HELMINTH PARASITES OF HYPSIBOAS PRASINUS (ANURA: HYLIDAE) FROM TWO ATLANTIC FOREST FRAGMENTS, SAO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL

Seventy-seven males of Hypsiboas prasinus from 2 Atlantic forest fragments in the municipalities of Botucatu and Jundiai, sao Paulo State, Brazil, were examined for endoparasites. The frogs were captured in summer (January until March) and winter (July/August) of 2008 and 2009. Thirty-three males (75%) from Botucatu were infected with Rhabdias cf. fuelleborni, cosmocerciid nematodes, and Cylindrotaenia americana. Twenty-five tree frogs (78.5%) from Jundiai were infected by Rhabdias cf. fuelleborni, Physaloptera sp., and cosmocerciid nematodes. Only cosmocerciid nematodes presented a statistically significance difference in prevalence (z = 4.345; P < 0.001) and mean abundance (t = 562.0; P < 0.001) between Botucatu and Jundiai during the winter. Also, the cosmocerciids exhibited higher mean abundance (t = 196.0; P = 0.034) in winter when compared with summer at the Jundiai site. Moreover, to our knowledge, this is the first report of C. americana in the Brazilian Hylidae. This study presents 4 new records of nematodes in H. prasinus.

Novos táxons e novos registros sobre Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) Neotropicais

Novos táxons e novos registros sobre Cerambycidae (Coleoptera) Neotropicais. Novos táxons descritos em Cerambycinae, Eligmodermini: Eligmoderma lara sp. nov. da Venezuela; Elaphidiini: Cratericus gen. nov., espécie-tipo, C. divaricatus sp. nov., da Jamaica. Em Lamiinae, Desmiphorini: Capillicornis gen. nov., espécie-tipo, C. basilaris sp. nov. do Equador; Cotycicuiara acuminata sp. nov. do Panamá; C. guiana sp. nov. da Guiana Francesa; Eupromerini: Puanama skillmani sp. nov. do Brasil (Rondônia). Novos registros são feitos para Temnopis martinezi Martins, 1995 (Oemini) e Estoloides (E.) aurantius Martins & Galileo, 2010 (Desmiphorini). A localidade-tipo de Hovorelus adiectus Galileo & Martins, 2010 (Prioninae, Anacolini) é corrigida e novos dados são acrescentados.

Description of the Pupa and Redescription of the Imagines of Geyeria decussata and their Association with Bromeliads in Southern Brazil (Lepidoptera: Castniidae)

ALBERTONI F F [Fed Univ, Florianopolis, Brazil], MORAES S S [Mus Zool USP, Sao Paulo, Brazil], STEINER J [Fed Univ. Florianopolis, Brazil] & ZILLIKENS A [Univ Tubingen, Germany]: Description of the Pupa and Redescription of the Imagines of Geyeria decussata and their Association with Bromeliads in Southern Brazil (Lepidoptera: Castniidae). - Entomol Gener 34 (1-2): 061-074: Stuttgart 2012-09. - [Article] Bromeliads can serve as a resource for numerous arthropods, especially insects. Caterpillars of the moth Geyeria decussata (Godart 1824) were recorded in the leaf rosettes of the bromeliads Wittrockia superba, Vriesea philippocoburgii and Aechmea nudicaulis. The larvae were feeding on the leaf bases, eventually killing the plants. In addition to life history data a description of the pupa and a re-description of the imagines are provided here. These findings constitute new records of larval hosts for this species and confirm a close association of castniid moths and bromeliads.

Contribuição para o estudo dos Rhinotragini (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae). VI. Ecliptoides Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2005

The genus Ecliptoides Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2005, recently revised by Clarke (2009) to include three Bolivian species, is brought up-to-date by the inclusion of further South American species transferred from Eclipta Bates, 1873, and Odontocera Audinet-Serville, 1833. Three new species are described from Brazil: E. schmidi, E. tavakiliani, and E. hogani. Ommata eunomia var. rufula Melzer, 1934, and Ommata (Eclipta) plaumanni Fuchs, 1961, are revalidated and considered species of Ecliptoides. Species transferred from Eclipta to include Ecliptoides: E. bivitticollis (Fisher, 1952); E. eunomia (Newman, 1841); E. pilosipes (Peñaherrera-Leiva & Tavakilian, 2004); E. fanchonae (Tavakilian & Peñaherrera-Leiva, 2003); E. giuglarisi (Peñaherrera-Leiva & Tavakilian, 2004); E. vasconezi (Peñaherrera-Leiva & Tavakilian, 2004); E. vicina (Melzer, 1927); E. lauraceae (Peñaherrera-Leiva & Tavakilian, 2004); and E. bauhiniae (Peñaherrera-Leiva & Tavakilian, 2004). Species transferred from Odontocera to include Ecliptoides: O. quadrivittata Melzer, 1922; O. pusilla Gounelle, 1911; and O. monostigma (Bates, 1869). New synonymy: Ommata (Eclipta) collarti Fuchs, 1959 = Odontocera pusilla Gounelle, 1911 (= Ecliptoides pusillus). Lectotypes are designated for Ommata (Eclipta) vicina, and Ommata (Eclipta) collarti. New distribution records are provided for E. eunomia, E. pilosipes, E. plaumanni and E. fanchonae. A key to the species of Ecliptoides is given.

Range extensions along western Atlantic for Epialtidae crabs (Brachyura, Majoidea) genera Acanthonyx Latreille, 1828 and Epialtus H. Milne Edwards, 1834

The present study provided information extending the known geographical distribution of three species of majoid crabs, the epialtids Acanthonyx dissimulatus Coelho, 1993, Epialtus bituberculatus H. Milne Edwards, 1834, and E. brasiliensis Dana, 1852. Specimens of both genera from different carcinological collections were studied by comparing morphological characters. We provide new data that extends the geographical distributions of E. bituberculatus to the coast of the states of Paraná and Santa Catarina (Brazil), and offer new records from Belize and Costa Rica. Epialtus brasiliensis is recorded for the first time in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), and A. dissimulatus is reported from Quintana Roo, Mexico. The distribution of A. dissimulatus, previously known as endemic to Brazil, has a gap between the states of Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro. However, this restricted southern distribution is herein amplified by the Mexican specimens.

Macroalgal composition and its association with local hydrodynamics in the Laje de Santos Marine State Park, southwestern Atlantic, São Paulo, Brazil

The Laje de Santos Marine State Park (LSMSP), located in southeastern Brazil, is the only marine park in São Paulo State. This conservation unit has been established as a protected area of high biological diversity. Despite its importance for the conservation of the marine biota, little is known about the park's seaweed flora. The objectives of this study were as follows: to furnish increased knowledge of the composition of the macroalgae in the Park area; to relate the area's macroalgal composition to the presence of an important water mass in the region, the South Atlantic Central Water (SACW); and to investigate the possible influence of the Port of Santos on the composition of the macroalgae of the LSMSP. This study registered 31 new records for the LSMSP, 11 for São Paulo State, four for Brazil, one for the western Atlantic and one for the South Atlantic Ocean, in addition to the possible occurrence of one new species of Osmundea (Rhodomelaceae) and one new genus belonging to Ceramiaceae. The taxonomic composition of the macroalgae had a direct correlation with the arrival of the SACW in the summer-fall season. The SACW generated a strong thermocline and increased the supply of nutrients in the water column. Hydrodynamic and dispersion modeling analyses suggested that the Port of Santos influenced the composition of the LSMSP phycoflora.

NEW FOSSIL RECORDS OF PLEISTOCENE MARINE MOLLUSKS IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Fossils of the gastropods Diodora patagonica, Zidona dufresnei, Olivancillaria carcellesi, Lamniconus lemniscatus carcellesi and the bivalve Arcinella brasiliana are registered for the first time from the outcrops of Chui Creek, on the coastal plain of Rio Grande do Sul State, southernmost Brazil, together with other taxa previously known elsewhere. The specimens were collected in a shallow Pleistocene marine facies exposed at the base of the banks of the creek, in a fossil concentration possibly formed by storm events. The taxa described here live in shallow environments (with the exception of A. brasiliana and Z. dufresnei) with sandy bottoms (except for D. patagonica, T patagonica, B. odites, C. rhizophorae and A. brasiliana). The presence of L. lemniscatus carcellesi, found living today only in Uruguay and Argentina, indicates a wider distribution for this taxon during the late Pleistocene.

New historical archeointensity data from Brazil: Evidence for a large regional non-dipole field contribution over the past few centuries

We report new archeointensity data obtained from the analyses of baked clay elements (architectural and kiln brick fragments) sampled in Southeast Brazil and historically and/or archeologically dated between the end of the XVIth century and the beginning of the XXth century AD. The results were determined using the classical Thellier and Thellier protocol as modified by Coe, including partial thermoremanent magnetization (pTRM) and pTRM-tail checks, and the Triaxe protocol, which involves continuous high-temperature magnetization measurements. In both protocols, TRM anisotropy and cooling rate TRM dependence effects were taken into account for intensity determinations which were successfully performed for 150 specimens from 43 fragments, with a good agreement between intensity results obtained from the two procedures. Nine site-mean intensity values were derived from three to eight fragments and defined with standard deviations of less than 8%. The site-mean values vary from similar to 25 mu T to similar to 42 mu T and describe in Southeast Brazil a continuous decreasing trend by similar to 5 mu T per century between similar to 1600 AD and similar to 1900 AD. Their comparison with recent archeointensity results obtained from Northeast Brazil and reduced at a same latitude shows that: (1) the geocentric axial dipole approximation is not valid between these southeastern and northeastern regions of Brazil, whose latitudes differ by similar to 10 degrees, and (2) the available global geomagnetic field models (gufm1 models, their recalibrated versions and the CALSK3 models) are not sufficiently precise to reliably reproduce the non-dipole field effects which prevailed in Brazil for at least the 1600-1750 period. The large non-dipole contribution thus highlighted is most probably linked to the evolution of the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly (SAMA) during that period. Furthermore, although our dataset is limited, the Brazilian archeointensity data appear to support the view of a rather oscillatory behavior of the axial dipole moment during the past three centuries that would have been marked in particular by a moderate increase between the end of the XVIIIth century and the middle of the XIXth century followed by the well-known decrease from 1840 AD attested by direct measurements. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Revisionary studies on the enigmatic neotropical ant genus Stegomyrmex Emery, 1912 (Hymenoptera : Formicidae : Myrmicinae), with the description of two new species

The recent increase in leaf litter ants sampling effort in Neotropical wet forests has revealed new and interesting records of the highly specialized myrmicine ant genus Stegomyrmex Emery, previously considered as extremely rare. We present a modified diagnosis for the genus and describe Stegomyrmex bensoni n. sp. and S. olindae n. sp., based on, respectively, workers, males, and gyne (central-north Brazil) and on a single worker (northern Brazil). Stegomyrmex vizottoi Diniz (southeastern Brazil) is redescribed and compared with S. olindae n. sp.; these species present significant differences in size, sculpturation, and sting apparatus morphology. The males of S. vizottoi are described for the first time. A key for workers and queens and a distribution map for the five know Stegomyrmex species are provided.

A new, brightly colored species of Pseudoboa Schneider, 1801 from the Amazon Basin (Serpentes, Xenodontinae)

A new species of Pseudoboa, P. martinsi, is described from the Amazon basin of Brazil, with records from the states of Para, Amazonas, Roraima and Rondonia. The new species is distinguished from the other five species of the genus by a combination of scalation and coloration characters. Individuals of the new species were found in both primary and disturbed forested areas. The species seems to be predominantly nocturnal and secretive because specimens were found foraging in the litter during night.

A new population of the Cone-billed Tanager Conothraupis mesoleuca, with information on the biology, behaviour and type locality of the species

The `Critically Endangered` Cone-billed Tanager Conothraupis mesoleuca was described in 71 93 9, based on a single specimen collected in the state of Mato Grosso, western Brazil. Not seen again in the wild until 2003, this poorly-known species was rediscovered in Emas National Park, in the Brazilian state of Goias. We describe here the discovery of a new population of Cone-billed Tanager in Chapada dos Parecis, along the upper Juruena River basin, in the state of Mato Grosso. The birds were always detected in (or near) flooded habitats along rivers. At least 40 individuals were found, but the population may be larger since areas of potential habitat are available in the upper Juruena basin and these have not yet been surveyed. We also provide here the first information on the biology and behaviour of the species based on observations in Juruena and Emas, as well as a first description of the female. Historical documents and our records support our suggestion that ""Juruena"", i.e. the type locality of the Cone-billed Tanager, refers to the Juruena telegraph station (12 degrees 50`S, 58 degrees 55`W). Considering that the range of the species is being settled, research on different aspects of its biology are urgent.

Revision of the Neotropical robber fly genus Cnodalomyia Hull (Diptera, Asilidae, Asilinae) with description of two new species from Brazil

The genus Cnodalomyia includes only two Brazilian species: C. obtusa Hull, 1962 and C. catarinensis Lamas and Mellinger, 2008. Studying material deposited in the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo (MZUSP), the authors found a long series of unidentified specimens of the genus, some of which are specimens of C. obtusa labelled with the same data as the type series as well as other specimens from different localities, representing an enlargement of the known geographic records of the species. This material, together with the types of C. catarinensis, enables this revision. A redescription of the genus and of its type species, C. obtusa, including descriptions and illustrations of its spermathecae and egg, until now never described, the description and illustration of two new species (C. artigasi sp. nov. and C. papaveroi sp. nov.), the diagnosis and egg description of C. catarinensis and an identification key to all included species are presented herein.

Synaptolaemus latofasciatus, a new combination for Leporinus latofasciatus Steindachner, 1910 and its junior synonym Synaptolaemus cingulatus Myers and Fernandez-Yepez, 1950 (Characiformes: Anostomidae)

Leporinus latofasciatus was described by Steindachner (1910) on the basis of a single specimen collected in the rio Orinoco, Venezuela. Since then, no other specimen of the species was mentioned in the literature, and the species was only listed in catalogues, eventually mentioned and treated as a ""poorly known"" species, or even omitted in checklists of fishes from Venezuela. During a visit to the fish collection at the Naturhistorisches Museum at Vienna (NMW) to examine all the type specimens of Leporinus, we were able to study the holotype of Leporinus latofasciatus and recognize that the specimen corresponds to the species described by Myers and Fernandez-Yepez (in Myers, 1950) as Synaptolaemus cingulatus. Thus, the latter is a junior synonym of Leporinus latofasciatus and, based on that, Synaptolaemus latofasciatus (Steindachner, 1910) should be the name applied for this taxon, as a new combination. Herein new data on the holotype of Synaptolaemus latofasciatus are presented and compared with previously data from other authors. In addition, illustrations of live specimens are presented as well as new distribution records for the species.

Measuring Adherence to Antiretroviral Treatment: The Role of Pharmacy Records of Drug Withdrawals

This study aimed to evaluate adherence to anti-retroviral treatment (ART) among HIV + adults, assess its association with HIV viral load (VL) and identify factors associated to adherence. A survey involving a random sample of adults followed at a HIV/AIDS reference center in Sao Paulo city, Brazil, from 2007 to 2009 was done. A questionnaire was applied and data were retrieved from the pharmacy and medical records. The study involved 292 subjects: 70.2% men; median age: 43 years; median duration of ART: 8 years. 89.3% self-reported taken all prescribed pills in the last 3 days but only 39.3% picked up >= 95% of the prescribed ART from the pharmacy in the last 12 months. At the multivariate analysis having symptoms prior to ART, taking fewer ART pills, and not missing medical appointments were independently associated to higher adherence. Adherence was strongly associated with undetectable HIV VL. Rates of undetectable HIV VL did not differ from 80 to >= 95% of adherence.

Management of gallstone disease in children: a new protocol based on the experience of a single center

Background/purpose: Gallstones and cholelithiasis are being increasingly diagnosed in children owing to the widespread use of ultrasonography. The treatment of choice is cholecystectomy, and routine intraoperative cholangiography is recommended to explore the common bile duct. The objectives of this study were to describe our experience with the management of gallstone disease in childhood over the last 18 years and to propose an algorithm to guide the approach to cholelithiasis in children based on clinical and ultrasonographic findings. Methods: The data for this study were obtained by reviewing the records of all patients with gallstone disease treated between January 1994 and October 2011. The patients were divided into the following 5 groups based on their symptoms: group 1, asymptomatic; group 2, nonbiliary obstructive symptoms; group 3, acute cholecystitis symptoms; group 4, a history of biliary obstructive symptoms that were completely resolved by the time of surgery; and group 5, ongoing biliary obstructive symptoms. Patients were treated according to an algorithm based on their clinical, ultrasonographic, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) findings. Results: A total of 223 patients were diagnosed with cholelithiasis, and comorbidities were present in 177 patients (79.3%). The most common comorbidities were hemolytic disorders in 139 patients (62.3%) and previous bariatric surgery in 16 (7.1%). Although symptoms were present in 134 patients (60.0%), cholecystectomy was performed for all patients with cholelithiasis, even if they were asymptomatic; the surgery was laparoscopic in 204 patients and open in 19. Fifty-six patients (25.1%) presented with complications as the first sign of cholelithiasis (eg, pancreatitis, choledocolithiasis, or acute calculous cholecystitis). Intraoperative cholangiography was indicated in 15 children, and it was positive in only 1 (0.4%) for whom ERCP was necessary to extract the stone after a laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Preoperative ERCP was performed in 11 patients to extract the stones, and a hepaticojejunostomy was indicated in 2 patients. There were no injuries to the hepatic artery or common bile duct in our series. Conclusions: Based on our experience, we can propose an algorithm to guide the approach to cholelithiasis in the pediatric population. The final conclusion is that LC results in limited postoperative complications in children with gallstones. When a diagnosis of choledocolithiasis or dilation of the choledocus is made, ERCP is necessary if obstructive symptoms persist either before or after an LC. Intraoperative cholangiography and laparoscopic common bile duct exploration are not mandatory. Published by Elsevier Inc.