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The tribe Acutalini Fowler is redescribed as well as the genera Acutalis Fairmaire, Euritea Stål, and Thrasymedes Kirkaldy. The following new taxa and nomenclatural changes are presented: Thrasymedes mexicana sp.n. (from Mexico, Oaxaca); Bordonia gen.n., with B. venezuelana sp.n. (type-species) (from Venezuela, Portachuelo), B. clypeata sp.n. (from Colombia, Cuesta Boba), B. majuscula sp.n. (from Venezuela, Portachuelo), and Cornutalis gen.n., with C. cauca sp.n. (type-species) (from Colombia, Cauca), and C. validu sp.n. (from Ecuador, Sto. Domingo). Acutalis fusconervosa Fairmaire, 1846 = Horiola venosa Walker, 1858, syn.n.; Euritea munda (Walker, 1858) = Stictolobus nitidus Funkhouser, 1940, syn.n.; Bordonia nigricosta (Goding, 1926), comb.n.; Bordonia virescens (Funkhouser, 1940), comb.n.. One species is transferred to Smiliinae-Ceresini: Tapinolobus curvispina (Walker, 1858), comb.n. (formerly in Thrasymedes) = Tapinolobus fasciatus Sakakibara, 1969, syn.n.; another one is transferred to Darninae-Cymbomorphini: Eumela darnioides (Walker, 1858), comb.n. (formerly in Euritea).

The morphological stages of the Kalliapseudes schubarti Mañe-Garzon, 1949 females were easily determinated and they were similar, but the male stages show distint forms probably due to the ambient stimuli. The description of the male stages demonstrate that K. gianucai (Bacescu, 1979) is another male stage of K. schubarti, probably a secondary copulatory stage. The morphology and development of the ovary is related both with the maturity and with the morphological modifications of females stages.

Phaonia boliviana sp.n., Phaonia equatorialis sp.n., Phaonia punoensis sp.n., Phaonia quercus sp.n. and Phaonia soratiensis sp.n. from Neotropical Region are described and illustrated.

Observations of the developmental biology of Loxosceles gaucho Gertsch, 1967, the brown spider of southeastern Brazil are scarce. The present study reports the method of individualized rearing of 18 populations of L. gaucho, kept in laboratory under varied diet conditions, and characterizes their nympho-imaginal period as well as factors related to their reproduction. Females built the first egg sac about 20 days after copulation and nymphs hatched 40 days after the laying date. Average offspring was 61.3 spiderlings and females usually built three to four successive egg sacs in a period of five to seven months. First nymphs initiated their predatory activity between the 5th and 8th days after hatching and the majority reached adulthood within six moults (range of five to eight) in approximately 15 to 17 months (male) and 15.5 to 18 months (female). The average sex ratio equaled 1.0:1.7 (male:female). The wide individual variability of this species intermoult intervals is herewith expressed by the "intermoult rate", which was fairly uniform for both intra and interpopulations and gives a relevant aspect for a general idea of the life cycles of spiders.

From October 1994 to November 1995 the behaviour, postures and diurnal activity of tive captive squirrels Sciurus ingrami were observed and registered. Four basics postures, five grooming behaviours, displacements and face wiping behaviour were identified. Based on behavioural observations, the diurnal activity was divided into four categories: resting, displacement, teeding and maintenance. The time spent in each category varied seasonally and the squirrels spent more time resting during winter and spring. However, more time was spent feeding during autum and summer and was reduced the displacement in autum. Two types of breeding behaviour were identified: sexual trailing and mating chase of females by males. However copulatori behaviour was not recorded during the studied period. We also verified that S. ingrami presents thermorregulation behaviour during winter, remaining resting in the nest to conserve energy in heath maintenance. During the hottest seasons, the squirrels remain resting out of the nest, placed on the branchs to decrease their body heat to normal temperature, The behaviours observed in this study were similar to those described in the literature, as well as the mating behaviour, which was very similar to S. carolinensis.

Five species of Brontaea Kowarz (=Gymnodia Robineau-Desvoidy, preocc.) occur in the New World. B. humilis (Zetterstedt) has been introduced from Europe and is known from a few localities in eastern and Pacific coast Canada and USA. B. normata (Bigot) is an endemic Neotropical species. The other species, B. debilis (Williston), B. quadristigma (Thomson) (=cilifera Malloch, syn.nov.) and B. delecta (Wulp) (=arcuata Stein) occur throughout warm and temperate areas of the Americas. They are common filth flies, and are frequently collected in faeces-baited traps. Brontaea is probably a polyphyletic genus. The species discussed here appear to be correctly placed in the subfamily Mydaeinae. An identification key. descriptions, illustrations and geographic distribution are given for all five species.

Eight geographical areas, considered as representative of the different natural environments still existing in the state of Paraná, in Southern Brazil, were selected for the collection of insects. This data is part of the "Survey of the Entomological Fauna in Paraná State" (henceforth profaupar). These areas were continually sampled using a Malaise trap (Townes' 1972 model) throughout a single year (52 weeks) from August, 1986, until July 1987. The Coleoptera obtained has been sorted at family level and analyzed. The highest family variety and abundance were observed at Jundiaí do Sul and Ponta Grossa, and the greatest eveness at Jundiaí do Sul and Telêmaco Borba. A study ou phytophagous/non phytophagous families relations made possible a first approach about the vegetation condition in the sites. The following methods were used to analyse the data: Ecological Indices (Alpha Diversity) and Clustering and Ordination Analysis (Beta Diversity).

No summary/description provided

Flacopimpla was described with one species, F. varelae by Gauld (1991) from Costa Rica (only females, Guanacaste National Park). This genus is recorded for the first time in Brazil and a new species, F. sulina, is described and the distribution in southeast and south of Brazil is mapped (Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte; Paraná: Telêmaco Borba, Ponta Grossa, Curitiba, Colombo, Antonina).

The ultrastructure of spermatozoa of the Protothaca pectorina (Lamarck, 1818) is described. The most significam differences were found in the structure and arreangement of the acrosomes, with contains two types of material, one fibrilar, the other electrondense granular. It is concluded that sperm ultrastructure is of the primitive type.

Feeding behavior of the larvae's prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii De Man, 1879, in each stage of development was studied face alArtemia Linnaeus, 1758 nauplii, dry and wet diets. Groups of ten larvae in each stage were placed in 500 ml beakers at 29ºC in filtered brackish water. After the fasting period of acclimatization, the three types of food were offered separately to the larvae and the feeding behavior was observed during 30 min. Feeding perception, capture, grasp and ingestion of food were used to determine feeding pattern. Stage I lawac do not eat. The feeding behavior of larvae was similar on the stages II - XI. The perception in distance does not occur in most individuais; the feeding process generally started with the physrcal contact of food with the animal. Food is captured by thoracic appendages (maxillipeds until stage III, and maxillipeds + pereopods in stages IV - XI) and particles are grasped and handled by maxillipeds. Inopposition at the capture, the ingestion is a seletive process. Selective responses decrease in later stages and larvae become omnivorous in greater degree.

Experiments concerning oviposition preference were carried out on Ceratitis capitata to determine whether females are able to preferentially oviposit on natural hosts in which the larvae develop better. The results indicated that the females do not preferentially oviposit on hosts of better nutritive value for the larvae.

Ovigerous females of Pachygrapsus transversus (Gibbes, 1850) were collected on the Praia Dura and Saco da Ribeira beaches, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil. Larvae were individually reared in a climatic room at 25ºC temperature, salinities of 28, 32 and 35‰ and under natural photoperiod conditions. The best rearing results were observed at 35%o salinity. Seven zoeal instars were observed, drawing and described in detail. The data are compared with those obtained for P. gracilis (Saussure, 1858).

The Hymenoptera fauna associated to Solanum gilo was studied. There were 21 species of Hymenoptera from eight families. It was observed Homalotylus flaminus (Dalman, 1820) (Encyrtidae) parasiting the adults of Cycloneda sanguinea Linnaeus, 1763 (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) and Chalcididae parasiting caterpillars of Mechanitis pofymnia casabranca Haensch, 1905 (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Ithomiinae, Sthomiinae). Vespidae were observed preying both M. pofymnia casabranca and Diabrotica speciosa Germar, 1824 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) adults. Halictidae, Andrenidae and Anthophoridae, were observed visiting flowers and Trigona spinipes (Fabricius, 1793) (Apidae) attacking fruits and stem ápices. The most abundant Hymenoptera were Formicidae; Cremalogaster sp. and Camponotus rufipes (Fabricus, 1775) were observed in protocooperation relation with Homoptera, the main cause of plant mortality was Solenopsis saevissima (Smith, 1855). Higher population density of Formicidae occurred on the final phase of cultivation, when there were high insolation and temperature and low pluvial precipitations.

This paper reports the results concerning collection of Euglossinae bees in a mangrove ecosystem in Valença(13º22'08"S and 39º04'20"W), Bahia. These samples were made twice a month, for a year. The chemical baits Citronella, Eucalyptol, Eugenol, Metyl Salicylate and Vanillin attracted 1,144 specimens distributed among twelve species and two genera: Eulaema (Lepeletier, 1841) and Euglossa (Latreille, 1802). The predominam bee species was Eulaema nigrita (Lepeletier, 1841) consisting of 49.4% of the collected specimens, followed by Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus, 1758) with 44.88%, Euglossa imperialis (Cockerell, 1922) with 2.4% and Eulaema meriana flavescens (Friese, 1899) with 1.6%. Theothers species, considering sporadic visitors, Euglossa securigera (Dressler, 1982), Euglossa chalybeata (Friese, 1925), Euglossa liopoda (Dressler, 1982), Euglossa gaianii (Dressler, 1982), Euglossa townsendi (Cockerell, 1904), Euglossa truncata (Rebelo & Moure, 1995), Euglossa melanotricha (Moure, 1967) and Euglossa sapphirina (Moure, 1968) represented together only 1.8% of the total sample. The Euglossinae were more active from October to May. Eucalyptol was the most attractive bait, attracting 1,120 specimens. Methyl Salicylate attracted 17 specimens, followed by Eugenol, which attracted 04 specimens and Vanillin, which attracted 03 specimens. Citronella was not an attractive chemical.

Morphometric data on larval and adult specimens of Angiostrongylus (Parastrongylus) costaricensis Morera & Céspedes, 1971 recovered from Swiss albino mice experimentally infected is presented. Infective larvae were obtained from parasitized veronicellid Sarasinula margínala (Semper, 1885) maintained in the laboratory. This is the first complete morphometric study regarding specimens of a Brazilian strain of A. (P.) costaricensis.

Five genera of marine fishes are recognized in the family Pinguipedidae: Pinguipes, Prolatilus, Pseudopercis, Paraperci and Kochichlhys, the first three being endemic to South America. The following South American pinguipedid species are considered valid: Pinguipes brasilianus, Pinguipes chilensis, Prolatilus jugularis, Pseudopercis numida, Pseudopercis semifasciata and Parapercis dockinski. Lecto-types are designated for Pinguipes brasilianus, Pinguipes chilensis and Prolatilus jugularis.

Relationships among some abiotic factors (temperature, velocity, flow, conductivity, oxy-reduction potential and pH) and the seazonal density of benthic insects (immature forms) of the orders Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera at the Parque Ecológico de Goiânia, Goiás are studied. An area of 1m² was sampled and abiotic factors were recorded in 4 sites from August/1994 to July/1995. The faunistic composition was 75% Ephemeroptera, 1% Plecoptera and 24% Trichoptera. The data suggest the water velocity and flow as the main factors that determined the aquatic insects abundance.

The anatomy of Anodontiies elongatus (Swainson, 1823), a rare species restricted to the Amazon and Parana Basins, is described by first time, showing a group of conchological and anatomical characters exclusive of this species that may be analyzed to identify it. Diagnosis of A. elongatus: shell long antero-posteriorly, umbones prominent, periostracum opaque and smooth, two posterior radial striae; middle fold of mantle edge veiy tall; gill long antero-posteriorly and short dorso-ventrally, extending about a half of it total length beyond visceral mass; palps proportionally small, several furrows in its outer surface; stomach without esophageal transversal ridjp, dorsal hood and gastric shield poorly developed, major typhlosole entering in ddd , posterior pouch of sa³ very-long; style sac reduced, without crystalline style; distal region of intestine and rectum with a well developed typhlosole, "T" in section, other intestinal regions without folds; gonad gonochoristic.

Fifteen species of Aguna Williams, 1927 (Hesperiidae: Pyrginae) are known from near Cacaulàndia in central Rondônia, Brazil; nine represent undescribed species. These nine, plus four additional new species discovered among material from other areas, are named and described: Aguna latifascia, Aguna coeloides, Aguna nicolayi, Aguna latimacula, Aguna penicillata, Aguna spicata, Aguna longicauda, Aguna panama, Aguna spatulala, Aguna similis, Aguna mesodenlala, Aguna squamalba, Aguna parva. The species of Aguna are placed into ten species groups based upon the characters of the male and female genitalia. These groups are described and their included species are discussed. Aguna williamsi Hayward, 1935, new synonymy is considered synonymous with Eudamus glaphyrus Mabille, 1888, revised status. Goniurus hypozonius Plötz, 1880, new status is considered a subspecies of Eudamus aurunce Hewitson, 1867. Neotypes are designated for Goniurus cholus Plötz, 1880, Papilio coelus Stoll, [1781], Goniurus gideon Plötz, 1880, and Goniurus hypozonius Plötz, 1880. Lectotypes are designated for Eudamus asander Hewitson, 1867, Eudamus panthius Herrich-Schäffer, 1869, Eudamus scheha Plötz, 1882, Eudamus mega-clesMabille, 1888, Eudamus leucogramma Mabille, 1888, Hesperia metophis Latreille, [1824], Eudamus aurunce Hewitson, 1867, and Eudamus glaphyrus Mabille, 1888. Preliminary identification keys are provided.