Comportamento de forrageamento e dieta de Polystictus superciliaris (Aves, Tyrannidae) no sudeste do Brasil

O presente artigo descreve o comportamento de forrageamento e a dieta de Polystictus superciliaris (Wied, 1831), espécie pouco conhecida e de distribuição geográfica restrita às montanhas do leste do Brasil. Este trabalho foi realizado entre abril e dezembro de 2005 no Parque Estadual da Serra do Rola Moça, município de Nova Lima, Minas Gerais (20°03'S, 44°00'W). Para cada observação de forrageamento foram registrados os comportamentos de ataque, a direção e o substrato do ataque, a altura do substrato de forrageamento e a fitofisionomia onde o ataque ocorreu. Para a determinação da dieta da espécie foram feitas observações diretas de campo, sendo também analisado o conteúdo estomacal de 16 indivíduos. Polystictus superciliaris usa preferencialmente a canga couraçada (93,3%), tendo como substrato principal as folhas (69,1%) das plantas mais abundantes na área. A espécie é generalista quanto ao comportamento de ataque. A análise de conteúdos estomacais revelou a presença exclusiva de artrópodes. As observações confirmaram o caráter insetívoro de P. superciliaris, que não foi observado consumindo frutos ou outro material de origem vegetal.

Composition and structure of a Miridae (Hemiptera, Heteroptera) assemblage from a relict of deciduous rainforest in southern Brazil

A two-year study was carried out to evaluate the composition, abundance and species richness of Miridae from Parque Estadual do Turvo, municipality of Derrubadas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Samplings were made in the springs of 2003 and 2004 (October), and autumns of 2004 and 2005 (May), using a beating tray method, along two trails of the park. Sampling effort (hours x collectors) in the quantitative collections totaled 153 hours. Two-hundred mirid specimens of 50 species were collected. The most abundant mirid was Prepops setosipes (Reuter, 1910), representing 23% of the collected individuals, followed by Collaria capixaba Carvalho & Fontes, 1981 (10.5%) and Tropidosteptes cribratus (Stål, 1860) (7%), the latter recorded in all sampling periods. The highest abundance was observed in the springs of 2003 and 2004, with 53 and 78 individuals, respectively. Rarefaction method showed that estimated species richness was higher in autumn/2004 than in the other sampling periods, and higher along Yucumã than in Garcia trail. Besides a higher species richeness, Yucumã had more exclusive species than Garcia trail. The percent of species represented by one or two specimens in quantitative samplings (singletons and doubletons) was 60%. Additional samplings including hand collection, random beating tray and light trap collections added 20 species not recorded in the quantitative samplings.

Microflora de Bromeliáceas do estado de Pernambuco, Brasil

O autor estudou a microflora de dois gêneros de BROMELIACEAE: Hoenbergia e Portea. As coletas do material foram feitas em seis regiões do Estado de Pernambuco; 1) Região da Mata-Úmida; 2) Região da Mata-Seca; 3) Região do Agreste Central; 4) Região do Agreste Setentrional; 5) Região do Agreste Meridional; 6) Região do Recife. As seguintes diatomáceas indicadoras de águas poluídas (espécies oligossaprobias) foram encontradas nas seis regiões estudadas: Gomphonema parvulum (Kutz) Grunow., Hantzschia amphioxys Grunow, Pinnularia borealis Ehr., Pinnularia microstauron (Ehr) Cleve, gomphonema gracile Ehr., Nitzschia palea Kutz., Melosira roeseana Rabenh., Navicula mutica Kutz., Navicula cryptocephala Kutz., Eunotia pectinalis (Kutz) Rabenh. Foram também observadas CHLOROPHYCEAS nas estações chuvosa e seca nas diversas regiões. Algumas são indicadoras de oligossaprobidade: Scenedesmus quadricauda (Turpin) brebisson. Chlorococcum sp., Chlorella sp. Os fatores ecológicos e comentários referentes ás diatomáceas foram anotados no texto. A tabela I indica a frequência das diatomáceas nas seis regiões estudadas. Maior número dessas diatomáceas, registramos nas regiões do Agreste. A tabela II mostra a temperatura e pH da água de Hoenbergia e Portea em ambas as estações do ano (inverno e verão). Observamos a ocorrência de larvas de culex em Portea e hoenbergia, entretanto, raramente encontramos larvas de Anopheles. As coletas foram feitas durante as estações chuvosa e seca em Hoenbergia e Portea. Determinamos 35 espécies provenientes de 78 amostras coletadas durante o período de 26 meses.

Contribution to the sand fly fauna (Diptera: Phlebotominae) of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and Leishmania (Viannia) infections

American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is endemic in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. As reports of nearby hospitals suggest, the Parque Estadual do Turvo seems to serve as a source for the disease. During three months from November 1996 to February 1997 we collected, in this park, 2,228 sandflies (10 Lutzomyia species and 2 6species). We applied the polymerase chain reaction to 920 females which belong to the following species: Lutzomyia migonei, Lu. pessoai, Lu. fischeri, Lu. misionensis, Lu. lanei, Lu. neivai, Lu. shannoni, and Lu. monticola, in an attempt to verify natural infection by Leishmania (Viannia), the causative agent of ACL. Le. (Viannia) infections were demonstrated by DNA amplification from two Lu. pessoai and one Lu. misionensis female. Lu. pessoai have been found with leptomonas in the gut believed to be Le. (V.) braziliensis in other endemic areas of northeastern and southeastern Brazil. However, Lu. misionensis has never been found carrying a natural infection of Le. (Viannia).

Streblidae (Diptera) of Phyllostomid Bats from Minas Gerais, Brazil

Eight streblid species were collected from eight phyllostomid bat species, from April to November 1997, at or near the Reserve "Parque Estadual do Rio Doce", Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil. In total, 48 specimens of streblid were removed from 57 phyllostomid bats. Most of batflies species were associated with a single species of the host, and only Paratrichobius longicrus (Miranda Ribeiro) and Trichobius joblingi Wenzel were recorded on three bat species. Trichobius lonchophyllae Wenzel represents a new record for the Brazilian Southeastern region.

Multiple reproductives in nests of the Neotropical termite Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Isoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae)

Constrictotermes cyphergaster (Silvester, 1901) builds arboreal nests in Brazilian Cerrado stricto sensu, which are frequently cohabited by inquilines termites and by termitophiles. In a study made at the Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas, Goiás, Brazil, there were four nests with multiple reproductives, and secondary reproductives were found in 26 nests. Nymphs of Inquilinitermes were more abundant (9,47%) than nymphs of C. cyphergaster (0,78%).

Efeitos do sexo, do vigor e do tamanho da planta hospedeira sobre a distribuição de insetos indutores de galhas em Baccharis pseudomyriocephala Teodoro (Asteraceae)

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the patterns of host plant utilization by herbivorous insects in natural communities. We tested four hypotheses aiming to understand the pattern of attack by gall-inducing insects on the dioecious shrub, Baccharis pseudomyriocephala (Asteraceae). The shrub occurs in the Parque Estadual do Itacolomi, Southeastern Brazil, and supports ten species of galling insects. The following hypotheses were tested: i) male plants are more attacked by galling insects than female plants; ii) larger plant modules are preferentially attacked by galling insects; iii) galling insects perform better on larger modules than on smaller modules; iv) galling insects increase in abundance with meristematic availability. To address these questions, 240 plants (120 of each sex) were sampled in both reproductive and vegetative periods. We recorded the growth rate (4 cm), inflorescence and fruit production, attack rates of the galling insects, and their survivorship and mortality per shoot (module). Modules were separated into size classes (cm) and analyzed by regressions and ANCOVAs. Module size and reproductive effort were positively correlated with host plant size. We did not observe any effect of host plant gender on either variables. In the same way, host plant sex did not show any influence on the abundance and richness of galling insects. Although the abundance of galling insects showed a positive correlation with shoot size, the trend disappeared when the analyses were performed taking into consideration the number of galls per unit of growth (number of galls/cm of shoot) or biomass (number of galls/dry weight). Larval survivorship was not influenced by shoot size. Also, we observed that the abundance of one species of hemipteran galling insect showed a positive relation with leaf biomass. Therefore, we conclude that gender and vigor of this plant species do not influence the community structure of its galling herbivores.

Arctiinae (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae) coletados em unidades de conservação estaduais do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Arctiinae (Lepidoptera, Arctiidae) coletados em unidades de conservação estaduais do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. O presente estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de analisar a composição das comunidades de Arctiinae no Parque Estadual do Espigão Alto (Barracão), Parque Estadual de Rondinha (Sarandí), Parque Estadual do Turvo (Derrubadas) e na Reserva Biológica de Ibirapuitã (Alegrete). Dez armadilhas luminosas foram utilizadas para coletar os lepidópteros, de novembro de 2000 a fevereiro de 2001, amostrando-se uma noite em cada local. Os lepidópteros foram identificados aos níveis de subfamília, tribo e, quando possível gênero e espécie. Obteve-se um total de 5.969 arctiíneos pertencentes a 137 morfo espécies, distribuidos em seis tribos.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of Alticini (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) in a fragment of Araucaria Forest in the state of Parana, Brazil

Alticini fauna from five areas, two with different types of management (Borda and Araucaria) and three with different levels of conservation (Fase 1, Fase 2 and Fase 3), in the Araucaria Forest of the Parana was captured with malaise traps. The material was collected weekly, from September/1999 to August/2001, in the Parque Estadual of Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa. 1,891 individuals of 106 Alticini species were collected with only seven species common to all areas. Despite the proximity between sampling areas, the number of species shared between pairs of areas was low, not reaching 40%, with the Araucaria and Fase 1 areas being the most similar. The community structure of the areas Fase 1 and Fase 2 were most related. Fase 1, in initial stage of succession, showed the largert variation in the abundance and richness from one year to another.

Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera, Hesperioidea) from Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil: 70 years of records with special reference to faunal composition of Vila Velha State Park

Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera, Hesperioidea) de Ponta Grossa, Paraná, Brazil: 70 anos de registros com especial referência à composição faunística do Parque Estadual de Vila Velha. O município de Ponta Grossa se destaca por apresentar originalmente uma paisagem peculiar onde capões isolados de Floresta Ombrófila Mista são interligados por grandes extensões de fitofisionomias estépicas, também denominadas campos. No entanto, ambos os ecossistemas atualmente se encontram altamente ameaçados pela ocupação humana, restando na região o Parque Estadual de Vila Velha, cuja composição florística tem sido recentemente relacionada com o bioma Cerrado. Poucos trabalhos são dedicados à caracterização da fauna dos campos e sua relação com outras fitofisionomias estépicas brasileiras, motivo que suscitou a realização deste estudo. Após reunir informações de coletas realizadas por mais de 70 anos, são listadas 225 espécies de Hesperiidae (Lepidoptera, Hesperioidea) presentes no município, entre elas 162 indicadoras de ambientes florestais e 53 de áreas abertas. O Parque Estadual de Vila Velha contribui para a conservação de 65% delas enquanto sua composição se mostra intimamente relacionada tanto aos Pampas como ao Cerrado, em detrimento de hábitats florestais. Tal relação é dada provavelmente pela localização geográfica de Vila Velha, visto que a similaridade da fauna de Hesperiidae se encontrou influenciada pelas distâncias geográficas das amostras no presente estudo. A flora de Vila Velha também deve afetar diretamente a composição observada de Hesperiidae, uma vez que uma grande parte de suas espécies são também encontradas em áreas de Cerrado. No entanto, estudos em ambientes campestres brasileiros ainda se fazem necessários, especialmente em enclaves de Cerrado no Paraná e em São Paulo, para que se adquira um melhor entendimento da dinâmica de suas comunidades.

Register of a gynandromorph of Euglossa pleosticta Dressler (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Register of a gynandromorph of Euglossa pleosticta (Hymenoptera, Apidae). Here we provide a description of a gynandromorph of Euglossa pleosticta with partial bilateral phenotypic asymmetry. The specimen was collected by cineol baittrap at Parque Estadual São Camilo, a conservation unit in western Paraná. The bee has mostly a female phenotype, except by the right half of its head, including the presence of 11 flagellomeres, ivory markings on scape and parocular area, by the pilosity of the right galea, and by deformed male characteristics on mid and hind tibiae of right legs.

Effects of forest conversion on the assemblages' structure of aquatic insects in subtropical regions

The effects of forest conversion to agricultural land uses on assemblages of aquatic insects were analyzed in subtropical streams. Organisms and environmental variables were collected in six low-order streams: three streams located in a forested area, and three in areas converted to agricultural land uses. We expected that the aquatic insects' assemblage attributes would be significantly affected by forest conversion, as well as by environmental variables. Streams in converted areas presented lower species richness, abundance and proportion of sensitive insect taxa. The ANOSIM test evidenced strong difference in EPT assemblage structure between streams of forested and converted areas. The ISA test evidenced several EPT genera with high specificity to streams in forested areas and only one genus related to streams in converted areas. Thus, the impacts of the conversion of forested area to agricultural land uses have significantly affected the EPT assemblages, while environmental variables were not affected. We suggest that the effects detected can be influenced by two processes related to vegetation cover: i) lower input of allochthonous material, and ii) increased input of fine sediments in streams draining converted areas.

Diversidade de fungos micorrízicos Epulorhiza spp. isolados de Epidendrum secundum (Orchidaceae)

Fungos micorrízicos rizoctonioides Epulorhiza spp. têm sido isolados de orquídeas do gênero Epidendrum e vêm sendo utilizados na germinação simbiótica das sementes de orquídeas. Epidendrum secundum é uma orquídea largamente distribuída em campos de altitude do Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro (PESB), Minas Gerais, e pouco se sabe sobre a associação micorrízica dessa espécie nesse parque. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a diversidade morfológica dos fungos micorrízicos rizoctonioides isolados de quatro populações de E. secundum em três regiões de um campo de altitude localizado na subserra Totem Deitado, PESB. Vinte e seis isolados fúngicos foram obtidos, todos pertencentes ao gênero Epulorhiza. As características morfológicas qualitativas e quantitativas avaliadas revelaram, de modo geral, baixa variabilidade entre os isolados obtidos de uma mesma população e de populações localizadas na mesma região, porém grande variabilidade foi observada entre os isolados obtidos das populações de diferentes regiões. Com base nessas características morfológicas, os isolados foram divididos em quatro grupos: o primeiro constituído pelos fungos obtidos das populações I e II da região A, o segundo pelos fungos da população III da região B, o terceiro pelo isolado M61 da população II da região A, e o quarto pelo único isolado obtido na população IV da região C. A variabilidade morfológica observada é um indicativo da diversidade dos fungos Epulorhiza spp. associados a E. secundum no PESB.

Chemical and biochemical properties of Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) Ktze. forest soils in the state of São Paulo

Araucaria angustifolia, commonly named Araucaria, is a Brazilian native species that is intensively exploited due to its timber quality. Therefore, Araucaria is on the list of species threatened by extinction. Despite the importance of soil for forest production, little is known about the soil properties of the highly fragmented Araucaria forests. This study was designed to investigate the use of chemical and biological properties as indicators of conservation and anthropogenic disturbance of Araucaria forests in different sampling periods. The research was carried out in two State parks of São Paulo: Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto do Ribeira and Parque Estadual de Campos de Jordão. The biochemical properties carbon and nitrogen in microbial biomass (MB-C and MB-N), basal respiration (BR), the metabolic quotient (qCO2) and the following enzyme activities: β-glucosidase, urease, and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis (FDA) were evaluated. The sampling period (dry or rainy season) influenced the results of mainly MB-C, MB-N, BR, and qCO2. The chemical and biochemical properties, except K content, were sensitive indicators of differences in the conservation and anthropogenic disturbance stages of Araucaria forests. Although these forests differ in biochemical and chemical properties, they are efficient in energy use and conservation, which is shown by their low qCO2, suggesting an advanced stage of succession.

Soil functioning in a toposequence under rainforest in São Paulo, Brazil

Studies of soil-water dynamics using toposequences are essential to improve the understanding of soil-water-vegetation relationships. This study assessed the hydro-physical and morphological characteristics of soils of Atlantic Rainforest in the Parque Estadual de Carlos Botelho, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The study area of 10.24 ha (320 x 320 m) was covered by dense tropical rainforest (Atlantic Rainforest). Based on soil maps and topographic maps of the area, a representative transect of the soil in this plot was chosen and five soil trenches were opened to determine morphological properties. To evaluate the soil hydro-physical functioning, soil particle size distribution, bulk density (r), particle density (r s), soil water retention curves (SWRC), field saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), macroporosity (macro), and microporosity (micro) and total porosity (TP) were determined. Undisturbed samples were collected for micromorphometric image analysis, to determine pore size, shape, and connectivity. The soils in the study area were predominantly Inceptisols, and secondly Entisols and Epiaquic Haplustult. In the soil hydro-physical characterization of the selected transect, a change was observed in Ks between the surface and subsurface layers, from high/intermediate to intermediate/low permeability. This variation in soil-water dynamics was also observed in the SWRC, with higher water retention in the subsurface horizons. The soil hydro-physical behavior was influenced by the morphogenetic characteristics of the soils.