RCAAP Repository

Exocrine glands play important role in social organization of insects, such as caste and inter-caste differentiation. Due their functional and structural plasticity, morphological studies on such glands contribute to better understanding the biology of social bees. Therefore, the aim of the study was to characterize the sequence of the post-embryonic development of intramandibular glands of Friesella schrottkyi (Friese, 1900) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) workers using histological and histochemical analyses. The mandibles of pupae at different developmental stages and newly emerged adults were analyzed. The intramandibular glands of F. schrottkyi presented two types: class I glands, in the mandible epidermis and class III glands, inside the mandible cavity that open onto external surface. The intramandibular glands of F. schrottkyi developed during the transition from the prepupae to the white-eyed pupae, as shown by the morphological changes. Black-eyed pupae of F. schrottkyi presented fully developed intramandibular glands.

In this study we perform an inventory of the insect galls in savanna and forest sites of Hidrolândia, Goiás, Brazil. We found 150 insect gall morphotypes, distributed on 39 botanical families and 104 plant species. Among the insect galls, 81 gall morphotypes were recorded in the savanna site and 73 in the forest site. The plant taxa richest in insect galls were the family Fabaceae with 22 gall morphotypes, the genus Bauhinia (Fabaceae) with 15, and the species Siparuna guianensis (Siparunaceae) with seven gall morphotypes. We found gall-inducing insects belonging to orders Diptera, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera. The galling insects of family Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) were the most common inducing 48.1% of the gall morphotypes. This is the first systematic survey of insect galls realized in the city of Hidrolândia, being this the site with the higher insect gall diversity already cataloged to the Central region of Brazil.

IUCN Red Lists have been a valuable tool to prioritize conservation plans in endemic neotropical frogs. However, many areas in this region are poorly known in terms of their diversity and endemism. Based on examined museum specimens of the threatened species Pristimantis penelopus we revised its geographic distribution and determined the habitat suitability using niche modeling techniques. Using a mitochondrial fragment of COI gene, we determine the phylogenetic position and the extent of the genetic variation across its distribution in Colombia. We present the first records of P. penelopus for the Cordillera Oriental, the western versant of Cordillera Occidental and the northern portion of the Cauca river basin. Based on the molecular phylogenetic analysis, Pristimantis penelopus belongs to the P. ridens series sensu Padial et al. (2014). The mean of intraspecific genetic variation is 2.1% and the variation among population ranges between 2.3 and 3.5%. The genetic distance between the western populations and the Magdalena Valley populations suggests a potential phylogeographic break in northwestern Antioquia. We expand the realized distribution by 258 kilometers north, 200 km east and 223 km northwest. Based on our results and according to the IUCN criteria we propose a new category for the species and highlight the need to increase the surveys in poorly known regions to better understand the geographic distribution and conservation status of listed species.

Two new species of Dasyhelea Kieffer, Dasyhelea jorgei Diaz, Felippe-Bauer & Spinelli sp. nov. and Dasyhelea mineira Diaz, Felippe-Bauer & Spinelli sp. nov. are described, illustrated and photographed from Peru and Brazil respectively, based on male and female adults. These species are typical members of mutabilis species group and are compared with similar species within the group.

The first record of the Neolicaphrium recens Frenguelli, 1921 (Mammalia, Litopterna) from Pleistocene deposits of the Río Dulce, Rio Hondo Department, Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina, is reported. The morphology and morphometry observed in the specimen MPAT073 is coincident with the diagnostic characteristics of that species. This finding represents the northernmost and westernmost record of the species, and thus extends its geographical distribution. Geological data suggest that the material comes from a still unnamed Pleistocene stratigraphic unit.

Streblidae is the family of bloodsucking flies, mostly tropical and subtropical, that are obligate ectoparasites of bats. A high number of these fly species are found in the Atlantic Forest, but there is little information about their quantitative descriptors. In this paper, we describe the prevalence, mean intensity, and infracommunities of streblid bat flies on phyllostomid bats from the Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso, São Paulo state, Brazil. Surveys were conducted from July 1990 to July 1991 in distinct places of the island, with a total of 454 flies of 30 species collected from 132 bats of 15 species. From those, we found 44 host-parasite associations and 31 infracommunities that suffered variations due to accidental associations or contaminations. With our results, the number of Streblidae species increased from 31 to 36 in São Paulo State.

The parasitoid wasps Belytinae (Hymenoptera: Diaprioidea: Diapriidae) recorded thus far in the Atlantic Dense Ombrophilous Forest are reviewed at the supra specific level. The knowledge about the diversity of Belytinae in the Atlantic Forest is relatively poor, although these parasitoids may play a key role in the natural regulation of populations of the Mycetophilidae and Sciaridae (Diptera). The material used in this study comes mostly from standardized collections in 18 regularly spaced sites, from Paraíba to Santa Catarina Brazilian states, between 2000 and 2002, by the project “Richness and diversity of Hymenoptera and Isoptera along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Forest – the eastern Brazilian rain forest” (Biota/SP – FAPESP). At each location ten Malaise traps and a hundred Moericke traps were installed, both along two parallel transects spaced 100 m from each other. Further, a similar effort for the sweeping of vegetation was applied at each locality, being each sweeping sample the result of 5 minutes of sweeping. Traps, and sweeping of vegetation in the summed localities yielded a total of 1,241 Belytinae specimens, of which we recognize 115 morphospecies in eight genera (Aclista, Belyta, Cinetus, Odontopsilus, Scorpioteleia, Lyteba, Tropidopsilus and Camptopsilus). A further belytine genus (Miota), recorded in similar environment, was found at the collection of the Federal University of Espírito Santo and added to the list, totalling nine here keyed genera; for each genus we include a diagnosis, comments and a discussion on its records, distribution and biology; we also provide twenty-two plates with 102 figures (93 photographs and 9 maps).

This work represents the first report of host-parasite associations between flies of the family Streblidae and their host bats in the Colombian Caribbean region. Specimens were collected in a dry tropical forest in the Sucre department. A total of 17 species (eight genera) of Streblidae, as well as 19 species from five bat families were recorded. Strebla mirabilis, Trichobius costalimai, Trichobius parasiticus and Paradyschiria parvuloides were the most abundant ectoparasites. Prevalence of ectoparasites on bat assemblage was 48.57%. In nine bat species, more than one Streblidae species were recorded. Trichobius costalimai had the greatest number of host species. We have found remarkable new associations between Artibeus planirostris and Trichobius costalimai, Lophostoma silvicolum and Strebla mirabilis, as well as Lophostoma silvicolum and Trichobius parasiticus.

Daspletosaurus is a Campanian genus of Tyrannosauridae from North America. This genus occupied the same geographic area of Albertosaurus, but remains of Albertosaurus are more abundant than Daspletosaurus. Here is described a subadult maxilla (AMNH FARB 5477) of Daspletosaurus sp. from Montana (USA) and possibly from the Two Medicine Formation. The description is based on Carr (1999) that described cranial ontogenetic variations in tyrannosaurids. The maxilla belongs to the ontogenetic Stage 3 sensu Carr (1999), in which the maxilla is thick, the lateral surface of the bone well sculptured, and the maxillary fenestra is subcircular and well separated from the anterior edge of antorbital fossa. Possibly there were more than one species of Daspletosaurus and the locality of the here described subadult specimen suggests that Daspletosaurus species occurred more southern than Albertosaurus.

Taxonomic identification of the species involved in the processes of cadaveric decomposition is a fundamental procedure in forensic entomological analysis. Among the species involved in the processes of decay, those of the Calliphoridae family are particularly important because they come to the body in the early stages of decomposition. The aim of this research is to identify six species of Calliphoridae (Calliphora nigribasis, Calliphora vicina, Compsomyopsis verena, Sarconesiopsis magellanica, Chrysomia albiceps and Roraimomusca roraima) with forensic interest found in Bogotá. For that, sequences of 599 bp from mitochondrial gene COII wereas obtained. The identification was made by analysis of genetic distances under Jukes-Cantor model. The results showed levels of interspecific distances greater than 3.7%, while intraspecifics levels does not exceed 2.3%. The genetic distances obtained were used to construct a phenogram under the Maximum Likelihood model and the topology of that tree agrees with the current taxonomic organization for the family Calliphoridae family.

The present catalogue lists type specimens of Chrysidoidea deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo (MZSP). The Chrysidoidea collection includes a total of 75 holotypes, 791 paratypes, 2 lectotypes, 1 paralectotype and 5 syntypes of 97 nominal species. All information contained in the labels was compiled and is presented along with additional data taken from the original descriptions, MZSP records and other sources. We present also links to high resolution photographs of holotypes, lectotypes and syntypes uploaded to the Specimage, image database of the Ohio State University.

In the present paper we investigated the insect gall distribution along savanna and forest sites in the Floresta Nacional de Silvânia, Goiás, Brazil. The insect gall fauna was surveyed bi-monthly between December 2009 and June 2010. In total we found 186 insect gall morphotypes, distributed on 35 botanical families and 61 plant species. Ninety-nine insect gall morphotypes were recorded in the forest and 87 in the savanna. Gall-inducing insects belonged to Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Lepidoptera and Thysanoptera, with highlight to Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) that induced 34.1% of the gall morphotypes. Parasitoids and/or inquilines were recorded in 38 morphotypes, mainly from the families Eulophidae, Eurytomidae and Torymidae (Hymenoptera). Fabaceae was the botanical family with the greatest richness of galls, followed by Asteraceae and Sapindaceae, being Protium (Burseraceae), Siparuna (Siparunaceae) and Serjania (Sapindaceae) the main host genera. This is the first systematic survey of insect galls realized in the Flona-Silvânia, which result in six plant species are recorded for the first time in Brazil as host of insect galls.

The amphibian fauna of the state of Rio de Janeiro, in southeatern Brazil, is characterized by high species richness and rates of endemism, and is still insufficiently known. A first list of amphibian species with occurrence in the state was published in 2004 and reported 166 taxa, but since then many new records, descriptions of new taxa, and revalidations and synonymizations of species have consistently improved the knowledge about the state’s amphibian biodiversity. Thus, a review and update of that list was deemed necessary. We herein present an updated and commented list of amphibian species occurring in the state of Rio de Janeiro based on a survey of the literature. We recorded the occurrence of a total of 201 species of amphibians (197 anurans and four caecilians) in Rio de Janeiro, with 54 of them (ca. 27%) considered to be endemic of the state. Our study presents an increase in species richness of 21% since the publication of the previous list, indicating a consistent advance in knowledge of the composition of the amphibian fauna in the state. In spite of its relatively small territorial extension (total area ca. 43,800 km²), the state of Rio de Janeiro contains nearly 20% of the amphibian species known to occur in Brazil and around 40% of those occurring in the Atlantic Forest biome. Thus, that state constitutes an important reservoir of amphibian biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest biome and in Brazil, as a whole.

Helicina variabilis Wagner, 1827 (Neritimorpha, Helicinidae) is redescribed based on a sample collected in Nanuque, northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The species description, previously based only on the shell, is expanded to the phenotypic features. The study revealed absorption of the internal shell whorls; a diaphragm muscle connected to the floor of the pallial cavity; a monoaulic pallial oviduct, with the female genital aperture inside the anal aperture, and the lack of a seminal receptacle and provaginal sac; and the pleural ganglia of the nerve ring connected with each other. The significance of these findings is discussed in the light of current taxonomic and phylogenetic knowledge.

Herein, we present the first record of the nymph of Nanomis rasmusseni Chacón, Pescador & Segnini, 2013, from two biogeographic regions in Colombia. This species was originally described for the Venezuelan Andes. Both Colombian and Venezuelan populations occur at high elevations, in streams with similar altitudes. We also found that both populations can be distinguished from each other by the terga II, VII, and IX coloration, in addition to the branching pattern of the abdominal gills.

We describe a small frog of the genus Pristimantis inhabiting bromeliads (snout-vent length 20.3‑23.3 mm in females, 16.1‑17.4 mm in males), from a remote sandstone plateau of the Cordillera del Condor, in southeastern Ecuador, with an altitudinal range of 2,045‑2,860 m. A phylogeny based on sequences of DNA (mitochondrial and nuclear genes) supports inclusion in the P. orestes group and suggests an undescribed Pristimantis from the southern slope of eastern Ecuador as the closest taxon. The new species differs from its congeners in Ecuador by having predominantly black dorsal and ventral coloration; comprehensive and robust palmar surface with stubby fingers; presence of a deep and wide groove from the anterior base of finger I to the rear base of the palmar tubercle; subarticular divided tubers, enlarged supernumerary small granules and tubercles. All individuals were found in terrestrial bromeliads. The calls are short, frequency modulated, comprising of a note 5‑15 ms in duration. Insects represented 80% of the diet of the new species.

The realization of inventories in regions where there are few records of amphibian collection is a fundamental tool for conservation. We studied the composition of amphibian species in swamps and lagoons of São Roque do Canaã, a municipality located in the central region of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. The study was conducted between June 2013 and May 2014, with samplings made twice a month. Fieldwork was concentrated at two sites (one visit per month each), both formed by swamps and ponds temporary and are the main matrix type in the landscape, located in open areas where pastures for cattle and coffee crops predominate. Fieldwork was carried out by two collectors from 17:00 to 24h00min, totaling 24 expeditions, resulting in approximately 336 hours of sampling effort. The species were inventoried through active visual search and auditory census. Twenty two species distributed in 5 families were recorded. Hylidae was the most represented family (N = 16), followed by Leptodactylidae (N = 2), Bufonidae (N = 2), Pipidae (N = 1) and Cycloramphidae (N = 1). The months with the highest number of species in calling activity were November (n = 15) and December (n = 16), 2013, and January 2014 (n = 15), while the months with lower number of species were April, June (n = 5) and July (n = 4), 2013. No species recorded is included in the list of threatened amphibians of the Espírito Santo. The species found are typical of open areas and support well degraded environments. This study is the first step to a better understanding of anurofauna of São Roque do Canaã, since there is absolutely nothing published on amphibians in the region.

The genus Potamolithus Pilsbry, 1896 (Gastropoda; Tateidae), has 31 species, 22 of which are distributed in Argentina in Del Plata basin, defining the Uruguay River and the Río de la Plata as a “hotspot” of diversity in freshwater gastropods. However, most of its species has been described only by conchology characters and a few has anatomical data, leading to the description of subspecies or morphs that overlap each other. Potamolithus lapidum some authors attribute four subspecies (with conchology data and anatomical partial data), but others include eight “morphs”. We give a start the study of Potamolithus lapidum elevating to Potamolithus lapidum supersulcatus Pilsbry, 1896 to the category of species, of which only known partially conchology and radular characters. We provide data of: shell, pallial organs, head, foot, penis, radula, female and male reproductive system, nervous system and partial sequence of mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I. A good description of species of the genus Potamolithus is necessary, because some species have been listed as vulnerable species and they inhabit rivers that are being modified by human activity and the presence of invasive bivalve Limnoperna fortunei.

The tigrina Leopardus tigrinus (Schreber, 1775) is a small-sized Neotropical spotted cat found from northern Argentina and southern Brazil to Costa Rica. Four subspecies are traditionally recognized: L. t. tigrinus (Schreber, 1775) from northern Brazil, the Guianas and eastern Venezuela; L. t. pardinoides (Gray, 1867) from western Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru; L. t. guttulus (Hensel, 1872) from southern Brazil, Paraguay and northern Argentina; and L. t. oncillus (Thomas, 1903) from Costa Rica. We studied external and craniodental morphology in quantitative and qualitative terms from 250 specimens in order to clarify the taxonomic status of tigrina. Based on the characters analyzed in this study, we recognize three diagnosable morphogroups, each with a distinct geographic distribution: northern/northwestern/west (samples from northern Brazil, the Guianas, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, northwestern Argentina and Costa Rica), eastern (samples from northeastern and central Brazil), and southern (samples from southern Brazil, Paraguay and northeastern Argentina). Taking into account the morphologic evidence presented here, supported by biogeographic data and molecular studies available, we recognize three full species for tigrinas: L. tigrinus (including the putative subspecies L. t. pardinoides and L. t. oncillus as junior synonyms) for northern/northwestern/west group; L. emiliae (Thomas, 1914) for eastern group; and L. guttulus for southern group.

In this paper, we describe the skulls of Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens (Fregatidae) and Brown Booby (Sulidae) Sula leucogaster, with focus on the structures associated with the Musculi mandibulae. We discuss the results in the context of the feeding biology of the two species, which feed mainly on flying fish and squids. Frigatebirds capture prey from just above, or just below, the water surface in flight. The hook-shaped Apex maxillae in F. magnificens can be viewed as an adaptation for grasping prey from near the water surface. Boobies catch prey by plunging; thus, the dorsoventrally flattened skull and conical bill of S. leucogaster may reduce water resistance when it dives, or swims underwater. The bill is long in both species, such that it is on average 70% of the whole skull length in F. magnificens and 60% in S. leucogaster. Consequently, the Mm. mandibulae in the two species are more posteriorly positioned relative to the Apex rostri. This results in low mechanical advantage for the mandible opening-closing lever, indicating adaptations for a fast, rather than a strong, bite. Fast-moving mandibles would be advantageous for ‘mandibulating’ prey while swallowing. The Fossa musculorum temporalium and the Palatum osseum in both species provide a broad area for origins of the Musculus adductor mandibulae externus (all parts) and the Musculus pterygoideus. The Processus orbitalis quadrati is longer and thicker in F. magnificens than in S. leucogaster, and so is the Musculus pseudotemporalis profundus. We suggest that Mm. adductores mandibulae are relatively well developed in the two species; therefore, their mandibulae are still probably capable of a powerful adduction. In both species there is a mechanisms that contribute to protect the jaws from disarticulation and damage. Such mechanism involves the incorporation of a ‘flange-like’ Crista intercotylare on the Margo medialis cotylae medialis fossae articularis quadratica that grips the Condylus medialis quadrati. In S. leucogaster, the retractor-stop ‘notch’ formed by Ossa lacrimale et nasale also serves to protect the jaws against sudden external forces when birds are diving or swimming underwater for prey. A more detailed hypothesis for the jaw movements and strength in F. magnificens and in S. leucogaster and their relation with feeding habits should necessarily incorporate data on the jaw and anterior neck musculatures.