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Recent observations on the distribution of the endangered butterfly Eresia erysice erysice (Geyer, 1832) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)
2024
Gabriel Vila-Verde | Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie
The Brazilian endemic butterfly Eresia erysice erysice (Geyer, 1832) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) has been included in the Official List of Brazilian Endangered Fauna as critically endangered (CR). Until now, this rare butterfly has only been known to inhabit Atlantic Forest fragments in the “Hileia Baiana”. This paper presents updated information on occurrences of E. e. erysice. A male and a female specimens were collected in a disturbed forest fragment near the experimental fields of the Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau (CEPEC), Ilhéus, Bahia. These new findings indicate that the distribution boundary of this subspecies extends about 80 km more to the north and suggest that it is not as exclusive to forest habitats as previously thought.
Show more [+] Less [-]Antennal ultrastructure of three species of Cyclocephala Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)
2024
Sérgio Roberto Rodrigues | Andrezza Santos Cocco
This study describes the antennal ultrastructure in Cyclocephala forsteri Endrodi, 1963, Cyclocephala melanocephala (Fabricius, 1775) and Cyclocephala tucumana Brethes, 1904 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Adult of Cyclocephala Dejean, 1821 specimens were collected using a light trap placed near a pasture area, segregated by gender, based on male-specific dilated pre-tarsomeres and preserved in 70% alcohol. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the antenna lamellae were obtained from ten specimens at Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil. We identified trichoid, chaetic, placoid, coeloconic, basiconic sensilla, and pores in antenna of all the species. Placoid sensilla were prevalent in the antennal lamellae. The antennae of C. forsteri females had 5,457 sensilla, of which 5,327 (97.62%) were placoid, 123 (2.25%) coeloconic, and seven (0.13%) basiconic, while the antennae of males showed 5,351 sensilla, with 5,238 (97.89%) being placoid, 100 (1.87%) coeloconic, and 13 (0.24%) basiconic. The antennae of C. melanocephala females presented 6,814 sensilla, with 6,581 (96.58%) being placoid, 231 (3.39%) coeloconic, and two (0.03%) basiconic; while those of males had 6,333 sensilla, with 6,023 (95.11%) being placoid and 310 (4.89%) coeloconic. Finally, the antennae of C. tucumana females had 1,981 sensilla, with 1,845 (93.13%) being placoid, 127 (6.42%) coeloconic, and nine (0.45%) basiconic; while the antennae of males had 3,756 sensilla, with 3,656 (97.34%) being placoid, 99 (2.64%) coeloconic, and one (0.02%) basiconic. Overall, adults of C. melanocephala and C. tucumana presented dimorphism in the antennal sensilla.
Show more [+] Less [-]New species of Bolbapium Boucomont, 1910 (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) from Brazil
2024
Caique Dantas | André da Silva Ferreira | Freddy Bravo
Bolbapium Boucomont, 1910 is a Neotropical genus of Geotrupidae with 22 known species. In this paper, we describe Bolbapium vazdemelloi sp. nov. in Southwestern Bahia, Brazil. This new species is distinguished from congeneric species by its unique combination of morphological characters: cephalic tubercle adjacent to each eye; pronotum with little expanded bidentate tubercle; parameres symmetric, with acute and divergent apex. The new species was incorporated into a previously published identification key for Bolbapium.
Show more [+] Less [-]Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as a predator of the leaf-galling form of the grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch, 1856) (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) in Brazil
2024
Daiana da Costa Oliveira | Simone Andzeiewski | Régis Josué Bohn | Luciano de Azevedo Moura | Daniel Bernardi | Marcos Botton
Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an Asian species intentionally introduced in many countries as a biological control agent for insect pests. In Brazil, it was introduced accidentally and recorded for the first time in Curitiba, Paraná State, in 2002. An inventory of natural enemies of the leaf-galling form of the grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch, 1856) (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) carried out in Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, the occurrence of predation of all stages of development of D. vitifoliae by larvae and adults of H. axyridis. The presence of H. axyridis preying on D. vitifoliae in vineyards is important because it identifies an exotic species acting as a predator of grape phylloxera populations in Brazil.
Show more [+] Less [-]Evaluation of two methods for monitoring the blackmargined pecan aphid and its predators
2024
Jardel Boscardin | Ervandil Corrêa Costa
The present study aimed to evaluate, qualitatively and quantitatively, yellow sticky traps and entomological net in the monitoring of Monellia caryella (Fitch, 1855) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its predators in a pecan plantation in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This plantation was implemented on 1.2 ha in February 2012 with the Barton and Shawnee varieties at a spacing of 7 m x 7 m. Twenty pecan plants were randomly selected to sample the blackmargined pecan aphid and its predators. From November 2014 to May 2015, 13 collections were carried out with yellow sticky traps and an entomological net. A total of 898 arthropod specimens were collected, 50.9% of which were from yellow sticky traps and 49.1% from the entomological net trap. Regarding the yellow sticky traps, only M. caryella was identified at the species level, with the predators identified at the taxonomic levels of order (Araneae) and family (Coccinellidae; Coleoptera). In terms of the entomological net, all the insects of interest at the species level were identified. There was a significant difference only between the averages in the number of Araneae specimens, with the highest density found in the yellow sticky traps. Both methods provided the correct identification of M. caryella and efficiently recorded its population peak. It is concluded that yellow sticky traps are effective for monitoring M. caryella, while the entomological net is suitable for monitoring and correctly identifying species of natural enemies of the insect pest in pecan plantations.
Show more [+] Less [-]Butterflies of two atlantic forest conservation units from Paraíba state, northeast of Brazil
2024
Emanoel Pereira Gualberto | Adalberto Dantas de Medeiros | Solange Maria Kerpel
Conservation Units are areas legally established by the government with the goal of conserving territory and its natural resources. Given the limited knowledge about the invertebrate biodiversity in the Northern Atlantic Forest, including its legally protected areas, the present study aimed to inventory butterfly species in two Conservation Units of the Northern Atlantic Forest in Paraíba, Brazil: Engenho Gargaú Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN Gargaú) and Mata do Xém-xém State Park (PE Xém-xém), both located in the metropolitan region of João Pessoa. We conducted the collections every two months, over three consecutive days, in six expeditions from February 2013 to April 2014 in RPPN Gargaú and in four expeditions from August 2014 to April 2015 in PE Xém-xem. Additionally, a two-day collecting expedition was carried out in August 2021 in RPPN Gargaú. We employed two sampling methods: Van Someren-Rydon traps and entomological nets. A total of 212 species (2,841 specimens) were recorded, 158 (1,867 specimens) in RPPN Gargaú and 129 (974 specimens) in PE Xém-xém. Overall, Hesperiidae was the richest family (81 spp.), followed by Nymphalidae (70), Riodinidae (22), Lycaenidae (22), Pieridae (12), and Papilionidae (4). Out of the total species, 48 are new records for Paraíba, and seven for northeast Brazil. Notably, the record of Morpho menelaus eberti Weber, 1963 in RPPN Gargaú, a subspecies classified as Critically Endangered (CR), stands out. The results emphasize the need to protect the forest remnants in the region, as well as to develop management and monitoring actions for butterflies and other invertebrates.
Show more [+] Less [-]Mosquitex, a new tool for capturing Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae)
2024
Cyro Guimarães | Thiago Dutra Dias | Simone Pereira Alves | Igor Luiz Souza da Cruz | Marise Maleck
The species Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) is of great importance for human health, as it is responsible for the transmission of viruses that can cause dengue, chikungunya, zika and urban yellow fever. The proposal of this study is to test the efficiency of a new trap model in capturing and trapping Ae. aegypti based on favoring the insect's ecology. This trap model was analyzed regarding the attractiveness for egg-laying, and the trapping of larvae and consequently the adults. The tests were carried out using white traps (original version) and black traps (adapted from the original), both in field and laboratory conditions. In the field, the black traps showed 100% effectiveness compared to white traps, showing more positive results for the attractiveness of Ae. aegypti mosquito and adult imprisonment. According to the results for this trap model, from both test in the field and in the laboratory, it was concluded that this new product is effective in capturing Ae. aegypti and it guarantees mosquito trapping safety, also low-cost production, practicality, logistics and possibility of its use by the local population. After the validation and effectiveness of the trap “drinking-fountain like”, the definitive trap called Mosquitex was developed, which is brand new for this mosquito, with patent registration INPI - BR2020190112226 - 2019, and with the possibility of assisting in the control and monitoring of Ae. aegypti in urban areas.
Show more [+] Less [-]Record of Lepidoptera and Hemiptera as a food resource of Acutisoma longipes Roewer, 1913 (Arachnida; Opiliones) in the Cerrado, Brazil
2024
Maria Luiza Simões Silva | Igor Rodrigues de Castro | Felipe Barbosa Augusto de Freitas | Diogo Silva Vilela | Gabriel de Castro Jacques | Marcos Magalhães de Souza
Harvestmen are nocturnal arachnids, commonly found in humid forests, with omnivorous feeding behavior. There are records of different taxa in the diet of these arthropods, but data is still scarce for many species, especially in Cerrado areas. Thus, the objective of the present work is to report Lepidoptera and Hemiptera in the diet of the harvestman Acutisoma longipes Roewer, 1913, in Mata de Galeria in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The records occurred randomly in the municipality of Luminárias, Minas Gerais, on October 10th and December 4th, 2023. In the first record, the species A. longipes was feeding on a moth (Lepidoptera: Erebidae). In the second record, the same species fed on a leafhopper, Mahanarva sp. (Hemiptera, Cercopidae). It was not possible to say whether these insects were preyed upon, usurped by other predators or found dead, but any of these hypotheses can be considered. This record contributes to increasing knowledge about the diet of harvestmen, especially in the Cerrado biome, where there is a need for more related studies.
Show more [+] Less [-]Case report of a preserved male corpse: estimation of post-mortem interval based on four Dipteran species of four different families
2024
Victor Wilson Botteon | Anderson Gaedke | Victor Michelon Alves
Case reports are extremely valuable in forensic entomology and very rare in Brazil. In this report we describe a case of multiple colonization of a preserved male cadaver found indoors in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, by four dipterans species of four different families: Fannia canicularis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Diptera: Fanniidae), Microcerella halli (Engel, 1931) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Muscina stabulans (Fallén, 1817) (Diptera: Muscidae) and Sarconesia chlorogaster (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The development time data of the species were used to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMI). Considering the methodology applied in this study and the values calculated for the species development, it was possible to estimate a minimum PMI of 24 days. Besides the diversity of dipteran species colonizing a single human body in an indoor environment, this case report reinforces the importance of these species as forensically indicator to estimate the time of death.
Show more [+] Less [-]First record of the nymph of Caenis cuniana Froehlich, 1969 (Caenidae: Ephemeroptera) and new distributional records of Caenidae from Colombia
2024
Luis Gonzalo Salinas-Jiménez | Lucas Ramos Costa Lima | Jose Ismael Rojas-Peña | Clara Ines Caro-Caro
In Colombia have been recorded eight species of the family Caenidae distributed in three states, at the moment do not exist species reported in the Meta state. In this paper, Caenis cuniana Froehlich, 1969 (Caenidae: Ephemeroptera) is registered for the first time from Colombia, in the same way, Brasilocaenis irmleri Puthz, 1975 and Caenis chamie Alba-Tercedor & Mosquera, 1999 expanded your geographical distribution in the Colombian Orinoquia region.
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