Ixodidas brasileiros e de alguns paizes limitrophes

The knowledge of the Ixodidae becomes every day, more and more important owing to the fact of the increasing number of diseases of man and animals they can transmit. In Brasil besides transmitting treponemosis, piroplasmosis and anaplasmosis to several domestic animals, the ticks are also responsible fo the transmission of the brazilian rocky mountain spotted fever (A. cajennense and Amblyomma striatum) and they can also harbour the virus of the yellow fever and even to transmit it in laboratory experiments (A. cajennense, O. rostratus). The Brazilian fauna of ticks is a small one and has no more than 45 well-established species belonging to the genus Argas, Ornithodoros, Ixodes, Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, Boophilus, Amblyomma and Spaelaeorhynchus. The genus Amblyomma is the best represented one, with 67% of all species of ticks known in Brazil. One of the most important species in the Amblyomma cajennense owing to its abundance and its wide parasitism in many vertebrates: reptiles, birds and mammals, incluing man, who is much attacked by the larva, the nymph and the adult of this species. The other ticks who attack the man are the Amblyomma brasiliense (the pecari tick), in the forests, and the Ornithodoros, especially the species. O. rostratus and brasiliensis. Other species can bite the man, but only occasionally, like Amblyomma fossum, striatum, oblongogutatum etc. Argas persicus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus and Boophilus are very important species not only as parasites but specially because they transmit several diseases to animals. Some of the ticks of the brazilian wild animals are now also parasites of the domestic ones and vice-versa. Arga persicus var. dissimilis is very common among the poultry and transmits the Treponema anserinum (gallinarum). Boophilus microplus is very abundant on our domestic and wild ruminants (Bos, Cervus, Mazama etc.) and can also ben found on horse, dogs, Felis onca, Felis concolor etc., and it transmits to cattle piroplasmosis and anaplasmosis. Rhipicephalus sanguineus (an introduced species) is now very common on the dog, over all the country. The author recommend to give popular names to some brazilian ticks in order to make them more acquainted with the non scientific people. The author gives a classification of the superfamilia Ixoidoidea and keys to the determination of the different species of brazilian ticks. He creates a new family of Nuttallielidae to the so interesting tick, described by Bedford with the name of Nuttaliella namaqua in South Africa, a new variety of Argas persicus, the Argas persicus var. dissimilis nov. var. owing to the differences on the segment and on the size and morphology of the peritrema. He describes also the female of Amblyomma fuscum Nn. A great part of the author's work deals with the biology, life conditions and parasitism of many of the brazilian ticks in accordance with his personal and from other author's researches, especially in reference to Argas persicus, Ornithodoros rostratus, O. brasiliensis, Boophilus microplus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Amblyomma cajennense, A. pseudoconcolor, A. auriculare, A. rotundatum (= A. agamum) etc. The author gives a detailed report upon the parthenogenesis of A. rotundatum (A. agamum) that he first described in 1912 and gives also many references to other species of brazilian ticks, to teratological forms etc. He also gives a detailed report of the geographical distribution of brazilian ticks and of the peculiar conditions of its parasitism. The last part of this article deals with references to the species of ticks of some of the South American Republics namely Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay and Venezuela. Amblyomma testudinis Conil, A. neumanni Ribaga 1902 (= A. furcula Dõnitz 1909) and A. parvitarsum Nn. 1899 (= A. altiplanum Dios 1917), are found only in Argentina. It is given a special bibliography dealing with the brazilian ticks and four text figures and one plate.

O virus do mixoma no coelho do mato (Sylvilagus minenses), sua transmissão pelos Aedes scapularis e aegypti

The brazilian wild rabbit (Sylvilagus minensis) is sensible to the virus of the mixomatosis but the desease takes on it a mild character, lasts for long time and generally do not kill the animal. The tumors are generally smaller and less numerous than those of the domestic rabbit, but sometimes there were noted large and flat lesions (fig. 3). The natural infection of the wild rabbit may be quite common not only because many rabbits caught in the country were found to be immune as also because it was found among the animals caught in the country near Rio, one that was infected with mixomatosis. The experimental infection of the Sylvilagus may be easily obtained by cutan, subcutan or conjuntival way and also when a health wild rabbit is placed in the same cage with a sick domestic animal. It is also possible to obtain the infection of the wild and domestic rabbits by the bite of infected blood sucking insects as fleas and mosquitoes. The infected mosquito can transmit the disease 2 or 3 times til 17 days after an infective meal on a sick rabbit. The transmission is a mecanical one and only the proboscis of the insect contains the virus as it was shown by the inoculation of emulsions of the proboscis, thorax and abdomen of the mosquito. Though mecanical this kind of transmission acts as an important epidemiological mean of dissemination of the deseasse and splains the suddendly outbreaks of mixomatosis in rabbits breedings where no new rabbits were introduced since very long time. The transmition of mixomatosis by fleas (Slenopsylla) was at first demonstrated by us, then S. Torres pointed out the capacity of Culex fatigans to transmit the desease and now we have proved that Aedes scapularis and Aedes aegypti were also able to transmit it (Foto 1 and 2). The virus of the mixomatosis (Chlamidozoon mixoma) is seen on the smeavs of the tumors of the wild reabbit with the same morphology, as in the material of the domestic animal.

Observation on the morphology of Australorbis glabratus

The present morphological study of A. glabratus was based on the observation of shell, radula, renal region and genitalia of 50 specimens having a shell diameter of 18 mm. In this summary we record the data pertaining to the chracteristics that can be used in systematics. The numerals refere to the mean and their standard deviation; no special reference being made, they correspond to length measurements. Shell: 18 mm in diameter, 5.59 ± 0.24 mm in greatest width, 5 to 6 whorls. Right side umbilicated, left one weakly depressed. Last whorl about thrice as tall as the penultimate one at the aperture, the measurements being taken on the right side. Aperture perpendicular or a little oblique. Body, extended: 47.06 ± 3.31 mm. Renal tube: Narrow and elongated, 23.84 ± 1.90 mm, showing a pigmented ridge along its ventral surface. Ovotestis: 12.78 ± 1.50 mm. Mainly trifurcate diverticula attaching in fan-like manner to the collecting canal (this arrangement is seen to best advantage in the cephalic middle of the ovotestis). The collecting canal greatly swells at the cephalic end, narrowing suddenly as it leaves the ovotestis. Ovisperm duct: 13.70 ± 1.68 mm, including the non-unwound seminal vesicle. The latter, situated about 1 mm from the beginning af the ovisperm duct, was 1.14 ± 0.29 mm in greatest diameter, and is beset by numerous short diverticula. Sperm duct: 14.16 ± 1.27 mm, pursuing a sinous course along the oviduct. Prostate: Prostate duct 5.53 ± 0.74 mm, collecting a row of long diverticula, the latter 21.6 ± 3.5 in number. Last diverticulum generally simple or bifurcate, penultimate generally arborescent, bifurcate or simple, antepenultimate nearly always arborescent, the remaining ones arborescent. The arborescent diverticula frequently give off secondary branches. Vas deferens: 17.50 ± 2.05 mm. The ratio vas deferens/vergic sac was 4.7 ± 0.6. Verge: 3.70 ± 0.54 mm long, 0.12 ± 0.03 mm wide. Free end tapering to a point where the sperm canal opens. No penial stylet. Vergic sac: 3.77 ± 0.50 mm long, 0.19 ± 0.01 mm wide. The length ratio vergic sac/preputium was 1 ± 0.02. Preputium: Deeply pigmented, 3.79 ± 0.40 mm long, 0.89 ± 0.12 mm wide in the middle. Muscular diaphragm between it and the vergic sac. Two muscular pilasters along its lateral walls. Oviduct: 10.24 ± 1.29 mm, suddenly swollen at the cephalic end so that it forms a folded pouch capping the beginning of the uterus. Uterus: 10.58 ± 1.18 mm. Vagina: 2.06 ± 0.15 mm long, 0.32 ± 0.05 mm wide, showing a swelling at its caudal portion, just above the opening of the spermathecal duct. Spermatheca: 1.57 ± 0.41 mm long, 0.92 ± 0.23 mm wide. Spermathecal duct 1.15 ± 0.23 mm. Radula: 125 to 163 rows of teeth (mean 141.4 ± 9.8). Radula formula 27-1-27 to 34-1-34 (mean 30.9 ± 1.7).

Observations on the morphology of Australorbis nigricans

A morphological study was done on A. nigricans, based on the observation of shell, radula, renal region and genitalia of 50 specimens measuring 18 mm in diameter. The data obtained are to be compared with those recorded in our previous paper (PARAENSE & DESLANDES, 1955) on A. glabratus. The characteristics common to both species will not be mentioned here. The numerals refere to the means and their standard deviations: no special reference being done, they correspond to length measurementes. Shell - 18 mm in diameter, 6.37 ± 0.29 mm in greatest width, 6 whorls. Prevailing colur ferruginous sepia, a minority of olivaceous, ochreous, nigrescent and deeply black specimens being found. Right side variously depressed, umbilicated, 1.5 to 3.5 mm deep from the bottom of the umblicus to the highest level of the last whorl. Left side more depressed than the right one, broadly concave, 1.5 to 3.5 mm deep. Both sides show a varously distinct keel, that looks sharper at the left. Aperture deltoid, varying in outline and width. Body, extended - 60.26 ± 3.62 mm, less pigmented than in glabratus. Renal tube - 30.68 ± 1.69 mm, showing neither ridge nor pigmented line along its ventral surface, this negative character affording a sure means of separation from glabratus. Ovotestis - 14.48 ± 1.93 mm. Ovisperm duct - 13.04 ± 1.60 mm, including the non-unwound seminal vesicle. The latter was 0.97 ± 0,21 mm in greatest width. Carrefour - Resembling that of glabratus. Sperm duct - 21.36 ± 1.53 mm. Prostate - Prostate duct 7.14 ± 0.74 mm, collecting a row of long diverticula numbering 19.6 ± 3.1 and more separate than in glabratus. Last diverticulum generally bifurcate or arborescent, the remaining ones arborescent. Vas deferens - 28.68 ± 1.38. Ratio vas deferens/vergic sac = 6.8±0.8. Verge - 3.08 ± 0.28 mm long, 0.11 ± 0.02 mm wide. Vergic sac - 3.07 ± 0.28 mm long, about 0.20 mm wide. Ratio vergic sac/preputium = 0.84 ± 0.12. Preputium - 3.69 ± 0.47 mm long, 0.85 ± 0.10 mm wide. Albumen gland - Resembling taht of glabratus. Oviduct - 16.26 ± 1.41 mm, swollen at the cephalic end. Uterus - 13.24 ± 1.19 mm. Vagina - 1.70 ± 0.22 mm, swolen at the caudal portion. Spermatheca - 2.78 ± 0.40 mm long, 0.86 ± 0.16 mm wide. Spermathecal duct 1.11 ± 0.20 mm. Radula - 125 to 168 horizontal rows of teeth (mean 153.9 ± 8.4). Radula formula 28-1-28 to 36-1-36 (mean 31.8 ± 1.9). Mode formula 31-1-31. The morphological characteristics of the renal region and shell, and the great body length in the same condition of shell diameter, distinguish A. nigricans from the most related species A. glabratus, giving support to considering it a good species from a txonomic or phenotypic standpoint (morphospecies).

A study of the endocervical columnar cells I - morphology and frequency

After the observation of many thousands of histological sections of the endocervical mucosa it became evident that its columnar cells present a great variety of aspects not only those of the surface of the canal but also those of the glands. A classification of these cells was made taking into account the staining affinity, the intensity staining of the cytoplasm, the presence or absence of cilia, the shape and location of the nucleus. The various combinations of these different data made possible the characterization of 26 types of cells which we labelled by the alphabetical letters. Two hundred and fifty cervices obtained by cervical amputation and by hysterectomy were studied. The uteri presented lesions in the course of routine laboratory examination. In each of the 250 histological sections there were specifically counted 2,000 columnar cells which cover the cervical canal and 2,000columnar cells which form the glands. A graphic representation of the frequency of both the superficial and glandular columnar cells was presented; this was given the name EPITHELIOGRAM. The variation of the cellular "composition" of each epithelium is discussed and the frequency of the various cellular types after the count of one million of cells is presented.

Some observations on the biology and morphology of the immature stages of Psychodopygus wellcomei fraiha, shaw and lainson, 1971: (Diptera: psychodidae)

Under laboratory conditions, the development from egg to adult of P. wellcomei takes an average of 42 days. The larval tages are similar to those of P. arthuri, described by barretto (1941), but can be distinguished from this species by the ratio of the first to second antennal segment, by the form of the lateral head seate and prothoracic dorsolateral setae. The pupal stage of P. wellcomei is characterized by a trifid pre-alar seta and simple spine-like thoracic and abdominal setae.

Studies in search of a suitable experimental insect model for xenodiagnosis of hosts with Chagas' disease. 1 - Comparative xenodiagnosis with nine triatomine species of animals with acute infections by Trypanosoma cruzi

In search of a suitable vector species for xenodiagnosis of humans and animals with chronic Chagas' disease we first investigated the reactions of different vector species to acute infection with Trypanosoma cruzi. Vector species utilized in this study were: Triatoma infestans, Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma dimidiata, all well adapted to human habitats; Triatoma rubrovaria and Rhodnius neglectus both considered totally wild species; Panstrongylus megistus, Triatoma sordida, Triatoma pseudomaculata and Triatoma brasiliensis, all essentially sylvatic but some with domiciliary tendencies and others restricted to peridomestic biotopes with incipient colonization of human houses after successful eradication of T. infestans. Results summarized in Table IV suggest the following order of infectivity among the 9 studied vector species: P. megistus with 97.8% of infected bugs, T. rubrovaria with 95% of positive bugs a close second followed by T. Pseudomaculata with 94.3% and R. neglectus with 93.8% of infected bugs, almost identical thirds. R. prolixus, T. infestans and T. dimidiata exhibited low infection rates of 53.1%, 51.6% and 38.2% respectively, coupled with sharp decreases occuring with aging of infection (Fig. 1). The situation was intermediate in T. brasiliensis and T. sordida infection rates being 76.9% and 80% respectively. Results also point to the existence of a close correlation between prevalence and intensity of infection in that, species with high infection rates ranging from 93.8% to 97.8% exhibited relatively large proportions of insects (27.3% - 33.5%) harbouring very dense populations of T. cruzi. In species with low infection rates ranging from 38.2% to 53.1% the proportion of bugs demonstrating comparable parasite densities was at most 6%. No differences attributable to blood-meal size or to greater susceptibility of indigenous vector species to parasites of their own geographical area, as suggested in earlier...

Effects of a nursery CO2 enriched atmosphere on the germination and seedling morphology of two Mediterranean oaks with contrasting leaf habit

Abstract: The use of an enriched CO2 atmosphere in tree nurseries has been envisaged as a promising technique to increase productivity and to obtain seedlings with a higher root/shoot ratio, an essential trait to respond to water stress in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. In that framework, we have analyzed the effects of three levels of atmospheric CO2 concentration (350, 500 and 700 ppm) on the germination rate, growth and morphology of seedlings of two Mediterranean oaks used in reforestation programs: the evergreen Quercus ilex L. and the deciduous Quercus cerrioides Wilk. et Costa. CO2 enrichment increased the germination rate of Q. cerrioides (from 70±7 to 81±3 %) while it decreased that of Q. ilex (from 71±10 to 41±12 %). Seedlings of both species increased approximately 60% their total biomass in response to CO2 enrichment but at two different CO2 concentrations: 500 ppm for Q. cerrioides and 700 ppm for Q. ilex. This increase in seedlings biomass was entirely due to an augmentation of root biomass. Considering germination and biomass partitioning, an enriched CO2 atmosphere might not be appropriate for growing Mediterranean evergreen oaks, such as Q. ilex, since it reduces acorn germination and the only gains in root biomass occur at a high concentration (700 ppm). On the other hand, a moderate CO2 enrichment (500 ppm) appears as a promising nursery technique to stimulate the germination, growth and root/shoot ratio of deciduous oaks, such as Q. cerrioides. Resumen: El uso de una atmósfera enriquecida en CO2 durante la fase de vivero puede contribuir a aumentar la producción viverística, a la vez que ayudar a conseguir plántulas con una mayor relación biomasa subterránea/biomasa aérea, más adecuadas para hacer frente al severo estrés hídrico que generalmente limita el éxito de las repoblaciones en el clima Mediterráneo. En este estudio hemos analizado el efecto de tres niveles de abonado carbónico atmosférico (350, 500 y 750 ppm) en la germinación y morfología de plántulas de encina (Quercus ilex) y roble cerrioide (Quercus cerrioides). Una atmósfera enriquecida en CO2 incrementó la germinación de Q. cerrioides (de 70±7 a 81±3 %) mientras que disminuyó la de Q. ilex (de 71±10 a 41±12 %). Las plántulas de ambas especies incrementaron aproximadamente un 60% su biomasa en respuesta a una mayor concentración de CO2, aunque esta respuesta se produjo a diferentes dosis: 500 ppm en Q. cerrioides y 700 ppm en Q. ilex. El aumento en la biomasa total de las plántulas se debió enteramente a un mayor desarrollo de su sistema radical, Considerando tanto la germinación como los efectos sobre la relación biomasa subterránea/biomasa aérea, una atmósfera enriquecida en CO2 no parece ser un tratamiento adecuado para la producción en vivero de plántulas de Q.ilex, puesto que diminuye su germinación y solo aumenta su sistema radicular a dosis muy elevadas (700 ppm). Por el contrario, un aumento moderado en la concentración de CO2 (500 ppm) aparece como una técnica interesante para estimular el crecimiento y obtener plántulas de Q. cerrioides con un sistema radical más desarrollado.