Editorial : Q & A John A. Endler

John A. Endler is a Professor of Sensory Ecology and Evolution at Deakin University and an Adjunct professor of Zoology at James Cook University, both in Australia. He regards himself as a 19th century natural historian who uses 21st century techniques to answer questions generated originally from field observations. His research is in the area of overlap among Evolutionary Biology, Sensory Ecology, Behavioural Ecology, Animal Behaviour, Neuroethology and Biophysics. He enjoys combining field work, field experiments, lab work, and theoretical methods as well as constructing electromechanical-optical equipment and software for himself and students.

Current-oriented swimming by jellyfish and its role in bloom maintenance

Cross-flows (winds or currents) affect animal movements [1-3]. Animals can temporarily be carried off course or permanently carried away from their preferred habitat by drift depending on their own traveling speed in relation to that of the flow [1]. Animals able to only weakly fly or swim will be the most impacted (e.g., [4]). To circumvent this problem, animals must be able to detect the effects of flow on their movements and respond to it [1, 2]. Here, we show that a weakly swimming organism, the jellyfish Rhizostoma octopus, can orientate its movements with respect to currents and that this behavior is key to the maintenance of blooms and essential to reduce the probability of stranding. We combined insitu observations with first-time deployment of accelerometers on free-ranging jellyfish and simulated the behavior observed in wild jellyfish within a high-resolution hydrodynamic model. Our results show that jellyfish can actively swim countercurrent in response to current drift, leading to significant life-history benefits, i.e., increased chance of survival and facilitated bloom formation. Current-oriented swimming may be achieved by jellyfish either directly detecting current shear across their body surface [5] or indirectly assessing drift direction using other cues (e.g., magnetic, infrasound). Our coupled behavioral-hydrodynamic model provides new evidence that current-oriented swimming contributes to jellyfish being able to form aggregations of hundreds to millions of individuals for up to several months, which may have substantial ecosystem and socioeconomic consequences [6, 7]. It also contributes to improve predictions of jellyfish blooms' magnitude and movements in coastal waters. Current drift can have major and potentially negative effects on the lives of weakly swimming species in particular. Fossette etal. show that jellyfish modulate their swimming behavior in relation to current. Such oriented swimming has significant life-history benefits, such as increased bloom formation and a reduction of probability of stranding.

Non-formal education: Scouting, schooling and teacher training

Array

Soldiers initiate foraging activities in the subterranean termite, Heterotermes tenuis

Caste polyethism has been recorded in some termite species, however the foraging behavior of subterranean termites remains poorly known. Heterotermes tenuis Hagen (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) is a subterranean termite that is native to Brazil and is an agricultural and urban pest. The aim of this study was to investigate which caste acts as scouts when searching for food sources and determinate the percentages of each caste present in the foraging territories of field colonies of H. tenuis. Our results showed no significant differences among the caste proportions present in the foraging territories of the three colonies studied in the field. Laboratory experiments showed that minor soldiers were the most frequent initiators of foraging activities. This result suggests that the exploratory phase of the foraging behavior may be regulated by the number of soldiers present in the foraging territories of each colony.

Three-Dimensional Modelling of Honeybee Venom Allergenic Proteases: Relation to Allergenicity

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

A militarização da infância: expressões do nacionalismo na cultura brasileira

O texto compreende um estudo sobre as práticas de militarização da infância, isto é, práticas de natureza patriótica, cívico-militar que predominaram no ensino primário, no início do século XX. Nesse sentido, destaca a introdução da disciplina Ginástica e exercícios militares nos programas de ensino e seus desdobramentos mediante a criação dos Batalhões Infantis. Analisa, também, o escotismo escolar, movimento efervescente no estado de São Paulo nas décadas de 1910 e 1920, identificando-o como mais uma expressão do militarismo e do nacionalismo na educação brasileira. Para a realização deste estudo foram utilizadas fontes manuscritas encontradas no Arquivo do Estado de São Paulo e periódicos educacionais da época.

Biologia comportamental de Synoeca surinama: enxameio e interações socias (Vespidae, Polistinae: Epiponini)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

O infantil e a educação: uma investigação a partir de narrativa de crianças

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Caracterização das trilhas de forrageamento em formigas cortadeiras de gramíneas (Formicidae, Attini): transferência de informações durante o recrutamento em Atta bisphaerica

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A Social Parasite Evolved Reproductive Isolation from Its Fungus-Growing Ant Host in Sympatry

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Análise de redes sociais e aspectos financeiros da produção de tilápias em tanques-rede na uhe de Ilha Solteira

Pós-graduação em Agronegócio e Desenvolvimento - Tupã