A study of the scutellum in eight Chagas disease vector species from genus Triatoma (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) using optical and scanning electron microscopy

The aim of this study was to analyze the external morphology of the scutellum through optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in male specimens of Triatoma costalimai, T. delpontei, T. eratyrusiformis, T. matogrossensis, T. infestans melanosoma, T. sherlocki, T. tibiamaculata, and T. vandae. A total of 30 photographs of the scutellum were made. Magnification varied from 50X to 750X. Regarding depth and forms of the central depression, the heart-shaped form was predominant, with some exceptions, so that this shape appears to be a common characteristic for species of genus Triatoma Laporte, 1832. In T. eratyrusiformis, a kind of sensillum with important taxonomic value was observed. The different sizes and shapes of the designs found on the posterior process of the scutellum were also of important taxonomic interest. The study of the scutellum based on SEM showed valuable characteristics, allowing the use of this structure to aid the diagnosis of triatomine species. Thus, more specimens in subsequent studies and analyses of morphometric parameters should contribute to agreement on phylogenetic aspects in this genus. A Key to eight species of Triatoma based on male scutellar morphology is presented.

Taxonomic assessment and biotechnological potential of yeasts hold at the Unesp - Central for microbial resources

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Microbiologia Aplicada) - IBRC

Taxonomic redescription and biological notes on Diaugia angusta (Diptera,Tachinidae): parasitoid of the palm boring weevils Metamasius ensirostris and M. hemipterus (Coleoptera, Dryophthoridae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Method of numerical correction of errors occasioned by delay of records during the monitoring of environmental variables of interest for animal production

As condições de ambiente térmico e aéreo, no interior de instalações para animais, alteram-se durante o dia, devido à influência do ambiente externo. Para que análises estatísticas e geoestatísticas sejam representativas, uma grande quantidade de pontos distribuídos espacialmente na área da instalação deve ser monitorada. Este trabalho propõe que a variação no tempo das variáveis ambientais de interesse para a produção animal, monitoradas no interior de instalações para animais, pode ser modelada com precisão a partir de registros discretos no tempo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver um método numérico para corrigir as variações temporais dessas variáveis ambientais, transformando os dados para que tais observações independam do tempo gasto durante a aferição. O método proposto aproximou os valores registrados com retardos de tempo aos esperados no exato momento de interesse, caso os dados fossem medidos simultaneamente neste momento em todos os pontos distribuídos espacialmente. O modelo de correção numérica para variáveis ambientais foi validado para o parâmetro ambiental temperatura do ar, sendo que os valores corrigidos pelo método não diferiram pelo teste Tukey, a 5% de probabilidade dos valores reais registrados por meio de dataloggers.

Ecological distribution of stream macroalgae in different spatial scales using taxonomic and morphological groups

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Fractal analysis of leaf-texture properties as a tool for taxonomic and identification purposes: a case study with species from Neotropical Melastomataceae (Miconieae tribe)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A taxonomic review of Neogriphoneura Malloch, 1924 (Diptera : Lauxaniidae), with description of three new species

The status of the Lauxaniidae genus Rhabdolauxania Hendel, 1925 is reevaluated and is synonymized under Neogriphoneura Malloch, 1924. Three new combinations, N. immaculata (Hendel, 1933), comb. nov., N. laevifrons (Hendel, 1925), comb. nov., and N. schnusei (Hendel, 1925), comb. nov. are proposed. Two lectotypes are designated. Three new species of Neogriphoneura are described: N. bispoi sp. nov., from Santa Catarina, Brazil, N. pacata sp. nov., from La Paz, Bolivia, and N. corrugata sp. nov. from British Virgin Islands. Illustrations of the head, wing, male and female terminalia are provided for the new species. This raises the number of species in the genus from the present five to eleven. A key is provided for the species of the genus.

Vanadium and its complexes: The renewed interest in its biochemistry

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

The spiny dogfish ('cacao-bagre'): description of an envenoming in a fisherman, with taxonomic and toxinologic comments on the Squalus gender

The authors report an injury caused by a spiny dogfish (Squalus sp) in a professional fisherman that was got hurt in the left hand for a spine in the dorsal fin of the fish and felt excruciating local pain for 6 h and manifested local edema and erythema. The sharks of the Squalus gender, in a similar way to the gender Heterodontus, present two spines in position previous to the dorsal fins, with channels presenting a whitish mass, composed of great and vacuolated cells that produce venom. The Squalus gender has a complex taxonomy, with five nominal species mentioned in Brazil: S. acanthias, S., blainvillei, S. cubensis, S. megalops and S. mitsukurii. The species associated to the injury belongs to the group 'megalops/cubensis'. A detailed study on the taxonomy and toxinology of the Squalus gender in Brazil would be of vital importance in the resolution of those problems and it would serve as subsidy for any other works involving their representatives, besides with aspects of envenoming that this gender can cause and that has rare citations in the literature. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An old taxonomic dilemma: the identity of the western south Atlantic lebranche mullet (Teleostei: Perciformes: Mugilidae)

The identification of the lebranche mullet in the western south Atlantic has long been problematical. In most recent works either Mugil liza Valenciennes and M. platanus Gunther, 1880 or M. liza and M. cephalus Linnaeus, 1758 were recognized from the region and more rarely the occurrence of only one species has been proposed but without sufficient morphological, biochemical or molecular data to allow the designation of the taxonomically appropriate name. Analysis of meristic and morphometric data taken from samples collected from Venezuela to Argentina, clearly indicates that there is only one species of lebranche mullet in the Caribbean Sea region and the Atlantic coast of South America and that Mugil liza is the appropriate name. The comparison of the combined data from all the samples of M. liza with the data taken from one sample of M. cephalus that originated in the Mediterranean, the possible locality from which type specimens were collected (Eschmeyer and Fricke, 2009), revealed significant differences indicating that they are different species. It is also suggested that individuals from the western north Atlantic identified as M. cephalus might represent a population of M. liza in this region.

TAXONOMIC POSITION of GUIRATINGIA MENDESI (MEGADESMIDAE) and THE EVOLUTION of PERMIAN ENDEMIC BIVALVE FAUNA of THE PARANA BASIN, BRAZIL

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Searching for larval support for majoid families (Crustacea : Brachyura) with particular reference to Inachoididae Dana, 1851

We re-evaluated the larval support for families within majoids using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with emphasis on Inachoididae. To accomplish our objectives, we added 10 new taxa, two of which are traditionally assigned to the family of special interest, to a previous larval database for majoids, and re-appraised the larval characters used in earlier studies. Phylogenetic analysis was performed with PAUP* using the heuristic search with 50 replicates or the branch-and-bound algorithm when possible. Multi-state transformation series were considered unordered; initially characters were equally weighted followed by successive weighting, and trees were rooted at the Oregoniidae node. Ten different topological constraints were enforced for families to evaluate tree length under the assumption of monophyly for each taxonomic entity. Our results showed that the tree length of most constrained topologies was not considerably greater than that of unconstrained analysis in which most families nested as paraphyletic taxa. This may indicate that the present larval database does not provide strong support for paraphyly of the taxa in question. For Inachoididae, although the Wilcoxon signed-rank test rejected a significant difference between unconstrained and constrained cladograms, we were unable to provide a single synapomorphy for this clade. Except for the conflicting position of Leurocyclus and Stenorhynchus, the two clades correspond to the traditional taxonomic arrangement. Among inachoidids, the clade (Anasimus (Paradasygyius (Collodes + Pyromaia))) is supported, whereas for inachids, the clade (Inachus (Macropodia + Achaeus)) is one of the most supported clades within majids. As often stated, only additional characters will provide a better test for the monophyly of Inachoididae and other families within Majoidea.

Rhamnolipids and PHAs: Recent reports on Pseudomonas-derived molecules of increasing industrial interest

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Anatomy of the pericarp and seed-coat of Lithraea molleoides (Vell.) Engl. (Anacardiaceae) with taxonomic notes

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)