Lutzomyia reducta Feliciangeli et al., 1988, a host of Leishmania amazonensis, sympatric with two other members of the Flaviscutellata complex in southern Amazonas and Rondônia, Brazil (Diptera: Psychodidae)

A member of the Lutzomyia flaviscutellata complex from Rondônia and southern Amazonas States, Brazil, is so close to the Venezuelan Lutzomyia olmeca recuta Feliciangeli et al., 1988, that it is regarded as belonging to the same species. Since this phlebotomine co-extis with L. olmeca nociva in Brazil, the subspecific status of the former is untenable and is rased to specific rank, as Lutzomyia reducta. The Brazilian material is described and illustrated, and compared with specimens of L. o. nociva and L. flaviscutellata from the same area. Keys to the known taxa of the flaviscutellata complex are presented. Leishmania amazonensis was isolated from one heavily infected specimen of L. reducta, making this the third species of the flaviscutellata complex to be implicated as a vector of this parasite in Brazil. The relative abundance of the three sympatric flaviscutellata complex species varies locally and appears to be related to soil drainage. L. reducta constituted about 25% if all phlebotomines captured in Disney traps at poorly drained and well drained site, but appears not to coloniza areas subject to periodic flooding. L. olmeca nociva was restricted to poorly drained areas not subject to flooding, whereas L. flaviscutellata was ubiquitous L. reducta has never been detected north of the Amazon river in Brazil, but absence of recosrds from western and northwestern Amazonas State may reflect lack of collecting in these areas.

Ultrastructure of the tegument of Prosorhynchoides arcuatus (Linton, 1900) Bray, 1984 (Trematoda, Bucephalidae)

The tegument of the adult form of Prosorhynchoides arcuatus (Linton, 1900) (Trematoda, Bucephalidae) from the intestine of Pomatomus saltator (L.) from the Atlantic coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was studied by transmission electron microscopy. The tegument consists of two layers: an external, constituted by a syncytium, containing spines, unicilliated papillae, inclusion bodies and mitochondria and an internal, consisting of a muscular layer and mononucleated tegumental cells.

The taxonomy of Brazilian insects vectors of transmissible diseases (1900-2000) - then and now

A brief historical overview is given of the most relevant taxonomic studies of insect groups vectors of transmissible diseases in Brazil, from the "heroic" times of the foundation of the Instituto Oswaldo Cruz in Rio de Janeiro up to the present. The following orders are considered: Phthiraptera (Anoplura, Amblycera and Ischnocera), Hemiptera (Reduviidae: Triatominae), Siphonaptera and Diptera (Culicidae, Ceratopogonidae, Psychodidae: Phlebotominae, Simuliidae, Tabanidae, Chloropidae and Muscidae). The most important Brazilian collections of each group are cited.

O gênero nas políticas públicas de educação no Brasil: 1988-2002

Orientado pela teoria das relações de gênero, este artigo examina as principais leis, planos e programas federais que especificam as diretrizes nacionais das políticas públicas de educação no Brasil. Entre os documentos privilegiados para análise destacam-se a Constituição Federal (CF/1988), a nova Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação (LDB/1996), o Plano Nacional de Educação (PNE/2001) e os Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais do Ensino Fundamental (PCN/1997). Mostramos que adotar a ótica de gênero para a análise dessas políticas permite avaliar como elas podem facilitar ou dificultar a aquisição de padrões democráticos, uma vez que a política educacional não tem um papel neutro, dissociado de preconceitos, entre os quais destacamos o de gênero.