Edge-interior differences in the species richness and abundance of drosophilids in a semideciduous forest fragment

Habitat fragmentation is the main cause of biodiversity loss, as remnant fragments are exposed to negative influences that include edge effects, prevention of migration, declines in effective population sizes, loss of genetic variability and invasion of exotic species. The Drosophilidae (Diptera), especially species of the genus Drosophila, which are highly sensitive to environmental variation, have been used as bioindicators. A twelve-month field study was conducted to evaluate the abundance and richness of drosophilids in an edge-interior transect in a fragment of semideciduous forest in São Paulo State, Brazil. One objective of the study was to evaluate the applied methodology with respect to its potential use in future studies addressing the monitoring and conservation of threatened areas. The species abundance along the transect showed a clear gradient, with species associated with disturbed environments, such as Drosophila simulans, Scaptodrosophila latifasciaeformis and Zaprionus indianus, being collected at the fragment edge and the species D. willistoni and D. mediostriata being found in the fragment's interior. Replacement of these species occurred at approximately 60 meters from the edge, which may be a reflection of edge effects on species abundance and richness because the species found within the habitat fragment are more sensitive to variations in temperature and humidity than those sampled near the edge. The results support the use of this methodology in studies on environmental impacts. © 2013 Penariol and Madi-Ravazzi; licensee Springer.

Genetic Structure of Lutzomyia longipalpis Populations in Mato Grosso Do Sul, Brazil, Based on Microsatellite Markers

Background:Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) is the major vector of Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum and thus plays a crucial role in the epidemiology of American visceral leishmaniasis (AVL). This vector is the best studied species of sand fly in the Neotropical region. Many studies claim that this vector is in fact a species complex; however there is still no consensus regarding the number of species that belong into this complex or the geographical distribution of sibling species. The aim of the present study was to analyze the genetic relationships within Lu. longipalpis populations in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil.Methodology/Principal Findings:We collected 30 Lu. longipalpis (15 females and 15 males) from five localities (Campo Grande, Três Lagoas, Aquidauana, Miranda and Bonito) and 30 Lu. Cruzi from Corumbá, totaling 180 sandflies from MS, and 30 Lu. longipalpis from Estrela de Alagoas, state of Alagoas (AL), Northeast Brazil. We show that eight previously described microsatellite loci were sufficient in distinguishing Lu. longipalpis from Lu. Cruzi, which is a closely related species, and in differentiating between Lu. longipalpis collected in MS versus Estrela de Alagoas. Analyses of the genotypes revealed introgression between sympatric Lu. longipalpis and Lu. Cruzi.Conclusions/Significance:Our findings support the hypothesis of cryptic species within the Lu. longipalpis complex. Furthermore, our data revealed introgression between Lu. longipalpis and Lu. cruzi. This phenomenon should be further investigated to determine the level and incidence of hybridization between these two species. We also demonstrated that microsatellite markers are a powerful tool for differentiating sand fly populations and species. The present study has elucidated the population structure of Lu. longipalpis in MS and, by extension, the Neotropical Lu. longipalpis complex itself. © 2013 Santos et al.

Genetic structure of Aedes aegypti populations determined using pairwise comparisons

The biological characteristics of Aedes aegypti (Diptera, Culicidae), which is a vector of dengue and yellow fever, make this organism a good model for studying population structure and the events that may influence it under the effect of human activity. We assessed the genetic variability of five A. aegypti populations using RAPD-PCR technique and six primers. Four populations were from Brazil and one was from the USA. A total of 165 polymorphic DNA loci were generated. Considering the six primers and the five populations, the mean value of inter-population genetic diversity (Gst) was 0.277, which is considered high according to the Wright classification. However, pairwise comparisons of the populations gave variable Gst values ranging from 0.044 to 0.289. This variation followed the population's geographic distance to some extent but was also influenced by human activity. The lowest Gst values were obtained in the comparison of populations from cities with intensive commercial and medical contacts. These mosquito populations were previously classified as insecticide resistant, susceptible, or with decreased susceptibility; this parameter apparently had an effect on the Gst values obtained in the pairwise comparisons. ©FUNPEC-RP.

Resistance of beef cattle of two genetic groups to ectoparasites and gastrointestinal nematodes in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

The resistance to infestations by ectoparasites and infections by gastrointestinal nematodes was studied in 45 animals (males and females) of two genetic groups: purebred Nelore (NI, n=28) and Three-Cross (1/2 Angus+1/4 Canchim+1/4 Nelore - TC, n=17). The animals were monitored for 24months, during which they were left to graze in tropical pastures without receiving treatment for parasites. Each month the animals were examined for infestations by external parasites, to count the numbers of cattle ticks Rhipicephalus microplus with diameter greater than 4.5mm present on the left side, horn flies (Haematobia irritans) present in the lumbar region and botfly larvae (Dermatobia hominis) present on the entire body. The H. irritans counts were performed with the aid of digital photographs. At the time of examination, fecal samples were collected to count the eggs per gram (EPG) and to perform coprocultures, and peripheral blood samples were drawn to determine the packed cell volume (PCV) and to count the eosinophils. For statistical analysis, the count data were transformed into log10 (n+1), where n is the number of parasites. For PCV, significant effects (P<0.05) were found for collection month (CO), genetic group (GG) and gender (SX), with means and respective standard errors of 41.5±0.65% for the NI animals, 39.3±0.83% for the TC, 41.5±0.72% for the females and 39.3±0.77% for the males. Regarding the eosinophil counts, only the effect of sex was significant (P<0.01), with means and respective standard errors of 926.0±46.2/μL, for males and 1088.0±43.8/μL of blood, for females. The NI animals presented lower mean counts for all the external parasites compared to the TC animals (P<0.01). For ticks, the transformed means followed by standard errors for the NI and TC animals were 0.06±0.01 and 0.34±0.02, while for horn flies these were 0.92±0.05 and 1.36±0.06 and for botfly larvae they were 0.05±0.03 and 0.45±0.05, respectively. The average EPG values were only influenced by CO (P<0.01). The coprocultures revealed the presence of the following endoparasites: Haemonchus spp., Cooperia spp., Oesophagostomum spp. and Trichostrongylus spp., the last in smaller proportion. There were no significant differences between the genetic groups for the endoparasite loads, except for Cooperia spp., which were present in greater number (P<0.05) in the NI group. The results obtained in this experiment confirm previous findings of greater susceptibility of the Nelore breed to Cooperia spp. and high resistance to ectoparasites. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Caracterização da comunidade de microcrustáceos e avaliação de potenciais predadores vertebrados e invertebrados em dois reservatórios na região noroeste do Estado de São Paulo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Efeitos indiretos de predadores e de herbívoros florais e foliares no comportamento de visitantes florais e sucesso reprodutivo de Rubus rosifolius

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

Análise dos processos de decomposição e sucessão ecológica em carcaças de suínos (Sus scrofa L.) mortos por disparo de arma de fogo e overdose de cocaína e protocolo de procedimento diante de corpo de delito

Pós-graduação em Biologia Geral e Aplicada - IBB

Morfoanatomia dos capítulos e biologia da polinização de Syngonanthus elegans (Bong.) Ruhland (Eriocaulaceae - Poales)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Variação temporal dos macroinvertebrados bentônicos, em lagoa marginal ao Rio Paranapanema-SP

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Caracterização molecular e bioquímica de uma esterase macho-específica em Zaprionus indianus

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Processos auto-organizados: efeitos de substâncias químicas que agem no sistema nervoso sobre o desenvolvimento e padrão de dispersão larval pós-alimentar de dípteros (Calliphoridae e Muscidae)

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

Sazonalidade, sinantropia e preferência por iscas de dípteros necrófagos da região de Rio Claro, SP

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia) - IBRC

Avaliação da recuperação das lesões cutâneas por meio da terapia larval utilizando como modelos ratos Wistar

Pós-graduação em Biologia Geral e Aplicada - IBB

Polinização de Cacauí (Theobroma speciosum Willd. ex Spreng. - Sterculiaceae): implicações para conservação

O cacauí (Theobroma speciosum) é uma fruteira típica da Região Norte, cujas flores sapromiofílicas atraem dípteros. Os recursos que os insetos utilizam são muito variados e entre eles estão as flores, as quais podem ser utilizadas como alimento e local para reprodução. Este trabalho visou fazer uma comparação do sistema de polinização de T. speciosum em duas áreas de preservação distintas, contribuindo para a avaliação das estratégias de conservação da espécie. O trabalho foi realizado nos anos de 2000 a 2002, no Centro de Pesquisa do Trópico Úmido da Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA/CPATU) e na Estação Científica Ferreira Penna (ECFPn/MPEG). Foram realizados estudos sobre estrutura populacional e fenologia de T. speciosum nas duas áreas de preservação, observação comportamental dos insetos no campo, coletas de insetos visitantes das flores de cacauí, análise de carreamento de pólen pelos insetos e verificação dos insetos emergentes no laboratório. As árvores de cacauí, em ambos os locais, florescem em períodos mais secos e frutificam em períodos mais úmidos. As populações de cacauí nas duas áreas diferem pela distribuição espacial e etária dos seus indivíduos. A falta de jovens e subadultos na área de preservação ex situ, mostra falha no "tum over' populacional, demonstrando fragilidade no sistema estabelecido. As inflorescências de T. speciosum são utilizadas por uma grande diversidade de invertebrados. Nove ordens de insetos, e pelo menos duas ordens de outros invertebrados, visitaram as flores de cacau'. As ordens com maior quantidade de indivíduos foram Hymenoptera, Thysanoptera, Diptera e Coleoptera. Os visitantes das flores de cacauí foram classificados como: oportunistas, predadores e polinizadores. Drosofilideos foram indicados como polinizadores de T speciosum, com a possibilidade da participação de alguns forídeos. As guildas dos drosofilídeos foram distintas nas duas áreas de preservação e mais diversa na área de preservação in situ. Quatro espécies foram comuns as duas áreas. A perda de diversidade e alteração na composição na guilda de polinizadores parece não ter afetado a população de T. speciosum na área de preservação ex situ. No caso em estudo o sistema de polinização apesar de profundamente alterado, ainda apresenta sinais de viabilidade.

Dinâmica tritrófica experimental em populações de moscas varejeiras

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