High diversity of bees detected in guarana crop and natural habitat due to the use of combined sampling methods

Bees are the main pollinators of native and agricultural plants. Identifying and knowing these insects responsible for the environmental service of pollination is essential for the maintenance and management of pollination in agricultural systems, especially in a high diversity biome as the Amazon rainforest. Some crops in this region are dependent of benefited by wild pollinators, especially native plants like guarana. To address methodological aspects of monitoring bee diversity, samplings were carried out in an agricultural environment (guarana crop, Paullinia cupana) surrounded by Amazon natural habitat at Manaus, Amazonas State. We used three combined methods (two passive traps: Malaise and yellow pan-traps, and one active: hand nets) in different periods, with the same number of samplings (12 each). In total, 4,143 native bees belonging to 171 species were sampled; 117 species (1,926 individuals) were collected with Malaise trap, 15 (91 individuals) with pan-traps, and 114 (2,126 individuals) through active sampling. Only seven species were common to all methods, 60 species on two methods and 104 species were unique to one sampling method (50 with Malaise, two with pan-traps, and 52 with hand nets). We reinforce the need for complementary sampling to known bee diversity as the best strategy here was the joint use of active samples and Malaise traps. Recently the concern with Amazon preservation has aroused worldwide interest, a fact that shreds of evidence the need for studies of biodiversity and taxonomy in several areas, since very little is known of this vast region.

Anopheline species (Diptera: Culicidae) from the Maracá Ecological Station, Roraima State, Brazil

Anopheline species were sampled in different ecotones at Maracá Ecological Station and in Cantá municipality, both in Roraima State, Brazil, in June 2016. Nine species were recorded. Six species belong to the subgenus Nyssorhynchus and three species to the subgenus Anopheles. The most abundant species collected were Anopheles triannulatus s.l., Anopheles nuneztovari s.l. and Anopheles oswaldoi species B. The remaining species had frequencies lower than 10%. While A. triannulatus s.l. was the most frequent and the most widely distributed species in the studied area, Anopheles darlingi Root, the main malaria vector in the Brazilian Amazon region, was captured in two different ecotones and in low frequency. Our findings suggest that the risk of malaria outbreaks at Maracá Ecological Station may be low. This study also describes the first record of Anopheles costai Fonseca & Ramos in Maracá Ecological Station, Roraima State, increasing the distribution range of this taxon.

Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of the Restinga de Cabedelo National Forest, Paraíba State, Brazil

Restinga forests are plant formations that occur on plains of quaternary sandy deposits along the Brazilian coast. Despite historical reduction of the Restinga forests, little effort has been made to know the butterfly fauna of these areas. This paper is an important contribution to the butterfly’s knowledge, being the second inventory in the Restinga forest of northeastern Brazil. The survey was conducted in the Restinga de Cabedelo National Forest (FLONA de Cabedelo, following the Portuguese abbreviation) and aimed to provide preliminary information on the butterflies richness in this region. A total of 89 butterfly species and 1,503 individuals were recorded at FLONA de Cabedelo. Hesperiidae was the richest family (34 species), followed by Nymphalidae (33) Pieridae (eight), Lycaenidae (seven), Riodinidae (five), and Papilionidae (two). In general, the butterfly fauna of the FLONA de Cabedelo is dominated by species widely distributed and commonly found in open or forested areas in Brazil. Five species are new records in Paraíba state: Calydna sturnula (Geyer), Theope foliorum (Bates), Cogia hassan (Butler), Vehilius inca (Scudder), and Chiothion asychis (Stoll). We suggest carrying out monthly samplings which will certainly increase the list of species herein presented.

A new species of Aididae (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea) and the first record of the family for the Northern Region of Brazil

A new species of Aididae is described and illustrated based on adults (male and female) and immature (last instar larvae). The larvae were found infesting leaves of Inga edulis Martius (Fabaceae) in the municipality of Autazes, State of Amazonas, representing the first record of Aididae in the northern region of Brazil. The new species is further compared with its closest species, Aidos amanda (Stoll, 1782).

Checklist of bee species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila) in the urban areas of Cerrado in Barreiras, Bahia, Brazil

In a global context, few studies have investigated the effects of urbanization on apifauna, as well as the importance of green areas in urban centers for the conservation of local bee fauna. In Brazil, this line of research is still quite recent, with most studies carried out in regions with a predominance of the Atlantic Rainforest phytogeographic domain. For the Brazilian state of Bahia, such research is still scarce and, especially, if we consider the large territorial dimension that this state denotes. In the area that covers the Cerrado, few studies have been carried out that inventory the urban apifauna. In this paper we present a list of bee species recorded in urban areas of the city of Barreiras, Bahia, Brazil, which represent the first apifauna inventory in the Western region of Bahia. Specimens were collected fortnightly from November 2019 to April 2020, using two sampling methods: colored water traps (ARCAs/pantraps) and entomological net, in two remnants of vegetation used as sampling points. A total of 749 specimens were sampled, distributed in four families, 18 tribes, 29 genera, and 45 species. A total of 369 (49.3%) specimens were collected using the entomological net and 380 specimens (50.7%) by using the ARCAs. Our results showed that the area with the highest level of urbanization had bioindicator species of degraded environments, which benefit from urbanization, and despite the urban growth, the fragments found in the matrix can serve as a refuge for bee fauna, as long as they are well planned.

Report of erucism caused by Automeris egeus Cramer (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) and a brief update on caterpillar envenomation in Brazil

We report a case of erucism provoked by the Automeris egeus Cramer caterpillar and update the distribution of caterpillar poisoning in Brazil, showing the regions with the highest incidence rates. We also correlated the incidence rate with anthropic impact rates in all Brazilian municipalities, taking as a reference the Human Footprint Index. The victim presented erucism, burning pain, itching, and local hyperthermia. The highest incidence rates were in southern Brazil. We suggest including A. egeus in the Brazilian list of animals with medical importance, and that Brazilian Ministry of Health indicates the genus of the animals involved in envenomation events on its platform.

Intranest mutualisms between the forest fire ant Solenopsis virulens (Fr. Smith) (Hymenoptera; Formicidae) and two families of Hemiptera (Membracidae, Monophlebidae) in Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Hemipterans and ants are frequently recorded in trophobiotic associations, generally mutualism. Nests of the fire-ant Solenopsis virulens (Smith) found at the base of trees in the Atlantic Forest biome, Brazil, were investigated for their commensal fauna. The present study provides new information about the mutualism between the fire-ant with hemipterans Membracidae and Monophlebidae found in their nests, this report is the first mention of this kind of relationships in South America. Such associations are very common between ants and treehoppers but have seldom been reported with the family Monophlebidae.

First record of Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) in the state of Acre, Brazil

Spittlebugs are among the main insect pests of forage grasses in Brazil. In February 2021, a spittlebug infestation was verified in Xaraés palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha cv. Xaraés) in the municipality of Senador Guiomard, Acre state, Brazil. The specimens were captured with an entomological sweep net and identified as Notozulia entreriana (Berg) and Mahanarva spectabilis (Distant) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae). Notozulia entreriana is frequently captured in studies with spittlebugs in Acre state, though this is the first record of M. spectabilis in the state. This new record expands the species known geographical distribution in Brazil and the number of species of Mahanarva occurring in Acre state.

Leaf-cutting ant (Atta laevigata Smith) in an African mahogany plantation in Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Khaya grandifoliola C. DC. (Meliaceae), known as African mahogany, is used in the establishment of commercial plantations for high-value timber production. This work aims to report the first occurrence of the genus Atta in a commercial plantation of this species. An ant nest mound with 105 m2 of loose soil and five active ant holes were observed. Leaves cut into crescent shaped sections and pieces of young branches were found near these holes, in addition to trees with the apical part of their crown partially defoliated. The collected specimens were identified as Atta laevigata Smith (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Attini), locally known as the glass-head leaf-cutting ant.

Checklist of butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) of an urban area of Caatinga-Atlantic Forest ecotone in Bahia, Brazil

The butterfly inventories carried out in urban landscapes in Bahia are still scarce. Urban areas with remnants of native vegetation in association with ornamental plants can provide several resources that are favorable for the development and shelter of various animal species, including insects, even with the high anthropization that occurs in these environments. In this work, we aim to investigate the urban fauna of butterflies at the Campus of the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), an area of ​​Caatinga-Atlantic Forest ecotone located in the municipality of Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. Monthly samplings were carried out with entomological net and standardized traps with different attractive baits, between May 2019 and January 2020, in addition to review of the material previously deposited at the Entomological Collection Prof. Johan Becker located at the Zoology Museum of the UEFS (MZFS). In total, 114 species of Papilionoidea were recorded, with Nymphalidae being the richest family (45 species), followed by Hesperiidae (32), Lycaenidae (21), Pieridae (10), Papilionidae (3) and Riodinidae (3). Thirteen species are new records for Bahia and eight species are new records for Northeast Brazil. The results demonstrate the extreme relevance of the conservation and preservation of urban green areas for the maintenance of butterflies species and, consequently, the associated insect fauna.