Navicordulia aemulatrix sp. nov. (Odonata, Corduliidae) from northeastern Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Navicordulia aemulatrix sp. nov. (holotype male deposited in MZSP: Brazil, Santa Catarina State, [São Bento do Sul municipality, 26°14'58"S, 49°22'59"W], [railroad station] Rio Vermelho, II.1952) is described and illustrated based on three males. The long cercus (2.9-3.2 mm) places this species in the longistyla-group together with N. kiautai, N. longistyla and N. nitens but it differs from them mainly by the shape of cercus, with carinated part occupying 0.33 of cercus total length, and also by dorsal, ventro-medial and ventro-lateral tubercles developed. An unusual process on tergal portion of prothorax is reported for the first time in Navicordulia. The rate of description of new species of South American 'Corduliidae' is discussed. A map with records of Atlantic Forest Navicordulia species and a list of Brazilian corduliids by state are also presented.

New species of the genus Leporinus Agassiz (Characiformes: Anostomidae) from the rio Curuá, rio Xingu basin, Serra do Cachimbo, Brazil, with comments on Leporinus reticulatus

A new species of Leporinus Agassiz is described from the rio Curuá, a tributary of the rio Iriri, rio Xingu basin, Serra do Cachimbo, Pará State, Brazil. The new species is diagnosed by the color pattern, which consists of eight to ten midlateral round dark blotches plus 20 to 40 smaller ones scattered over the body, dental formula 3/4, subinferior to inferior mouth, 37 to 38 lateral line scales, 4/3-4 transversal series of scales, and 12 circumpeduncular scale series. The new species most closely resembles L. octomaculatus and L. reticulatus from the upper Tapajós basin, and L. marcgravii and L. microphthalmus from the rio São Francisco and the rio Paranaíba, respectively. Based on recently collected specimens, L. reticulatus is re-diagnosed as having an allometric elongation of the snout.

A new species of the fungus-farming ant genus Mycetagroicus Brandão & Mayhé-Nunes (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Attini)

The fungus-farming ant genus Mycetagroicus Brandão & Mayhé-Nunes was proposed based on three species from the Brazilian "Cerrado": M. cerradensis, M. triangularis and M. urbanus. Here we describe a new species of Attini ant of the genus Mycetagroicus, M. inflatus n. sp., based on two workers collected in eastern Pará State, Brazil. A new key for species identification, comments on differences among species and new geographical distribution data are furnished.

A new species of Acteon (Opisthobranchia: Acteonidae) from Northeast Brazil

A new species of Acteon Montfort 1810, Acteon mirim sp. nov., from Canopus Bank, state of Ceará, Brazil is described based on shell morphology. The new species is compared with other species of the genus reported from Brazil. It differs from other Brazilian species in having a whitish color with dark orange-brown spiral bands and a shell surface covered with small spiral grooves, regularly rectangular.

Hemigrammus arua, a new species of characid (Characiformes: Characidae) from the lower Amazon, Brazil

A new Hemigrammus species is described from tributaries of the igarapé Juruti Grande and rio Arapiuns, lower rio Amazonas, Pará State, Brazil. The new species can be easily diagnosed from all its congeners, except from Hemigrammus stictus (Durbin), by possessing a single, large humeral spot which extends longitudinally from the fifth or sixth to the posterior margin of eighth to tenth, lateral line scales. It can be distinguished from Hemigrammus stictus by possessing a pronounced upper, anteriorly-oriented extension in the humeral blotch, conferring an inverted-comma shape to it, and by displaying a distinct life color pattern.

New species of Jupiaba Zanata (Characiformes: Characidae) from Serra do Cachimbo, with comments on the endemism of upper rio Curuá, rio Xingu basin, Brazil

A new species of Jupiaba is described from rio Curuá, a tributary of the rio Iriri, rio Xingu basin, Pará State, Brazil. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the unique combination of teeth cusps of similar size, dentary teeth gradually decreasing in size towards posterior portion, color pattern consisting of dark markings on the base of the majority of lateral body scales, inconspicuous dark elongate humeral blotch and conspicuous dark round blotch on the caudal peduncle, and 21 to 24 branched anal-fin rays. The new species is very similar, and possibly sister taxon to J. meunieri. Comments on the endemism of the fish fauna of the upper rio Curuá are given.

Rineloricaria osvaldoi (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): a new species of armored catfish from rio Vermelho, Araguaia basin, Brazil

A new species of Rineloricaria Bleeker from the rio Vermelho, Araguaia basin, Goiás, Brazil is described. Rineloricaria osvaldoi, new species, can be distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: surface of thoracic area trapezoidal with greatest width between pectoral fins, up to 13 premaxillary teeth, largest body width at the section of the canal plate, anterior profile of the head of mature males semicircular in dorsal view. Although eight genera of Loricariinae are known from the rio Araguaia basin, R. lanceolata was only species of Rineloricaria previously reported from that basin. Therefore, the discovery of the R. osvaldoi increases the scenery of diversity of Loricariinae within this drainage basin.

A new species of Rineloricaria (Siluriformes: Loricariidae: Loricariinae) from rio Daraá, rio Negro basin, Amazon, Brazil

Rineloricaria daraha, new species, is described from the rio Daraá, tributary of rio Negro, northwestern Amazonas State, Brazil. The new species is diagnosed by having seven branched pectoral-fin rays, finger-like papillae on the lower lip, a large multi-angular preanal plate, and at least four quadrangular plates of variable size surrounding the preanal plate. The new species is known only from rio Daraá and its waterfalls.

Revision of the Neotropical trahiras of the Hoplias lacerdae species-group (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Erythrinidae) with descriptions of two new species

Hoplias lacerdae was originally described from the rio Ribeira de Iguape, Iporanga, São Paulo State. The Hoplias lacerdae group is defined as containing generally large trahiras with the medial margins of dentaries running parallel to each other and lacking teeth on the basihyal compared to the H. malabaricus group in which the medial margins of the dentaries converge towards the mandibular symphysis and which have teeth on the basihyal. A taxonomic revision of the group based on meristic and morphometric data identified five distinct species: H. lacerdae distributed in the rio Ribeira de Iguape and rio Uruguai; H. intermedius from the rio São Francisco, upper rio Paraná basin, and rio Doce; H. brasiliensis from rivers of the Atlantic Coastal drainage from the rio Paraguaçu to the rio Jequitinhonha; H. australis new species, endemic to the rio Uruguai; and H. curupira new species present in northern South America, including the rios Negro, Trombetas, Tapajós, Xingu, Tocantins and Capim in the Amazon basin, upper rio Orinoco near the rio Casiquiare (Venezuela), and coastal rivers of Guyana and Suriname. A lectotype for Hoplias intermedius and a neotype for H. brasiliensis are designated.

New tick records in Rondônia, Western Brazilian Amazon

In the present study, we provide new tick records from Vilhena Municipality, in the Southeast of the State of Rondônia, Northern Brazil. Ticks collected from a capybara, Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus), were identified as Amblyomma romitii Tonelli-Rondelli (1 female), and Amblyomma sp. (1 larva). Ticks collected from a harpy eagle, Harpia harpyja (Linnaeus), were identified as Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius) (16 nymphs) and Haemaphysalis juxtakochi Cooley (1 nymph). Ticks collected from a yellow-footed tortoise, Chelonoidis denticulada (Linnaeus), were identified as Amblyomma rotundatum Koch (10 females, 2 nymphs), and Amblyomma sp. (2 larvae). The present record of A. romitii is the first in the State of Rondônia, and represents the southernmost record for this tick species, indicating that its distribution area is much larger than currently recognized. Although both A. cajennense and H. juxtakochi have been reported parasitizing various bird species, we provide the first tick records on a harpy eagle. A. rotundatum is widespread in the State of Rondônia, and has been previously reported on the yellow-footed tortoise. The present records increase the tick fauna of Rondônia to 26 species.

Resurrection of Anopheles goeldii from synonymy with Anopheles nuneztovari (Diptera, Culicidae) and a new record for Anopheles dunhami in the Brazilian Amazon

Nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) rDNA and partial sequences of the cytochrome coxidase subunit I (COI) mtDNA and white gene nDNA were obtained from specimens of Anopheles nuneztovari A collected in Macapá (state of Amapá), Óbidos, Prainha and Almeirim (state of Pará), Itacoatiara and Parintins (state of Amazonas), Brazil, and compared with previously published sequences of A. nuneztovari s.l. Results of the Bayesian phylogenetic analyses performed using either COI or combined ITS2, COI and white gene sequences suggest that An. nuneztovari B/C is distinct from specimens obtained in the Amazonas/Solimões River basin. Anopheles goeldii, currently in synonymy with An. nuneztovari, was described from individuals collected in Belterra (= Fordlândia) in the Tapajós River, state of Pará, Southern Amazonas River. Morphological comparisons of the characteristics of the male genitalia indicated that An. nuneztovari A and An. goeldii are similar but distinct from An. nuneztovariB/C by the apex of the aedeagus. In considering the results of the phylogenetic analyses and morphological comparisons, An. goeldii is resurrected from synonymy with An. nuneztovari. Additionally, Anopheles dunhamiis reported for the first time in Parintins. This species can be distinguished from An. goeldiiby characters of the male genitalia and molecular data

Characterization of Dengue Virus Type 2: New Insights on the 2010 Brazilian Epidemic

Dengue viruses (DENV) serotypes 1, 2, and 3 have been causing yearly outbreaks in Brazil. In this study, we report the reintroduction of DENV2 in the coast of Sao Paulo State. Partial envelope viral genes were sequenced from eighteen patients with dengue fever during the 2010 epidemic. Phylogenetic analysis showed this strain belongs to the American/Asian genotype and was closely related to the virus that circulated in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and 2008. The phylogeny also showed no clustering by clinical presentation, suggesting that the disease severity could not be explained by distinct variants or genotypes. The time of the most recent common ancestor of American/Asian genotype and the Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (SP/RJ) monophyletic cluster was estimated to be around 40 and 10 years, respectively. Since this virus was first identified in Brazil in 2007, we suggest that it was already circulating in the country before causing the first documented outbreak. This is the first description of the 2010 outbreak in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and should contribute to efforts to control and monitor the spread of DENVs in endemic areas.

New reports of Antricola guglielmonei and Antricola delacruzi in Brazil, and a description of a new argasid species (Acari)

Adults of 3 tick species (Acari: Argasidae) identified as Antricola guglielmonei, Antricola delacruzi, and Carios rondoniensis n. sp. were collected oil bill guano in a cave in the state of Rondonia, western Amazon. Brazil. Adults of C. rondoniensis Possess a unique combination of characters that distinguish them front all described adults in the Argasidae. i.e.. a large spiracular plate densely filled with small goblets, a well-developed flap covering the female genital opening, and palpi containing several tufts of long setae oil articles 2 and 3. Unlike Ornithodoros or other Carios species. adults of C rondoniensis have a scooplike hypostome devoid of denticles, as in Antricola spp. Conversely, the presence of a pair of long posthypostomal setae, and a slitlike transverse fissure at the Capsule opening of the Haller's organ, are characters of C. rondonensis that are also found ill species of Carios and Ornithodoros, but not in Antricola species. Molecular analyses inferred from a portion of the 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene indicate that C. rondoniensis is phylogenetically closest to species of Carios. followed by species of Antricola. and then Ornithodoros. Because the highest bootstrap value linking C. rondoniensis to Carios spp. was 62%, further phylogenetic studies are needed to better evaluate the taxonomic Status of the former species.

New coupled quintessence cosmology

A component of dark energy has been recently proposed to explain the current acceleration of the Universe. Unless some unknown symmetry in Nature prevents or suppresses it, such a field may interact with the pressureless component of dark matter, giving rise to the so-called models of coupled quintessence. In this paper we propose a new cosmological scenario where radiation and baryons are conserved, while the dark energy component is decaying into cold dark matter. The dilution of cold dark matter particles, attenuated with respect to the usual a(-3) scaling due to the interacting process, is characterized by a positive parameter epsilon, whereas the dark energy satisfies the equation of state p(x) = omega rho(x) (omega < 0). We carry out a joint statistical analysis involving recent observations from type Ia supernovae, baryon acoustic oscillation peak, and cosmic microwave background shift parameter to check the observational viability of the coupled quintessence scenario here proposed.

Description and Phylogenetic Relationships of a New Genus and Species of Lizard (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae) from the Amazonian Rainforest of Northern Brazil

Marinussaurus curupira, a new genus and species of Gymnophthalmidae lizard is described from Iranduba, state of Amazonas, Brazil. The genus is characterized by an elongate body; short and stout pentadactyl limbs; all digits clawed; single frontonasal; two prefrontals; absence of frontoparietals; interparietal and parietals forming a straight posterior margin, with interparietal shorter than parietals; distinctive ear opening and eyelid; few temporals; three pairs of chin shields; nasal divided; a distinct collar; smooth, mainly hexagonal, dorsal scales; smooth quadrangular ventral scales; two precloacal and three femoral pores on each side in males; pores between three or four scales. Parsimony (PAR) and partitioned Bayesian (BA) phylogenetic analyses with morphological and molecular data recovered the new genus as a member of the Ecpleopodini radiation of the Cercosaurinae. A close relationship of the new genus with Arthrosaura is postulated.