Revision of the Neotropical genus Mulfordia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae)

Revision of the Neotropical genus Mulfordia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae). The present paper provides a revision of Mulfordia Malloch (Diptera, Muscidae), including redescriptions of the genus and of its three species. The descriptions are complemented with illustrations of some characters to make the recognition of the species easier and to help the use of the key. The male terminalia of M. ferruginea Malloch is described for the first time.

Record of postmortem injuries caused by the Neotropical social wasp Agelaia fulvofasciata (Degeer) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) on pig carcasses in the Eastern Amazon region: implications in forensic taphonomy

ABSTRACTPostmortem injuries are a source of misinterpretations in forensic analysis and therefore are subject matter of taphonomic interest. Many types of injuries can cause different artifacts, which deserve attention of the forensic pathologists when evaluating corpses, either at the crime scene or during an autopsy. Insects can be important biotaphonomic agents and their activity may result in artifacts that resemble antemortem injuries. Here, we describe postmortem injuries caused by the Neotropical wasp Agelaia fulvofasciata (Degeer, 1773) on domestic pig carcasses weighting 15 kg. The specimens showed extensive injuries to the lower lip, similar to lacerations, and some minor lesions on the snout and anus. In addition, we observed the same wasp species preying on larvae of Sarcophagidae (Peckia sp.). Besides causing postmortem injuries, the ability of this species to detect carcasses in the early and fresh decomposition stages should be noted. Thus, future applications aiming criminal, any biotaphonomic events caused by carrion insects need to be disclosed.

Neotropical woodlice (isopoda) colonizing leaf-litter of pioneer plants in a coal residue disposal environment

The irregular disposal of coal combustion residues has adverse impacts on terrestrial ecosystems. Pioneer plants and soil invertebrates play an important role in the recovery of these areas. The goal of this study was to investigate the colonization patterns of terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea) in leaf litter of three spontaneous pioneer plants (grass - Poaceae, shrub - Euphorbiaceae, tree - Anarcadiaceae) at sites used for fly ash or boiler slag disposal. The experiment consisted of eight blocks (four per disposal site) of 12 litter bags each (four per plant species) that were randomly removed after 6, 35, 70 or 140 days of field exposure. Three isopod species were found in the litter bags: Atlantoscia floridana (van Name, 1940) (Philosciidae; n = 116), Benthana taeniata Araujo & Buckup, 1994 (Philosciidae; n = 817) and Balloniscus sellowii (Brandt, 1833) (Balloniscidae; n = 48). The isopods colonized the three leaf-litter species equally during the exposure period. However, the pattern of leaf-litter colonization by these species suggests a conflict of objectives between high quality food and shelter availability. The occurrence of A. floridana and the abundance and fecundity of B. taeniata were influenced by the residue type, indicating that the isopods have different degrees of tolerance to the characteristics of the studied sites. Considering that terrestrial isopods are abundant detritivores and stimulate the humus-forming processes, it is suggested that they could have an indirect influence on the soil restoration of this area.

Egg parasitoid wasps as natural enemies of the neotropical stink bug Dichelops melacanthus

The objective of this work was to determine the potential of five species of Scelionidae wasps - Telenomus podisi, Trissolcus basalis, Trissolcus urichi, Trissolcus teretis and Trissolcus brochymenae - as natural enemies of the neotropical stink bug Dichelops melacanthus, and to determine if the presence of eggs of other stink bug species influences the parasitism and development of the parasitoids. Two kinds of experiments were done in laboratory: without choice of hosts (eggs of D. melacanthus) and with choice (eggs of D. melacanthus and of Euschistus heros). Biological parameters, including proportion of parasitism, immature survivorship, progeny sex ratio, immature stage development period, and host preference were recorded. All the evaluated parasitoids can parasitize and develop on D. melacanthus eggs. The first choice of eggs did not influence the proportion of D. melacanthus eggs parasitized by Tr. basalis, Tr. teretis or Tr. brochymenae. However, D. melacanthus eggs as the first choice of Te. podisi and Tr. urichi increased, respectively, 9 and 14 times the chance for parasitism on eggs of this species. Behavioral and ecological aspects of parasitoids should be considered prior to their use in biological control programs.

Neotropical brown stink bug (Euschistus heros) resistance to methamidophos in Paraná, Brazil

The objective of this work was to evaluate the soybean neotropical brown stink bug (Euschistus heros) resistance to methamidophos through laboratory bioassays. Bioassays were carried out using populations of adults and nymphs of Euschistus heros in the last instar collected in soybean crops in Paraná State. Highest frequencies of genotypes resistant to methamidophos were observed in Alvorada do Sul, Toledo and Nova Santa Rosa, PR. Populations from Bela Vista do Paraíso, Araruna, Campo Mourão, Mariluz, Cascavel, São João do Ivaí, and Mamboré were more susceptible to methamidophos. However, an increase on resistant genotypes in this locations cannot be discarded.

Characterization of Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) young nests in a fragment of the Neotropical Forest

Young nests of Acromyrmex subterraneus brunneus are characterized by refuse soil in the exterior of the nest, a single fungus chamber 11 to 20 cm deep in relation to soil surface and internal volume ranging from 0.3 to 1.5 liters. These nidification patterns are important characteristics for identifying and understanding the interactions between species and their habitats.

Seed germination of a rare neotropical canopy tree dormancy and the effects of abiotic factors

The purpose of this study was to examine if germination is a critical phase on Enterolobium glaziovii regeneration. Hence, the germinative response of E. glaziovii seeds was investigated in relation to some of the main environmental factors (temperature, light and water stress) to which its seeds are subjected in the forest, as well as its dormancy and the longevity of its burial seeds. According to our results, its seeds may be regarded as photoblastic neutral. They do not need alternating temperatures to germinate and can germinate under a broad range of water stress. However, only about 10% of E. glaziovii seeds remain viable after one year. In other words, the annual fruiting, instead seed longevity, seems to maintain the long-term seed availability of this species. Consequently, the seed longevity could be a critical phase of E. glaziovii germination.

DYNAMICS OF LEAF FALL FROM RIPARIAN VEGETATION AND THE ACCUMULATION IN BENTHIC STOCK IN NEOTROPICAL STREAMS1

ABSTRACT Considering the importance of the riparian vegetation leaves as an energetic source to first order streams, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the leaf biomass contribution to the system and its temporal dynamics. With this purpose, monthly samples from July 2008 to June 2009 were collected using four sampling devices installed in three streams, in order to collect the vertical, lateral and terrestrial loads, and the benthic stock. We tested the following hypothesis: (1) leaf biomass input is higher after hydric stress periods; and (2) benthic stock biomass increase with higher loads from vertical and lateral entrances. Leaves represented 71.9% (on average) of all sampled allochthonous matter, with seasonal significant variation along the studied year. Peaks of leaf input were registered in September-October, after an increase in rainfall, and also in January, after a decrease in rainfall. Leaf input was higher in the lateral load.

Infection by Toxoplasma gondii in Neotropical non-human primates

Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1909) is an obligatory intracellular protozoan parasite of warm animals, including human and non-human primates. Domestic and wild felids are considered definitive hosts. Several authors have already identified lesions in New World primates caused by T. gondii. Nevertheless, little is known about serological studies on those animals. With this reason, New World non-human primates of the genera Cebus and Callithrix that were apprehended by governmental authorities and sent to the Wildlife Screening Center (Cetas)/IBAMA, at the municipality of Seropédica, state of Rio Janeiro, were bled and sera were submitted to the indirect hemagglutination test for detection of anti-T. gondii antibodies. From 21 sera of Cebus primates, 76.19% (16/21) had anti-T. gondii antibodies. Titles varied from 16 to 2048. In samples from 21 Callithrix, only 4.5% (1/22) had anti-T. gondii antibodies. Only one animal had a title of 32. During all the time those animals were clinical evaluated until sample was collected; none of them had any clinical sign or sequel related to infection by T. gondii. The fact that the origin of these primates is unknown and that there is no information about their feeding habits before captivity makes it difficult to determine the source of T. gondii infection.

Flooding effects in seedlings of Cytharexyllum myrianthum Cham. and Genipa americana L.: responses of two neotropical lowland tree species

Six-month-old seedlings of Cytharexyllum myrianthum and Genipa americana, two common tree species in different flood-prone areas in Brazil, were flooded for up to 90 days to compare their survival and growth responses under these conditions. Seedlings of both species were found to be relatively tolerant to flooding but growth responses changed according to treatment and plant species. Growth of G. americana was reduced by flooding, showing a decrease in root and leaf dry mass, root/shoot ratio and height, without showing any adaptive morphological changes. On the other hand, growth of C. myrianthum seedlings was stimulated under flooding conditions, showing an increase in root dry mass, root/shoot ratio, height, stem diameter and some morphological changes in roots and stems, i.e., development of new roots and stem base hypertrophy. These results could be regarded as an experimental corroboration of the field observations, showing that these species could be indicated for restoration programs of some Neotropical wetlands.

Oil glands in the Neotropical genus Dahlstedtia Malme (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Millettieae)

Dahlstedtia pentaphylla (Taub.) Burkart and D. pinnata (Benth.) Malme belong to the Millettieae tribe and are tropical leguminous trees that produce a strong and unpleasant odour. In the present work, we investigated the distribution, development and histochemistry of foliar and floral secretory cavities that could potentially be related to this odour. The ultrastructure of foliar secretory cavities were also studied and compared with histochemical data. These data were compared with observations recorded for other species of Millettieae in order to gain a phylogenetic and taxonomic perspective. Foliar secretory cavities were only recorded for D. pentaphylla. Floral secretory cavities were present in the calyx, wings and keels in both species; in D. pinnata they also were found in bracteoles and vexillum. Such structures were found to originate through a schizogenous process. Epithelial cells revealed a large amount of flattened smooth endoplasmic reticula, well-developed dictyosomes and vacuoles containing myelin-like structures. Cavity lumen secretion stains strongly for lipids. Features of the secretory cavities studied through ultrastructural and histochemical procedures identify these structures as oil glands. Thus, if the odour produced by such plants has any connection with the accumulation of rotenone, as other species belonging to the "timbó" complex, the lipophilic contents of the secretory cavities of Dahlstedtia species take no part in such odour production. The presence, distribution patterns and frequencies of secretory structures in Dahlstedtia are taxonomically significant and may be utilized as a diagnostic character which justifies the separation of this genus into two species.

Different biochemical strategies of two Neotropical fish to cope with the impairment of nitrogen excretion during air exposure

The exposure of fish to air is normally expected to interfere with the nitrogen excretion process. Hoplias malabaricus and Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus, two teleost species, display distinct behaviors in response to decreases in natural reservoir water levels, although they may employ similar biochemical strategies. To investigate this point, plasma levels of ammonia, urea, uric acid, and the two urea cycle enzymes, ornithine carbamoyl transferase (OCT) and arginase (ARG), as well as glutamine synthetase (GS) were determined for both species after exposure to air. Plasma ammonia increased gradually during exposure to air, but only H. malabaricus showed increased concentrations of urea. Plasma uric acid remained very low in both fish. Enzymatic activities (mean ± SD, µmol min-1 g protein-1) of H. malabaricus showed significant increases (P<0.05, N = 6) in OCT from 0.84 ± 0.05 to 1.42 ± 0.03, in ARG from 8.07 ± 0.47 to 9.97 ± 0.53 and in GS from 1.15 ± 0.03 to 2.39 ± 0.04. The OCT and ARG enzymes remained constant in H. unitaeniatus (N = 6), but GS increased from 1.49 ± 0.02 to 2.06 ± 0.03. Although these species are very closely related and share the same environment, their biochemical strategies in response to exposure to air or to increased plasma ammonia are different.

Caracterização de frutos, sementes, plântulas e germinação de Jeniparana

Gustavia augusta L., conhecida popularmente como jeniparana, é uma espécie arbórea neotropical, que ocorre nas florestas Atlântica e Amazônica. Considerando-se a abundância dessa espécie na floresta Atlântica e a fragilidade e fragmentação desse ecossistema, objetivou-se, com este trabalho, caracterizar seus frutos, sementes, germinação e plântulas, acrescentando informações para subsidiar estudos sobre sua conservação e utilização. Os frutos maduros foram coletados em fragmentos de floresta Atlântica, no município de Paulista, PE. Em seguida, foram realizadas análises morfológicas e biométricas dos frutos, sementes e plântulas da espécie. O fruto de G. augusta é um pixídio globoso, anfissarcídio, pentalocular, indeiscente. A semente é exalbuminosa, estenospérmica, trisseriada, bitegumentada e a massa de cem sementes desse lote foi de 47,95 g. A germinação da espécie é do tipo hipógea, com o tegumento aderido aos cotilédones na fase inicial do crescimento da plântula, que tem início a partir do quinto dia após a semeadura, em condições de laboratório. O tempo médio e o índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG) foram de 14 dias e 0,87, respectivamente. A plântula com 40 dias apresenta todas as estruturas, sendo classificada no tipo morfofuncional fanerohipógeo-armazenador (PHR).

Simuliidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha) no Brasil: VI - Sobre o Simulium (Psaroniocompsa) siolii sp.n., Simulium (P.) lourencoi sp.n., e Simulium (P.) damascenoi sp.n.

São descritas três espécies novas para o subgênero Simulium (Psaroniocompsa) Enderlein: S. (P.) siolii com distribuição geográfica abrangendo as Províncias Hidrogeológicas do Escudo Central e Centro-oeste (nas subprovíncias Chapadas dos Parecis e Alto Paraguai), S.(P)lourencoi das Províncias Hidrogeológicas do Escudo Central e Parnaíba, S.(P.) damascenoi das Províncias Hidrogeológicas do Amazonas e Escudo Setentrional. Estas espécies apresentam caracteres convergentes, assinalados pela primeira vez para a região Neotropical, ao nível larval, com os subgêneros Edwardsellum (Etiópico) e Byssodon (Etiópico e Holoártico). São apresentadas chaves diferenciativas para larvas e pupas do subgênero Psaroniocompsa cujas pupas apresentam quatro filamentos branquiais terminais.

Hidatidose policística: cisto hidático calcificado, simulando neoplasia mesentérica, descoberto acidentalmente

É descrito um caso de hidatidose abdominal, sem comprometimento hepático, em paciente do Estado do Acre. O cisto, já em degeneração e parcialmente calcificado, foi descoberto, por acaso, mediante estudo radiológico da coluna vertebral feito para avaliação de hérnia de disco, detectada algum tempo antes. Embora as imagens sugerissem uma neoplasia do mesentério, o achado de acúleos rostelares no conteúdo pastoso da hidátide, removida cirurgicamente, permitiu reconhecer-se a natureza parasitária da lesão.