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Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:42:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-10-01 The Tocantins-Araguaia Basin is one of the largest river systems in South America, located entirely within Brazilian territory. In the last decades, capital-concentrating activities such as agribusiness, mining, and hydropower promoted extensive changes in land cover, hydrology, and environmental conditions. These changes are jeopardizing the basin’s biodiversity and ecosystem services. Threats are escalating as poor environmental policies continue to be formulated, such as environmentally unsustainable hydropower plants, large-scale agriculture for commodity production, and aquaculture with non-native fish. If the current model persists, it will deepen the environmental crisis in the basin, compromising broad conservation goals and social development in the long term. Better policies will require thought and planning to minimize growing threats and ensure the basin’s sustainability for future generations. Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquaticos Continentais (PEA) Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM) Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi Grupo de Estudos em Leishmanioses Instituto René Rachou Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ) Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” Museu de Zoologia e Taxidermia José Hidasi Universidade Estadual do Tocantins (Unitins) Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) Laboratório de Ictiologia Departamento de Biologia Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS) Laboratório de Paleontologia e Evolução Curso de Geologia Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) Departamento de Ecologia Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) Laboratório de Biogeografia e Ecologia Aquática Universidade Estadual de Goiás Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Herbário do Tocantins Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Laboratório de Ictiologia Sistemática Núcleo de Estudos Ambientais Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Departamento de Zoologia Universidade de Brasília Researcher Departamento de Ecologia Universidade de Brasília (UnB) Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes e Invasões Biológicas Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL) Laboratório de Entomologia Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel) Environmental Sciences Program-CIAMB Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT) Campus Universitário do Araguaia Laboratório de Microbiologia Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Fundação Brasileira para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (FBDS) & Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) Laboratório de Ecologia e Zoologia (LABECZ) Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Laboratório de Ecologia de Peixes Departamento de Ecologia Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ) Laboratório de Análise e Síntese em Biodiversidade Departamento de Botânica Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) Secretaria de Estado da Educação de Goiás-(Seduc-GO) UNISANTA PPGECOMAR Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Laboratório de Paleobiologia Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação Universidade Federal de Lavras (UFLA) Laboratório de Caracterização de Impactos Ambientais (LCIA) Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Embrapa Cerrado Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA) Laboratório de Análises Geoambientais (LGA) Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Centro de Biologia Aquática Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás Laboratório de Biodiversidade Universidade Evangélica de Goiás Escola de Ciências Agrárias e Biológicas Pontifícia Universidade Católica (PUC) Laboratório de Genética & Biodiversidade - ICB/UFG Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupelia) Universidade Estadual de Maringá (UEM) Departamento de Direito Universidade Federal do Tocantins (UFT) Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisas Ambientais e Limnológicas (Nepal) Universidade de Brasília (UnB) Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação (LEC) Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) Coordenação de Biodiversidade Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA) Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”

The species of the genus Trypanosoma are carried and transmitted by horseflies parasitizing a high diversity of vertebrates. In the Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil, Tabanus triangulum is the most abundant species and, similarly to the other species of horseflies, there is little knowledge about its vector competence. Therefore, this study aimed to screen the field-collected T. triangulum for the presence of Trypanosoma, to estimate infectivity. Horseflies were sampled by the Malaise trap in the forest fragments at the coastal plain and DNA was extracted from whole body flies. The Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed. Horseflies presented amplification of 18S ribosomal gene-specific of Trypanosoma species. DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis positioned the strains in the Kaiowa clade with Trypanosoma kaiowa, associated with the crocodilian clade of Trypanosoma. This study represents the first report of the presence of the Tr. kaiowa in T. triangulum and the expansion of the parasite's range further south in South America.

Tabanidae is one of the most diverse families of hematophagous dipterans. Tabanids, in general, are mechanical vectors of some pathogens. Given the vector importance and the lack of knowledge of the tabanid fauna in horses in Amazon Forest fragments of the state of Rondônia, this work aimed to determine the season that the different species of horse flies prefer to carryout hematophagy on horses and verify whether the horse fly community remains the same throughout the year. The sampling areas for tabanid captures were in the municipality of Monte Negro, Western Amazon, Brazil. Four new occurrences were recorded for the state of Rondônia: Stenotabanus albilinearis, Tabanus fuscofasciatus, T. macquarti and T. restrepoensis, which increases the number of species for the state to 109. The horse flies were most frequently collected on the hind leg (43.15%) and front leg (31.11%), followed by the belly (7.41%) and the ear (5.18%). In the other anatomical regions, the collection frequency was 13.15% of the remaining individuals.

Several studies described the effect of human TNF-α on Schistosoma mansoni. It affects the worm’s development, metabolism, egg-laying, changes in the parasite´s gene expression and protein phosphorylation. Data available concerning the influence of hTNF-α on egg-laying are controversial and understanding the mechanism of egg-laying regulation is essential in combating schistosomiasis. We characterized the effects of in vitro treatment of S. mansoni adult worms with different doses of hTNF-α (5, 20 and 40ng/mL) for five days. We explored the effects on the egg-laying rate, glucose, ATP metabolism, mRNA expression levels of lactate dehydrogenase, of glucose transporters and of SmTNFR, the parasite gene for hTNF-α receptor. hTNF-α influenced egg-laying in a time and dose dependent manner: with 40ng/mL, egg-laying increased on day 2 and decreased on days 3 and 4; 20 ng/mL dose, egg-laying decreased on day 3, while at 5ng/mL dose, egg-laying decreased on day 4. The total number of eggs produced was not affected, but the egg-laying dynamic was altered; the median egg-laying time decreased significantly due to treatment. At 5 and 20ng/mL hTNF-alpha, lactate production diminished on days 3 up to 5, while glucose uptake increased on day 5. At 40ng/mL, glucose uptake diminished on days 1 up to 3, while ATP accumulation was detected on day 5. No significant changes in the mRNA expression were detected in all treatments. Crosstalk involving the hTNF-alpha and the parasite signaling play a role in the fine regulation of the worm´s metabolism and physiology and points to new strategies for disease control.

Lycoriella species (Sciaridae) are responsible for significant economic losses in greenhouse production (e.g., mushrooms, strawberries, and nurseries). The current distributions of species in the genus are restricted to cold-climate countries. Three species of Lycoriella are of particular economic concern in view of their ability to invade areas in countries across the Northern Hemisphere. We used ecological niche models to determine the potential for range expansion under future climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) in the distribution of these three species of Lycoriella. Stable environmental suitability under climate change was a dominant theme in these species, however, potential range increases were noted in key countries (e.g., USA, Brazil, and China). Our results illustrate the potential for range expansion in these species in the Southern Hemisphere, including some of the highest greenhouse production areas in the world.

Several studies have described the effects of human tumor necrosis factor alpha (hTNF-α) on Schistosoma mansoni. hTNF-α affects the worm’s development, metabolism, egg-laying, gene expression and protein phosphorylation. The available data on the influence of hTNF-α on egg-laying in S. mansoni are controversial, but understanding the mechanism of egg-laying regulation in this species is essential in combating schistosomiasis. We characterized the effects of in vitro treatment of S. mansoni adult worms with different doses of hTNF-α (5, 20 and 40 ng/ml) for 5 days. We explored the effects on egg-laying rate, glucose levels, ATP metabolism, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels of lactate dehydrogenase, glucose transporters and the parasite gene which acts as an hTNF-α receptor, SmTNFR. hTNF-α influenced egg-laying in a time- and dose-dependent manner: at a dose of 40 ng/ml, egg-laying increased on day 2 and decreased on days 3 and 4; at 20 ng/ml, egg-laying decreased on day 3; while at 5 ng/ml, egg-laying decreased on day 4. The total number of eggs produced was not affected by the different treatments, but the egg-laying dynamics were: the median egg-laying time decreased significantly with treatment, and egg developmental stages and size were also affected. At 5 and 20 ng/ml hTNF-α, lactate production diminished on day 3 up to day 5, while glucose uptake increased on day 5. At 40 ng/ml, glucose uptake diminished on day 1 up to day 3, while ATP accumulation was detected on day 5. No significant changes in mRNA expression were detected in any of the treatments. We found that crosstalk involving hTNF-α and parasite signaling plays a role in the fine-scale regulation of the worm’s metabolism and physiology, and points to new strategies for disease control. Graphical abstract

Lycoriella species (Sciaridae) are responsible for significant economic losses in greenhouse production (e.g. mushrooms, strawberry, and nurseries). Current distributions of species in the genus are restricted to cold-climate countries. Three species of Lycoriella are of particular economic concern in view of their ability to invade across the Northern Hemisphere. We used ecological niche models to determine the potential for range expansion under climate change future scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) in distributions of these species of Lycoriella. Stable suitability under climate change was a dominant theme in these species; however, potential range increases were noted for key countries (e.g. USA, Brazil, and China). Our results illustrate the potential for range expansion in these species in the Southern Hemisphere, including some of the highest greenhouse production areas in the world.

Climate change ranks among the most important issues globally, affecting geographic distributions of vectors and pathogens, and inducing losses in livestock production among many other damaging effects. We characterized the potential geographic distribution of the ticks Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, an important vector of babesiosis and anaplasmosis globally. We evaluated potential geographic shifts in suitability patterns for this species in two periods (2050 and 2070) and under two emissions scenarios (RCPs 4.5 and 8.5). Our results anticipate increases in suitability worldwide, particularly in the highest production areas for cattle. The Indo-Malayan region resulted in the highest cattle exposure under both climate change projections (2050), with increases in suitability of > 30%. This study illustrates how ecological niche modeling can be used to explore probable effects of climate change on disease vectors, and the possible consequences on economic dimensions.

This compilation is the result of identification of material recently collected from Southern Brazil. Forty-one new records of Phoridae are recorded for the state of Rio Grande do Sul, and the species Eibsfeldtphora cumsaltensis Disney 2009, Megaselia (M.) gracilipalpis Borgmeier 1969, Megaselia (Aphiochaeta) latimanus (Malloch, 1914), Melaloncha curvata Brown, 2005, and Trophodeinus vicinus (Borgmeier, 1963) are recorded for the first time in Brazil. Species are distributed in 18 genera and 3 subfamilies. The total known diversity of phorids in the state is augmented from 10 to 51 species. An updated distribution for Brazil is presented for each species.

Around 27% of South Americans live in central and southern Brazil. Of 19,400 human malaria cases in Brazil in 2018, some were from the southern and southeastern states. High abundance of malaria vectors is generally positively associated with malaria incidence. Expanding geographic distributions of Anopheles vector mosquito species (e.g. A. cruzii) in the face of climate change processes would increase risk of such malaria transmission; such risk is of particular concern in regions that hold human population concentrations near present limits of vector species' geographic distributions. We modeled effects of likely climate changes on the distribution of A. cruzii, evaluating two scenarios of future greenhouse gas emissions for 2050, as simulated in 21 general circulation models and two greenhouse gas scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) for 2050. We tested 1305 candidate models, and chose among them based on statistical significance, predictive performance, and complexity. The models closely approximated the known geographic distribution of the species under current conditions. Under scenarios of future climate change, we noted increases in suitable area for the mosquito vector species in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states, including areas close to 30 densely populated cities. Under RCP 8.5, our models anticipate areal increases of >75% for this important malaria vector in the vicinity of 20 large Brazilian cities. We developed models that anticipate increased suitability for the mosquito species; around 50% of Brazilians reside in these areas, and ∼89% of foreign tourists visit coastal areas in this region. Under climate change thereefore, the risk and vulnerability of human populations to malaria transmission appears bound to increase.

Climate changes affect species distributions worldwide; however, their consequences associated to vector-borne diseases are poorly known. This lack of information is even more pressing regarding vectors of livestock pathogens, such as Lepiselaga crassipes (Diptera: Tabanidae), the mechanical vector of trypanosomiasis in horses and cattle in the Neotropical region. To examine the potential distribution of this tabanid in the neotropics and estimate its future distribution, an environmental suitability analysis was carried out, as well as an analysis of size and geographic boundaries of the current distribution with the generation of distribution maps (range). The results were compared with those generated for future projections based on possible climate changes in 2050 and 2070. Nineteen bioclimatic layers and one high altitude layer were used. Future projections were based on general circulation models CCCMA_CanESM2 for 2050 and 2070 using the most optimistic (RCP 2.6) and the most pessimist scenarios (RCP 8.5). High environmental suitability for all scenarios was concentrated in the Brazilian and Colombian Amazon regions, extending to areas in Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador, with good performance of the models (AUC>0.7). Analysis of area distribution shows a range retraction for all scenarios. Despite this, the models indicated new areas of occurrence of L. crassipes concentrated mainly in Argentina, and according to the models for future scenarios, its occurrence remained in southern South America, areas with horse herds that would be exposed and susceptible to trypanosomiasis transmitted by tabanids. Normal 0 21 false false false PT-BR X-NONE X-NONE

The natural areas of the Coastal Plain of Rio Grande do Sul (CPRS) have suffered fragmentation due to anthropic action. The faunal surveys offer a low-cost method to quickly evaluate environmental alterations, and Syrphidae flies are often used as models in this kind of study. We aimed to ascertain the diversity of Syrphidae in the South region of Brazil by estimating its species’ richness, and to use this data to identify new areas for conservation. In this survey Malaise traps were installed for 8 days in the CPRS, which was divided into five regions. Each region was subdivided into seven collecting areas and each of those areas received four traps, totaling 140 traps. A total of 456 Syrphidae individuals from 18 genera and 49 species were collected. In Region 1, there were nine exclusive species; in Region 2, there were three; in Region 3, there were 13, ten of which came from Estação Ecológica do Taim (ESEC Taim). In the Individual-based rarefaction analysis, Region 1 possessed the largest number of expected species out of the regions in the CPRS; we found 97% of these species. This insect collection effort, as one of the first in the CPRS, has broadened the known geographic distributions of 11 species of Syrphidae, and also indicated areas to be conserved. Additionally, it gave support for expanding ESEC Taim and creating new areas of conservation in Region 1, in Arroio Pelotas and Arroio Corrientes.

Horse flies (Diptera: Tabanidae) are hematophagous insects that cause direct and indirect losses in livestock production and are important vectors of pathogens. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity and seasonality of horse fly species at an experimental farm in Tacuarembó and the diversity of species in different departments of Uruguay. For 20 months, systematic collections were performed using Nzi and Malaise traps in two different environments at the experimental farm. Temperature, humidity and rainfall were recorded using a local climatological station. In addition, nonsystematic collections were made at farms located in the departments of Paysandú, Tacuarembó and Colonia. A total of 3,666 horse flies were collected, allowing the identification of 16 species. Three species were recorded for the first time in Uruguay: Dasybasis ornatissima (Brèthes), Dasybasis missionum (Macquart), and Tabanus aff. platensis Brèthes. A species that had not been previously taxonomically described was identified (Tabanus sp.1). In the systematic captures, the most abundant species were Tabanus campestris Brèthes, T. aff. platensis and D. missionum, representing 77.6% of the collected specimens. The environment was an important factor related to the abundance of horse flies, as well as the mean temperature. The horse fly season in Tacuarembó started in September and ended in May, with three evident peaks, the most important one during summer. No horse flies were caught during winter. Variations in the prevalence of species in the different departments were observed, indicating the need to carry out new sampling efforts in different areas.

International audience; Species abundance distributions (SADs) are one of the most widely used tools in macroecology, and it has become increasingly apparent that many empirical SADs can best be described as multimodal. However, only a few SAD models have been extended to incorporate multiple modes and no software packages are available to fit multimodal SAD models. In this study, we present an extension of the gambin SAD model to multimodal SADs. We derive the maximum likelihood equations for fitting the bimodal gambin distribution and generalize this approach to fit gambin models with any number of modes. We present these new functions, along with additional functions to aid in the analysis of multimodal SADs, within an updated r package ("gambin"; version 2.4.0) that enables the fitting, plotting and evaluating of gambin models with any number of modes. We use a mixture of simulations and empirical datasets to test our new models, including tests of the sensitivity of the model parameters to the number of individuals and the number of species in a sample. We show that the new multimodal gambin models perform well under a variety of circumstances, and that the application of these new models to empirical SAD and other macroecological (e.g., species range size distributions) datasets can provide interesting insights. The updated software package is simple to use and provides straightforward yet flexible statistical analyses of multimodality in SAD-type datasets.

The Brazilian Coastal Plain of the Pampa Biome (CPPB), has suffered fragmentation caused by resource extraction and cattle raising. In turn, conservation proposals are needed to prevent the anthropisation of Pampa natural areas. The first step towards conservation proposals by using insects is fauna inventories, providing data support for legislators. Thus, we undertook a regional and broad-scale sampling survey to investigate the diversity of Muscidae flies in protected and non-protected areas of CPPB. In addition, we carried out an ecological guild diversity analysis as a metric approach of bioindication. The Muscidae sampling resulted in 6314 specimens, 98 species taxa in 31 genera. Based on diversity estimators, our sampling represents 70–86% of all muscids of CPPB. The highest diversity occurs in Pelotas streams (non-protected) and Taim Ecological Station (a huge protected area). Despite the fact these areas are more diversified and present more predatory muscid species than others, invasive species associated with livestock were observed at a higher level, providing evidence of the impact of livestock proximity to protected areas. Based on biological characters of Muscidae species and ecological guild analysis, we were able to identify: (i) high diversity of carnivorous species associated with forested and more preserved areas and (ii) a high level of a few saprophagous species as indicator of anthropisation process. In general, our results represent a significant step towards understanding Muscidae in Southern Brazil, and we demonstrate how the population ecology of muscid flies supports data to conservation proposals. Keywords: Atlantic forest, Diptera, Ecology, Guilds, Grasslands, Muscidae

Fluctuations in seasonal patterns of horse fly populations were examined in rainforests of tropical South America, where the climate is seasonal. These patterns were evaluated with robust analytical models rather than identifying the main factors that influenced the fluctuations. We examined the seasonality of populations of horse flies in fields and lowland areas of the Pampa biome of southern Brazil with generalized linear models. We also investigated the diversity of these flies and the sampling effort of Malaise traps in this biome over two years. All of the 29 species had clear seasonality with regard to occurrence and abundance, but only seven species were identified as being influenced by temperature and humidity. The sampling was sufficient and the estimated diversity was 10% more than observed. Seasonal trends were synchronized across species and the populations were most abundant between September and March and nearly zero in other months. While previous studies demonstrated that seasonal patterns in population fluctuations are correlated with climatic conditions in horse fly assemblages in South America rainforests, we show a clear effect of each factor on richness and abundance and the seasonality in the prevalence of horse fly assemblages in localities of the Pampa biome.

We analyzed the prevalence and intensity of chewing lice on two neotropical species of Turdus and identified morphological parameters of birds influencing louse population dynamics. The study was conducted in southernmost Rio Grande do Sul state (RS), Brazil, between July 2009 and June 2010. Chewing lice were collected by dust-ruffling. The prevalence of chewing lice on both species of Turdus was high. Chewing lice from both species of Turdus exhibit similar composition and distribution patterns. However, chewing lice were more abundant on Turdus rufiventris, whereas species richness was higher on Turdus amaurochalinus. Myrsidea and Brueelia were the most prevalent and abundant genera on both host species in all seasons of the year. A predominance of chewing louse females and adults was observed. Aggregated distributions were observed. Body length was the only morphological parameter correlated with louse abundance, suggesting that specimens with a larger body have a higher abundance of lice.

Here we provide the first record of Ceriomydas crassipes (Westwood, 1841) from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Previously, this species was recorded only in the southeastern Brazilian states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo. Therefore, this record extends the range of C. crassipes further south to include the southernmost state of Brazil.

The examination of 145 specimens of Pseudolynchia canariensis (74 males and 71 females) from 31 specimens of Columba livia captured between March and April of 2012 in the municipality of Pelotas, southern Brazil, revealed an aggregated distribution of hippoboscid flies. Prevalence and mean intensity of infestation were higher on younger hosts. Approximately 30% of hippoboscid flies exhibited phoretic associations with skin mites of the families Epidermoptidae and Cheyletidae as well as with chewing lice of the family Philopteridae. Myialges anchora and Ornithocheyletia hallae skin mites exhibited aggregated distributions. On P. canariensis only female skin mites were observed, M. anchora being the most prevalent and abundant. The abdominal ventral surface, between the metathorax and the first abdominal tergite and the ventral surface of wings of hippoboscid flies were the preferred regions for attachment by skin mites, whereas Columbicola columbae was observed attached to the mesotibia of one hippoboscid fly.

Ants are being widely studied in different Brazilian biomes due to their sensitivity to environmental changes. Therefore, in order to evaluate the effect of climatic variables on species richness, as well as the impact caused by vineyards on the epigeic ant fauna in the region of the Pampa biome, more specifically in the physiographic region of Campanha, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, a survey was performed on three farms, for a period of 2 years. On each farm, samples were obtained within the vineyards and in the surrounding grassland vegetation, which is similar to that which preceded the cultivation of vines. Twenty pitfall traps were installed in each environment. A total of 70 species belonging to 24 genera and seven subfamilies were collected. The analysis confirmed that the species richness was influenced by temperature and rainfall, and that the vineyards behave like other agricultural systems, causing a significant change in the structure of the ant assemblage when compared to grassland areas.

The blowfly species are important components in necrophagous communities of the Neotropics. Besides being involved in the degradation of animal organic matter, they may serve as vectors for pathogens and parasites, and also cause primary and secondary myiasis. The occurrence pattern of these species is well defined, yet it is still not very clear which of these environmental factors determine the structure of the assemblies. This paper was developed to evaluate the influence of mean temperature and relative humidity variation in the abundance and richness of blowflies in the Brazilian southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul, where temperature variation is well marked throughout the year. To evaluate this objective, WOT (Wind Oriented Trap) were installed with beef liver as bait in three environments for 10 consecutive days in each month between July 2003 and June 2004. A total of 13,860 flies were collected distributed among 16 species with a higher frequency of Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann, 1819) and Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819). The mean temperature and relative humidity influence the richness of blowflies, with greater richness and abundance in late spring and early summer, whereas abundance was only influenced by temperature. Each species responded differently with respect to these variables, where L. eximia is not influenced by any of the two abiotic factors, despite the high abundance presented. This paper presents the results of the sensitivity for the presence or absence of species of Calliphoridae and on the variation of the abundance of these species under regime temperature changes and relative humidity with implications for public health and animal management. As espécies de Calliphoridae são importantes componentes das comunidades de necrófagos na Região Neotropical. Além de estarem envolvidas na degradação da matéria orgânica animal podem também veicular diversos patógenos e parasitos, bem como causar míiases primária e secundária. O padrão de ocorrência destas espécies está bem definido, mas ainda não se tem muito claramente quais fatores ambientais determinam a estrutura destas assembleias. Desenvolvemos este trabalho com o objetivo de avaliar a influência da temperatura média e umidade relativa do ar na variação da abundância e riqueza de espécies de califorídeos no sul do Rio Grande do Sul, onde a variação da temperatura é bem demarcada ao longo do ano. Para avaliar este objetivo, foram instaladas armadilhas WOT (Wind Oriented Trap) com fígado bovino como isca em três ambientes por 10 dias seguidos em cada mês, entre julho de 2003 e junho de 2004. Foram coletados 13.860 dípteros distribuídos entre 16 espécies com maior abundância de Lucilia eximia (Wiedemann, 1819) e Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819). A temperatura média e a umidade relativa influenciaram a variação da riqueza de espécies de califorídeos, com maior riqueza e abundância no final da primavera e inicio do verão, sendo que a abundância foi influenciada apenas pela temperatura. Cada espécie reagiu diferentemente com relação a estas variáveis, com L. eximia não sendo influenciada por nenhuma das duas, apesar da alta abundância apresentada. Este trabalho, apresenta resultados sobre a sensibilidade quanto à presença ou ausência das espécies de califorídeos e sobre a variação da abundância destas espécies sob um regime de alteração da temperatura e umidade relativa do ar com implicações para a saúde pública e manejo animal.

Interaction between Musca domestica L. and its predator Muscina stabulans (Fallén) (Diptera, Muscidae): Effects of prey density and food source abundance. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of prey density and food source abundance on the predatory behavior of Muscina stabulans over M. domestica. Three predator/prey proportions were evaluated (1:1, 1:3 and 1:6), using 100 third instar predator larvae against second instar prey larvae. Each proportion was maintained using three different levels of food substrate (25, 50 and 100 g). The experiments were carried out in triplicate in BOD incubators (25ºC, UR 70% ± 10% and 12 h photoperiod). The mortality of the M. domestica larvae was 100% under all conditions, except in the 1:6 predator/prey proportion, at the 50g and 100g food substrate levels, where it was 99.99% and 99.22%, respectively. There was a significant increase in the development period of M. stabulans in relation to the increase in prey density and decrease in quantity of food substrate. An increase in the proportion of individuals and a reduction in the amount of resource slowed down larval development. Muscina stabulans pupal weight was proportional to the increase in prey density and the amount of food substrate. The proportion or the density influenced the survival of M. stabulans, with no difference in relation to the amount of food source and consequently in the interaction of the factors. There was no difference between the 1:1 and 1:3 predator-prey densities, with both differing from the 1:6 density.

This study aimed to determine the thermal requirements of Aprostocetus hagenowii in oothecae of Periplaneta americana, as well as the influence of different temperatures on the biology of this parasitoid. Oothecae with maximum age of eight days and weight ranging from 0.09 to 0.10 g were individualized in Petri plates with a couple of A. hagenowii, being exposed to parasitism. Parasitoids and oothecae stayed together for 24 h at 25°C; after this period, the couples were removed and the Petri plates containing oothecae were transferred to chambers at the temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 27, 30, and 35°C. Thirty replicates were conducted for each temperature. The cycle length (egg-adult) of A. hagenowii presented an inverse tendency to the temperature. The highest viability of emergence of this parasitoid (70%) found in this study was at the temperature of 25°C and the lowest viability (50%) occurred at 30°C. At the temperature extremes tested (15 and 35°C) no emergence of parasitoids was observed. Bt was 11.47ºC and K was 613.5 degrees-day. The results obtained provide basic information to plan the rearing of A. hagenowii in laboratory, and they also present traces on the population dynamics of this parasitoid in the environment.

Parasites may influence host fitness and consequently exert a selective pressure on distinct phenotypes of the host population. This pressure can result in an evolutionary response, maintaining only individuals with certain traits in the population. The present study was aimed at identifying the morphological characteristics of juveniles and adults of Columba livia that may influence the distribution patterns of lice, Pseudolynchia canariensis and Haemoproteus columbae and how the populations of these parasites vary throughout the seasons of the year. Between July 2012 and July 2014, 377 specimens of C. livia were captured. We observed a significant increase in the mean intensities of infestation by pigeon flies and lice, as well as in species richness of ectoparasites during the warmest seasons, suggesting a reproductive synchrony between ectoparasites and host species. Bill length, body mass, and body length did not affect the infestation levels of ectoparasites on adults and juveniles of C. livia with three distinct plumage colors. In juveniles, plumage color affected only the mean intensity of infestation by lice, with Spread individuals as the most infested. This indicates that melanin in feathers was not an effective barrier against ectoparasites.

This study was aimed at describing the community of arthropod ectoparasites associated with sympatric populations of Turdus amaurochalinus and Turdus rufiventris and analyzing the aggregation patterns of the chewing lice species, during reproductive and nonreproductive periods, of both Turdus species in three areas of the Atlantic forest in southern Rio Grande do Sul state (RS), Brazil. Altogether, we captured 36 specimens of T. amaurochalinus and 53 specimens of T. rufiventris. We identified two families of chewing lice, Menoponidae and Philopteridae, with Myrsidea and Brueelia as the most prevalent and abundant on both host birds. The lowest aggregation levels of chewing lice Myrsidea and Brueelia occurred during the reproductive period of both host species, suggesting a reproductive synchronization and a dispersion period. The most prevalent feather mite on T. amaurochalinus was Proctophyllodes weigoldi, and on T. rufiventris, Trouessartia serrana. Analges sp. and Pteronyssoides sp. were not observed on T. rufiventris. We identified three species of ticks; Ixodes auritulus was the most prevalent and abundant on the birds. Ornithoica vicina was the only hippoboscid fly collected, and only on T. amaurochalinus. The richness of ectoparasites was greater on T. amaurochalinus than on T. rufiventris. For T. amaurochalinus, the mean richness was lesser in winter compared to spring and autumn; however, we observed no variation in the mean richness of ectoparasites for T. rufiventris during the same seasons.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival, development time and morphological measures of immature Ophyra aenescens and Ophyra albuquerquei on different diets. Different proportions of protein and carbohydrates were offered for each species in 10 vials containing 30 eggs each. The vials were placed in a germination chamber at 30°C, relative humidity above 75% and photoperiod of 12 hours. Every day a vial was removed and mortality was evaluated and on the tenth day the length of the cephalic-pharyngeal skeleton (EC) and body size (G) of larvae that survived were evaluated. Survival was higher in diets with more protein (P

The effect of environment on development and survival of pupae of the necrophagous fly Ophyra albuquerquei Lopes (Diptera, Muscidae). Species of Ophyra Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 are found in decomposing bodies, usually in fresh, bloated and decay stages. Ophyra albuquerquei Lopes, for example, can be found in animal carcasses. The influence of environmental factors has not been evaluated in puparia of O. albuquerquei. Thus, the focus of this work was motivated by the need for models to predict the development of a necrophagous insect as a function of abiotic factors. Colonies of O. albuquerquei were maintained in the laboratory to obtain pupae. On the tenth day of each month 200 pupae, divided equally into 10 glass jars, were exposed to the environment and checked daily for adult emergence of each sample. We concluded that the high survival rate observed suggested that the diets used for rearing the larvae and maintaining the adults were appropriate. Also, the data adjusted to robust generalized linear models and there were no interruptions of O. albuquerquei pupae development within the limits of temperatures studied in southern Rio Grande do Sul, given the high survival presented.Efeito de fatores ambientais sobre o desenvolvimento e sobrevivência de pupas de Ophyra albuquerquei Lopes (Diptera, Muscidae). Espécies de Ophyra Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 são encontradas em corpos em decomposição, usualmente nas fases fresca, inchamento e murcha. Entre estas espécies, Ophyra albuquerquei Lopes, 1985 pode ser encontrada em carcaças de ratos e coelhos. A influência de fatores ambientais sobre pupas de O. albuquerquei não tinha sido avaliada até o momento. Desta maneira, o foco deste trabalho foi motivado pela necessidade por modelos de previsão do desenvolvimento de insetos necrófagos em função de fatores abióticos. Colônias de O. albuquerquei foram mantidas em laboratório para a obtenção de pupas. Até o décimo dia de cada mês, 200 pupas distribuídas em 10 frascos de vidro foram expostas ao meio e foi verificada diariamente a emergência dos adultos de cada amostra. Os dados se ajustaram a modelos lineares generalizados robustos. Além disto, foi concluído que não existem limiares mínimos e máximos de temperatura para o desenvolvimento de pupas de O. albuquerquei no sul do Rio Grande do Sul, devido à alta sobrevivência apresentada.

Malaise traps are often used in trapping Muscidae flies for studying species dynamics, but there has been no specific evaluation of the influence of the duration of exposure of the traps in the field and their normal wear and tear on the relative richness and abundance of individuals of different species caught. To evaluate the possible influence of these factors, we installed Malaise traps at Arroio Grande and Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, which are located inside the Campos Sulinos biome in Brazil. In Arroio Grande, new and 18-month-old Malaise traps were installed between March and May, 2004, and in Pelotas, new and 12-month-old traps were installed between April and June of the same year. At each site, the traps were installed 10 m apart, and collections of trapped insects were made at intervals of 7 days. The age of the traps significantly influenced both abundance and richness of the Muscidae trapped, probably because of the changing colour profile at the top of the traps. From these results, we concluded that the use of Malaise traps in the field for long periods to evaluate richness and abundance of muscid flies in biodiversity studies needs re-evaluation.