Estudo morfológico de Limnogonus aduncus Drake & Harris, 1932 e Halobatopsis platensis (Berg, 1879) e suas genitálias externas (Hemiptera - Gerridae)

Com o intuito de elucidar a cosntituição da genitália masculina e criar novos parâmetros para serem usados em taxionomia, estudamos Limnogonus aduncus Drake & Harris, 1932 - Gerrinae e Halobatopsis platensis (Berg, 1879) - Trepobatinae, evidenciamenos 11 estruturas no falo e comprovamos uma nítida separação entre estas duas subfamílias, não só pela disposição como também pela forma do aparelho articular, vesica, falosoma, suporte do falosoma, conjuntiva e parâmetros.

Estudo da genitália externa masculina de duas espécies de Opisthacidius Berg, 1879 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Reduviinae)

In order to stablish new taxonomic characters for the genus Opisthcidius a detailed comparative study of the male external genitalia was performed in O. rubropictus (H. Shaeffer, 1848), the type species, and O. pertinax (Breddin, 1903), mantioned as predators of triatomines. The most representative phallic structures were: the median process of pygophore, the phallosoma struts and the vesica process.

The Ultrastructure of the Gastrodermis and the Nutrition of the Gill Parasitic Atriaster heterodus Lebedev and Paruchin, 1969 (Platyhelminthes: Monogenea)

The gastrodermis of Atriaster heterodus Lebedev & Paruchin, 1969 (Polyopisthocotylea), a gill parasite from Diplodus argenteus (Valenciennes, 1830), is composed of "U"-shape hematin cells and a connecting syncytium, both having cytoplasmic lamellae. These cells show outgrowths and bent folds which were seen to enclose lumen material. The trapped material was then subjected to endocytosis. The nature of ingested food material was comparatively analyzed by cytochemical and histochemical tests. Blood residues were detected in the gut but tests for mucins were negative. No intact erythrocytes were observed in the gut lumen.

A new species of Henneguya, a gill parasite of Astyanax altiparanae (Pisces: Characidae) from Brazil, with comments on histopathology and seasonality

A new species of Myxosporea, Henneguya chydadea, is described parasitizing the gills of Astyanax altiparanae collected from a lake on Rio das Pedras farm near Campinas, state of São Paulo, Brazil. Of the fish examined, 88.3% had gills parasitized by myxosporeans. The prevalence of the parasite ranged from 80% in the spring and fall, 93% in the summer and 100% in the winter. The parasite induced the formation of white, oval-shaped cysts measuring 40-64 µm x 64-80 µm which deformed the gill lamellae, compressed the capillaries, and caused retraction of the neighboring lamellae. The mature spores were elongated and had two identical, parallel elongate polar capsules. Each capsule contained a polar filament with 9-10 turns. There was no mucous envelope or iodinophilous vacuole. Morphometric differences between this parasite and other species of the genus Henneguya indicated, that he parasite observed in A. altiparanae is a new species. This is the first report of a myxosporeanparasitizing A. altiparanae.

Estudo morfométrico do gênero Panstrongylus Berg, 1879 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae, Triatominae)

The subfamily Triatominae is actually represented by 137 species distributed among 6 tribes and 19 genera. Within this subfamily, the genus Panstrongylus, Berg 1879, is composed by 13 species widespread in sylvatic, peridomestic, and domestic habitats of Neotropical regions. These species are vectors of Chagas disease and consequently are found associated with its main hosts, such as birds and mammals. Interest in species of this genus has been increasing in the last few years. Reports of several authors indicate these Triatominae to invade and colonize houses, increasing their epidemiological significance. Morphometry was used in this study to investigate correlations among possible closely related species. We measured 224 specimens among 13 species through a set of metric variables of the head. The results indicated that the genus Panstrongylus seems to be homogeneous since 10 of the 14 species were shown to be closely related.

Seletividade de agrotóxicos indicados na produção integrada de pêssego a Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: trichogrammatidae)

A seletividade de agrotóxicos indicados nas Normas Técnicas Específicas da Produção Integrada de Pêssego (NTE-PIP) foi avaliada sobre Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, utilizando-se da metodologia padronizada internacionalmente pela International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC). Os agrotóxicos (% ingrediente ativo na calda) Orthocide 500 (0,120) e Persist SC (0,160) foram classificados como inócuos; Hokko Cihexatim 500 (0,025) e Roundup WG (1,387) foram levemente nocivos; Assist (1,512) foi moderadamente nocivo; Sevin 480 SC (0,173), Tiomet 400 CE (0,048), Dipterex 500 (0,150) e Kumulus DF (0,480) foram nocivos a adultos de T. pretiosum no teste de toxicidade inicial em laboratório.

Seletividade de agrotóxicos recomendados na produção integrada da maçã a Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hym.: Trichogrammatidae) em condições de laboratório

A seletividade de oito agrotóxicos recomendados na Produção Integrada da Maçã (PIM) foi avaliada sobre Trichogramma pretiosum Riley em laboratório, utilizando-se da metodologia padronizada pela International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC). Os produtos (% da formulação comercial na calda) Captan 500 PM (0,240) e Delan (0,125) foram inócuos; Promalin (9,000) foi levemente nocivo; Assist (4,000) e Dormex (1,200) foram moderadamente nocivos; Vertimec 18 CE (0,100), Malathion 1000 CE (0,100) e Supracid 400 CE (0,100) foram nocivos a adultos de T. pretiosum no teste de toxicidade em laboratório. Os agrotóxicos classificados como moderadamente nocivos e nocivos requerem testes subseqüentes de persistência biológica do produto em casa de vegetação e de campo.

Persistência de agrotóxicos indicados na produção integrada de pêssego a Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae)

A persistência (duração da atividade nociva) de cinco agrotóxicos indicados na Produção Integrada de Pêssego (PIP) foi avaliada, expondo-se adultos de Trichogramma pretiosum Riley, 1879 (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) ao contato com resíduos de inseticidas, pulverizados sobre folhas, a diferentes intervalos de tempo, baseando-se na metodologia sugerida pela International Organization for Biological and Integrated Control of Noxious Animals and Plants (IOBC). Os resultados obtidos em relação à persistência, permitiu classificar os agrotóxicos, produto comercial/ingrediente ativo (g ou mL de produto comercial 100L-1), Dipterex 500/triclorfom (300), Sumithion 500 CE/fenitrotiona (150) e Tiomet 400 CE/dimetoato (120) como levemente persistentes (5-15 dias); o inseticida Malathion 1000 CE/malationa (200) como moderadamente persistente (16-30 dias) e o fungicida/acaricida Kumulus DF/enxofre (600) como persistente (> 31 dias) a adultos de T. pretiosum.

Histopathological changes in liver and gill epithelium of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, exposed to waterborne copper

Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, of both sexes were reared in freshwater and exposed to 0.5, 1.0 and 2.5mg L-1 of waterborne copper for a period of 21 days. Liver and gill samples were collected after 21 days of exposure to copper and lesions were analyzed by light microscopy. The main histopathological changes observed in gills exposed to the highest concentration were edema, lifting of lamellar epithelia and an intense vasodilatation of the lamellar vascular axis. Although less frequent, lamellar fusion caused by the filamentar epithelium proliferation and some lamellar aneurisms were also found. The liver of control group exhibited a quite normal architecture, while the fish exposed to copper showed vacuolation and necrosis. These hepatic alterations were more evident in fish exposed to 1.0 and 2.5mg L-1 copper concentrations. The number of hepatocytes nucleus per mm² of hepatic tissue decreased with the increase of copper concentration. In contrast, the hepatic somatic index was high in fish exposed at 2.5mg L-1 of copper. In short, this work advance new knowledge as influence of copper in the gill and liver histology of O. niloticus and demonstrated that their effects could be observed at different concentrations.