Aspects of the Natural History of the Arboreal Harvestman Cynorta marginalis (Opiliones: Cosmetidae) Inhabiting a Costa Rican Forest

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 708-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatyana Zvonareva ◽  
Victor R. Townsend ◽  
Maynard H. Schaus ◽  
Nathaniel J. Schaus ◽  
Sarah Locke ◽  
...  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-150
Author(s):  
Julian Monge-Nájera

Public opinion is important in obtaining support for the conservation of biodiversity, and invertebrates have a "public relations problem" because -for reasons that are both cultural and biological- they are poorly known and often unpopular. In this article I present the results of an experiment on the power of a short lecture to improve attitude towards invertebrates, using the case of velvet worms. Velvet worms are "living fossils" that have inspired a wide range of cultural expressions, probably because of the adhesive net they use to capture prey. For the experiment, a group of 141 Costa Ricans, aged 10 to 58 years old, rated their reaction to a color photograph of Epiperipatus biolleyi, a Costa Rican species of velvet worm, before and after a five-minute lecture about the natural history of the worm. Even before the treatment, most of the respondents had a correct idea of the animal's anatomy (84%); supported the use of public funds to conserve it (71%); and more than half perceived the worm in a positive way (58%). They stated that they were willing to donate a mean of US$7,00 from their own pocket for the worm's protection (six times more if they had university education); and were less likely to reject the worm if they kept pets at home. Gender, age and education did not have any effect on most variables of attitude and knowledge. Compared with the control group, the group that received the lecture had a 17% improvement in attitude. The Costa Rican educational system, focused on nature and its conservation, can explain the generally good attitude and knowledge of invertebrates found in this study; and a five-minute natural history lecture can produce a significant improvement in perception of an animal that is generally unattractive: a worm.


Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1491 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN T. LONGINO

The genus Azteca is endemic to the American tropics, where they are abundant arboreal ants. The taxonomy and natural history of the Costa Rican fauna is reviewed, and the A. aurita group is recognized and revised globally. The following synonymies are proposed: A. laticeps Forel under A. chartifex Forel; A. championi Forel, A. eiseni Pergande, A. raptrix Forel, A. ursina Forel, and A. xysticola Forel under A. forelii Emery; A. rossi and A. surubrensis Forel under A. gnava Forel; A. major Forel under A. instabilis (F. Smith); A. prorsa Wheeler under A. longiceps Emery; A. patruelis Forel under A. pittieri Forel; A. nigriventris Forel and A. rectinota Forel under A. velox Forel; A. silvae Forel under A. aurita Emery; A. pruinosa Mann under A. lallemandi Forel; A. lacrymosa Forel under A. pilosula Forel; A. fiebrigi Forel, A. clariceps Santschi, and A. pallida Stitz under A. schimperi Emery; A. columbica Forel under A. jelskii Emery; A. mexicana Emery under A. sericea (Mayr). Azteca velox nigra Forel is raised to species. Azteca aurita pilosula is removed from synonymy and raised to species. The following new species are described: A. sericeasur, A. flavigaster, A. oecocordia, A. nanogyna, and A. quadraticeps.


Zootaxa ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 151 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN T. LONGINO

The taxonomy and natural history of the ant genus Crematogaster are reviewed for the Costa Rican fauna. Thirtyone species are known, and a key is provided for these and two additional species from adjacent regions of Panama. Species boundaries are evaluated over their entire range when possible. The taxonomic history of the genus is one of unbridled naming of new species and subspecies, with no synthetic works or keys. Major taxonomic changes are proposed, with the recognition of several polytypic species with very broad ranges and the synonymization of the many names associated with them. Crematogaster pygmaea Forel 1904, suturalis Forel 1912, ornatipilis Wheeler 1918, erici Santschi 1929, and chacoana Santschi 1933 are synonymized under abstinens Forel 1899; centralis Santschi 1932 under acuta (Fabricius 1804); aruga Forel 1913 under arcuata Forel 1899; ludio Forel 1912, armandi Forel 1921, inca Wheeler 1925, and cocciphila Borgmeier 1934 under brasiliensis Mayr 1878; parabiotica Forel 1904 under carinata Mayr 1862; brevispinosa Mayr 1870, minutior Forel 1893, schuppi Forel 1901, recurvispina Forel 1912, sampaioi Forel 1912, striatinota Forel 1912, townsendi Wheeler 1925, and chathamensis Wheeler 1933 under crinosa Mayr 1862; barbouri Weber 1934 under cubaensis Mann 1920; antillana Forel 1893, sculpturata Pergande 1896, kemali Santschi 1923, accola Wheeler 1934, phytoeca Wheeler 1934, panamana Wheeler 1942, and obscura Santschi 1929 under curvispinosa Mayr 1870; descolei Kusnezov 1949 under distans Mayr 1870; projecta Santschi 1925 under erecta Mayr 1866; carbonescens Forel 1913 under evallans Forel 1907; palans Forel 1912, ascendens Wheeler 1925, and dextella Santschi 1929 under limata F. Smith 1858; agnita Wheeler 1934 under obscurata Emery 1895; amazonensis Forel 1905, autruni Mann 1916, and guianensis Crawley 1916 under stollii Forel 1885; surdior Forel 1885, atitlanica Wheeler 1936, and maya Wheeler 1936 under sumichrasti Mayr 1870; tumulifera Forel 1899 and arizonensis Wheeler 1908 under torosa Mayr 1870. The following taxa are raised to species: ampla Forel 1912, brevidentata Forel 1912, chodati Forel 1921, crucis Forel 1912, cubaensis Mann 1920, goeldii Forel 1903, malevolens Santschi 1919, mancocapaci Santschi 1911, moelleri Forel 1912, montana Borgmeier 1939, obscurata Emery 1895, rochai Forel 1903, russata Wheeler 1925, sericea Forel 1912, stigmatica Forel 1911, sub-tonsa Santschi 1925, tenuicula Forel 1904, thalia Forel 1911, uruguayensis Santschi 1912, and vicina Andre 1893. The following new species are described: bryophilia, flavomicrops, flavosensitiva, foliocrypta, jardinero, levior, monteverdensis, raptor, snellingi, sotobosque, and wardi.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (7) ◽  
pp. 442-449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel C. Beachler ◽  
Krystle A. Lang Kuhs ◽  
Linda Struijk ◽  
John Schussler ◽  
Rolando Herrero ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannes Rakoczy

Abstract The natural history of our moral stance told here in this commentary reveals the close nexus of morality and basic social-cognitive capacities. Big mysteries about morality thus transform into smaller and more manageable ones. Here, I raise questions regarding the conceptual, ontogenetic, and evolutionary relations of the moral stance to the intentional and group stances and to shared intentionality.


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