Foraging Behavior of the Swarm-Founding Wasp, Polybia (Trichothorax) sericea (Hymenoptera, Vespidae): Prey Capture and Load Capacity

The main component of the protein diet of P. sericea was larvae of Lepidoptera (75.38%), with predominance of the following Families: Noctuidae (30.99%), Hesperiidae (19.01%); Pyralidae (19.01%) and Nymphalidae (11.98%). The average weight of the prey captured was 14.2 mg, a value equivalent to 24.7% of the average wasp weight. The average glucidic food load was 28.61 mg, corresponding to approximately half the wasp weight (49.64%). The weight of the load transported in the crop varied according to the food density, which, in turn, influenced the time spent in its collection (Pearson: n=64; r=0.64;p<0.05). Polybia sericea showed predatory interactions against Lepidopteran caterpillars, who are known to be agricultural pests. P. sericea has potential to be used in Integrated Pest Management.

Foraging Behavior of the Swarm-founding Wasp Polybia (Trichothorax) sericea (Hymenoptera, Vespidae): Daily Resource Collection Activity and Flight Capacity

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus and its follower fishes at an oceanic island in the tropical west Atlantic

The influence of a substratum-disturbing forager, the spotted goatfish Pseudupeneus maculatus on the assemblage of its escorting, opportunistic-feeding fishes was examined at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago (tropical west Atlantic). Followers attracted to spotted goatfish foraging singly differed from followers of spotted goatfish foraging in groups in several characteristics. The larger the nuclear fish group, the greater the species richness and number of individuals of followers. Moreover, groups of foraging spotted goatfish attracted herbivores, not recorded for spotted goatfish foraging singly. The size of follower individuals increased with the size and the number of foraging spotted goatfish. The zoobenthivorous habits of the spotted goatfish and its ability to disturb a variety of soft substrata render it an important nuclear fish for several follower species of the reef fish assemblage at Fernando de Noronha. (c) 2006 the Authors Journal compilation (c) 2006 the Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Foraging activity and resource use by three parrotfish species at Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, tropical West Atlantic

Parrotfishes are important components of the herbivore and detritivore guilds of tropical and subtropical reefs. Most of parrotfish species are protogynous hermaphrodites that change colour and sex, from initial phase females or males (IP) to terminal phase males (TP). We studied the foraging behaviour of Sparisoma amplum, S. axillare and S. frondosum, three syntopic scarids on the rocky reefs of Fernando de Noronha Archipelago, Tropical West Atlantic. The three parrotfish species differed in food selection and preference, but IP and TP individuals of the same species preferred the same food types, except for S. amplum. Feeding rates of IP individuals were higher than those of TP individuals, but the distribution of feeding frequencies throughout the day of IP and TP individuals of the same species was similar. IP individuals had higher feeding rates than TP ones, which seems related to the fact that TP individuals spend a large amount of time patrolling their territories and chasing away conspecific individuals at the study site. The general foraging pattern we found for S. amplum, S. axillare and S. frondosum is similar to patterns found for other parrotfish species in the Western Atlantic.

Foraging by Polybia (Trichothorax) ignobilis (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) on flies at animal carcasses

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

Diet and Spatial Pattern of Foraging in Ectatomma opaciventre (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in an Anthropic Area

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Foraging behavior of the Restinga Tyrannulet (Phylloscartes Kronei) (Aves, Tyrannidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Conserved Karyotypes in Cophomantini: Cytogenetic Analysis of 12 Species from 3 Species Groups of Bokermannohyla (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Is the evolutionary history of the O-type P element in the saltans and willistoni groups of Drosophila similar to that of the canonical P element?

We studied the occurrence of O-type P elements in at least one species of each subgroup of the saltans group, in order to better understand the phylogenetic relationships among the elements within the saltans group and with those of species belonging to the willistoni group. We found that the O-type subfamily has a patchy distribution within the saltans group (it does not occur in D. neocordata and D. emarginata), low sequence divergence among species of the saltans group as well as in relation to species of the willistoni group, a lower rate of synonymous substitution for coding sequences compared to Adh, and phylogenetic incongruities. These findings suggest that the evolutionary history of the O-type subfamily within the saltans and willistoni groups follows the same model proposed for the canonical subfamily of P elements, i.e., events of horizontal transfer between species of the saltans and willistoni groups.

Lack of association between ABO histo-blood groups, secretor and non-secretor phenotypes, and anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies among pregnant women from the northwestern region of São Paulo State, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

ABO blood groups and Helicobacter pylori cagA infection: evidence of an association

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Habitat simplification affects nuclear-follower foraging association among stream fishes

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

Same-sized fish groups increase aggressive interaction of sex-reversed males Nile tilapia GIFT strain

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Gauge groups from brane-anti-brane systems at angles

We discuss a system formed by two pairs of brane-anti-brane that form an arbitrary angle in a plane. We identify the gauge groups from this system which presumably could be used to construct gauge theories.