RCAAP Repository

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 & Muma, 1970, Lorryia formosa, Pronematus sp., and diapause females of Tenuipalponychus tabebuiae Aguilar, Flechtmann & 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 & 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 & 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.

Studies were carried out to assess the macrozooplankton small-scale temporal and spatial variability at three stations in three hours intervals, during 24 hours in July 1996 (rainy season) and December 1996 (dry season). A plankton net 300µm mesh size was hauled at surface during three minutes. Water samples for salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH were taken simultaneously with the zooplankton samples. Sixty-five macrozooplankton taxa were registered. Copepoda constituted the most common taxon and comprised 58% of the total zooplankton counts. Brachyuran zoeae, cirripedian larvae, Larvacea (Oikopleura dioica Fol, 1872), and Gastropoda veligers were abundant at some tidal cycles, mainly during the night. Species diversity average was 2.0 bits.ind-1. The mean density ranged from 23 ind.m-3 to 5,201 ind.m-3. The rainy season presented greater numerical abundance. A regular temporal zooplankton cycle was not observed. Instead, there was a large stochastic variation between samples.

The last larval instar and the cocoon of Trypoxylon (Trypoxylon) maidli Richards, 1934 are described. This larva is apparently indistinguishable from that of T. clavicerum exiguum Tsuneki, 1956. They can be distinguished from larvae of other species in the subgenus by the following features: integument of body smooth, sensilla on both sensorial area and labrum, and distinct parietal bands. Notes on nesting site and preys from one nest are presented. Eurycoma insigne (Millidge, 1991) (Linyphiidae) and Argiope argentata (Fabricius, 1775) (Araneidae) are reported as preys.

Thousands of shorebirds and seabirds use the Atlantic route through the northeastern coast of Brazil every year to migrate to South America. In this study was made a census of individuals that uses the Coroa do Avião (7º40'S and 34º50"W), an islet located on the south bar of the Santa Cruz channel on the north coast of Pernambuco state, from May 1993 throughout April 1995 and from August 1996 throughout July 1997. Four species of the family Charadriidae, seven species of the family Scolopacidae, and two species of the family Laridae was observed. The populational peaks match both the period of arrival to the winter season site and the period of departure to the reproduction site. The species considered very frequent were: Charadrius semipalmatus Bonaparte, 1825 and Calidris alba (Pallas, 1764). All the other species were considered rather frequent. There was a strong linear correlation between 1993 and 1994 among Pluvialis squatarola (Linnaeus, 1758) and Arenaria interpres (Linnaeus, 1758); A. interpres and Calidris pusilla (Linnaues, 1766); A. interpres and C. alba; and C. pusilla and C. alba. From 1994 to April 1995 it occured between P. squatarola and C. alba; C. semipalmatus and C. pusilla; C. semipalmatus and C. pusilla; and A. interpres and C. pusilla. From August 1996 throughout July 1997 there was correlation only between P. squatarola and C. pusilla. The obtained results demonstrate the great importance of the Coroa do Avião as a winter season site.

This study was designed to identify important food resource plants used by bee species in a Caatinga area, as well as describe the local patterns of floral use by bees. A total of 1,145 foraging bees, belonging to 60 species, were captured while visiting 50 plant species. Melochia tomentosa L., Sida galheirensis Ulbr., Erythroxylon catingae P. Cowan, and Ziziphus cotinifolia Reiss. were the most frequently visited plants. Melochia tomentosa, Solanum paniculatum L. and S. galheirensis were visited by larger number of bee species. Some oligolectic bees were identified. Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 and Trigona spinipes (Fabricius, 1793) had the largest trophic niche breadth (2.71 and 2.31). The trophic niche overlap was highest (0.52) between Xylocopa grisescens Lepeletier, 1841 and Frieseomelitta silvestrii (Friese, 1902). The low trophic niche overlap between Apis mellifera and native stingless bees seems to be the result of intensive exploration of only a few flower sources by Africanized bees, not frequently visited by meliponids.

The standard length of 7610 specimens of 43 species from eight streams of rio Tibagi basin was obtained in order to analyze the means of fish sizes. The higher mean size was observed in Gymnotus carapo Linnaeus, 1758 (165,5 mm) and the smaller, in Phalloceros caudimaculatus (Hensel, 1868) (16,25 mm). Some fish like Acestrorhynchus lacustris (Reinhardt, 1874), Leporinus obtusidens (Valenciennes, 1836), Gymnotus carapo Linneus, 1758 and Synbranchus marmoratus Bloch, 1795 can reach big or medium size when adults but were collected only young, evidencing they use some streams in beginning of life. The mean size of total species was 49,81mm, what shows the small size composition of fishes in the streams. The Kolmogov-Smirnov test comparing the mean size of all streams showed significant similar size both in upstream and downstream regions, independent to the different environmental conditions.

Based on material collected by P. Jauffert in Pará and by L. Ianuzzi in Alagoas and Sergipe, four new species are described: Temnopis fasciata sp. nov. (Oemini) and Dihammaphoroides jaufferti sp. nov. (Cleomenini) from Pará. This species breads in branches of Pseudopiptadenia suaveolens (Miq.) J. W. Grimes, Fabaceae. Adetus tuberosus sp. nov. (Apomecynini) and Mimasyngenes lucianae sp. nov. (Desmiphorini) from Alagoas. New records and notes are provided for Neocompsa serrana (Martins, 1962) and Rhopalophora occipitalis Chevrolat, 1859.

Micropsalis Burmeister, 1861 (Prioninae) is preoccupied by Micropsalis Meyer, 1859 (Crustacea). Thus, Apterocaulus Fairmaire, 1864, currently synonym of Micropsalis Burmeister, is reinstated. A historical review about Apterocaulus and Micropsalis Burmeister is added. Microcometes Villiers, 1959 (Disteniinae) is a junior homonym of Microcometes Cienkowsky, 1875 (Protozoa), and Villiersicometes is proposed to replace it.

The objective of this study was to investigate feather mites on birds of the Family Emberizidae, to collect data on the ecological ectoparasite-host relationship and infestation level. A sum of 94 birds of 9 species was captured at the Refúgio Ecológico Charles Darwin, Igarassú, Pernambuco, Brazil, from August 1996 to July 1997. Five genera of mites from the superfamily Analgoidea were identified: Analges Nitzsch, 1818; Mesalgoides Gaud & Atyeo, 1967; Pterodectes Robin, 1877; Proctophyllodes Robin, 1877 and Trouessartia Canestrini, 1899. Among the 94 birds examined, 92 (97,87%) were infested. Regarding the prevalence, it was observed that the genera with higher percentage were, respectively, Pterodectes (88,04%), Proctophyllodes (56,52%) and Trouessartia (45,65%).

Relative growth of the male major chela and female abdome was studied in a population of the fiddler crab Uca leptodactyla Rathbun, 1898 from Itapoá, Santa Catarina coast, southern Brazil. Major chela length (CMQ) was measured from 191 males, and abdomen width (LAB) from 128 females. Carapace width (LC) was the reference dimension for both sexes, which ranged from 3.9 to 11.5 mm for males, and from 3.15 to 10.65 mm for females. Males grew bigger than females. Relationship between CMQ and LC showed a transition point at 8.35 mm LC in males, and between LA and LC at 7.10 mm LC in females. Growth was allometrically positive in the early ontogenesis and isometric after the puberal molting for both sexes. Regressions between LC and CMQ in males read as: logCMQ = -0,854536 + 2,19. logLC for empirical points at left of critical point and logCMQ = 0,063047 + 1,24. logLC for those at right. In females, this relation was logLAB = -0,603590 + 1,30. logLC and logLAB = -0,361464 + 1,07. logLC, respectively. These body dimensions were connected with reproductive activity of this species.