Descrição do comportamento agonístico de Loxosceles laeta, L. hirsuta e L. intermedia (Araneae: Sicariidae)

Os grupos de radiação evolutiva de Loxosceles Heinecken & Lowe, 1835 além de compartilharem caracteres morfológicos aparentemente também apresentam comportamentos semelhantes. Assim, o presente estudo objetivou descrever o comportamento agonístico dos machos das espécies do grupo spadicea - Loxosceles intermedia Mello-Leitão, 1934 e Loxosceles hirsuta Mello-Leitão, 1931 - e laeta -Loxosceles laeta (Nicolet 1849) - ocorrentes no estado do Paraná. Para tal, os machos foram pareados, sendo o invasor colocado nas teias do residente, descritos e quantificados os padrões motores exibidos. O comportamento agonístico de machos de L. laeta, L. intermedia e L. hirsuta foi caracterizado pelo afrontamento, defesa e combate, sendo apenas o último ritualizado e relacionado com peculiaridades de cada espécie, tendo em comum a sinalização de tamanho e força. Além dos padrões motores exibidos durante o comportamento agonístico serem semelhantes com aqueles utilizados no comportamento sexual, os padrões motores de L. intermedia e L. hirsuta foram mais semelhantes entre si e diferentes de L. laeta, sugerindo relação com o grupo de radiação evolutiva.

Estrutura populacional e biologia reprodutiva de Parastacus defossus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Parastacidae)

Este trabalho descreve a estrutura populacional e aspectos da biologia reprodutiva de Parastacus defossus Faxon, 1898, uma espécie com hábito fossorial que passa sua vida no interior de galerias subterrâneas. Aproximadamente 30 exemplares foram coletados mensalmente, de janeiro de 2003 a agosto de 2005 na região do Lami, Município de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Registrou-se o comprimento mínimo, máximo e médio da carapaça de machos, fêmeas, juvenis e animais com ootestículo. Analisou-se a distribuição de freqüência por classes de tamanho, a proporção sexual, o recrutamento e o período reprodutivo. Foram amostrados um total de 766 exemplares, 315 machos (41,12%), 278 fêmeas (36,30%), 166 juvenis (21,67%) e sete animais com ootestículo (0,91%). Machos e fêmeas estiveram presentes durante todos os meses de amostragem e em todas as classes de tamanho, sendo que a maior freqüência de indivíduos foi registrada nas classes de tamanho ente 24 a 30 mm. A maior freqüência de juvenis foi observada na primavera/2003 e verão/2005. Diferenças significativas no tamanho de machos e fêmeas foram registradas apenas nas classes de tamanho entre 26-30 mm. A proporção sexual no período amostral foi de 1:0,88 (x² = 2,3; p > 0,05) e entre as classes de tamanho foram constatadas diferenças significativas nas classes de tamanho 26-28 mm (x² = 5,43; p < 0,05) e 28-30 mm (x² = 4,77; p < 0,05) de comprimento de carapaça, nas quais os machos foram mais freqüentes. Das 278 fêmeas coletadas, apenas 17 estavam ovígeras (6,11%), sendo a estação reprodutiva bem definida na primavera.

Redescription and notes on the natural history of the arboreal tarantula Iridopelma seladonium (Araneae: Theraphosidae: Aviculariinae)

The original description of this species was based on a single female and no illustrations of reproductive organs were presented. After we collected several specimens identified as I. seladonium, we decided to redescribe this species and discovered that the male, previously described as belonging to this species, was misidentified by MELLO LEITÃO (1923). Thus, in this paper the male of I. seladonium is newly described and the reproductive organs of male and female are described and illustrated in detail. Notes on the behavior and natural history of I. seladonium are presented based on the observation of live specimens in the field and in captivity. An immature of I. seladonium was observed constructing a hinged retreat with silk and little pieces of bark, a behavior not previously seen for other Aviculariinae. Two courtship events were observed and photographed, leg tapping and palpal drumming of the male on female's body and dorsum-ventral movements of the female's abdomen while the male was inserting the embolus were documented to Aviculariinae for the first time. The courtships and mating lasted almost two minutes.

A new species of Seira (Collembola: Entomobryidae) from northeastern Brazil

A new species of Seira Lubbock, S. mendoncea sp. nov., from Cacimba de Dentro, state of Paraíba, Brazil is described and illustrated. The new species resembles S. delamarei Jacquemart in many morphological features, especially on the dorsal macrochaetae disposition. In Brazil there are now 21 described species of Seira, with 12 of them recorded in Paraíba.

Comparação da estrutura populacional das espécies de Uca (Crustacea: Decapoda: Ocypodidae) no Manguezal de Itacuruçá, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Este trabalho foi realizado no Manguezal de Itacuruçá, na Baía de Sepetiba com o objetivo de analisar a estrutura populacional das espécies de Uca Leach, 1814. Foram realizadas coletas de junho/2005 a maio/2006, durante as marés baixas. Os caranguejos foram capturados manualmente por duas pessoas e durante 15 minutos. Um total de 2580 animais foi coletado, sendo 1465 machos e 1115 fêmeas. Com relação ao tamanho dos indivíduos, observou-se que os animais do Manguezal de Itacuruçá, de maneira geral, apresentam tamanhos menores que os encontrados em outros manguezais do Brasil. Contudo, os machos atingiram tamanhos maiores do que as fêmeas. A distribuição de freqüência em todas as classes de tamanho foi unimodal para a maioria das espécies, com exceção de U. thayeri Rathbun, 1900 e U. vocator (Herbst, 1804), as quais não apresentaram um padrão definido. Os machos foram mais abundantes em todas as classes de maiores tamanhos. A razão sexual diferiu significativamente da proporção 1:1, estando deslocada para uma maior freqüência de machos, com exceção de U. thayeri e U. victoriana von Hagen, 1987, as quais tiveram predominância de fêmeas.

Energetic costs of reproduction in female northern muriquis, Brachyteles hypoxanthus (Primates: Platyrrinhi: Atelidae)

Infant care is known to impose high energetic costs on female primates because in addition to lactation, most primate mothers also provide transport for their offspring. Many studies have documented the high energetic costs of lactation, but less is known about energetic costs of infant carrying and their effects on the recovery of maternal physical condition. We compared the activities of female northern muriquis (Brachyteles hypoxanthus Kuhl, 1820) over a 12-month period at the RPPN Feliciano Miguel Abdala, Minas Gerais, Brazil to investigate whether mothers during their weaning year behaved differently than mothers in their post-weaning year, when they resumed reproductive cycling and copulating, and conceived again. We found no significant differences in the behavioral activity budgets of mothers in their weaning year (n = 4) versus post-weaning year (n = 5), despite the significantly higher proportion of time that mothers in their weaning year spent in close proximity with their infants and carrying their infants compared to mothers in their post-weaning year. We suggest that the energy budgets of weaning are similar to those of post-weaning in female northern muriquis.

Characterization of the types of the Neotropical Pseudisobrachium (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae), with a key to species

The identity of many Neotropical species of Pseudisobrachium Kieffer, 1904 is currently unreachable, mostly because the available descriptions and illustrations are not sufficiently accurate to allow precise identifications. To help solve the problem, 115 valid species and their junior synonyms were examined. Twelve nomenclatural acts are made, and 110 valid species are recognized for the Neotropical region. Two lectotypes are designated: Pristocera crassicornis Westwood and Pristocera haemorrhoidalis Westwood. Seven new species-group synonyms are proposed: Pseudisobrachium retusum Evans syn. nov. for P. pauxillum Evans; P. cunco Perez syn. nov. for P. erythrocephalum Evans; P. navajo Evans, P. rectangulatum Evans, P. emarginatum Evans and P. foutsi Evans syn. nov. for P. flavinervis Fouts; P. acuminatum Waichert & Azevedo syn. nov. for P. latum Waichert & Azevedo. The following new genus-group synonym is established: Parisobrachium Kieffer syn. nov. for Dissomphalus Ashmead. The following new combination and reinstated name are proposed: Dissomphalus albipes (Kieffer) comb. nov. and nom. rev. from Pseudisobrachium paraguayense Kieffer.

Aleochara pseudochrysorrhoa, a new species from southern Brazil (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), with a complete checklist of Neotropical species of the genus

The ectoparasitoid habit of larvae and the active predatory habit of adults of Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802 established this group as natural fly regulators and important for ecological studies, biological control programs and forensic entomology. In the current study, a new aleocharine species, Aleochara pseudochrysorrhoa sp. nov., from southern Brazil, is described and its natural history is briefly discussed. The species has a robust body, uniformly dark-brown to black with apex of abdomen rust-brown, median lobe of male with expanded bulbus, sclerites of internal sac forming complex arrangement, and female with spermatheca L-shaped. Aleochara pseudochrysorrhoa sp. nov. may be considered to be closely related to the species belonging to the lustrica group. A complete checklist of Neotropical species of Aleochara is also provided. Nomenclatural problems are also discussed. Aleochara lateralis Erichson, 1839 is a junior primary homonym of A. lateralis Heer, 1839, and is replaced by the available name Aleochara bonariensis Lynch, 1884. A new name, Aleochara newtoni nom. nov., is proposed to replace Maseochara (= Aleochara) duplicata Sharp, 1883, which is a junior secondary homonym of A. duplicata Erichson, 1839.

Population structure of the lancelet Branchiostoma caribaeum (Cephalochordata: Branchiostomidae) in the Baía de Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil

Population structure of the lancelet Branchiostoma caribaeum Sandevall, 1853 was studied in four surveys, corresponding to austral seasons, in a tropical bay, southeast of Brazil. Abundance was higher in the spring and was positively correlated to coarse sediments, limiting its occurrence to some sectors of the sampling area. Body length and biomass differed seasonally but not between sexes. Sexually mature individuals occurred in all seasons, suggesting continuous breeding that is typical of tropical species. Variation in the frequency of small specimens indicates temporal differences in the intensity of breeding. The body length of recruits differed from other population of lancelets and the small length which B. caribaeum attained sexual maturity in Guanabara Bay may be related to local environmental stress or the great availability of food.

Revison of Alongatepyris (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) with description of a new species from Colombia

Species of the Neotropical Alongatepyris Azevedo are rarely collected. It is recognized among Sclerodermini genera by having the body extremely flattened and the submedian cell of the fore wing small and completely closed. Originally monotypic, a second species, A. ingens sp. nov. from Colombia, is described and illustrated. This species is characterized by the absence of the radial vein of the fore wing. A diagnosis of A. platunissimus Azevedo, 1992 is presented and both species are compared. A key to species Alongatepyris is provided.