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We evaluated the effects of seasonality on the richness and abundance of dipterans of the families Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae associated with the decomposition of a clothed Large White swine Sus scrofa domesticus(Artiodactyla: Suidae) carcass. Experiments were carried out in less rainy, rainy, and intermediate periods between 2010 and 2011 at Reserva Florestal Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas. Two pig carcasses, each weighing approximately 40 kg, were used in each period. A total of 63,872 individuals of 18 species of Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae were collected. The abundance and richness of these dipteran families were influenced by the interaction between period and decomposition stage. The compositions of the Calliphoridae and Mesembrinellidae assemblages differed among periods, with the fauna of the less rainy period being less similar to those of the intermediate and rainy periods than they were to each other. Three species were selected as indicators for the less rainy period, namely Paralucilia pseudolyrcea (Mello, 1969) (Diptera, Calliphoridae), Paralucilia nigrofacialis (Mello, 1969) (Diptera, Calliphoridae), and Eumesembrinella randa (Walker, 1849) (Diptera,Mesembrinellidae) while Chloroprocta idioidea (Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830) (Dipetra, Calliphoridae) was selected as an indicator species for the rainy period; no taxon was selected as an indicator of the intermediate period. Among decomposition stages, only fermentation and black putrefaction had indicator taxa, with Hemilucilia souzalopesi Mello, 1972 (Diptera, Calliphoridae and Chysomya putoria(Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera, Calliphoridae), respectively. Clothes did not prevent the laying of eggs and became a kind of protection for immature stages. The clothed model presented a delay in decomposition compared to other studies developed in the Amazon region., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Three new species of Stilobezzia Kieffer, 1911 are described and illustrated from the Brazilian Amazon, two in the nominotypical subgenus Stilobezzia: S. (Stilobezzia) brasiliensis n. sp. and S. (Stilobezzia) campinaranensis n. sp., and one in the subgenus Acanthohelea: S. (Acanthohelea) medialuna n. sp. We also redescribe and re-illustrate S. (Stilobezzia) maculata Lane based on the examination of type material and additional specimens. In addition, S. (Eukraiohelea) proxima Cazorla & Felippe-Bauer, S. (Eukraiohelea) quasielegantula Cazorla & Felippe-Bauer, S. (Stilobezzia) chaconi Macfie, S. (Stilobezzia) glauca Macfie, and S. (Stilobezzia) maculata are recorded for the first time from the state of Amazonas, northern Brazil. The number of Stilobezzia species in Brazilian Amazon increases from 11 to 19.

In the present study, three new species of Tanytarsus, collected in Brazilian Amazonia, are described and illustrated as adult males: T. pollicis sp. nov., T. marianae sp. nov. and T. rafaeli sp. nov. Tanytarsus pollicis is placed in kiche species group due to its bilobed superior volsella. Tanytarsus marianae and T. rafaeli are not placed in any known species group, and although these two new species share characters that suggest they may be closely related, we do not propose that they form a new species group for Tanytarsus without prior phylogenetic analysis.

Tanytarsus is a highly diverse genus of Chironomidae (Diptera), distributed worldwide. In the Neotropics, 84 species are known, but only five have been recorded from Central America to date. In the present article, two new species of the Tanytarsus ortoni species group are described and illustrated based on male specimens collected from Costa Rica, T. braini sp. nov. and T. costarica sp. nov.

Stilobezzia Kieffer, 1911 is a diverse genus of predaceous Ceratopogonidae (Ceratopogoninae: Ceratopogonini) with 349 species recognized worldwide (Borkent Dominiak 2020). The genus has four subgenera, three occurs in Brazil, where Stilobezzia s. str. is the most speciose, with 23 species registered (Santarém Felippe-Bauer 2019).

The eggs of three Amazonian species of the genus Mansonia (Diptera: Culicidae) were analyzed using morphological and morphometric characters. Eggs of Mansonia humeralis Dyar & Knab, 1916 were morphologically different from those of Mansonia titillans (Walker, 1848) and Mansonia amazonensis (Theobald, 1901), which were more similar to each other according to linear and geometric morphometry. A principal component analysis generated from elliptic Fourier contour data (PC1-92.6% and PC2-2.61%) indicated that Ma. amazonensis and Ma. titillans are more similar to each other than either is to Ma. humeralis. Discriminant multivariate analysis was highly accurate with only four classification errors and a 90% accuracy rate. The results indicate that the three Amazonian species can be precisely distinguished in the egg stage and that geometric morphometry based on elliptic Fourier contours is a promising method for distinguishing eggs of species of Mansonia. An identification key based on egg morphology is provided to distinguish the four Neotropical species., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Biological data on development of Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758) is useful to calculate the postmortem interval (PMI), thus being important for solving crimes. We aimed at gathering bionomic information on H. illucens, during the decomposition of a Sus scrofa, in the urban zone of Manaus, Amazonas State. Mature females and eggs were collected on the swine carcass. After hatching under natural conditions, larvae were observed daily. Different instars were fixed in ethylic alcohol to determine instar duration by the evaluation of the frequency distribution of cephalic capsule measurements and the principal components analysis (PCA). Females laid 620-700 eggs per posture in concealed locations preferentially, such as cranial cavities and slots on the metal cage. The larvae were found under the swine skin and on bones. After feeding, the larvae of H. illucens began to move slowly to pupate, did not seek for drier sites to do it, and buried themselves into the carcass instead. Pupae were observed as of the 60th day after death. H. illucens completed its life cycle in 53-82 d, which encompassed six larval instars and the pupa. About 93% of the eggs hatched, 11% reached the adult stage and the sex ratio was 0.49. Our results are complementary to the biological information of this species in Central Amazon, since most of the data were not known yet. This should render PMI calculation more accurate, even for corpses in advanced decomposition stages, as H. illucens spends relatively more time on the carcasses than most dipterans., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

In the dipteran genus Hermetia, only 6 of the 78 valid species have documented immature stages: H. albitarsis Fabricius, 1805, H. aurata Bellardi, 1859, H. concinna Williston, 1900, H. illucens (Linnaeus, 1758), H. panamensis Greene, 1940 and H. pulchra Weidemann, 1830. In particular, H. illucens stands out due to its reported applicability for forensic, medical and economic purposes. Here, we described the morphology of eggs and immature stages of this species, with a view to detecting differences between instars and in the pupal stage, which should eventually help properly identifying larval age. We utilized both optical and scanning electron microscopy tools. The eggs are elliptical and elongated, and color varies from cream white to yellowish. The larvae are apodal, hemichephalic and holopneustic, flattened dorso-ventrally and may be recognized by the head elongated, dorsal and ventral chaetotaxy of the cephalic capsule, thoracic and abdominal segments, and the morphology of the anterior and posterior spiracles. The pupae are adecticous and coarctate, tegument dark brown and pruinescence varying from brown to golden. The overall morphology across instars is similar, but marked variations were observed in the shape of the antennal articuli and the shape of the setae (first instar compared to the others). Our results supplement the biological information on Hermetia illucens and should aid the proper identification and aging of juveniles in the field, as a way to minimize errors in the calculation of the post-mortem interval., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Information on biomass is substantial for calculating growth rates and may be employed in the medicolegal and economic importance of Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus, 1758). Although biomass is essential to understanding many ecological processes, it is not easily measured. Biomass may be determined by directly weighing or indirectly through regression models of fresh/dry mass versus body dimensions. In this study, we evaluated the association between morphometry and fresh/dry mass of immature H. illucens using linear, exponential, and power regression models. We measured width and length of the cephalic capsule, overall body length, and width of the largest abdominal segment of 280 larvae. Overall body length and width of the largest abdominal segment were the best predictors for biomass. Exponential models best fitted body dimensions and biomass (both fresh and dry), followed by power and linear models. In all models, fresh and dry biomass were strongly correlated (>75%). Values estimated by the models did not differ from observed ones, and prediction power varied from 27 to 79%. Accordingly, the correspondence between biomass and body dimensions should facilitate and motivate the development of applied studies involving H. illucens in the Amazon region.

We assessed the immature stages of Ceratopogonidae (Diptera) in artificial containers in an urban forest fragment in Manaus (Brazil), including their behavioral, biological and ecological information. In addition, we evaluated the effects of deforestation in an open and forested area on Ceratopogonidae communities. Immatures were sampled between August 2012 and July 2014 in artificial containers installed in both habitat types. We collected 685 immatures of seven morpho-species of Bezzia Kieffer, Culicoides Latreille, Dasyhelea Kieffer, Forcipomyia Meigen, and Palpomyia Meigen. In the open area, we recorded higher temperature and electrical conductivity values than in the forested area; however, these variables did not differ between seasons. Water volume was higher in open area and in rainy season, while pH was similar in both areas and seasons. Species richness was higher in forested area, but did not differ between seasons. We did not record differences in abundance between areas or seasons. Community composition differed between areas, but not between seasons. We provide the first records of Culicoides (Hoffmania) insignis Lutz and C. (Haematomyidium) quasiparaensis Clastrier in artificial containers from the state of Amazonas. Our results suggest that the preservation of forested areas in Amazonas is fundamental for the maintenance of the life cycle of some species of Ceratopogonidae.

The objective of this study was to experimentally assess the effects of different climate change scenarios on the outcomes of interactions between Aedes aegypti (L.) and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say) (Diptera: Culicidae) larvae. The experimental design maintained a constant density of specimens while the proportion of the species in different experimental climate change scenarios varied. Our results indicate that survival of the two species was not affected, but larval development and pupation times decreased under elevated atmospheric CO(2) concentration and high air temperature. In climate change scenarios with both species together, the survival of Ae. aegypti increased and its larval development time decreased with increasing density of Cx. quinquefasciatus. This may be attributed to the effects of intraspecific competition being more significant than interspecific competition in Ae. aegypti. Our study also reveals that climatic changes may affect the patterns of interactions between Cx. quinquefasciatus and Ae. aegypti. Alterations in climatic conditions changed the response of context-dependent competition, indicating the importance of studies on how ecological interactions will be affected by projected future climatic change., (© The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

We report on the bionomics and morphology of the immature stages of Paralucilia paraensis (Mello) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). Observations were made on a daily basis for 10 h (from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.) on a 45-kg pig (Sus scrofa) whose carcass had been partially submerged in a stream of water on the 21st of November 2009, in a forested area of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The collected specimens were placed in plastic vials and transferred to a growth chamber maintained at room temperature. Adults of P. paraensis were collected on the carcass between the 3rd and the 18th days. A total of 13 gravid females were captured; from these, 1,240 eggs were obtained and yielded 1,030 larvae that developed into 879 adults. The average time required for hatching was 13 h. On average, the larvae reached the second instar within 13 h, third instar within 18 h, and pupae within 46 h. The pupal stage lasted 96 h. The complete development time was 216 h. This is the first report on the development time and morphology of immature stages of P. paraensis in forested areas. Therefore, these results provided information for the implementation of future forensic studies in the state of Amazonas.

A catalog of type specimens of Heteroptera (Insecta: Hemiptera) deposited in the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Brazil, is presented and updated to May, 2012. A total of 37 holotypes and 61 lots of paratypes of 78 species are listed in their families: Miridae and Reduviidae (infraorder: Cimicomorpha); Mesoveliidae and Velfidae (Gerromorpha); Belostomatidae, Naucoridae, and Notonectidae (Nepomorpha); and Coreidae, Geocoridae [the older sense of "Lygaeidae"], and Pentatomidae (Pentatomomorpha). The taxa are presented alphabetically by infraorders, families, and genera, followed by epithet, bibliographic citation, type category, collection number, method of preservation, and present data on the labels. When necessary, we added localities data, and changes in taxonomic status of some species

Two new species of Stenochironomus Kieffer, 1919 are described in Brazil. New records of Stenochironomus nudipupa Borkent, 1984 and S. gladius Borkent, 1984 from Brazil, new data on geographical distribution of S. jubatus Borkent, 1984 and S. triannulatus Borkent, 1984 from the State of Roraima, and S. bacrionis Borkent, 1984 recorded from the State of Amazonas, as well as emended descriptions of immature stages of S. triannulatus Borkent, 1984 and S. reissi Borkent, 1984 are also presented.

A new species from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, Dasyhelea eloyi Díaz & Ronderos, is described, illustrated and photomicrograph as larva, pupa and male and female adults based on examination with binocular and scanning electron microscopes. This new species, a typical member of the Dasyhelea grisea species group, is compared with the most similar congeners D. necrophila Spinelli & Rodriguez and the Nearctic D. pseudoincinsurata Waugh & Wirth.

Adults of Tabanidae may become serious pests wherever they occur due to their attack to humans and others animals. Tabanids were captured near ground, water surface and at 25 m high on primary forests and forest gaps of anthropogenic origin, to understand their abundance, seasonality, diversity and similarity on such environments. Collections were carried out in the Base II of the War Instruction Center in the Jungle (CIGS) located at 54 km from Manaus municipality, Amazonas state. Two Malaise flight interception traps and four attraction traps (two suspended at 25 m high and two above the water surface of igarapé) were installed in forest gap and primary forest, areas for 10 consecutive days, during 15 months. A total of 2,643 specimens of 66 species were captured. Diachlorini (35 species /11 genera) was the most abundant tribe, followed by Tabanini (19 species /three genera), Chrysopsini (seven species /one genus) and Scionini (five species /two genera). Seventeen species were captured only in the primary forest, 11 in the anthropic clearing, and 38 species were common to both environments. The most abundant species were Phorcotabanus cinereus (Wiedemann), Tabanus occidentalis L, Chrysops laetus Fabricius and Tabanus angustifrons Macquart. The greatest richness was found in drier months (September/October) in both areas. Theforest gap showed higher abundance of specimens (1,827) than the primary forest (816). Traps suspended above the water surface were the most efficient (1,723 specimens) probably due to the dispersion of horseflies over small streams.

Several species of the family Culicidae are important vectors of diseases in humans and other animals. Immature stages are filter-feeders of organic particulate matter and microorganisms. Studies on microbial diversity can contribute to the discovery of new substances that can be used in the pharmaceutical industry for food or for biological control. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the fungi associated with Culicidae larvae found in different habitats (natural and artificial), such as fruit shells, rock holes, lakes, aquatic plants, palm bracts and ceramic pots, in several municipalities of Brazilian Amazonia, especially in the states of Amazonas and Rondônia. A total of 38 fungal lineages were isolated from larvae of Aedes aegypti (L.), Aedes fluviatilis (Lutz), Trichoprosopon digitatum (Rondani), Anopheles argyritarsis argyritarsis Robineau-Desvoidy, Anopheles darlingi Root, Aedeomyia squamipennis (Lynch Arribálzaga), Mansonia titillans (Walker) and Uranotaenia sp. The following fungi occurred associated with the larvae of Culicidae: Acremonium kiliense, Aspergillus sydowii, Fusarium sacchari var. sacchari, Fusarium merismoides var. merismoides, Gliocladium viride, Paecilomyces sp., Penicillium citrinum, Penicillium sclerotiorum, Penicillium melinii and Penicillium oxalicum. Macro- and microscopic characteristics of the lineages are presented, as well as information on their geographical distribution.