Wild Rodents as Experimental Intermediate Hosts of Lagochilascaris minor Leiper, 1909

A total of 25 specimens of Cavia porcellus (guinea pig), 5 Dasyprocta agouti (agouti), and 22 Calomys callosus (vesper mice) were inoculated with infective eggs of Lagochilascaris minor. The inoculum was prepared with embryonated eggs and orally administered to each individual animal through an esophagus probe. In parallel, 100 specimens of Felis catus domesticus were individually fed with 55-70 nodules containing 3rd-stage larvae encysted in tissues of infected rodents. Animals were examined and necropsied at different time intervals. The migration and encystment of L3 larva was observed in viscera, skeletal muscle, adipose and subcutaneous tissues from all rodents. Adult worms localized at abscesses in the cervical region, rhino, and oropharynx were recovered from domestic cats inoculated with infected rodent tissues. Through this study we can conclude that: (1) wild rodents act as intermediate hosts, characterizing this ascarid heteroxenic cycle; (2) in natural conditions rodents could possibly act as either intermediate hosts or paratenic hosts of Lagochilascaris minor; (3) despite the occurrence of an auto-infecting cycle, in prime-infection of felines (definite hosts) the cycle is only completed when intermediate hosts are provided; and (4) in the wild, rodents could serve as a source of infection for humans as they are frequently used as food in regions with the highest incidence of human lagochilascariasis.

A short review on the morphology of Trypanosoma cruzi: from 1909 to 1999

The morphology of Trypanosoma cruzi is reviewed since the initial description of Giemsa-stained preparations by Carlos Chagas until the most recent micrographs obtained with freeze-fracture techniques. Special emphasis is given to structures such as the cell surface, the flagellum, the kinetoplast, the reservosomes and the endocytic pathway, and the acidocalcisomes.

Population biology of Allocreadium lobatum Wallin, 1909 (Digenea: Allocreadiidae) in the creek chub, Semotilus atromaculatus, mitchill (Osteichthyes: Cyprinadae), in a Nebraska Creek, USA

Allocreadium lobatum Wallin, 1909 has been reported in cyprinid species of freshwater fish in Canada and in the United States. The population biology of A. lobatum in the host Semotilus atromaculatus Mitchill was studied from May through December 1991, in a USA creek. Overall prevalence (64%) and mean intensity (4.4 ± 0.4) were greater than previously reported while abundance, reported for the first time, was 2.8 ± 0.3. Several trends in A. lobatum population biology as a function of S. atromaculatus length were identified. Mean intensity and abundance of A. lobatum increased with host size and significant differences in prevalence and A. lobatum lengths were found to correlate with host lengths.

Development of Hepatozoon caimani (Carini, 1909) Pessôa, De Biasi & De Souza, 1972 in the Caiman Caiman c. crocodilus, the frog Rana catesbeiana and the mosquito Culex fatigans

The sporogony of Hepatozoon caimani has been studied, by light microscopy, in the mosquito Culex fatigans fed on specimens of the caiman Caiman c. crocodilus showing gametocytes in their peripheral blood. Sporonts iniciate development in the space between the epithelium of the insect gut and the elastic membrane covering the haemocoele surface of the stomach. Sporulating oocysts are clustered on the gut, still invested by the gut surface membrane. Fully mature oocysts were first seen 21 days after the blood-meal. No sporogonic stages were found in some unidentified leeches fed on an infected caiman, up to 30 days following the blood-meal. When mosquitoes containing mature oocysts were fed to frogs (Leptodactylus fuscus and Rana catesbeiana), cysts containing cystozoites developed in the internal organs, principally the liver. Feeding these frogs to farm-bred caimans resulted in the appearance of gametocytes in their peripheral blood at some time between 59 and 79 days later, and the development of tissue cysts in the liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys. Transmission of the parasite was also obtained by feeding young caimans with infected mosquitoes and it is suggested that both methods occur in nature. The finding of similar cysts containing cystozoites in the semi-aquatic lizard Neusticurus bicarinatus, experimentally fed with infected C. fatigans, suggests that other secondary hosts may be involved.

Kanaima Distant, 1909: descrição de uma nova espécie (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cercopidae, Tomaspidinae)

Kanaima Distant, 1909: description of a new species (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Cercopidae, Tomaspidinae). A new species, Kanaima dubia, is described from São José dos Pinhais, Paraná, Brazil. It is similar, in general aspect, to Kanaima fluvialis (Lallemand, 1924).

Descrição da larva de Popanomyia femoralis Kertész, 1909 e do pupário de Engicerus major Lindner, 1964 (Diptera, Stratiomyidae)

The larva of Popanomyia femoralis and puparium of Engicerus major are described. The larvae were collected under the bark of fallen trees in an area near the tropical rain forest at Ilha da Marambaia (23º 04'15''S-43º53'59''W-sea level) and Cabo Frio (22º52'46''S-42º01'07''W-4 m), State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Biological notes are presented. The larva of Popanomyia femoralis and puparium of Engicerus major are compared with those of Chalcidomorphina aurata Enderlein, Cosmariomyia argyrosticta Kertész, Dactylodeictes lopesi Lindner and Vittiger schnusei Kertész, other species of the same subfamily.

Revisão do gênero Antiteuchus Dallas (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae, Discocephalinae)

Revisão do gênero Antiteuchus Dallas (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae, Discocephalinae). O gênero Antiteuchus Dallas, 1851 com 46 espécies descritas é revisado; as espécies são redescritas com base na morfologia externa da genitália do macho e em algumas características da morfologia geral do corpo. Neodine Kirkaldy, 1909 é considerado sinônimo junior de Antiteuchus. As espécies foram subdivididas em seis grupos aqui propostos: A. amplus, A. supinatus, A. peruensis, A. tesselatus, A. marmoratus e A. mixtus. Oito novas espécies são descritas: A. amapensis sp. nov., A. beckerae sp. nov., A. doesburgi sp. nov., A. exiguus sp. nov., A. ledeburi sp. nov., A. marini sp. nov., A. melanicus sp. nov. and A. similis sp. nov. Nove espécies e uma subespécie são sinonimizadas. Antiteuchus varians Ruckes, 1964 é considerada sinônimo júnior de A. pallescens Stål, 1868; A. englemani Rolston, 1993 de A. amplus (Walker, 1867); A. tripterus limbativentris Ruckes, 1964 e A. minor Engleman, 1983 de A. tripterus (Fabricius, 1787); A. fuscus (Ruckes, 1959), A. piceus (Palisot de Beauvois, 1805), A. subgibbus Engleman, 1983, A. subimpunctatus Ruckes, 1964, A. unicolor (Westwood, 1837) e A. variolosus (Westwood, 1837) de A. mixtus (Fabricius, 1787). Antiteuchus tatei (Ruckes, 1958) é considerada species inquirenda. Empicoris marmoreus Spinola, 1837 é colocada em incertae sedis e tratada como species inquirenda. O macho de A. pictus, até agora desconhecido, é descrito. Chaves de identificação para os machos das espécies de Antiteuchus e para os grupos de espécies são apresentadas.

Diversidade de Scarabaeinae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) coletados com armadilha de interceptação de vôo no Refúgio Ecológico Charles Darwin, Igarassu-PE, Brasil

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar riqueza, abundância, diversidade e equitabilidade das espécies de Scarabaeinae em dois ambientes no Refúgio Ecológico Charles Darwin (RECD), Pernambuco. As coletas foram realizadas com armadilha de interceptação de vôo entre os meses de Abril e Junho de 2007, totalizando seis coletas. Foram capturados 4576 escarabeíneos, pertencentes a 35 espécies, 15 gêneros e seis tribos. Sete novos registros de espécies foram feitos para Pernambuco, passando de 26 para 33 espécies. As tribos registradas foram Canthonini, Ateuchini, Coprini, Phanaeini, Eurystenini e Onthophagini. Os gêneros melhor representados foram: Dichotomius com 84,6% dos besouros coletados, seguido por Canthidium com 7,62% e Canthon com 2,48%. A espécie Dichotomius aff.sericeus foi a mais abundante com 3889 indivíduos. Em todo o estudo foram verificadas 17 espécies para a área aberta, sendo 11 restritas a esse ambiente, enquanto para mata foram registradas 24, sendo 18 espécies restritas. Grande parte dos indivíduos capturados na mata foi da espécie D. aff.sericeus, enquanto no ambiente aberto nenhum indivíduo desta espécie foi coletado. Os estimadores indicaram uma estimativa máxima de riqueza de 21 espécies para o ambiente aberto e 32 espécies para o ambiente de mata. A curva de acumulação de espécies baseada em valores de riqueza observada média para os dois ambientes do RECD, não apresentou tendência a assíntota.