Diversity of Ephemeroptera (Insecta) of the Serra da Mantiqueira and Serra do Mar, southeastern Brazil

Diversity of Ephemeroptera (Insecta) of the Serra da Mantiqueira and Serra do Mar, southeastern Brazil. The aim of this study was to inventory the mayfly fauna, based on nymphal and alate stages, in Serra da Mantiqueira and in Serra do Mar, Sao Paulo State, as well as to present information about habitats used by the genera. Nymphs were collected in several streams and mesohabitats with a Surber sampler and the winged stages with light attraction methods, entomological nets, and Malaise traps. In all, eight families and 33 genera were recorded, representing a very significant portion of the Brazilian fauna (80% of families and 49% of genera). Furthermore, it was possible to identify 11 species, of which two are new records for the state: Tricorythodes santarita Traver and Caenis reissi Malzacher. Despite the high diversity recorded, the accumulation curves presented an ascending form, indicating an increase in the number of genera with additional sampling effort. The high richness found in these areas are in agreement with the high biodiversity of the Atlantic Forest biome and the sampling effort employed, which included the use of different methods, the collection of both nymphs and winged stages, and the sampling of a large area with diverse streams and habitats.

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.

Botanical Preferences of Africanized Bees (Apis mellifera) on the Coast and in the Atlantic Forest of Sergipe, Brazil

Pollen analysis in honey can be used as an alternative method to research into flowers visited by bees in an area. This study aimed to indentify the main floral families in honey from apiaries in the Atlantic Forest and Sergipe state coast. Honey samples from these apiaries were studied, as well as plants that grow around them, which can be used as a source of foraging for bees. The palynological technique was used to compare the pollen content of honey samples with the pollen grains from leaves of plants found in the vicinity of the apiaries to assess whether they had been visited by bees. The results of studies in both sites were similar in terms of incompatibility of families found in the apiary vicinity and honey. Thus, it was possible to observe that in honey samples from the coast and in the remaining Atlantic forest, the number of families was greater than the number of families found in the apiary vicinity, which highlights the diversity of plants visited by bees and a possible expansion of the visited area for food search. This diversity suggests an adaptive foraging behavior to plant resources available in the environment, which may facilitate the pollination of these botanical families and consequently improve their genetic quality.

NEW RECORDS OF ANOPHELES HOMUNCULUS IN CENTRAL AND SERRA DO MAR BIODIVERSITY CORRIDORS OF THE ATLANTIC FOREST, BRAZIL

Two new records of Anopheles homunculus in the eastern part of the Atlantic Forest are reported. This species was found for the first time in Barra do Ouro district, Maquine municipality, Rio Grande do Sul state, located in the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest. The 2nd new record was in the Serra Bonita Reserve, Camacan municipality, southeast Bahia state. These records extend the geographical distribution of An. homunculus, suggesting that the species may be widely distributed in coastal areas of the Atlantic Forest. It is hypothesized that the disjunct distribution of the species may be caused by inadequate sampling, and also difficulties in species identification based only on female external characteristics. Species identification was based on morphological characters of the male, larva, and pupa, and corroborated by DNA sequence analyses, employing data from both 2nd internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA and of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I.

Botanical Origin of Protein Sources Used by Honeybees (Apis mellifera) in an Atlantic Forest

Productive and reproductive traits of beehives are influenced by climate and food availability in the region where the bees are reared or maintained, thus honey and pollen storage, egg-laying conditions of the queen as well as comb occupation are subject to seasonal variations. The present study was conducted in the apiary of the Department of Entomology and Acarology, College of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz, ESALQ/USP, in the municipality of Piracicaba, in an area containing fruit trees, ornamental plants and a fragment of a native forest. The objective was to identify protein sources used by honeybees (Apis mellifera) over a whole year (2010-2011) in remnants of the Atlantic forest, information that can be used in the conservation and restoration of degraded areas. For sample preparation, the acetolysis method was adopted (Eredtman 1952) and the quantitative analysis was performed by counting successive samples of 900 grains per sample which were grouped by botanical species and/or pollen types. The results show that the bees used various plant types in the area, including ruderal species, to maintain their colonies. Apis mellifera seeks food sources in all plants in the surroundings of the apiary, including herbaceous, shrubs, trees, native or introduced. Eucalyptus sp. played an important role as a food source in all seasons due to its wide availability around the apiary and its high flower production. The most frequent pollen types (greater than 10% of the sample) were Anadenanthera sp., Acacia sp, Miconia sp. and Eucalyptus sp. in winter; Philodendron sp., Mikania cordifolia, Parthenium and Eucalyptus sp. in spring; Alternanthera ficoidea, Chamissoa altissima and Eucalyptus sp. in summer; Philodendron sp., Raphanus sp. and Eucalyptus sp. in autumn.

Mosquitoes in degraded and preserved areas of the Atlantic Forest and potential for vector-borne disease risk in the municipality of Sao Paulo, Brazil

In order to assess the epidemiological potential of the Culicidae species in remaining areas of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, specimens of this family were collected in wild and anthropic environments. A total of 9,403 adult mosquitoes was collected from May, 2009 to June, 2010. The most prevalent among species collected in the wild environment were Anopheles (Kerteszia) cruzii, the Melanoconion section of Culex (Melanoconion), and Aedes serratus, while the most common in the anthropic site were Coquillettidia chrysonotum/albifera, Culex (Culex) Coronator group, and An. (Ker.) cruzii. Mosquito richness was similar between environments, although the abundance of individuals from different species varied. When comparing diversity patterns between environments, anthropic sites exhibited higher richness and evenness, suggesting that environmental stress increased the number of favorable niches for culicids, promoting diversity. Increased abundance of opportunistic species in the anthropic environment enhances contact with culicids that transmit vector-borne diseases.