RCAAP Repository

The male of Daguerreia inermis Soares & Soares, 1947, a troglophilic harvestman, is described. Distribution records are given for caves of the Speleological Province of Vale do Ribeira and two non carbonatic areas (Telêmaco Borba and Arapoti, Paraná), in southeastern Brazil. The population of the Gruta da Lancinha (Paraná, Brazil) was studied from October 1988 to February 1989. The population size was estimated, by Fisher Ford's method, between 158-610 individuals. The sex ratio observed was 1:1.

A new genus and species of harvestman, landumoema uai, is described based on material from Gruta Olhos d'Água, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Its troglomorphisms include depigmentation on body, legs and eyes. It is the third troglobitic species of harvestman recorded from Brazilian caves and the second in the family Gonyleptidae.

The males of Wagneriana roraima Levi, 1991 and W. yacuma Levi, 1991 are described and illustrated for the first time.

Based on the analysis of types, Lepidanthrax brachialis (Thomson, 1869) and L. quinquepunclatus (Thomson, 1869) are considered junior synonyms of L. tinctus (Thomson, 1869). Notes and illustrations of the type are presented.

The studied species were Arctocephalus australis (Zimmermann, 1783) and Arctocephalus tropicalis (Gray, 1872), (five specimens of each one). Anomalies were discussed under the light of theories which relate the ancestry of pinnipeds with the Ursidae; as well as concerning the evolutionary trends supposed for the Otariidae. Pathologies were related to alimentary and reproductive habits.

Notes and keys to the species of Ischnoleomimus Breuning 1940; Malthonea Thomson, 1864 and Mimasyngenes Breuning, 1950 are given. Parablabia Breuning, 1959 is considered a synonym of Malthonea Thomson, 1864, and the following new combinations are made: M. guttata (Kirsch, 1889), comb n. and M. ruficornis Belon, 1903, both transferred from Parablabia. New taxa described: Ischnolea piim sp.n. (Bolívia); lschnoleomimus fovealus sp.n. (Bolívia); Malthonea cumbica sp.n. (Venezuela); Cicuiara gen.n., types pecies Exocentrus striatus Bates, 1866; E. nitidulus Bates, 1866 is transferred to Cicuiara; Mimasyngenes quiuira sp.n. (Brazil, São Paulo); M. icuapara sp.n. (Brasil, São Paulo; Argentina, Misiones); M. ytu sp.n. (Brazil, Minas Gerais and São Paulo). Additional records are provided for; lschnoleomimus excavatus Breuning, 1940; Malthonea guttata (Kirsch, 1889): M. ruficornis Belon, 1903; Cicuiara striata (Bates, 1866); Mimasyngenes lineatipennis Breuning, 1950 and M. inlineatus Breuning, 1956.

In the present study we estimed the longevity and reproductive potential of Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius, 1775), in different densities of grouped pairs, as a function of time of collection. The study was divided into two phases and conducted in an incubator regulated at 27oC, 65±10% RH and 14 hours photoperiod. Forty and 20 pairs/replication were used, corresponding to the third and fourth generation originating from a laboratory colony. Egg masses were collected at 8:00 and 17:00 hours daily. The results obtained were influenced by the variables established. The ovipositing peak occurred 20 days after the emergence of females belonging to the third generation. This peak occurred earlier in fourth generation females, i.e., 11 days after imago emergence. These peaks corresponded to a total of 0,30 and 0,23g of egg masses, respectively. The survival curves for adults were estimated by the Weibull method.

This report deals with the identification of one hundred and seventy-one samples of nematodes recovered from Brazilian birds collected by Lauro Travassos and his staff, between 1921-1960. Aprocta travassossi Caballero, 1938, Aprocta sp., Baruscapillaria appendiculata (Freitas, 1933) Moravec, 1982, Contracaecum plagiaticium Lent & Freitas, 1948, C. spiculigerum (Rudolphi, 1809) Railliet & Henry, 1912, Contracaecum sp., Cyrnea (C.) semilunaris (Molin, 1860) Seurat, 1914, Oxyspirura sp., Paronchocerca ibanezi (Freitas, Vicente & Pinto, 1970) Anderson &. Bain, 1976, Porrocaecum sp., Procyrnea sp., Skrjabinura spiralis Gnédina, 1933, Subulura acutissima Molin, 1860, S. bentocruzi Barreto, 1919, S. travassossi Barreto, 1919, Subulura sp. and Tetrameres sp. were studied. Contracaecum spiculigerum and Aprocta travassossi are redescribed and referred for the first time in South America. New host records were established for most of the species.

An inventory of the fauna of lizards was made in the dunes of Natal (Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil) and in the "restingas" (sandbanks with its associated vegetation) of Ponta de Campina (Cabedelo, Paraíba, Brazil) from October/84 to March/86. The objective was to know the composition and structure of these communities as well as to evaluate the zoogeographical importance of the spots. The samples were collected and the observations were made along of transects which were established to enable the sampling of the habitats under study in both areas. Each transect was crossed one day per month, during 14 months. The collect of lizards was made manually or through the use of a small gun, calibre 22, with ammunition of the type mustard lead. Observations were made on the habitats utilized by the species (open areas or forests) and on the species distribution by microhabitat. The fauna of lizards in the area under study is formed by species ecologically connected with open formations and also by species of the Atlantic Rain Forest. The majority of the species collected in the open areas is part of the fauna of the great diagonal of open formations which come from the Northeast of Argentina and go up to the state of Maranhão. There is, however, a great influence of the caatinga fauna, specially in the dunes of Natal. The species found in the forest of the dunes, in spite of being part of the Atlantic Forest, are morphologically differentiated. Gymnodactylus darwinii (Gray, 1845) and G. geckoides Spix, 1825 are sympatrics, but not syntopics, in the dunes of Natal.

Calyozina dilatata sp.n., from northern Brazil is described and illustrated. This species is recognized by having the fifth foretarsomere dilated. With six scanning micrografies.

Oviposition response of Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) to variation in host plant availability, Passiflora suberosa Linnaeus (Passifloraceae), and to presence of conspecific eggs and larvae was determined through choice experiments performed under insectary conditions. Freeze dried, painted eggs and larvae were used as mimics for testing presence of conspecific effects. Females laid more eggs on intact P. suberosa shoots without conspecifics than on those with H. erato phyllis egg and first instar mimics in both simultaneous and sequential choice trials. Oviposition response to variation in host plant availability was determined through no-choice trials, under host plant densities varying from 0.3 to 8.3 plants per female. Number of eggs laid per plant decreased exponentially with an increase in plant availability. On the contrary, daily oviposition rates (eggs /female/day) increased with an increase in plant number, and levelled off when the number of plants available for oviposition was greater than potential fecundity of females. Thus, it is inferred from the results that females assess egg and larval load and prefer to lay eggs on shoots free from conspecifics. It is also inferred that they are able to recognize plant abundance and are unwilling to lay more than one egg per shoot even when host availability is scarce, as judged by reduction in daily oviposition rates under low host plant number. The consequences of laying isolated eggs on P. suberosa shoots are discussed from the viewpoint of intraspecific competition in the larval stage of H. erato phyllis.

Oviposition site selection of Heliconius erato phyllis (Fabricius, 1775) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) was studied when size of and damage on shoots were variable in a natural population of Passiflora suberosa Linnaeus (Passifloraceae), and through sequential and simultaneous choice experiments performed under insectary conditions. Females showed marked oviposition preference for undamaged and largest shoots of P. suberosa. Eggs were mostly laid on the terminal buds of intact shoots under natural conditions. In simultaneous choice trials, females preferred to oviposit on shoots from which leaves (ten) were removed but the terminal bud maintained to those where leaves were kept but the terminal bud was cut out. In sequential choice trials, they did not lay eggs on shoots from which the terminal bud was removed. Females preferred to oviposit on large to short intact shoots in both sequential and simultaneous choice trials. Females laid eggs preferentially on shoots with the greatest leaf area when most plants were intact in the field during early spring. Later in fall, when mostly large, old shoots were damaged or in a reproductive stage (less desirable for oviposition), oviposition intensity was highest on the shortest, youngest shoots of P. suberosa. Thus, females might rank these quality attributes higher than size while selecting shoots for oviposition. The consequences of ovipositing selectively on intact, large shoots of P. suberosa are discussed from the view point of H. erato phyllis larval performance.

The present study compare the size of the corpora pedunculata (mushroom bodies) of Exomalopsis aureopilosa a quasi-social specie and Apis mellifera a eusocial specie of bees. The aim was to correlate the developmental degree of such structures with the behavior complexity. The results show that the female specimens of both species have the corpora pedunculata with same relative size. However the area occupied by the neurones cellular bodies (glomeruli) is greater in the workers of A. mellifera. In other way in E. aureopilosa the total size of the corpora pedunculata is larger in females, but the glomeruli area is relatively larger in the male.

Scoposcartula tobiasi sp.n. is described from the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The previously unknown female of Scoposcartula flavovittata Mejdalani, 1992 is described from the state of Rio de Janeiro. Tettigonia concinna Perty, 1833 is transferred to Scoposcartula Young, 1977 based on a male from the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil.

Fourteen species of Umbonia are presented with descriptions, illustrations, and a key for Identification. The following nomenclatural changes are introduced: Umbonia articularia Buckton, 1901, sp. reval.; Umbonia pyramidalis Fairmaire, 1846, sp. reval.; Umbonia lativitta Walker, 1851, sp. reval. = U. erecta Goding, 1920, syn.n.; Umbonia crassicornis (Amyot & Serville, 1843) = U. ermanni Griffini, 1895, syn.n. = U octolineata Goding, 1930, syn.n.; Umbonia spinosa (Fabricius, 1775) = U. reducta Walker, 1851, syn.n. = U. terribilis Walker, 1858, syn.n. = U. rectispina Stål, 1869, syn.n. = U. immaculata Funkhouser, 1943, syn.n.. Umbonia struempeli sp.n. (from Brazil); Umbonia formosa sp.n. (from Bolivia) and Umbonia richteri sp.n. (from Colombia).

The genus Microschema Stål, 1869 (type species: Hoplophora straminicolor Stål, 1862) is here reinstated and redescribed. Micropepla Sakakibara, 1979 is considered its new synonym. Microschema straminicolor (Stål, 1862), comb.n. is also redescribed and illustrated; Micropepla mourei Sakakibara, 1979, is a new synonym. The holotype of Hoplophora straminicolor Stål (in the Museum of Stockholm) was mislabelled. The correction is here made and the true type specimen duly labelled as Holotype.

Fifteen species of Potnia Stål, 1866 are presented with descriptions, illustrations and a key for identification. The following nomenclatural changes are introduced: P. knightae sp.n. (from Guiana), P. miracyae sp.n. (from Costa Rica), P. diringshofeni sp.n. (from Brasil), P. webbi sp.n. (from Brazil), P. turrialbensis sp.n. (from Costa Rica), P. pinheiroi sp.n. (from Brazil), P. tapuruquarensis sp.n. (from Brasil), P. cornigera sp.n. (from Brazil) and P. inca sp.n. (from Peru). Potnia venosa (Germar, 1821) = Aconophora nigrivittata Walker, 1851, syn.n. = Potnia perobtusa Fowler, 1894, syn.n.. Potnia brevicornis Fowler, 1894, sp. reval. = Potnia brunneifrontis Funkhouser, 1943, syn.n. = Potnia maculata Funkhouser, 1943, syn.n.. Potnia jacula (Fabricius, 1803) = Potnia orthosoma Fonseca & Diringshofen, 1974, syn.n.

Mosquitoes ecological features were studied in a preserved forest - Capão da Imbuia - placed in the urban area of Curitiba City, Paraná, Brasil. In this research were noted immature forms in artificial recipients made by different materiais. Five species were found in this recipients: Culex (Culex) acharistus Root, 1927, Culex (Culex) group coronator Dyar & Kanb, 1906, Culex (Culex) eduardoi Casal & Garcia, 1968, Culex (Culex) quinquefasciatus Say, 1823 and Toxorhynchites (Lynchiella) theobaldi (Dyar & Kanb, 1906). It's very important to know the mosquitoes that in urban area due they carry human desease agents by some species.

This communication deals with the sexual colour patterns in the sandperch Pseudopercis numida Ribeiro, 1903, a benthonic fish of commercial importance, endemic to the Brazilian continental shelf, occurring off the coasts from Espírito Santo to Rio Grande do Sul States. The males have the head, the dorsal part of the body, and the pectoral and caudal fins blackishes, whereas the females have them brown-yellowishes. Such patterns are constant characters, not related to maturity or breeding seasons.

The first juvenil stage of Aegla prado Schimitt, 1942 is described and illustrated. The species A. prado showed a direct development, without the swimming free larval form. The most important appendages of the first juvenile stage were analysed: first and second antenna, mandible, first, second and third maxillipeds, first and fifth pereopods, telson and uropods. Setal formula for the first stage and setae characteristics are presented.