On the Neotropical genus Cybaeodamus (Araneae, Zodariidae, Storeninae)

Four new species of the spider genus Cybaeodamus Mello-Leitão, 1938 are described and illustrated: C. meridionalis sp. nov. from Brazil and Argentina, C. taim sp. nov. from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, C. brescoviti sp. nov. and C. tocantins sp. nov. from setentrional region of Brazil. For the species Cybaeodamus enigmaticus (Mello-Leitão, 1939), C. lycosoides (Nicolet, 1849) and C. ornatus Mello-Leitão, 1938, new illustrations based on the examination of the types are presented. The species Cybaeodamus nigrovittatus Mello-Leitão, 1941 which the holotype is an immature specimen, C. pallidus (Mello-Leitão, 1943) which the type was not located, C. rastellifer (Mello-Leitão, 1940) and C. scottae Mello-Leitão, 1941, both described upon juvenile specimens, all from Argentina, are considered as species inquirendae.

Acanthotylotra alvarengai (Porifera, Demospongiae) new genus and species of sponge from Tocantins river, Pará State, Brazil

Acanthotylotra a new monotypic genus of freshwater sponge is defined. Its sole species A. alvarengai sp. nov. is described based upon microscopic specimens recovered from the Tocantins river, Pará State, Brazil, when the deep rocky substrate was temporarily exposed downstream from the dam at the time it was closed for lake formation. A unique set of megascleres, allied to the paucity of spongin, the renieroid skeleton and the fact that gemmules or new specimens remain undetected, call for the proposition of a new monospecific genus to be retained as incertae sedis until new larger and probably gemmuliferous specimens come to be found.

Global literature of fiddler crabs, genus Uca (Decapoda, Ocypodidae): trends and future directions

Crabs of the genus Uca Leach, 1814 are characterized by having strong sexual dimorphism and a global distribution. Currently, 97 species have been described and analyzed under several aspects, including population ecology, physiology and ethology. However, there is no general summary of the information from the various literatures. The aim of this study is to perform a scientometric analysis of fiddler crab studies. For this we searched papers available in the Thomson ISI database that contained the words "Uca" OR "fiddler* crab*" between the years 1991 and 2007. For each paper, we researched and recorded the following characteristics: publication year; journal of publication; the first author's nationality; the country where the study was conducted; study type; species studied; and the work area. Our results indicated that there was no increase in the number of articles through the years considered. The Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology published most of the articles on Uca, indicating the importance of this group as a model for testing ecological hypotheses using experimental approaches. Our results also showed that United States had the highest number of authors and published studies on Uca, following the overall trend in dominance on scientific research. Furthermore, using models with three variables (per capita income, number of species of Uca and extent of coastal countries) we observed that, according to the Akaike Information Criterion, the per capita income was the most important correlate for the number of articles per country (both the author's country and country of study). Additionally, our results show that the species U. pugilator (distributed on the East Coast of the North American continent) was the species most singularly referenced in the papers considered. Moreover, our results indicate that most studies on Uca use a descriptive and local scale. The majority of papers in our literature search reflect studies in population biology, followed by behavioral and physiological characteristics.

The genus Trichorhina Budde-Lund in Brazil, with description of seven new species (Isopoda, Oniscidea, Platyarthridae)

Seven new species of Trichorhina Budde-Lund, 1908 are described, six from Southeastern Brazil, T. biumbonata sp. nov., T. lenkoi sp. nov., T. myrmecophila sp. nov., T. orensis sp. nov., T. sexdens sp. nov., T. tropidocerata sp. nov., and one from Central Brazil, T. crassisetae sp. nov. An emended diagnosis for the genus and a key to the 19 species recorded from Brazil are provided. Trichorhina acuta Araújo & Buckup, 1994 is recorded to state of Mato Grosso do Sul.

Revision of the Neotropical spider genus Berlandiella (Araneae, Philodromidae)

The spider genus Berlandiella Mello-Leitão, 1929 is revised and the three known species, Berlandiella insignis Mello-Leitão, 1929 (Rio de Janeiro), B. magna Mello-Leitão, 1929 (Pernambuco, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul), and B. polyacantha Mello-Leitão, 1929 (Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo), are redescribed and illustrated. Lectotypes for Berlandiella insignis, B. magna and B. polyacantha are designated. Descriptions and illustrations of three new species are presented: B. robertae sp. nov. (Brazil and Argentina), B. meridionalis sp. nov. (Brazil) and B. querencia sp. nov. (Brazil). The geographical distribution of the representatives of the genus is presented.

Biometric and statistical investigations on the cnidoma of the genus Hydra (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa)

This paper deals about the nematocysts like a source of biometric information for comparison between the species Hydra vulgaris Pallas, 1766, Hydra vulgaris pedunculata Deserti et al., 2011 and Hydra pseudoligactis (Hyman, 1931). This biometric tool lets us carry out statistical comparisons and adding these results to the identification of specimens from different classificatory groups. In this particular study, we obtained significant differences between species, individuals of each species and nematocysts type when compared the biometry of its nematocysts. Another result was the variation in of particular nematocysts, like atrichous isorhiza and holotrichous isorhiza for the species H. vulgaris in relation to the column size.

Neodrassex, a new genus of the Leptodrassex group (Araneae, Gnaphosidae) from South America

The new genus Neodrassex is proposed to include two new species of Gnaphosidae from Brazil. Neodrassex aureus sp. nov. is described from Amazonas, Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul states, and N. iguatemi sp. nov. is described from Paraná state. Neodrassex gen. nov. is characterized by small size, pale coloration, large anterior median eyes surrounded by black pigmentation, absence of a dorsal abdominal scutum in males and by the cheliceral dentition with 2-3 teeth on the promargin and 2-4 on the retromargin. The new genus is tentatively placed at the Leptodrassex group.

Establishment of a new genus for Parastenocaris itica (Copepoda, Harpacticoida) from El Salvador, Central America, with discussion of the Parastenocaris fontinalis and P. proserpina groups

A new genus of Parastenocarididae is described from the Neotropical region. Iticocaris gen. nov. is established to include Parastenocaris itica Noodt, 1962. Iticocaris gen. nov. is defined by the following characters: 1) male leg 3 with 2-segmented exopod; 2) first exopodal segment short and rectangular; 3) thumb hypertrophic, longer than the second exopodal segment and inserted on the distal edge of exopod segment 1, occupying the whole distal margin; 4) exopod 2 or apophysis strongly sclerotized, articulated with the exopod segment 1 on its inner margin and curved against the thumb, forming a strong forceps; 5) leg 4 endopod without dimorphism in shape and size vs. minor dimorphism in ornamentation; 6) leg 5 with three setae and 7) lack of the anterolateral furcal seta II. The new genus is monotypic, represented by Iticocaris itica (Noodt, 1962) comb. nov., from El Salvador, Central America. A close relationship is hypothesized between I. itica and the genus Brasilibathynellocaris Jakobi, 1972, the males of which both share the forceps-like elongated apophysis.

Taxonomic revision of doubtful Brazilian freshwater shrimp species of genus Macrobrachium (Decapoda, Palaemonidae)

The freshwater prawns of the genus Macrobrachium Spence Bate, 1868 are widely distributed in rivers of tropical and subtropical regions and represent an interesting group with controversial taxonomy. The morphological characters traditionally used to separate species have shown a high intraspecific variation. Doubts about the status of M. birai Lobão, Melo & Fernandes, 1986, M. holthuisi Genofre & Lobão, 1978 and M. petronioi Melo, Lobão & Fernandes, 1986 have been arisen due to the high resemblance of the former two species with M. olfersi (Wiegmann, 1836), and the latter one with M. potiuna (Müller, 1880). Therefore, we performed a detailed morphological analysis of these species, including new characters not usually used in the species recognition. The present results here with molecular data lead us to conclude that M. birai and M. holthuisi are junior synonyms of M. olfersi, and M. petronioi is a junior synonym of M. potiuna. Considering these synonymies, 17 valid species are now reported for the Brazilian territory.

On Munduruku, a new Theraphosid genus from Oriental Amazonia (Araneae, Mygalomorphae)

Munduruku gen. nov. is proposed for the type species Munduruku bicoloratum sp. nov., from Juruti and Santarém, Pará, Brazil. The main diagnostic character of Munduruku gen. nov. is the presence of a subapical, lanceolate keel on the male palpal bulb, which is unique among the basal taxa of Theraphosinae with type III-IV urticating setae. The female spermathecae consist of two spheroid receptacles with funnel-shaped necks, each of which bears a sclerotized area. In both sexes, the abdomen is remarkably patterned, an uncommon feature in adults of New World theraphosids. Both the bulbus lanceolate keel and the abdominal color pattern are hypothesized as synapomorphies of the genus.

Ostracoda (Crustacea) from the Archipelago of São Pedro and São Paulo, Equatorial Atlantic, with emphasis on a new Hemicytheridae genus

The present study is a further contribution to the systematic knowledge of the shallow water marine ostracodes from the Brazilian oceanic islands. A total of 14 species belonging to 10 genera and eight families is herein identified. One new genus and species are described and illustrated: Berguecythere insularis gen. nov., sp. nov. In addition to this new taxon, the abundant species Loxocorniculum tricornatum Krutak, 1971, widely distributed in recent sediments in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, north and northeast of Brazil and the Rocas Atoll, along with the cosmopolitan tropical ostracode Triebelina sertata Triebel, 1948, were also identified at specific level. The remaining 11 species were left at the genus level, and should provide new species. Ecological, zoo- and paleozoogeographical aspects were also briefly discussed.

Modelagem de ocorrência e densidade de juvenis de Callinectes sapidus (Decapoda, Portunidae) em dois estuários do Rio Grande do Sul, com dados zero-inflacionados

Dados de contagem de juvenis de siri-azul (Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896) coletados em dois estuários do Rio Grande do Sul são objeto do presente estudo. Por se encontrarem zero-inflacionados, esses dados motivaram a formulação de modelos hierárquicos, que quantificam o efeito das covariáveis categóricas mês e local sobre a probabilidade de ocorrência e densidade dessas populações, levando em conta a detecção imperfeita. Foram também desenvolvidos modelos não-hierárquicos para comparação. Uma abordagem Bayesiana foi adotada para a estimação dos parâmetros dos modelos por simulação Monte Carlo com Cadeias de Markov (MCMC). A comparação entre modelos foi feita com o Critério de Informação da Deviância (DIC). Os modelos hierárquicos apresentaram ajustes melhores que os modelos convencionais, mitigaram o problema do excesso de zeros e permitiram analisar simultaneamente as probabilidades de ocorrência e a densidade de juvenis de siri-azul. No estuário da Lagoa dos Patos, a probabilidade de ocorrência de juvenis na Classe 2 aumenta com a distância da desembocadura, enquanto em Tramandaí os pontos intermediários apresentam as maiores probabilidades. Em ambos os estuários a ocorrência é mais provável nos meses de verão e de inverno. A densidade de juvenis da Classe 2 apresenta marcada variação em relação aos meses do ano sendo, em geral, maior no estuário de Tramandaí.

Revision of the spider genus Pycnothele (Araneae, Nemesiidae)

The genus Pycnothele Chamberlin, 1917 is revised. The Brazilian species Pycnothele perdita Chamberlin, 1917, P. singularis (Mello-Leitão, 1934) and P. auronitens (Keyserling, 1891) are redescribed, diagnosed and illustrated. The females of P. auronitens and P. singularis are described for the first time and P. auripila (Mello-Leitão, 1946) from Uruguay, currently a junior synonym of P. auronitens, is revalidated. Pycnothele piracicabensis (Piza, 1938) is transferred to Rachias Simon, 1892, with which it shares the morphology of the sexual structures, restoring the original combination. Five new species are proposed for Brazil: Pycnothele rubra sp. nov., P. jatai sp. nov. and P. araraquara sp. nov., from state of São Paulo, P. arapongas sp. nov., from state of Paraná, and P. gauderio sp. nov., from state of Rio Grande do Sul. After this revision the genus includes ten Neotropical species. Maps with distribution of all species is presented for the first time and the occurrence of species of the genus is enhanced for the Brazilian state of Paraná.

Nopyllus, a new South American Drassodinae spider genus (Araneae, Gnaphosidae)

Nopyllus gen. nov. is proposed to include Apopyllus isabelae Brescovit & Lise, 1993 and Nopyllus vicente sp. nov. from southern Brazil. Nopyllus gen. nov. is close to Apodrassodes Vellard, 1924 and Apopyllus Platnick & Shadab, 1984, can be distinguished from both genera by the absence of a dorsal abdominal scutum in males, the absence of a median apophysis on bulb, the curved, narrow and reniform cymbium, and by the presence of a very conspicuous cymbial basal projection.

On a new genus and species of Hemicytheridae (Ostracoda, Crustacea) from the southern Brazilian coast

This study is based on 62 samples of phytal and bottom sediments collected along rocky beaches (< 3 m water depth) of the central and northern coasts of the state of Santa Catarina (26º10'/27º50'S – 48º26'/48º40'W), southern Brazil. Living and dead ostracodes distributed among 16 families were recovered. In this paper is emphasized one new hemicytherid genus and species that is described and richly illustrated: Auricythere sublitoralis gen. nov. and sp. nov. Some ecological and zoogeographical aspects of this new ostracode are briefly discussed.