Rhinolekos capetinga: a new cascudinho species (Loricariidae, Otothyrinae) from the rio Tocantins basin and comments on its ancestral dispersal route

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

Efeito da alimentação do adulto na qualidade do endoparasitoide larval da broca comum da cana-de-açúcar

Aiming qualitative improvements in the mass rearing of Cotesia flavipes (Cameron, 1891) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in laboratory, tests were conducted with adults feed before parasitism on Diatraea saccharalis (Fabricius, 1794) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) larvae, using 14 artificial diets based on sucrose, brewer yeast and honey. The design was completely randomized with 15 treatments and five replications. The biological parameters evaluated in F1 and F2 generations were: number of adults emerged; sex ratio; adult emergence percentage; weight of pupae mass; and male and female longevity. The highest average of emerged adults were 85 in diet with sucrose 5% for F1 generation, and 91 in diet with sucrose 5% + yeast brewer 2,5% for F2; the smaller average of adult emergency were 63.60 in diet with honey 5% + yeast brewer 2.5 % for F1 generation and 66.80 in diet with honey 5% for F2. Diets that produced more females were honey 5% + yeast brewer 2.5%, showing the sex ratio of 0.82 for F1 generation, and sucrose 10% + 2.5% yeast brewer 2.5% (0.75) for F2, while sucrose 10% + yeast brewer 2.5% (0.60 for F1) and honey 2.5% (0.59) provided fewer females for F2 generation. The highest percentage of adult emergence were 93.90% with the diet containing sucrose 2.5% + yeast brewer 2.5%) and 93.89 % with honey 5% + yeast brewer 2.5%, and the lowest 81.71% (honey 5% + yeast brewer 2.5%) for F1 and 78.96 % (honey 5%) to F1 and F2, respectively. The diet with Mel 2.5% produced greater weight of pupae mass. The adult longevity did not differ significantly for all diets in F1 and F2 generations. Diets containing 5% or 10% of sucrose or honey provide, in general, improve the qualitative development of C. flavipes in mass rearing.

Metacommunity organisation, spatial extent and dispersal in aquatic systems: patterns, processes and prospects

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

Partitioning the relative contribution of one-phase and two-phase seed dispersal when evaluating seed dispersal effectiveness

Seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) is a conceptual framework that aims at quantifying the contribution of seed dispersal vectors to plant fitness. While it is well recognized that diplochorous dispersal systems, characterized by two successive dispersal steps performed by two different vectors (Phase I=primary seed dispersal and Phase II=secondary seed dispersal) which are common in temperate and tropical regions, little attention has been given to distinguishing the relative contribution of one-phase and two-phase dispersal to overall SDE. This conceptual gap probably results from the lack of a clear methodology to include Phase II dispersal into the calculation of SDE and to quantify its relative contribution. We propose a method to evaluate the relative contribution of one-phase and two-phase dispersal to SDE and determine whether two seed dispersers are better than one. To do so, we used the SDE landscape and an extension of the SDE landscape, the Phase II effect landscape, which measures the direction and magnitude of the Phase II dispersal effect on overall SDE. We used simulated and empirical data from a diplochorous dispersal system in the Peruvian Amazon to illustrate this new approach. Our approach provides the relative contribution of one-phase SDE (SDE1) and two-phase SDE (SDE2) to overall SDE and quantifies how much SDE changes with the addition of Phase II dispersal. Considering that the seed dispersal process is context dependent so that Phase II depends on Phase I, we predict the possible range of variation of SDE according to the variation of the probability of Phase II dispersal. In our specific study system composed of two primate species as primary dispersal vectors and different species of dung beetles as secondary dispersal vectors, the relative contribution of SDE1 and SDE2 to overall SDE varied between plant species. We discuss the context dependency of the Phase II dispersal and the potential applications of our approach. This extension to the conceptual framework of SDE enables quantitative evaluation of the effect of Phase II dispersal on plant fitness and can be easily adapted to other biotic and/or abiotic diplochorous dispersal systems.

Morphology of the first larval stage of Macrobrachium brasiliense (Heller, 1868) (Caridea: Palaemonidae)

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

Differences in larval nutritional requirements and female oviposition preference reflect the order of fruit colonization of Zaprionus indianus and Drosophila simulans

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Coordinated dispersal and pre-isthmian assembly of the Central American ichthyofauna

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

Zoeal stages and megalopa of Mithrax hispidus (Herbst, 1790) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Majoidea: Mithracidae): A reappraisal of larval characters from laboratory cultured material and a review of larvae of the Mithrax-Mithraculus species complex

Mithrax hispidus (Herbst, 1790) is a mithracid majoid crab occurring on sand, corals and rocks in waters of the western Atlantic. Larval development consists of two zoeal stages and a megalopa. All larval stages are described in detail based on multiple cultures. Prior to this study, larvae of M hispidus were considered to be different and grouped separately from most other larvae of Mithrax, primarily based on setation. A detailed morphological examination, based on the same specimens used for the first description, revealed that the inclusion of M hispidus in a separate group is not valid as zoeae now fully agree with the morphological characteristics defined for the other group of five Mithrax species, including M. pleuracanthus, M. verrucosus, M. caribbaeus, M. coryphe, and M. forceps. This illustrates the importance of precisely recording morphological details such as setation, which may otherwise lead to incorrect interpretations with regard to perceived taxonomic affinities. A comparison of larvae of the Mithrax -Mithraculus species complex does not support separation into two genera. Larval evidence supports the recently suggested adult-based synonymization of M caribbaeus with M. hispidus.

Sterilization of immature blowflies (Calliphoridae) for use in larval therapy

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

Is Drosera meristocaulis a pygmy sundew? evidence of a long-distance dispersal between Western Australia and northern South America

Background and aims South America and Oceania possess numerous floristic similarities, often confirmed by morphological and molecular data. The carnivorous Drosera meristocaulis (Droseraceae), endemic to the Neblina highlands of northern South America, was known to share morphological characters with the pygmy sundews of Drosera sect. Bryastrum, which are endemic to Australia and New Zealand. The inclusion of D. meristocaulis in a molecular phylogenetic analysis may clarify its systematic position and offer an opportunity to investigate character evolution in Droseraceae and phylogeographic patterns between South America and Oceania. Methods Drosera meristocaulis was included in a molecular phylogenetic analysis of Droseraceae, using nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and plastid rbcL and rps16 sequence data. Pollen of D. meristocaulis was studied using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques, and the karyotype was inferred from root tip meristem. Key Results The phylogenetic inferences (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches) substantiate with high statistical support the inclusion of sect. Meristocaulis and its single species, D. meristocaulis, within the Australian Drosera clade, sister to a group comprising species of sect. Bryastrum. A chromosome number of 2n = approx. 32–36 supports the phylogenetic position within the Australian clade. The undivided styles, conspicuous large setuous stipules, a cryptocotylar (hypogaeous) germination pattern and pollen tetrads with aperture of intermediate type 7–8 are key morphological traits shared between D. meristocaulis and pygmy sundews of sect. Bryastrum from Australia and New Zealand. Conclusions The multidisciplinary approach adopted in this study (using morphological, palynological, cytotaxonomic and molecular phylogenetic data) enabled us to elucidate the relationships of the thus far unplaced taxon D. meristocaulis. Long-distance dispersal between southwestern Oceania and northern South America is the most likely scenario to explain the phylogeographic pattern revealed.

Avaliação da capacidade de renovação do epitélio do mesêntero e seus efeitos no potencial reprodutivo de fêmeas adultas de Ceraeochrysa claveri (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) alimentadas durante a fase larval com óleo de nim (azadirachta indica A. JUSS)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Relationship Between BP (Baculovirus penaei) Energy Reserves in Larval and Postlarval Pacific White Shrimp Penaeus vannamei

The relationship between energy reserves of the penaeid shrimp Penaeus vannamei and Baculovirus penaei, or BP, were investigated in a series of experiments using mysis stage or early postlarval shrimp. Pre-exposure and post-exposure levels of protein and triacylgycerol (TAG) were determined. The effect of pre-exposure protein and TAG levels on susceptibility to BP infections was also investigated by starving a group of shrimp immediately prior to BP exposure. There was no consistent relationship between either pre-exposure or post-exposure protein levels and the percent of shrimp developing patent BP infections. There was, however, a significant positive correlation between TAG levels immediately prior to viral exposure and prevalence of infection 72 h later. Experimental reduction of TAG reserves prior to BP exposure delayed the development of a patent infection. In some, but not all, experiments there was a significant reduction in TAG levels of infected compared with uninfected shrimp 72 h post-exposure. The effect of patent BP infections on host TAG levels was subordinate to fluctuations in TAG content associated with the ontogeny of the hepatopancreas. Results of this study support histological observations that shrimp lipid levels can be altered by baculovirus infections. Furthermore, high levels of energy reserves in the form of TAG are associated with increased susceptibility to BP infection in larval and postlarval shrimp.

Social cohesion among kin, gene flow without dispersal and the evolution of population genetic structure in the killer whale (Orcinus orca)

In social species, breeding system and gregarious behavior are key factors influencing the evolution of large-scale population genetic structure. The killer whale is a highly social apex predator showing genetic differentiation in sympatry between populations of foraging specialists (ecotypes), and low levels of genetic diversity overall. Our comparative assessments of kinship, parentage and dispersal reveal high levels of kinship within local populations and ongoing male-mediated gene flow among them, including among ecotypes that are maximally divergent within the mtDNA phylogeny. Dispersal from natal populations was rare, implying that gene flow occurs without dispersal, as a result of reproduction during temporary interactions. Discordance between nuclear and mitochondrial phylogenies was consistent with earlier studies suggesting a stochastic basis for the magnitude of mtDNA differentiation between matrilines. Taken together our results show how the killer whale breeding system, coupled with social, dispersal and foraging behaviour, contributes to the evolution of population genetic structure.

On the Ecology and Distribution of Echinococcus spp. (Cestoda: Taeniidae), and Characteristics of Their Development in the Intermediate Host. II. Comparative Studies on the Development of Larval E. multilocularis Leuckart, 1863, in the Intermediate Host

This paper reports the results of a comparative study of the development of the larval Echinococcus multilocularis Leuckart, 1863), and associated tissue reaction in naturally and experimentally infected mammals representing 31 species. The histogenesis of the larval cestode was traced in detail in arvicoline rodents of several species, and interspecific differences were defined. In arvicoline rodents, the developing larva exhibited host-specific characteristics within about a month after infection was established. The tissue reaction in Microtus oeconomus was characterized by the production of a large quantity of detritus around the larva, and by the formation of a thick epithelioid zone. In one subspecies, M. oeconomus innuitus, development of the larva was retarded, and the detrital mass was often calcified; in another, M. oeconomus operarius, the detritus rarely became calcified and the larva proliferated more rapidly. In M. pennsylvanicus, the tissue reaction was minimal, and little detritus was present. The characteristics of the tissue reaction in M. montebelli placed it in an intermediate position between the aforementioned species. In Clethrionomys rutilus, a thin epithelioid zone and an outer zone of loose collagenous fibers composed the adventitial layer; exogenous budding was retarded in this vole. A minimal tissue reaction occurred in Lagurus curtatus. In Lemmus spp., larger cysts were characteristic, but areas of small-cystic proliferation were always present. Similar differences in species or subspecies of Citellus and Dicrostonyx were described. Lesions of alveolar bydatid disease in man also were studied. The invasive growth of the larval cestode in the human liver involves a process comparable to small-cystic proliferation in the natural intermediate hosts. Although the later stages of development of the larval cestode are inhibited in man, exogenous proliferation of vesicles continues for the life of the host. The lesion in man was compared with a morphologically similar formation produced by anomalous development of the larval E. granulosus in the bovine liver. The latter is distinguished by the absence of areas of small-cystic proliferation. Non-echinococcal lesions found in the tissues studied, some of which resembled foci caused by the larval E. multilocularis, were briefly discussed.

Intraspecific Comparison of Population Structure, Genetic Diversity, and Dispersal Among Three Subspecies of Townsend’s Big-Eared Bats, Corynorhinus townsendii townsendii, C. t. pallescens, and the Endangered C. t. birginianus

Townsend’s big-eared bat, Corynorhinus townsendii, is distributed broadly across western North America and in two isolated, endangered populations in central and eastern United States. There are five subspecies of C. townsendii; C. t. pallescens, C. t. australis, C. t. townsendii, C. t. ingens, and C. t. virginianus with varying degrees of concern over the conservation status of each. The aim of this study was to use mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA data to examine genetic diversity, population differentiation, and dispersal of three C. townsendii subspecies. C. t. virginianus is found in isolated populations in the eastern United States and was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1979. Concern also exists about declining populations of two western subspecies, C. t. pallescens and C. t. townsendii. Using a comparative approach, estimates of the genetic diversity within populations of the endangered subspecies, C. t. virginianus, were found to be significantly lower than within populations of the two western subspecies. Further, both classes of molecular markers revealed significant differentiation among regional populations of C. t. virginianus with most genetic diversity distributed among populations. Genetic diversity was not significantly different between C. t. townsendii and C. t. pallescens. Some populations of C. t. townsendii are not genetically differentiated from populations of C. t. pallescens in areas of sympatry. For the western subspecies gene flow appears to occur primarily through male dispersal. Finally, geographic regions representing significantly differentiated and genetically unique populations of C. townsendii virginianus are recognized as distinct evolutionary significant units.