Molecular diversity of Brazilian strains of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2)

Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) is associated with a broad range of syndromes. In this study, eight pig tissue samples from two Brazilian states were analyzed using six PCR primer pairs amplifying a 1705-bp fragment of the PCV-2 genome. The NJ distance-based method was used for the phylogenetic analysis with the eight field strains herein, 15 GenBank sequences and using PCV-1 as an out-group. This yielded two major clusters (A and B) for this viral species, with the Brazilian strains segregating with European and Asian sequences. Nucleotide identity was 99.7 to 100% among the sequences. This information can be used in further studies of pathogenesis related to PCV-2 in Brazil. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phylogeny of the Sporobolus indicus complex, based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences

The entire internal transcribed spacer ( ITS) region, including the 5.8S subunit of the nuclear ribosomal DNA ( rDNA), was sequenced by direct double-stranded sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplified fragments. The study included 40 Sporobolus ( Family Poaceae, subfamily Chloridoideae) seed collections from 14 putative species ( all 11 species from the S. indicus complex and three Australian native species). These sequences, along with those from two out-group species [ Pennisetum alopecuroides ( L.) Spreng. and Heteropogon contortus ( L.) P. Beauv. ex Roemer & Schultes, Poaceae, subfamily Panicoideae], were analysed by the parsimony method (PAUP; version 4.0b4a) to infer phylogenetic relationships among these species. The length of the ITS1, 5.8S subunit and ITS2 region were 222, 164 and 218 base pairs ( bp), respectively, in all species of the S. indicus complex, except for the ITS2 region of S. diandrus P. Beauv. individuals, which was 217 bp long. Of the 624 characters included in the analysis, 245 ( 39.3%) of the 330 variable sites contained potential phylogenetic information. Differences in sequences among the members of the S. pyramidalis P. Beauv., S. natalensis (Steud.) Dur & Schinz and S. jacquemontii Kunth. collections were 0%, while differences ranged from 0 to 2% between these and other species of the complex. Similarly, differences in sequences among collections of S. laxus B. K. Simon, S. sessilis B. K. Simon, S. elongatus R. Br. and S. creber De Nardi were 0%, compared with differences of 1-2% between these four species and the rest of the complex. When comparing S. fertilis ( Steud.) Clayton and S. africanus (Poir.) Robyns & Tourney, differences between collections ranged from 0 to 1%. Parsimony analysis grouped all 11 species of the S. indicus complex together, indicating a monophyletic origin. For the entire data set, pair-wise distances among members of the S. indicus complex varied from 0.00 to 1.58%, compared with a range of 20.08-21.44% among species in the complex and the Australian native species studied. A strict consensus phylogenetic tree separated 11 species of the S. indicus complex into five major clades. The phylogeny, based on ITS sequences, was found to be congruent with an earlier study on the taxonomic relationship of the weedy Sporobolus grasses revealed from random amplified polymorphic DNA ( RAPD). However, this cladistic analysis of the complex was not in agreement with that created on past morphological analyses and therefore gives a new insight into the phylogeny of the S. indicus complex.

A cooperar é que se aprende?: a aprendizagem cooperativa e educação intercultural: um contributo na construção da autonomia do aluno

Relatório de estágio de mestrado em Ensino de Inglês e Espanhol no 3º Ciclo do Ensino Básico e Ensino Secundário

Attribution d'intentions hostiles et intentions comportementales agressives dans un contexte intergroupes

We conducted two experiments to demonstrate the relevance of group membership (in-group vs. out-group) in the processing of conflictual social interactions as described by Dodge (1980; Dodge, Pettit, Mcclaskey, & Brown, 1986). In the first study, we highlighted the impact of group membership on the attribution of hostile intents and on reactions to a provocation. In the second study we found that the impact of group membership on aggressive reaction intents is moderated by the status of people in the interaction, and that this effect is partially mediated by attribution of hostile intents. We conclude by stressing the necessity to integrate intergroup dynamics in the social information processing model elaborated by Dodge.

Collective victimisation and collective guilt in the former Yugoslavia : the interplay between individual, local and societal levels

The thesis examines the impact of collective war victimization on individuals' readiness to accept or assign collective guilt for past war atrocities. As a complement to previous studies, its aim is to articulate an integrated approach to collective victimization, which distinguishes between individual-, communal-, and societal-level consequences of warfare. Building on a social representation approach, it is guided by the assumption that individuals form beliefs about a conflict through their personal experiences of victimization, communal experiences of warfare that occur in their proximal surrounding, and the mass- mediatised narratives that circulate in a society's public sphere. Four empirical studies test the hypothesis that individuals' beliefs about the conflict depend on the level and type of war experiences to which they have been exposed, that is, on informative and normative micro and macro contexts in which they are embedded. The studies have been conducted in the context of the Yugoslav wars that attended the breakup of Yugoslavia, a series of wars fought between 1991 and 2001 during which numerous war atrocities were perpetrated causing a massive victimisation of population. To examine the content and impact of war experiences at each level of analysis, the empirical studies employed various methodological strategies, from quantitative analyses of a representative public opinion survey, to qualitative analyses of media content and political speeches. Study 1 examines the impact of individual- and communal- level war experiences on individuals' acceptance and assignment of collective guilt. It further examines the impact of the type of communal level victimization: exposure to symmetric (i.e., violence that similarly affects members of different ethnic groups, including adversaries) and asymmetric violence. The main goal of Study 2 is to examine the structural and political circumstances that enhance collective guilt assignment. While the previous studies emphasize the role of past victimisation, Study 2 tests the assumption that the political demobilisation strategy employed by elites facing public discontent in the collective system-threatening circumstances can fuel out-group blame. Studies 3 and 4 have been conducted predominantly in the context of Croatia and examine rhetoric construction of the dominant politicized narrative of war in a public sphere (Study 3) and its maintenance through public delegitimization of alternative (critical) representations (Study 4). Study 4 further examines the likelihood that highly identified group members adhere to publicly delegitimized critical stances on war. - Cette thèse étudie l'impact de la victimisation collective de guerre sur la capacité des individus à accepter ou à attribuer une culpabilité collective liée à des atrocités commises en temps de guerre. En compléments aux recherches existantes, le but de ce travail est de définir une approche intégrative de la victimisation collective, qui distingue les conséquences de la guerre aux niveaux individuel, régional et sociétal. En partant de l'approche des représentations sociales, cette thèse repose sur le postulat que les individus forment des croyances sur un conflit au travers de leurs expériences personnelles de victimisation, de leurs expériences de guerre lorsque celle-ci se déroule près d'eux, ainsi qu'au travers des récits relayés par les mass media. Quatre études testent l'hypothèse que les croyances des individus dépendent des niveaux et des types d'expériences de guerre auxquels ils ont été exposés, c'est-à-dire, des contextes informatifs et normatifs, micro et macro dans lesquels ils sont insérés. Ces études ont été réalisées dans le contexte des guerres qui, entre 1991 et 2001, ont suivi la dissolution de la Yougoslavie et durant lesquelles de nombreuses atrocités de guerre ont été commises, causant une victimisation massive de la population. Afin d'étudier le contenu et l'impact des expériences de guerre sur chaque niveau d'analyse, différentes stratégies méthodologiques ont été utilisées, des analyses quantitatives sur une enquête représentative d'opinion publique aux analyses qualitatives de contenu de médias et de discours politiques. L'étude 1 étudie l'impact des expériences de guerre individuelles et régionales sur l'acceptation et l'attribution de la culpabilité collective par les individus. Elle examine aussi l'impact du type de victimisation régionale : exposition à la violence symétrique (i.e., violence qui touche les membres de différents groupes ethniques, y compris les adversaires) et asymétrique. L'étude 2 se penche sur les circonstances structurelles et politiques qui augmentent l'attribution de culpabilité collective. Alors que les recherches précédentes ont mis l'accent sur le rôle de la victimisation passée, l'étude 2 teste l'hypothèse que la stratégie de démobilisation politique utilisée par les élites pour faire face à l'insatisfaction publique peut encourager l'attribution de la culpabilité à l'exogroupe. Les études 3 et 4 étudient, principalement dans le contexte croate, la construction rhétorique du récit de guerre politisé dominant (étude 3) et son entretien à travers la délégitimation publique des représentations alternatives (critiques] (étude 4). L'étude 4 examine aussi la probabilité qu'ont les membres de groupe fortement identifiés d'adhérer à des points de vue sur la guerre critiques et publiquement délégitimés.

Bystander responses to a violent incident in an immersive virtual environment

Under what conditions will a bystander intervene to try to stop a violent attack by one person on another? It is generally believed that the greater the size of the crowd of bystanders, the less the chance that any of them will intervene. A complementary model is that social identity is critical as an explanatory variable. For example, when the bystander shares common social identity with the victim the probability of intervention is enhanced, other things being equal. However, it is generally not possible to study such hypotheses experimentally for practical and ethical reasons. Here we show that an experiment that depicts a violent incident at life-size in immersive virtual reality lends support to the social identity explanation. 40 male supporters of Arsenal Football Club in England were recruited for a two-factor between-groups experiment: the victim was either an Arsenal supporter or not (in-group/out-group), and looked towards the participant for help or not during the confrontation. The response variables were the numbers of verbal and physical interventions by the participant during the violent argument. The number of physical interventions had a significantly greater mean in the ingroup condition compared to the out-group. The more that participants perceived that the Victim was looking to them for help the greater the number of interventions in the in-group but not in the out-group. These results are supported by standard statistical analysis of variance, with more detailed findings obtained by a symbolic regression procedure based on genetic programming. Verbal interventions made during their experience, and analysis of post-experiment interview data suggest that in-group members were more prone to confrontational intervention compared to the out-group who were more prone to make statements to try to diffuse the situation.

The Impact of Supervisor's Advice, Codes of Conduct, Accountability and Moral Attentiveness of Individuals on Discriminatory Behaviour Against Immigrants.

Past studies on the personnel selection demonstrated that a supervisor's advice to discriminate can lead to compliant behaviours. This study had the aim to extend past findings by examining what can overcome the powerful influence of the hierarchy. 50 Swiss managers participated to an in-basket exercise. The main task was to evaluate Swiss candidates (in-group) and foreigners (out-groups: Spanish and Kosovo Albanians) and to select two applicants for a job interview. Main results were the effect of codes of conduct to prevent discrimination against out-group applicants in the presence of a supervisor's advice to prefer in-group members. But, when participants were accountable to an audience, this beneficial effect disappears because participants followed the supervisor's advice. The second aim was to assess if the difference in responses between participants was related to their difference in moral attentiveness. Results showed some significant relationships but not always in the direction expected.

Electrophysiological investigations of the timing of face processing

As important social stimuli, faces playa critical role in our lives. Much of our interaction with other people depends on our ability to recognize faces accurately. It has been proposed that face processing consists of different stages and interacts with other systems (Bruce & Young, 1986). At a perceptual level, the initial two stages, namely structural encoding and face recognition, are particularly relevant and are the focus of this dissertation. Event-related potentials (ERPs) are averaged EEG signals time-locked to a particular event (such as the presentation of a face). With their excellent temporal resolution, ERPs can provide important timing information about neural processes. Previous research has identified several ERP components that are especially related to face processing, including the N 170, the P2 and the N250. Their nature with respect to the stages of face processing is still unclear, and is examined in Studies 1 and 2. In Study 1, participants made gender decisions on a large set of female faces interspersed with a few male faces. The ERP responses to facial characteristics of the female faces indicated that the N 170 amplitude from each side of the head was affected by information from eye region and by facial layout: the right N 170 was affected by eye color and by face width, while the left N 170 was affected by eye size and by the relation between the sizes of the top and bottom parts of a face. In contrast, the P100 and the N250 components were largely unaffected by facial characteristics. These results thus provided direct evidence for the link between the N 170 and structural encoding of faces. In Study 2, focusing on the face recognition stage, we manipulated face identity strength by morphing individual faces to an "average" face. Participants performed a face identification task. The effect of face identity strength was found on the late P2 and the N250 components: as identity strength decreased from an individual face to the "average" face, the late P2 increased and the N250 decreased. In contrast, the P100, the N170 and the early P2 components were not affected by face identity strength. These results suggest that face recognition occurs after 200 ms, but not earlier. Finally, because faces are often associated with social information, we investigated in Study 3 how group membership might affect ERP responses to faces. After participants learned in- and out-group memberships of the face stimuli based on arbitrarily assigned nationality and university affiliation, we found that the N170 latency differentiated in-group and out-group faces, taking longer to process the latter. In comparison, without group memberships, there was no difference in N170 latency among the faces. This dissertation provides evidence that at a neural level, structural encoding of faces, indexed by the N170, occurs within 200 ms. Face recognition, indexed by the late P2 and the N250, occurs shortly afterwards between 200 and 300 ms. Social cognitive factors can also influence face processing. The effect is already evident as early as 130-200 ms at the structural encoding stage.

An Investigation of the Role of Attention in the Cross-Race Effect: An Ecological Approach

The current set of studies was conducted to examine the cross-race effect (CRE), a phenomenon commonly found in the face perception literature. The CRE is evident when participants display better own-race face recognition accuracy than other-race recognition accuracy (e.g. Ackerman et al., 2006). Typically the cross-race effect is attributed to perceptual expertise, (i.e., other-race faces are processed less holistically; Michel, Rossion, Han, Chung & Caldara, 2006), and the social cognitive model (i.e., other-race faces are processed at the categorical level by virtue of being an out-group member; Hugenberg, Young, Bernstein, & Sacco, 2010). These effects may be mediated by differential attention. I investigated whether other-race faces are disregarded and, consequently, not remembered as accurately as own-race (in-group) faces. In Experiment 1, I examined how the magnitude of the CRE differed when participants learned individual faces sequentially versus when they learned multiple faces simultaneously in arrays comprising faces and objects. I also examined how the CRE differed when participants recognized individual faces presented sequentially versus in arrays of eight faces. Participants’ recognition accuracy was better for own-race faces than other-race faces regardless of familiarization method. However, the difference between own- and other-race accuracy was larger when faces were familiarized sequentially in comparison to familiarization with arrays. Participants’ response patterns during testing differed depending on the combination of familiarization and testing method. Participants had more false alarms for other-race faces than own-race faces if they learned faces sequentially (regardless of testing strategy); if participants learned faces in arrays, they had more false alarms for other-race faces than own-races faces if ii i they were tested with sequentially presented faces. These results are consistent with the perceptual expertise model in that participants were better able to use the full two seconds in the sequential task for own-race faces, but not for other-race faces. The purpose of Experiment 2 was to examine participants’ attentional allocation in complex scenes. Participants were shown scenes comprising people in real places, but the head stimuli used in Experiment 1 were superimposed onto the bodies in each scene. Using a Tobii eyetracker, participants’ looking time for both own- and other-race faces was evaluated to determine whether participants looked longer at own-race faces and whether individual differences in looking time correlated with individual differences in recognition accuracy. The results of this experiment demonstrated that although own-race faces were preferentially attended to in comparison to other-race faces, individual differences in looking time biases towards own-race faces did not correlate with individual differences in own-race recognition advantages. These results are also consistent with perceptual expertise, as it seems that the role of attentional biases towards own-race faces is independent of the cognitive processing that occurs for own-race faces. All together, these results have implications for face perception tasks that are performed in the lab, how accurate people may be when remembering faces in the real world, and the accuracy and patterns of errors in eyewitness testimony.

The importance of language : the impact of linguistic vitality on intergroup tensions

Cette thèse vise à mieux comprendre les tensions ethniques. Ceci est fait en explorant, dans une étude en quatre parties, l'une de ses caractéristiques les plus importantes mais sévèrement négligées: la langue. S’inspirant des traditions de recherche de la sociolinguistique, de la psychologie sociale et de la science politique, cette thèse fournit une analyse en profondeur de l'influence de la langue sur les relations intergroupes. Elle le fait, spécifiquement, en se concentrant sur l'influence que la vitalité linguistique, la santé sociale d'une langue, a sur les tensions sociales. Cette thèse propose un cadre théorique dans lequel le niveau de vitalité linguistique contribue à générer des griefs culturels qui ont une incidence par la suite sur les relations intergroupes. Le premier article explore la relation macro entre la vitalité linguistique et l'intensité des conflits intergroupes. Les résultats, dérivés de données de l'Atlas UNESCO des langues en danger dans le monde et du projet Minorities at Risk (MAR), démontrent une relation curvilinéaire où les niveaux bas et élevé de vitalité linguistique génèrent une intensité inférieure au niveau modéré de vitalité. Ces résultats confirment que la vitalité linguistique est un déterminant important des tensions ethniques fondées sur la langue d'une manière générale, mais encore davantage pour les pays ayant plusieurs minorités linguistiques. Le deuxième article explore l'influence de la vitalité linguistique sur la confiance politique. Il utilise des données de l'Atlas UNESCO des langues en danger dans le monde ainsi que des données du European Social Survey (ESS). Les résultats soutiennent un modèle de médiation dans lequel la vitalité linguistique influence positivement la confiance politique d'une manière directe ainsi qu’indirectement par le biais de la discrimination perçue. Le troisième article cherche à isoler la séquence socio-psychologique qui relie la vitalité linguistique aux tensions intergroupes. Des données de sondage originales ont été recueillies auprès de francophones du Québec, de l'Ontario, du Nouveau-Brunswick et du Manitoba. Les résultats d’analyses de régression multiple soutiennent une séquence socio-psychologique dans laquelle la menace endogroupe influence les attitudes envers l’exogroupe par le biais de la menace perçue comme étant causée par l’exogroupe. Ainsi, ces constats soulignent l'importance des perceptions de la vitalité linguistique pour les attitudes intergroupes. Le quatrième article, produit en collaboration avec Patrick Fournier et Veronica Benet-Martinez, utilise un protocole expérimental pour déterminer le rôle causal de la vitalité linguistique sur les attitudes intergroupes. Les résultats démontrent que le type d'information, positif ou négatif, au sujet de la vitalité linguistique influence les perceptions de menace envers une langue. Cependant, les résultats quant à l'impact de l’information à propos de la vitalité linguistique sur les attitudes envers l’exogroupe, l’appui à la souveraineté et l'identité subjective sont moins évidents. Cette thèse permet de mieux comprendre les tensions intergroupes en démontrant le rôle important que joue la vitalité linguistique sur des phénomènes macros ainsi que sur les attitudes des individus.

Representaciones sociales hegemónicas y polémicas en el contexto de identidad rural [TC]

El objetivo de este estudio es conocer las representaciones de lo rural y lo urbano con el intento de comprender cómo miembros de una comunidad rural se posicionan frente a la estructura social y simbólica hegemónicamente urbana. Se obtuvo el conjunto de datos a través de entrevistas a 200 integrantes de una comunidad rural, contemplando los siguientes núcleos de información: motivaciones para éxodo/permanencia en el territorio, experiencia de prejuicios, estereotipos atribuidos al grupo rural, y valores endo/exo-grupales. Los resultados referentes a las motivaciones para el éxodo o permanencia en el campo revelaron el predominio del proyecto de vida vinculado a lo rural. Los clásicos estereotipos de roceiros, bobos y caipiras fueran identificados como la imagen social del hombre del campo, elementos que producen el escenario conflictivo estratégico a la elaboración de representaciones defensivas, siendo el endogrupo rural asociado a valores positivos, y la ciudad, a significados negativamente valorizados. Se discute el imaginario grupal como campo de fuerzas en el que se elaboran representaciones polémicas en respuesta a la hegemonía urbana.

Can a great resume hurt? Gender and contrast effects on recruiting

Recruiters make many inferences about applicants' abilities and interpersonal attributes on the basis of applicants' resumes. For example, every once in a while, a good resume leaves a strong positive impression and the recruiter creates a high expectation for the selection interview. What if a disappointing interview follows? Will the great resume help or hurt the candidate? The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of a good resume on the recruiter’s evaluation of a candidate when a non-enthusiastic interview follows as well as the interacting role of gender. The results of two online experiments (n=454) where participants played the role of the recruiter, showed that, on average, a very good resume (vs. no resume) before a non-enthusiastic interview did not affect the recruiter’s evaluation of the candidate. However, when the recruiter’s and the candidate’s gender were taken into consideration, a different picture emerged. While no effect was found for male recruiters, the candidate’s resume had a clear significant impact on female recruiter’s evaluations: when the candidate was also a female, the good resume shown before the non-enthusiastic interview performance tended to help, whereas when the candidate was a male, the good resume had a significant negative effect on female recruiters’ evaluation of the candidate. In sum, in situations where the resume had a strong impact on the recruiter’s evaluation (female recruiters), the direction of the effect was moderated by the candidate’s gender. Gender differences in information processing as well as in-group/out-group biases due to gender matching are used to hypothesize and explain the main findings.

Molecular phylogeny of Moenkhausia (Characidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA evidence

Moenkhausia is one of the most speciose genera in Characidae, currently composed of 75 nominal species of small fishes distributed across South American hydrographic basins, primarily the Amazon and Guyanas. Despite the large number of described species, studies involving a substantial number of its species designed to better understand their relationships and putative monophyly are still lacking. In this study, we analysed a large number of species of Moenkhausia to test the monophyly of the genus based on the phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. The in-group included 29 species of Moenkhausia, and the out-group was composed of representatives of Characidae and other members of Characiformes. All species of Moenkhausia belong to the same clade (Clade C); however, they appear distributed in five monophyletic groups along with other different genera, which means that Moenkhausia is polyphyletic and indicates the necessity of an extensive revision of the group. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Análise cladística e descrição de um grupo novo de espécies de Edessa (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae, Edessinae)

A subordem Heteroptera, é o maior táxon dentre os hemimetábolos, composta por sete infraordens, 23 superfamílias e 80 famílias. Dentre estas, Pentatomidae é a quarta família mais numerosa e diversa entre os heterópteros, possuindo 4.100 espécies distribuídas em 760 gêneros e em sete subfamílias. Edessinae possui atualmente cerca de 290 espécies distribuídas em seis gêneros: Edessa, Brachystethus, Peromatus, Olbia, Pantochlora e Doesburgedessa. De todos estes gêneros, Edessa é o que possui o maior número de espécies e o que concentra quase a totalidade dos problemas taxonômicos e nomenclaturas da subfamília. Devido ao seu tamanho, a revisão está sendo feita em partes, a partir do estudo de grupos de espécies unidos por possíveis sinapomorfias. Assim o objetivo geral do trabalho é propor e descrever um novo grupo de espécies com base em uma análise cladística. Para o estudo foram examinados 114 exemplares pertencentes a instituições nacionais e internacionais e a coleções particulares. As descrições seguem um modelo tradicional também usado para Edessinae. São apresentadas medidas e fotografias das espécies, desenhos do processo metasternal e genitália de ambos os sexos, chave dicotômica e mapa de distribuição. Para a analise cladística, foram levantados 22 caracteres morfológicos polarizados através do método do grupo externo, composto pelas espécies: Tibilis sp., Neotibilis fulvicornis, Brachystethus cribrus, Pantochlora vivida, Olbia elegans, Peromatus sp., Doesburgedessa elongatispina, Edessa cervus e Edessa affinis. Através do programa NONA foi obtida uma única árvore mais parcimoniosa, com 30 passos, índice de Consistência de 0,93 e índice de Retenção de 0,97. Com base nessa análise, o monofiletismo do grupo de espécie é confirmado. Assim, o grupo stolida aqui proposto é formado por quatro espécies já descritas Edessa stolida (Linnaeus, 1758), Edessa heymonsi Breddin, 1904, Edessa verhoeffi Breddin, 1904 e Edessa paravinula Barber, 1935 e por cinco espécies novas. O grupo stolida de Edessa é reconhecido pela presença de uma expansão que se projeta da margem lateral da face posterior do segmento X; região mediana do parâmero com uma projeção de formato triangular; ausência de uma faixa ou de tufo de pelos na face posterior do segmento X e gonapófise 8 esclerotizada. As espécies do grupo stolida são muito parecidas externamente e sua identificação só pode ser feita através da análise da genitália externa de ambos os sexos. A análise cladística apóia a idéia tradicional e o grupo stolida deve ser considerado parte do subgênero Hypoxys de Edessa. A topologia do cladograma resultante é (Tibilis sp. + Neotibilis fulvicornis (Brachystethus cribus (Pantochlora vivida ((Doesbuergedessa elongatispina + Edessa cervus (Peromatus sp. + Olbia elegans)) (Edessa affinis ((Edessa sp. nov 3 + Edessa sp. nov 3a) ((Edessa sp. nov 2 (Edessa verhoeffi + Edessa heymonsi)) (Edessa stolida (Edessa sp. nov 4 (Edessa paravinula + Edessa sp. nov 5))))))))). A fêmea de Edessa stolida e o macho de Edessa verhoeffi são descritos pela primeira vez neste trabalho. Os registros de distribuição das espécies são ampliados.

Revisão e análise cladística do gênero Ascra say, 1832, com considerações sobre a filogenia de Edessinae (Heteroptera, Pentatomidae)

Edessinae é uma das maiores subfamílias de Pentatomidae com cerca de 300 espécies conhecidas e mais de 300 ainda não descritas, distribuídas em apenas seis gêneros - Edessa, Brachystethus, Peromatus, Olbia, Pantochlora e Doesburgedessa. A maior parte das espécies pertence ao gênero Edessa que concentra também quase a totalidade dos problemas taxonômicos da subfamília. Esse gênero é usado como depósito de espécies da subfamília, sendo que tal fato se deve à confusão entre os limites da própria subfamília e do gênero Edessa. A solução desses problemas passa necessariamente pela reavaliação dos subgêneros de Edessa e mudanças taxonômicas em Edessinae. O presente trabalho objetivou reavaliar o status taxonômico de Ascra até então subgênero de Edessa, e seu posicionamento filogenético em Edessinae. Foram estudados 411 exemplares obtidos por empréstimos de várias instituições e coleções particulares. Foram apresentadas descrições, medidas e fotografias das espécies, desenhos de estruturas com importância sistemática como o processo metasternal e genitália de ambos os sexos, chave dicotômica e mapa de distribuição. Para a análise cladística foram incluídos 28 táxons e levantados 33 caracteres morfológicos, dos quais oito multiestados que foram tratados como não aditivos. O grupo externo, foi composto por 14 espécies representando todos os gêneros de Edessinae e subgêneros de Edessa. Edessinae resultou como monofilético, no entanto Edessa saiu como parafilético. Ascra foi reconhecido como monofilético, apoiado por duas sinapomorfias. Esse gênero passou a ser formado pelas espécies: A. bifida, A. cordifera, A. petersii, A. abdita, A. championi, A. privata, A. conspersa, A. morbosa e por mais seis espécies novas. Dois novos grupos de espécies foram propostos para Ascra: bifida e privata. Os machos de A. abdita, A. morbosa e A. cordifera e as fêmeas de A. championi e A. privata, desconhecidos até o momento, foram descritos. Novos arranjos nomenclaturais foram realizados. O lectótipo de Edessa abdita foi designado. As espécies Edessa cornuta, Edessa densata, Edessa picata e Edessa florida foram consideradas sinônimos-juniores de A. bifida.