Revisão de Trichonius Bates (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae)

O gênero Trichonius Bates, 1864 e suas espécies são redescritos. Oito espécies são reconhecidas, das quais cinco novas são descritas: Trichonius minimus sp. nov., T. bellus sp. nov. e T. griseus sp. nov. da Guiana Francesa e Brasil; T. affinis sp. nov. (Mato Grosso), e T. atlanticus sp. nov. (Bahia, Minas Gerais) do Brasil. São fornecidas chave para identificação das espécies e ilustrações.

Composición y distribución del plancton en el litoral peruano en el verano de 1996

Presenta la estimación del volumen de plancton superficial del litoral peruano, entre el 07 de febrero y 05 de abril de 1996. Para ello se colectó 147 muestras de fitoplancton y 258 de zooplancton. Dentro del fitoplancton, las especies que tuvieron un amplio rango de distribución fueron las diatomas de afloramiento como chaetoceros debilis, c. didymus, c. affinis, entre otras, encontrándose además especies oceánicas como panktoniella sol, gunardia fláccida, proboscia alata, entre otras, cerca de la costa en la parte sur entre Pisco e Ilo.

Contribuição ao conhecimento de espécies venezuelanas de Lespesia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera, Tachinidae, Exoristinae), com descrições de novas espécies

Contribuição ao conhecimento de espécies venezuelanas do gênero Lespesia Robineau-Desvoidy (Diptera, Tachinidae), com descrições de novas espécies. Foi realizado um estudo taxonômico de espécies venezuelanas do gênero Lespesia Robineau-Desvoidy, 1863 (Diptera, Tachinidae), baseado na coleção do "Museo del Instituto de Zoología Agrícola Francisco Fernández Yépez (MIZA) de la Universidad Central de Venezuela - Maracay". Seis espécies foram reconhecidas, dentre estas duas são descritas como novas, Lespesia giovannae sp. nov. e Lespesia oscari sp. nov., e três são registradas pela primeira vez para a Venezuela: Lespesia affinis (Townsend, 1927), Lespesia protoginoi (Blanchard, 1966) e Lespesia spitzi Guimarães, 1983. São apresentadas redescrições e chaves para as espécies.

Noves aportacions a la flora de les comarques meridionals de Catalunya.

Data about 89 taxa are presented. Arabis nova Vill. subsp. iberica Rivas Mart. ex Talavera, Cistus × nigricans Pourr. and Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth. are new records for the Catalan flora, and 15 taxa (Allium oporinanthum Brullo et al., Apera interrupta (L.) Beauv., Asplenium trichomanes L. subsp. trichomanes, Campanula affinis Schult., Carex sylvatica Huds. subsp. paui (Sennen) A. and O. Bolòs, Epilobium angustifolium L., Limonium hibericum Erben, Melilotus messanensis (L.) All., Minuartia funkii (Jord.) Graebner, Onosma triceros-perma subsp. catalaunica (Sennen) O. Bolòs and Vigo, Orchis palustris Jacq., Orchis simia Lam., Selaginella denticulata (L.) Spring, Stellaria neglecta Weihle in Bluff and Fingerh. and Vaccinium myrtillus L. are new records for Southern Catalonia.

Noves aportacions a la flora de les comarques meridionals de Catalunya.

Data about 89 taxa are presented. Arabis nova Vill. subsp. iberica Rivas Mart. ex Talavera, Cistus × nigricans Pourr. and Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth. are new records for the Catalan flora, and 15 taxa (Allium oporinanthum Brullo et al., Apera interrupta (L.) Beauv., Asplenium trichomanes L. subsp. trichomanes, Campanula affinis Schult., Carex sylvatica Huds. subsp. paui (Sennen) A. and O. Bolòs, Epilobium angustifolium L., Limonium hibericum Erben, Melilotus messanensis (L.) All., Minuartia funkii (Jord.) Graebner, Onosma triceros-perma subsp. catalaunica (Sennen) O. Bolòs and Vigo, Orchis palustris Jacq., Orchis simia Lam., Selaginella denticulata (L.) Spring, Stellaria neglecta Weihle in Bluff and Fingerh. and Vaccinium myrtillus L. are new records for Southern Catalonia.

Earthworms from Mato Grosso, Brazil, and new records of species from the state

The objective of this work was to undertake a qualitative assessment of earthworm diversity in areas under human influence, in a region of Cerrado-Pantanal-Amazon rainforest transition, in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The earthworms were collected in the municipalities of Barra do Bugres and Arenápolis, and were studied together with species previously identified from other municipalities. Seventeen municipalities, at 29 sampling points of Mato Grosso State, have been sampled. Seven species of earthworms were collected and identified in Barra do Bugres: Goiascolex vanzolinii, Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) corethrurus, Opisthodrillus borellii borellii, Opisthodrillus sp., Dichogaster (Diplothecodrilus) gracilis, Dichogaster sp. and a species of the Criodrilidae family. Four species of earthworms were identified in Arenápolis: Pontoscolex (Pontoscolex) corethrurus, Dichogaster (Diplothecodrilus) gracilis, Dichogaster (Diplothecodrilus) affinis and Dichogaster sp. In total, 32 earthworm species/subspecies are known from Mato Grosso, 22 native and 10 exotic.

L'Impacte ecològic dels peixos introduïts a Catalunya

We review the invasive fish species introduced to Catalonia (Spain) and their mechanisms of ecological impact. Catalonia has about 15 established foreign fish species along with many others that have been translocated. These fish species, which are identical to those that have been introduced worldwide (thereby contributing to biotic homogenization), include: common carp (Cyprinus carpio), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) and many European cyprinids that are not native to the Iberian Peninsula. There are some well-documented repercussions to the native fauna, such as the impact of mosquitofish on endangered, endemic cyprinodonts. The illegal introduction by anglers continues to be one of the main culprits of this environmental problem, one that has been barely addressed by local and state authorities

Quantifying seasonality along a latitudinal gradient: from stream temperature to growth of invasive mosquitofish

Most ecosystems undergo substantial variation over the seasons, ranging from changes in abiotic features, such as temperature, light and precipitation, to changes in species abundance and composition. How seasonality varies along latitudinal gradients is not well known in freshwater ecosystems, despite being very important in predicting the effects of climate change and in helping to advance ecological understanding. Stream temperature is often well correlated with air temperature and influences many ecosystem features such as growth and metabolism of most aquatic organisms. We evaluated the degree of seasonality in ten river mouths along a latitudinal gradient for a set of variables, ranging from air and water temperatures, to physical and chemical properties of water and growth of an invasive fish species (eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki ). Our results show that although most of the variation in air temperature was explained by latitude and season, this was not the case for water features, including temperature, in lowland Mediterranean streams, which depended less on season and much more on local factors. Similarly, although there was evidence of latitude-dependent seasonality in fish growth, the relationship was nonlinear and weak and the significant latitudinal differences in growth rates observed during winter were compensated later in the year and did not result in overall differences in size and growth. Our results suggest that although latitudinal differences in air temperature cascade through properties of freshwater ecosystems, local factors and complex interactions often override the water temperature variation with latitude and might therefore hinder projections of species distribution models and effects of climate change

Temperature-Specific Competition between Invasive Mosquitofish and an Endangered Cyprinodontid Fish

Condition-specific competition is widespread in nature. Species inhabiting heterogeneous environments tend to differ in competitive abilities depending on environmental stressors. Interactions between these factors can allow coexistence of competing species, which may be particularly important between invasive and native species. Here, we examine the effects of temperature on competitiveinteractions between invasive mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, and an endemic Iberian toothcarp, Aphanius iberus. We compare the tendency to approach heterospecifics and food capture rates between these two species, and examine differences between sexes and species in aggressive interactions, at three different temperatures (19, 24 and 29uC) in three laboratory experiments. Mosquitofish exhibit much more aggression than toothcarp. We show that mosquitofish have the capacity to competitively displace toothcarp through interference competition and this outcome is more likely at higher temperatures. We also show a reversal in the competitive hierarchy through reduced food capture rate by mosquitofish at lower temperatures and suggest that these two types of competition may act synergistically to deprive toothcarp of food at higher temperatures. Males of both species carry out more overtly aggressive acts than females, which is probably related to the marked sexual dimorphism and associated mating systems of these two species. Mosquitofish may thus impact heavily on toothcarp, and competition from mosquitofish, especially in warmer summer months, may lead to changes in abundance of the native species and displacement to non-preferred habitats. Globally increasing temperatures mean that highly invasive, warm-water mosquitofish may be able to colonize environments from which they are currently excluded through reduced physiological tolerance to low temperatures. Research into the effects of temperature on interactions between native and invasive species is thus of fundamental importance

Lychnophoric acid from Lychnophora pinaster: a complete and unequivocal assignment by NMR spectroscopy

The investigation of the hexane extract from aerial parts of Lychnophora pinaster provided, besides others substances, the E-isomer of lychnophoric acid, a sesquiterpene derivative previously isolated from L. affinis.

Avaliação de danos por insetos em toras estocadas em indústrias madeireiras de Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil

Em seis indústrias madeireiras de Manaus, Amazonas, foi realizado um trabalho de pesquisa, com a utilização de um questionário,para averiguar as condições de uso e processamento da madeira e as medidas preventivas contra o ataque de insetos. Foram realizados, também,um levantamento da ocorrência de insetos em 19 espécies de madeiras utilizadas por essas indústrias e a avaliação do dano provocado pelas principais espécies de Coleoptera (besouros) e Isoptera (cupins). Das respostas apuradas, constatou-se que nenhuma das empresas visitadas emprega qualquer produto para prevenir o ataque de insetos às toras, assim como a secagem e a estocagem das toras são feitas de forma incorreta, contribuindo para aumentar a intensidade de ataque de insetos. Foram encontradas uma família de cupins e 16 de besouros, ressaltando que destas apenas cinco causam danos à madeira. Do total de 13 espécies de insetos coletados, destacam-se Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff e Platypus parallelus (Fabricius), encontradas em 18 espécies madeireiras, sendo conseqüentemente responsáveis pela maioria dos danos nas toras X. volvulus (Fabricius) e Platypus sp. foram encontradas em cinco espécies; X. ferrugineus (Fabricius) em três espécies; Minthea rugicolis Walk, Minthea sp. e Nasutitermes corniger (Motschulsky) em duas, e Dinoderus bifoveolatus Wollaston, Anoplotermes sp.; e Cnesinus sp. em uma. As espécies de madeiras que sofreram maior grau de deterioração, causada principalmente por coleópteros, foram Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn. e Copaifera multijuga Hayne, seguidas por Couroupitaguianensis Aubl., Calophyllum brasiliense Cambess., Cedrela odorata L., Hevea brasiliensis Müll. Arg., Hura crepitans L., Hymenolobium sp., Maquira coriacea (Karsten) C.C. Berg, Nectandra sp., Virolasurinamensis Warb. e Vochysia sp.

Climate driven changes in temperature, pH and food quality : effects on copepod reproduction

Increased emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere are causing an anthropogenic climate change. The resulting global warming challenges the ability of organisms to adapt to the new temperature conditions. However, warming is not the only major threat. In marine environments, dissolution of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere causes a decrease in surface water pH, the so called ocean acidification. The temperature and acidification effects can interact, and create even larger problems for the marine flora and fauna than either of the effects would cause alone. I have used Baltic calanoid copepods (crustacean zooplankton) as my research object and studied their growth and stress responses using climate predictions projected for the next century. I have studied both direct temperature and pH effects on copepods, and indirect effects via their food: the changing phytoplankton spring bloom composition and toxic cyanobacterium. The main aims of my thesis were: 1) to find out how warming and acidification combined with a toxic cyanobacterium affect copepod reproductive success (egg production, egg viability, egg hatching success, offspring development) and oxidative balance (antioxidant capacity, oxidative damage), and 2) to reveal the possible food quality effects of spring phytoplankton bloom composition dominated by diatoms or dinoflagellates on reproducing copepods (egg production, egg hatching, RNA:DNA ratio). The two copepod genera used, Acartia sp. and Eurytemora affinis are the dominating mesozooplankton taxa (0.2 – 2 mm) in my study area the Gulf of Finland. The 20°C temperature seems to be within the tolerance limits of Acartia spp., because copepods can adapt to the temperature phenotypically by adjusting their body size. Copepods are also able to tolerate a pH decrease of 0.4 from present values, but the combination of warm water and decreased pH causes problems for them. In my studies, the copepod oxidative balance was negatively influenced by the interaction of these two environmental factors, and egg and nauplii production were lower at 20°C and lower pH, than at 20°C and ambient pH. However, presence of toxic cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena improved the copepod oxidative balance and helped to resist the environmental stress, in question. In addition, adaptive maternal effects seem to be an important adaptation mechanism in a changing environment, but it depends on the condition of the female copepod and her diet how much she can invest in her offspring. I did not find systematic food quality difference between diatoms and dinoflagellates. There are both good and bad diatom and dinoflagellate species. Instead, the dominating species in the phytoplankton bloom composition has a central role in determining the food quality, although copepods aim at obtaining as a balanced diet as possible by foraging on several species. If the dominating species is of poor quality it can cause stress when ingested, or lead to non-optimal foraging if rejected. My thesis demonstrates that climate change induced water temperature and pH changes can cause problems to Baltic Sea copepod communities. However, their resilience depends substantially on their diet, and therefore the response of phytoplankton to the environmental changes. As copepods are an important link in pelagic food webs, their future success can have far reaching consequences, for example on fish stocks.

Seletividade de herbicidas a cinco tipos de gramas

Dentre as opções de controle de plantas daninhas em gramados, destaca-se o uso de herbicidas, porém poucas informações existem na literatura sobre a sua seletividade a gramados. Assim, foi desenvolvida a presente pesquisa em casa de vegetação da ESALQ - Piracicaba, com o objetivo de testar a seletividade de herbicidas aplicados em pré-plantio (sulfentrazone a 1,4 kg i.a. ha-1 e oxadiazon a 1,0 kg i.a. ha-1) e em pós-emergência (halosulfuron a 112,5 g i.a. ha-1, 2,4-D a 2,010 kg i.a. ha-1 e MSMA a 2,4 kg i.a. ha-1), em cinco espécies de gramas (família Poaceae): são-carlos (Axonopus affinis), esmeralda (Zoysia japonica), bermuda (Cynodon dactylon), zoysia (Zoysia matrella) e santo-agostinho (Stenotaphrum secundatum). As conclusões gerais deste trabalho de pesquisa foram de que a seletividade de herbicidas aos diversos tipos de grama é função principalmente da espécie de grama e do tipo e da dose do herbicida aplicado. Dentre os herbicidas testados, destacam-se como mais seletivos o halosulfuron na dose de 112,5 g i.a. ha-1 e o 2,4-D na de 2,010 kg i.a. ha-1; as espécies de grama do gênero Zoysia (esmeralda [Z. japonica] e zoysia [Z. matrella]), de maneira geral, são mais tolerantes aos herbicidas testados nesta pesquisa.

Eficiência de herbicidas para a cultura do feijão-caupi

Com o objetivo de avaliar a seletividade e eficácia de herbicidas para a cultura do feijão-caupi (Vigna unguiculata), conduziu-se um experimento no esquema de parcelas subdivididas, no delineamento de blocos casualizados. Nas parcelas, foram avaliados nove herbicidas/misturas (S-metolachlor, bentazon + imazamox, S-metolachlor + bentazon + imazamox, imazamox + fluazifop-p-butyl, imazethapyr + fluazifop-p-butyl, bentazon + fluazifop-p-butyl, bentazon + imazamox + fluazifop-p-butyl, lactofen + fluazifop-p-butyl e fluazifop-p-butyl) e uma testemunha sem herbicidas, e nas subparcelas foram avaliados dois tratamentos: com capinas e sem capinas, para determinar a seletividade e a eficácia dos herbicidas, respectivamente. Os herbicidas S-metolachlor, bentazon + imazamox, S-metolachlor + bentazon + imazamox, imazamox + fluazifop-p-butyl, imazethapyr + fluazifop-p-butyl, bentazon + fluazifop-p-butyl, bentazon + imazamox + fluazifop-p-butyl e fluazifop-p-butyl foram seletivos para a cultura. A mistura lactofen + fluazifop-p-butyl causou severa intoxicação no feijão-caupi, com posterior recuperação e produtividade igual ou superior à dos demais tratamentos. As principais espécies de plantas infestantes foram: Cleome affinis, Trianthema portulacastrum, Amaranthus spinosus, Commelina benghalensis e Digitaria bicornis, sendo todas controladas com eficiência pelos herbicidas S-metolachlor aplicado em pré-emergência + bentazon + imazamox aplicados em pós-emergência e lactofen + fluazifop-p-butyl aplicados em pós-emergência. Conclui-se que a eficiência de herbicidas para o feijão-caupi depende da seletividade para a cultura, bem como de sua eficácia no controle de plantas daninhas, a qual pode variar de acordo com a comunidade infestante.

Diversidade e estrutura de fragmentos de mata de várzea e de mata mesófila semidecídua submontana do rio Jacaré-Pepira (SP)

O objetivo deste trabalho é de comparar a diversidade específica e a estrutura comunitária de mata de várzea (MV), inundada anualmente, e de mata mesófila semidecídua submontana (MS) situada em áreas adjacentes a cursos d’água, mas que não sofre inundações freqüentes. Para realizar esta comparação, foram estudados 15 fragmentos de mata ao longo do rio Jacaré-Pepira, no centro do estado de São Paulo. Utilizou-se o método de quadrantes para amostrar os indivíduos dos estratos arbóreo e arbustivo com 3 cm ou mais de diâmetro do caule a 1,3 m de altura do solo. Os fragmentos de MV apresentam uma baixa diversidade (1,6 nats/tree £ H’ £ 2,9 nats/ind.) em relação aos fragmentos de MS (3,2 nats/ind. £ H’ £ 4,3 nats/ind.). Essa diferença é significativa numa análise discriminante (F= 9,544, p= 0,013). No entanto, alguns fragmentos podem conter os dois tipos de mata (MV e MS) e apresentarem, então, valores altos de diversidade (H’ próximo de 3,9 nats/ind.). Em relação à densidade total (DT) e à área basal total (ABT), os valores apresentam grandes variações, particularmente para os fragmentos de MS (2040 ind./ha £ DT £ 5479 ind./ha; 21,05 m2/ha £ ABT £ 65,35 m2/ha). Nenhum destes dois parâmetros permite distinguir significativamente MS de MV (p > 0,05). Os valores do Índice de Valor de Cobertura (IVC) mostram que os fragmentos de MV apresentam sempre as mesmas espécies de maior IVC (Croton urucurana e Inga affinis ), enquanto os fragmentos de MS apresentam uma grande variedade de espécies de maior IVC, apesar dos levantamentos terem sido feitos num trecho curto do rio e em condições semelhantes de solo e topografia. Nas bordas dos rios, existe uma faixa de mata transicional, de largura variável em função do relevo e da descarga do rio, que apresenta estruturas intermediárias entre as de MV e MS.