Manipulation of fire ant density, Solenopsis spp., for short-term reduction of Diatraea saccharalis larval densities in Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Uma brasileira: a outra história de Julia Mann

O texto parte da recente valorização da origem brasileira de Julia Mann, a matriarca da célebre família de escritores alemães, para discutir o tema da nacionalidade associado às categorias de gênero e raça. Discutimos a historicidade de categorias sociais e como estas determinam a auto-compreensão dos indivíduos. A sociedade alemã do século XIX caracterizou Julia como brasileira e, apesar do estigma que isto representava, ela utilizou-se desta origem exótica como forma de autocompreensão e resistência.

Tetanorhynchus leonardosi (Mello-Leitão) (Orthoptera: Proscopiidae), nova praga em eucaliptos

We report for the first time the attack of the walking stick Tetanorhynchus leonardosi (Mello-Leitão) (Orthoptera: Proscopiidae) on young eucalyptus, Eucalyptus urophylla, in Brazil. The upper third of the trees was attacked (apical meristems and new leaves). During the hottest hours of the day the insects were found sheltered between leaves on the median third of the plants, and feeding when temperatures were milder. The attack was heterogeneous in the stand, being more concentrated when it was neighbouring an area of native 'Cerrado' vegetation. Mean defoliation was 5.8%, with an average of 5.2% of plants with apical meristems cut by the walking sticks. An application of Methyl Parathion was not effective against the pest. Apparently plants older than 6 months were less attacked by the insects, that preferred 3-month old trees. The reduction of native vegetation may explain the dispersion of T. leonardosi from its native host plants to the exotic eucalyptus.

Desenvolvimento de mudas de bromélia (Neoregelia cruenta (R. Graham) L. B. Smith) cultivadas em diferentes substartos e adubação foliar

As bromélias apresentam formas exóticas com uma grande diversidade de cores e de flores, constituindo importantes espécies para uso em paisagismo e floricultura. em conseqüência disto, são muito comercializadas. Porém, parte das plantas que se encontram no mercado, ainda são provenientes do extrativismo. Esta situação é também reflexo do pequeno número de informações sobre técnicas de propagação e cultivo. Uma das limitações é o desconhecimento do tipo de substrato e adubação adequados ao cultivo destas espécies. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o crescimento de bromélias do Neoregelia cruenta, cultivadas em diferentes substratos e adubações foliares através da altura, do número de folhas, da matéria fresca e seca, da parte aérea e das raízes. As mudas utilizadas foram provenientes de cultura de tecidos. Após um período de pré-aclimatização, foram transplantadas para estufa sem nebulização. Os substratos foram constituídos da mistura de diferentes proporções de solo, areia, casca de arroz carbonizada e por um substrato comercial à base de vermiculita. Aos substratos foi aplicada adubação foliar, combinando uréia e sacarose, em intervalos de quinze dias. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que as interações entre os substratos, dose de sacarose e de uréia, não afetaram a altura das mudas e o número de folhas. O uso de sacarose também não influenciou o desenvolvimento das mudas. O substrato comercial à base de vermiculita, independente da aplicação de adubação foliar, proporcionou maior altura das mudas e número de folhas. A aplicação de uréia apresentou efeito linear crescente durante o período avaliado.

SEASONAL SPACE USAGE BY THE INTRODUCED PHARAOHS ANT, MONOMORIUM-PHARAONIS (L) (HYM, FORMICIDAE), IN INSTITUTIONAL SETTINGS IN BRAZIL AND ITS RELATION TO OTHER STRUCTURAL ANT SPECIES

In an institutional setting in Brazil, the pharaoh's ant, Monomorium pharaonis was found to be the dominant and most abundant ant present throughout the year. The only other regularly collected ant was the exotic Tapinoma melanocephalum. However, M. pharaonis dominated bait station visitations, although locally concentrated, with other species restricted to regions in which M. pharaonis was not found.

Attraction of ambrosia beetles (Coleoptera : Scolytidae) to different tropical pine species in Brazil

Ambrosia beetles are the predominant Scolytidae in Brazil. Little is known about the attractiveness of exotic conifer tree volatiles to native scolytids. Objectives were to compare the attractiveness of logs with and without bark of Pinus oocarpa Schiede, P. caribaea variety bahamensis Barrett & Golfari, P, car. variety caribaea Barrett & Golfari and P. car. variety hondurensis Barrett & Golfari over time to native scolytids in different pine stands, to compare the relative attractiveness of logs relative to ethanol traps, to determine how long it takes for logs to become attractive to ambrosia beetles and when attraction peaks occur, and to determine if volatiles released by live standing trees would mask volatiles released by logs of the same species. In young stands, Hypothenemus was the predominant insect genus, whereas in older stands Xyleborus predominated. Debarked logs trapped more beetles than logs with bark. Pine log species attractiveness was not influenced by volatiles present in the stand. Beetles were divided into the following 3 groups, based on response to log volatiles and ethanol: (1) species attracted to ethanol and not responding to pine terpenes Ambrosiodmus hagedorni (Iglesia), A. retusus (Eichhoff), X. spinulosus Blandford, Corthylus schaufussi Schiede, Cryptocarenus heveae (Hagedorn), H. obscurus (F.), (2) species attracted to ethanol but responding to pine terpenes Xyleborinus gracilis (Eichhoff), X. affinis Eichhoff, H. eruditus Westwood, Premnobius cavipennis Eichhoff, and (3) species more attracted to pine terpenes and less responsive to ethanol, A. obliquus (Le Conte), X. ferrugineus F,, X. catulus Blandford. Pinus car. ;variety bahamensis was the least attractive pine, P. oocarpa the most attractive. The attraction peak varied according to the season; logs were not attractive to beetles 10 wk after cutting.

Gas chromatographic-olfactometric characterization of aroma compounds in two types of cashew apple nectar

Cashew apple nectar is a secondary product from the production of cashew nuts and possesses an exotic tropical aroma. Aroma volatiles in pasteurized and reconstituted (from concentrate) Brazilian cashew apple nectars were determined using GC-MS and split, time-intensity GC-olfactometry (GC-O/GC-FID. Methional, (2)-1,5-octadien-3-one, (2)-2-nonenal, (E,Z)-2,4-decadienal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, beta-damascenone, and delta-decalactone were identified for the first time in cashew apple products. These compounds plus butyric acid, ethyl 3-methylbutyrate, 2-methylbutyric acid, acetic acid, benzaldehyde, homofuraneol, (E)-2-nonenal, gamma-dodecalactone, and an unknown were the most intense aroma volatiles. Thirty-six aroma volatiles were detected in the reconstituted sample and 41 in the pasteurized sample. Thirty-four aroma active components were common to both samples. Ethyl 3-methylbutyrate and 2-methylbutyric acid were character impact compounds of cashew apple (warm, fruity, tropical, sweaty). Using GC-pFPD, 2-methyl-3-furanthiol and bis(2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide were identified for the first time in cashew apple. Both were aroma active (meaty).

Terrane transfer during the Grenville orogeny: tracing the Amazonian ancestry of southern Appalachian basement through Pb and Nd isotopes

Whole rock Pb isotope data can be used to determine the provenance of different blocks within the Rodinia supercontinent, providing a test for paleogeographic reconstructions. Calculated isotopic values for the source region of the Grenville-deformed SW Amazon craton (Rondonia, Brazil), anchored by published U-Pb zircon ages, are compared to those from the Grenville belt of North America and Grenvillian basement inliers in the southern Appalachians. Both the SW Amazon craton and the allochthonous Blue Ridge/Mars Hill terrane are defined by a similar Pb isotopic signature, indicating derivation from an ancient source region with an elevated U/Pb ratio. In contrast, the Grenville Province of Laurentia (extending from Labrador to the Llano Uplift of Texas) is characterized by a source region with a distinctly lower, time-integrated U/Pb ratio. Published U-Pb zircon ages (ca. 1.8 Ga) and Nd model ages (1.4-2.2 Ga) for the Blue Ridge/Mars Hill terrane also suggest an ancient provenance very different from the rest of the adjacent Grenville belt, which is dominated by juvenile 1.3-1.5 Ga rocks. The presence of mature continental material in rocks older than 1.15 Ga in the Blue Ridge/ Mars Hill terrane is consistent with characteristics of basement rocks from the SW Amazon craton. High-grade metamorphism of the Blue Ridge/Mars Hill basement resulted in purging of U, consistent with observations of the rest of the North American Grenville province. In contrast, the Grenvillian metamorphic history of the Amazon appears to have been much more heterogeneous, with both U enrichment and U depletion recorded locally. We propose that the Blue Ridge/ Mars Hill portion of the Appalachian basement is of Amazonian provenance and was transferred to Laurentia during Grenvillian orogenesis after similar to1.15 Ga. The presence of these Amazonian rocks in southeastern Laurentia records the northward passage of the Amazon craton along the Laurentian margin, following the original collision with southernmost Laurentia at ca. 1.2 Ga. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SPATIAL-ORGANIZATION OF FORAGING ACTIVITY AND COLONIZATION BY COLONY EMIGRATION IN THE PHARAOH ANT, MONOMORIUM-PHARAONIS

Using food bait stations and colony trap nests, the spatial relation between the foraging activity of established colonies of the polygynous and unicolonial exotic pharaoh's ant, Monomorium pharaonis, and colonization by colony fragments was studied over an 8 month period in a large institutional setting in Brazil. Both foraging activity and colonizations demonstrated significant spatial clumping. However, colonizations were significantly negatively clumped spatially with respect to foraging activity. This suggests that the colonization strategy of this species under the studied conditions was that of complete habitat domination.

ANTS AS POTENTIAL VECTORS OF PATHOGENS IN HOSPITALS IN THE STATE OF SAO-PAULO, BRAZIL

Baiting studies performed in large, medium and small hospitals in Brazil revealed the presence of 14 ant species, with up to nine recorded in one hospital. Dominant species were exotic ants, and in the large hospital, Tapinoma melanocephalum was the most prevalent. Ants were not uniformly spread through the hospitals, but tended to be found in the more critical areas, particularly in nursery, intensive care, obstetrics, neurology and dermatology units. Bacteriological studies using specific media for bacteria associated with intra-hospital infections indicated the potential for the mechanical vectoring of species of Staphylococcus, Serratia, Klebsiella, Acinetobacter, Enterobacter, Candida and Enterococcus by ants. Although T. melanocephalum did not have the highest rate of association with these bacteria, its ubiquitous occurrences resulted in the highest overall potential as a vector of these bacteria. Because of a large number of ant species occurring in Brazilian hospitals, ants pose a potential problem to the spread of diseases in hospitals. Because of the number of associated ant species in hospitals, the control of this potential problem is much more difficult than in registered temperate areas.

Density and population size of mammals introduced on a land-bridge island in southeastern Brazil

The introduction of alien species is one of the main threats to the conservation of native species, especially in island ecosystems. Here, we report on the population growth of 15 species of mammals introduced in 1983 on the island of Anchieta, an 828 ha land-bridge island in southeastern Brazil. We estimated the density of mammals through 296 km of line transect census. Five species introduced became extinct (coypu, brocket deer, six-banded armadillo, nine-banded armadillo, maned three-toed sloth); six became over-abundant (marmoset, coati, agouti, seven-banded armadillo, and capybara); one has a stable population (capuchin monkey). Anchieta Island has the highest density of mammals in the entire Atlantic forest (486.77 ind/km(2)), especially nest predators (232.83 ind/km(2)) and herbivores (253.58 ind/km(2)). Agoutis (Dasyprocta spp.) and marmosets (Callithrix penicillata) were, by far, the species with the highest population growth. The high density of mammals in this island may have strong consequences for plant recruitment and bird diversity.

Propagação de sapotizeiro (Manilkara zapota L.) por estaquia

Two sapoti tree accesses (Manilkara zapota), native plants of south of Mexico and of America Central, belonging to the Collection of Fruitful Native and Exotic of UNESP/FCAV, Jaboticabal Campus, was studied with relationship to the cutting propagation. The first test consisted of fast immersion of cutting base semi-herbaceous foliage of selected accesses FCAV-III and FCAV-VII. The ttreatments were alcoholic solution (50%) of indolbutiric acid (IBA) in concentrations of 0, 1,000, 3,000, 5,000 and 7,000 mgL(-1). and the cuttings preparing with and without latex exudate washing for a period of 14 hours in recipient with pure water. This trial was set in 5 x 2 x 2 factorial scheme (IBA concentrations x accesses x cutting preparation) The second test consisted the herbaceous foliage immersion of FCAV-III access in IBA concentrations above. Both experiments were distributed in randomized design with four replications and 10 cuttings each. All cuttings were collected in spring and prepared with about 12 cm of length, planted in medium texture vermiculite and carried under conditions intermittent mist spray flashing in chamber with 50% light. The two accesses tested not rooted and treatments were not able to induce the roots emission.

Assessment of brachial plexus blockade in chickens by an axillary approach

Objective To assess the brachial plexus block in chickens by an axillary approach and using a peripheral nerve stimulator.Study design Prospective, randomized, double-blinded study.Animals Six, 84-week old, female chickens.Methods Midazolam (1 mg kg(-1)) and butorphanol (1 mg kg(-1)) were administered into the pectoralis muscle. Fifteen minutes later, the birds were positioned in lateral recumbency and following palpation of the anatomic landmarks, a catheter was inserted using an axillary approach to the brachial plexus. Lidocaine or bupivacaine (1 mL kg(-1)) was injected after plexus localization by the nerve stimulator. Sensory function was tested before and after blockade (carpus, radius/ulna, humerus and pectoralis muscle) in the blocked and unblocked wings. The latency to onset of motor and sensory block and the duration of sensory block were recorded. A Friedman nonparametric one-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used to compare scores from baseline values over time and to compare the differences between wings at each time point.Results A total of 18 blocks were performed with a success rate of 66.6% (12/18). The latency for motor block was 2.8 +/- 1.1 and 3.2 +/- 0.4 minutes for lidocaine and bupivacaine, respectively. The latencies for and durations of the sensory block were 6.0 +/- 2.5 and 64.0 +/- 18.0 and 7.8 +/- 5.8 and 91.6 +/- 61.7 minutes for lidocaine and bupivacaine, respectively. There was no statistical difference between these times for lidocaine or bupivacaine. Sensory function was not abolished in nonblocked wings.Conclusions and clinical relevance The brachial plexus block was an easy technique to perform but had a high failure rate. It might be useful for providing anesthesia or postoperative analgesia of the wing in chickens and exotic avian species that have similar wing anatomy.

Effect of thermal stress on physiological parameters, feed intake and plasma thyroid hormones concentration in Alentejana, Mertolenga, Frisian and Limousine cattle breeds

The aim of the present study was to assess the heat tolerance of animals of two Portuguese (Alentejana and Mertolenga) and two exotic (Frisian and Limousine) cattle breeds, through the monitoring of physiological acclimatization reactions in different thermal situations characterized by alternate periods of thermoneutrality and heat stress simulated in climatic chambers. In the experiment, six heifers of the Alentejana, Frisian and Mertolenga breeds and four heifers of the Limousine breed were used. The increase in chamber temperatures had different consequences on the animals of each breed. When submitted to heat stress, the Frisian animals developed high thermal polypnea (more than 105 breath movements per minute), which did not prevent an increase in the rectal temperature (from 38.7 degrees C to 40.0 degrees C). However, only a slight depression in food intake and in blood thyroid hormone concentrations was observed under thermal stressful conditions. Under the thermal stressful conditions, Limousine animals decreased food intake by 11.4% and blood triiodothyronine (T3) hormone concentration decreased to 76% of the level observed in thermoneutral conditions. Alentejana animals had similar reactions. The Mertolenga cattle exhibited the highest capacity for maintaining homeothermy: under heat stressful conditions, the mean thermal polypnea increased twofold, but mean rectal temperature did not increase. Mean food intake decreased by only 2% and mean T3 blood concentration was lowered to 85,6% of the concentration observed under thermoneutral conditions. These results lead to the conclusion that the Frisian animals had more difficulty in tolerating high temperatures, the Limousine and Alentejana ones had an intermediate difficulty, and the Mertolenga animals were by far the most heat tolerant.

Natural Conditions and Environmental Impacts in a Coastal Hydrographic Basin in the Brazilian Amazon

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)