in South and Central America, described from 'Brasilia' is also considered as an independent species. The specimen of Centris atra Friese, 1900, from San Antonio, Colombia, is Centris (Melacentris) aeneiventris Mocsáry, 1899 and the specimen from Blumenau (Rio das Antas), SC, Brazil, at the Viena Museum, is the melanic form of Centris (Melacentris) dorsata Lepeletier, 1841, the true Centris atra Friese, 1900, belongs in the subgenus Ptilotopus Klug, 1810, and is recorded from Northern South Anerica to Central Brazil [North of the States of Minas Gerais and Goiás]. Centris xylocopoides Fox, 1899, from Trinidad, confounded with C. atra belongs to Melacentris and compared with the type of Centris (Melacentris) braccata Packard, 1869, proved to be a synonym. Centris ruficauda Friese, 1900 is the melanic form of Centris (Melacentris) intermixta Friese, 1900. Because Centris atra, selected by Sandhouse as the type species of Melanocentris, is a Ptilotopus, and the type species of Ptilotopus Klug, 1810, - Ptilotopus americanus Klug, 1810 - was included by Friese among his Melanocentris, Melacentris new name is proposed for Melanocentris autorum. non Friese, 1900, with Centris dorsata Lepeletier, 1841, as the type species.

Three new brazilian species are described: Neomuscina douradensis, sp.n. (Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados). N. mimosa, sp.n. (Goiás. Goianésia) and N. paramediana sp.n. (Goiás. Goianésia) are presented.

One hundred and ten specimens of Pseudoplatystoma corruscans (Agassiz, 1829) (Pimelodidae), "pintado", and 582 specimens of Schizodon borelli (Boulenger, 1900) (Anostomidae), "piava", collected in the floodplain of the high Paraná River were analyzed. P. corruscans presented 74.54% of parasitism while S. borelli presented 19.42%. Results of the present research show that in the case of P. corruscans, two species of proteocephalideans presented a significant relationship with the type of environment with regard to prevalence. Spasskyelina spinulifera (Woodland, 1935) was the only species that presented a relationship between the intensity of infection and the environment. In S. borelli only Cucullanus pinnai Travassos. Artigas & Pereira, 1928 presented a relationship with the environment. In this case the mean intensity was greater in lentic environments. The high values of the similarity index in the three environments studied indicate a considerable homogeneity of the endohelminths' species with regard to P. corruscans and S. borelli. This is probably due to what occurs with environments during the high water period when they are interlinked. The hydrological level was a less influential variable in endoparasitic infrapopulations of the hosts studied. In P. corruscans only three species, S. spinulifera, Nomimoscolex sudobim Woodland, 1934 and Megatnylacus travassosi Pavanelli & Rego, 1992 presented higher mean intensities in the high water period. This fact was also observed in the case of C. pinnai in S. borelli.

Erythrodiplax leticia sp.n. is described based on nine male specimens, most of which collected at Chapada Diamantina, State of Bahia. The new species is close to Erythrodiplax fervida (Erichson, 1848) but differs from it by the size. venation. extension of the basal wing spots. and structure of the superior anal appendages.