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In this review, I approach the role of phenotypic plasticity as a key aspect of the conceptual framework of evolutionary biology. The concept of phenotypic plasticity is related to other relevant concepts of contemporary research in evolutionary biology, such as assimilation, genetic accommodation and canalization, evolutionary robustness, evolvability, evolutionary capacitance and niche construction. Although not always adaptive, phenotypic plasticity can promote the integration of these concepts to represent some of the dynamics of evolution, which can be visualized through the use of a conceptual map. Although the use of conceptual maps is common in areas of knowledge such as psychology and education, their application in evolutionary biology can lead to a better understanding of the processes and conceptual interactions of the complex dynamics of evolution. The conceptual map I present here includes environmental variability and variation, phenotypic plasticity and natural selection as key concepts in evolutionary biology. The evolution of phenotypic plasticity is important to ecology at all levels of organization, from morphological, physiological and behavioral adaptations that influence the distribution and abundance of populations to the structuring of assemblages and communities and the flow of energy through trophic levels. Consequently, phenotypic plasticity is important for maintaining ecological processes and interactions that influence the complexity of biological diversity. In addition, because it is a typical occurrence and manifests itself through environmental variation in conditions and resources, plasticity must be taken into account in the development of management and conservation strategies at local and global levels.

The intense harvesting of inflorescences prior to seed setting and the persistent use of fire to boost flowering are considered to be the main factors driving starflower species to extinction along the Espinhaco mountain range, in eastern Brazil. In this study we experimentally reproduced these traditional management practices upon a natural population of the starflower Comanthera elegantula (Ruhland) L.R. Parra & Giul. (Eriocaulacece) using eight distinct treatments consisting of ‘fire', “harvest” and the combined absence of these interventions over two years, in order to assess their effects on seedling recruitment. The study was conducted at the central Espinhaco range region, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Our results show that the extractive management practices interfere with the recruitment dynamics of C. elegantula, with fire significantly reducing the competing herbaceous cover and stimulating seedling recruitment. An intermittent fire regime seem to favor seedling establishment and growth, while sequential fire episodes seem to negatively impact the progression of seedling cohorts and the regrowth of the herbaceous cover. Additional seed input took place at local scale, probably through dispersion from outer sources and/or from seed banks. Seed pool depletion isto be expected under a persistent and efficient inflorescence collection regime and may ultimately contribute to population senescence.

Incluye contenido parcial de los autores Abstract.Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecologicalhealth and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carni-vores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide managementand conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropicalregion: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; andUrsidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropicalcarnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTRO-PICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data wereobtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organi-zations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including cameratrapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature(peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated inthis compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n=79,343; 79.7%) butalso includes non-detection data (n=20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data(n=43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute tomacroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspec-tives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distri-bution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans andsafeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combinedwith other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and relatedecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restric-tion for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of theinformation used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data.

Lunacy has always been reflected upon by Western thinkers. The acceptance of its putative causes has varied across centuries and cultures. In all of them, it has been difficult, above all, to establish boundaries beyond which insanity is definitive. Plato considered insanity to be the manifestation of a mystic spirit that inspired but a few. Medieval and Renaissance thought admitted lunacy’s nature to be good or bad, divine or diabolic, religious, moral or health related. Early ethnopsychiatry considered culture and personality unimportant to explain lunacy Similarly, Freud thought that lunacy lives in the subconscious. Starting in the 17th century, the Cartesian paradigm established reason’s supremacy as the mediator of knowledge, which led to Foucault opposition to Derrida’s exclusion of lunacy from this paradigm. Lack of adequate understanding of lunacy has led, in the past, to the exclusion of lunatics from social living and the adoption of violent, “curative” therapeutics. In many cases, they have worsened the condition or led to a irreversible breakdown of reasoning ability. Adequate diagnosis and treatment of lunacy require that no theoretical barriers are established between the health professional and the patient; on the contrary, patients issues must be heard and followed by an interdisciplinary team. Finally, according to Nietzsche insanity would be linked to the creative impetus. A aceitação das supostas causas da loucura variou na história das culturas. Porém, quaisquer sejam as culturas há dificuldades de se estabelecer claros limites a partir dos quais a loucura pode ser objetivamente identificada. Platão considerava a loucura promovida por meio de um espírito místico que a poucos inspirava. Os pensamentos medieval e renascentista admitiam a loucura como de fundo religioso, moral, médico, divino ou diabólico, boa ou má. No final do século XIX até meados do século XX, a etnopsiquiatria desconsiderava a importância da cultura e da personalidade para entender a loucura, cuja origem seria proveniente da manifestação de uma estrutura patológica básica e universal. De modo semelhante, Freud admitia que a loucura já estivesse presente no inconsciente. A partir dos séculos XVII e XVIII, o cogito cartesiano estabeleceu a supremacia da razão em obter-se conhecimento, o que no século XX motivou a controvérsia Foucault versus Derrida sobre a exclusão da loucura do cogito. No passado, talvez por faltar compreensão adequada, o alienado era excluído do convívio social e tratado por meio de práticas “curativas” muitas vezes violentas. Por isso, muitos tiveram sua doença agravada ou se tornaram abúlicos. Para realizar o diagnóstico da loucura, os profissionais capacitados não devem estabelecer barreiras teóricas entre si e o paciente; este deve ser amplamente ouvido e tratado por equipe interdisciplinar. Finalmente, para Nietzsche a loucura estaria associada ao ímpeto criativo.

Ecology as a field produces philosophical anxiety, largely because it differs in scientific structure from classical physics. The hypothetical deductive models of classical physics are simple and predictive; general ecological models are predictably limited, as they refer to complex, multi-causal processes. Inattention to the conceptual structure of ecology usually imposes difficulties for the application of ecological models. Imprecise descriptions of ecological niche have obstructed the development of collective definitions, causing confusion in the literature and complicating communication between theoretical ecologists, conservationists and decision and policy-makers. Intense, unprecedented erosion of biodiversity is typical of the Anthropocene, and knowledge of ecology may provide solutions to lessen the intensification of species losses. Concerned philosophers and ecologists have characterised ecological niche theory as less useful in practice; however, some theorists maintain that is has relevant applications for conservation. Species niche modelling, for instance, has gained traction in the literature; however, there are few examples of its successful application. Philosophical analysis of the structure, precision and constraints upon the definition of a ‘niche’ may minimise the anxiety surrounding ecology, potentially facilitating communication between policy-makers and scientists within the various ecological subcultures. The results may enhance the success of conservation applications at both small and large scales.

In this article, we discuss some ecological-evolutionary strategies that allow synchronization of organisms, resources, and conditions. Survival and reproduction require synchronization of life cycles of organisms with favourable environmental and ecological features and conditions. This interactive synchronization can occur directly, through pairwise or diffuse co-evolution, or indirectly, for example, as a result of actions of ecosystem engineers and facilitator species. Observations of specific interactions, especially those which have coevolved, may give the false impression that evolution results in optimal genotypes or phenotypes. However, some phenotypes may arise under evolutionary constraints, such as simultaneous evolution of multiple traits, lack of a chain of fit transitional forms leading to an optimal phenotype, or by limits inherent in the process of selection, set by the number of selective deaths and by interference between linked variants. Although there are no optimal phenotypes, optimization models applied to particular species may be useful for a better understanding of the nature of adaptations. The evolution of adaptive strategies results in variable life histories. These strategies can minimize adverse impacts on the fitness of extreme or severe environmental conditions on survival and reproduction, and may include reproductive strategies such as semelparity and iteroparity, or morphological, physiological, or behavioural traits such as diapause, seasonal polyphenism, migration, or bet-hedging. However, natural selection cannot indefinitely maintain intra-population variation, and lack of variation can ultimately extinguish populations.

Pseudoviviparous species are considered to rely almost entirely on vegetative propagation, because flowers are replaced by sprouts, and seedling recruitment is rare. We compared reproductive allocation (inflorescence and seed production) in three propagation modes presented by sympatric species of Leiothrix (Eriocaulaceae): rhizomatous and seminiferous (RS—L. crassifolia); rhizomatous, seminiferous, and pseudoviviparous (RSP—L. spiralis); and seminiferous and pseudoviviparous, in which seed production is considered rare due to reduced inflorescence size and small number of pistillate flowers (SP—L. arrecta and L. propinqua). We hypothesize that such propagation modes constitute a continuum of reproductive investment, that is: RS > RSP > SP. We harvested 154 Leiothrix spp. individuals at the Serra do Cipo, SE Brazil, from which we recorded the number of capitula and seeds, mean seed weight, and dry biomass allocated to plant structures. We then compared distinct propagation modes in relation to reproductive allocation, inflorescence-based and seed-based reproductive effort, and biomass partitioning. Contrary to expectations, the reproductive investment hierarchy found was SP ≥ RS > RSP. Our results do not fully concur with the current view that pseudoviviparous plants allocate few resources to reproduction. We suggest that the larger reproductive investment observed in SP helps to wait for better recruitment conditions in crowded and highly competitive mature populations (temporal escape), and to cope with destructive disturbances such as fire, since SP species lacks rhizomes.

The biological nitrogen fixation constitutes a strategy to accelerate soil reclamation and the symbiotic systems Rhizobium-legume is the major N2-fixing in which the enzyme carboxymethyl cellulase plays a key role. As many rhizobia species are cellulase negative, the association with cellulolytic bacteria can be a strategy for the recovery of degraded ecosystems. It has been hypothesized that the sharing of resources should mostly be prevalent among phylogenetically and metabolically different species. Accordingly, twenty-seven actinobacteria isolates from Actinobacteria phyla and twenty-six rhizobia isolates from Proteobacteria phyla were selected from the bacterial collection of the Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology of the Federal University of Ceará. The presence of cellulolytic activity was observed for the rhizobia isolates at 28 °C and for actinobacteria isolates at 28, 39, 41, 43 and 45 °C. Rhizobia isolates deficient in cellulase and actinobacteria isolates with enzymatic activity detected at higher temperature were selected and characterized. The antagonism between isolates of two groups was tested and the pairs antagonistic were eliminated. The cross-feeding test between actinobacteria and rhizobia isolates was realized in a chemically defined medium containing carboxymethyl-cellulose as the only carbon and energy source. Growth of rhizobia strains in 50% of the pairwise indicated that the cellulose hydrolyzed by actinobacteria was used as substrate for the growth of the rhizobia. The Bradyrhizobium strain R10 associated with Streptomyces strains A09 and A18 and Nocardia A11 are promissory inoculants for recovery of semi-arid regions.

We studied two key traits in the life of organisms, body size and sexual maturity, and a population attribute, density, of the crabGoniopsis cruentata. Also, we evaluated the role of environmental factors on population density. We caught crabs in two mangrove sites that are under different influence of tidal fluctuation, and obtained pH and salinity of mangrove soil from each site as well as rainfall data for the period of study. Both body size and sexual maturity differed between sites, in which individuals from the small-bodied population matured at smaller sizes than their counterparts from the large-bodied population, which matured at larger sizes. In addition, density of the small-bodied population was lower than that of the large-bodied one. We did not detect any influence of the environmental factors on population density. Our finding indicate that key life history traits and population characteristics can vary on a very small spatial scale which may help to further elucidate the biology of natural populations.

Climate conditions tend to differ along an altitudinal gradient, resulting in some species groups' patterns of lower species richness with increasing altitude. While this pattern is well understood for tropical mountains, studies investigating possible determinants of variation in beta-diversity at its different altitudes are scarce. We sampled bee and wasp communities (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) along an altitudinal gradient (1,000-2,000 m.a.s.l.) in a tropical mountainous region of Brazil. Trap nests and Moericke traps were established at six sampling points, with 200 m difference in altitude between each point. We obtained average climate data (1970-2000) from Worldclim v2 for altitudes at each sampling site. Nest traps captured 17 bee and wasp species from six families, and Moericke traps captured 124 morphospecies from 13 families. We found a negative correlation between altitude and species richness and abundance. Temperature, precipitation, water vapor pressure, and wind speed influenced species richness and abundance, and were correlated with altitude. β-diversity was primarily determined by species turnover as opposed to nestedness, and Aculeate community similarity was higher for more similar altitudinal ranges. Moericke traps seem to be more efficient for altitudinal surveys compared to nest traps. We found high occurrence of singleton and doubleton species at all altitudes, highlighting the need for long-term studies to efficiently assess hymenopteran diversity in these environments.

Rhinodrilus alatus ( Righi, 1971 ) is a giant earthworm (“minhocucu”) endemic to Southeast Brazil savannah that has long been exploited as fishing bait, however such extractive activity results in social and environmental impacts as well as negative effects on the species. Genetic diversity, population genetic and geographic structures of R. alatus were characterized by sequencing of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) and a nuclear segment including 5.8S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacers 1 (ITS1) and 2 (ITS2). We sequenced 75 R. alatus and 6 Rhinodrilus motucu individuals collected at 21 sites. Genetic diversity was evaluated based on haplotype and nucleotide diversity, and average number of nucleotide differences. Population genetic and geographic structure was characterized with Mantel tests, spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA), and phylogenetic analysis (maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference, and median joining). High genetic diversity was found for this species with 53 haplotypes in the COI gene and 22 haplotypes for the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 segment suggesting six and four lineages, respectively. Moderate population genetic structure was indicated by the spatial distribution of lineages and Mantel tests results. High genetic diversity associated with genetic and geographic population structure points to a low dispersal rate for the species, as described for other earthworms. We characterized less frequent lineages, which were collected on the periphery of the dispersal area of the species. Conservation of the largest possible number of lineages particularly those less common will be fundamental for maintaining the genetic diversity of the species.

Few studies directly address the consequences of habitat fragmentation for pollinating insect communities, particularly for the neotropical key pollinator group of stingless bees. Most studies on bees have defined habitat fragments as remnant patches of floral hosts or forests, overlooking the nesting needs of bees. Their conclusion is that habitat fragmentation is broadly deleterious; however, there are contrasting results in the literature. Insightful studies on habitat fragmentation and bees should consider fragmentation, alteration and loss of nesting habitats—not just patches of forage plants –, as well as the permeability of the surrounding matrix to interpatch movement. Here we investigated the effects of fragmentation caused by urbanization on stingless bee species’ composition and richness, as well as the permeability of the surrounding matrix. We collected bees from flowering plants and recorded phytosociological variables of five forest remnants (ranging from 64 ha to 900 ha) in southeastern Brazil. Large fragments did not contain more species per unit area than smaller ones; in fact, we found more species in small fragments, most of which were generalist bees. The presence of more habitat generalist stingless bee species was also correlated to the structure of vegetation in these fragments. In conclusion, the quality of the habitat within a fragment (structure of vegetation) as well as the quality of the matrix has a direct relation to the bee species composition. This can be seen in the direct relationship between structural diversity of the environment and age of the fragments. The matrix that holds the most recent fragments, probably due to the sprawl of the city, is more heterogeneous than the one with the oldest fragments. The most heterogeneous matrices have a certain balance between the trees, buildings and bare soil or herbaceous vegetation coverage, making the array less impermeable to bees.

The capacity of ecologists to contribute to the solution of environmental problems depends on the understanding of ecological theories that underlie decision-making in conservation and ecosystem management. Therefore, detailed structural analyses of these theories are important to evaluate if they are able to enhance the knowledge about ecosystems and their functions, particularly in terms of their capacity to respond to changes caused by socio economic development. The relationship between the theory of island biogeography, formulated by MacArthur and Wilson in 1963, metapopulations, landscape ecology and habitat fragmentation is an example of how theories can help to understate the effect of environmental impacts over ecossystems. We expose in this essay an analysis of the structural and epistemological content of island biogeography theory in its original format. Next, we address its expansion to other research areas and how comprehension about fragmentation of natural environments have evolved from island biogeography, through metapopulation theory, into landscape ecology. Thus, we show how remnant habitats dynamics began to be better understood as areas under the influence of distinct contexts and environmental histories, and not as isolated oceanic islands. When recommending the application of the ‘expanded theory of island biogeography' for understanding the ecological dynamic of fragmented habitat, we emphasize the importance of structural analyses of the theory that led us to the conception that biodiversity in oceanic islands is the result of the sum of peculiarities set by geological and evolutionary processes. However, those processes lose some relevance in explaining patterns of species diversity in habitat remnants. In this case, it is necessary to use the history, intensity and frequency of human disturbances and the social and economic contexts that motivates it. Equally important is the evaluation of how metapoplation dynamics influences the maintenance of key populations in fragmented landscapes. The integration among ecological theories and historical, social and economical contexts is critical for the success of more sustainable and consistent practices in biodiversity conservation.

En el contexto sociocultural actual los avances científicos en la biología,especialmente en la Genética, afectan de muchas formas los interesespúblicos y privados. Por ello, se torna necesario explicitar el conceptobiológico de vida, dado que esa explicitación podrá guiar el establecimentode límites éticos de determinadas inversiones de instituciones estatales,privadas y de legisladores que comúnmente recurren al apoyo de la cienciapara fundamentar sus opiniones. Bajo esta perspectiva articulamosargumentos para fundamentar la concepción relacional de la vida encontraposición al abordaje esencialista o de simple listado de atributos. Estees muy utilizado para definir al ser vivo, mas necesariamente es pocoabarcador y esclarecedor. Tal abordaje ha producido un amplio número dedefiniciones para el concepto sobre lo que es la vida, lo que resulta más enconfusiones que en esclarecimientos. Al contrario, la concepción relacionalde vida parte de la definición de que la vida es adaptación flexible. Taldefinición emerge a partir de investigaciones realizadas sobre la vidaartificial y privilegia una metafísica de procesos al revés de una metafísicade sustancias. Entretanto, aunque el concepto relacional de la vida tengaventaja sobre la mayoria de los demás, tal vez no sea útil para ayudar adefinir mejor los límites y prerrogativas éticas y legales de intervencionesque amenacen vidas individuales, tales como el aborto y la eutanasia y noacarrear prejuicios o estabelecer privilegios de alcances sociales escasos.Concluimos con una apreciación jurídica del concepto relacional de la vida,especialmente la vida humana y su tutela en Brasil, informando lanaturaleza, los límites y la extensión de esa protección.

In Brazil, only limestone caves and a few caves in sandstone, iron ore and granite rocks had their invertebrate communities evaluated. Being such, the present study aimed to promote a comparative analysis of the structure of the invertebrate communities in caves associated to carbonatic, magmatic, siliciclastic and ferruginous rocks of the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Significant differences in the relative richness, abundance and diversity were observed between lithologies. The average relative richness was higher in the ferruginous caves (0.53 spp). The total number of troglomorphic species was significantly different among caves and the highest average richness occurred at ferruginous caves (5.79 spp/cave). Siliciclastic, carbonatic and magmatic caves presented a higher quantitative similarity of the fauna. Ferruginous caves revealed communities with a fauna composition different from the other lithologies. The total richness of invertebrates correlated significantly and positively with the linear development in the siliciclastic caves (Rs = 0.67, P

Our knowledge of primitively eusocial societies is focused particularly on cooperatively breeding vertebrates and vespid wasps, whereas numerous taxa representing independent origins of social behavior have been largely overlooked. The lineage of apoid wasps including the genus Microstigmus represents a relatively neglected independent origin of eusociality. We present the first use of modern hypervariable genetic markers, in combination with behavioral observations, to investigate reproductive division of labor and cooperative brood care in an apoid wasp, the Brazilian M. nigrophthalmus. Microstigmus nigrophthalmus is unusual because, although there is cooperative brood care, reproductively dominant females carry out at least as much risky foraging as their subordinate nest mates. Empirical studies of reproductive skew are often hampered by a lack of variation in skew. We find that reproductive skew is highly variable between nests in M. nigrophthalmus. There was no correlation between skew and either body size or group size. The absence of an effect of body size is typical of studies of skew in insects and may indicate that body size is a poor measure of an individual's ability to control a group. However, skew was positively correlated with genetic relatedness. This provides rare support for concession models based on "social contracts" between dominant individuals and their subordinates. Copyright 2011, Oxford University Press.

Microstigmus (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae) is a genus of social apoid wasps which represents an origin of sociality independent from vespoids, but which has so far received little attention. Though group-nesting is widespread in Microstigmus, genetic relatedness has so far been studied in only one species, M. comes. We report on the social biology of M. nigrophthalmus, drawing from behavioural observations and molecular genetic analyses of relatedness and kinship. There was no evidence of distinctive behavioural suites that distinguished reproductive and non-reproductive individuals. Females could mate more than once, but mating frequency was low. Mean relatedness within nests was high, particularly between females (close to 0.5), but pairwise relatedness values were very variable, as nestmates displayed a wide range of relationships. Such high levels of relatedness should be a factor promoting social nesting and cooperative brood care in this species, as females gain only a slight genetic advantage through rearing their own offspring rather than those of nestmates. This study provides the finest analysis of genetic structure so far in an apoid wasp, and indicates that the form of sociality varies greatly between species of Microstigmus.

O minhocuçu Rhinodrilus alatus Righi, 1971 é uma espécie endêmica do cerrado de Minas Gerais e tem sido explorada como isca para pesca por >70 anos. O objetivo do trabalho foi validar marcadores moleculares para estudos genético-populacionais, de filogenia e de filogeografia do minhocuçu. Os genes rRNA 5.8S, espaço interno transcrito (ITS1) e subunidade I da citocromo oxidase (COI) mitocondrial foram estudados. Foram amostrados indivíduos da espécie R. alatus (n = 53) em diferentes hábitats de Minas Gerais e da espécie R. motucu Righi, 1971 (n = 3), coletados em brejos de Goiás, no Brasil. A análise filogenética do gene do rRNA 5.8S mostrou que todas as seqüências de R. alatus, R. motucu e Eisenia fetida (Savigny, 1826) agruparam-se no mesmo clado (bootstrap = 98), sugerindo que, nestes organismos, o gene é conservado. Os clados formados a partir de seqüências de rRNA 5.8S de invertebrados disponíveis na base de dados são inconsistentes do ponto de vista evolutivo, sugerindo taxas evolutivas distintas entre diferentes espécies. Para a região do ITS1, foram obtidos 11 sítios polimórficos, gerando nove haplótipos. Os exemplares de R. motucu apresentaram o haplótipo mais freqüente dentre os R. alatus de Minas Gerais, não havendo evidências moleculares de que se tratem de espécies diferentes. Para o gene COI, de um total de 634 pb, obteve-se 185 sítios polimórficos, gerando árvores filogenéticas com topologia mais adequada, separando R. motucu de R. alatus.

Organisms must possess good dispersal ability to persist in fragmented landscapes, as extinction in habitat patches is frequent and patches must be re-colonised to keep viable metapopulations. Thus, metapopulation maintenance is dependent on patch size and distance, although these affect species differently. In order to evaluate the ability of Nymphalid butterfly species to live in naturally fragmented small forest fragments we marked and released 3,415 butterflies in 16 of these areas separated in two networks at the Serra da Canastra National Park (PNSC), south-eastern Brazil. Subsequent recaptures in different forest fragments enabled us to assess the dispersal rates and distances for several Nymphalid species. Seventeen butterflies from 11 out of the 50 species captured were directly observed to disperse from 500 m to 870 m. Dispersal rates varied between 1 and 7% of the marked individuals and were directly correlated to the mean forewing length of each butterfly species population. The connectivity of the forest fragments through creeks appear to facilitate butterfly dispersal among fragments within micro-basins, as only one out of 50 dispersing individuals was observed to fly from one micro-basin to the other. Several species had viable populations in the small-fragment network. The distance between fragments is crucial as the coarser fragment network was unlikely to sustain viable populations of most of the species. The protection of large forest fragments located outside of the PNSC may be necessary to promote colonization of the smaller forest fragments inside the Park.

Habitat heterogeneity can be the major factor affecting species diversity in a community and measuring bee and wasp community habitat preferences in natural systems may provide insights for biodiversity management and conservation. In the present study, we investigate the effects of habitat structure components on solitary bee and wasp species richness and abundance. The research was conducted in an urban forest remnant in southeast Brazil. Our main questions were: (1) is similarity in habitat structure mirrored by similarity in Aculeate assemblage composition? and (2) what are the vegetation features that could be used as predictors of solitary bee and wasp richness and abundance? Aculeate bees and wasps were sampled using trap nests from February to November 2004. Trap nests were placed in sampling units located in 6 ha of secondary mesophytic forest. One hundred and thirty-seven trap nests were occupied by four species of wasps and seven species of bees. Altogether, our sampling units had a mean capture rate (relative to expected richness) of 72% during all the study period. The more similar sampling units were in terms of vegetation structure, the more similar they were in solitary bee and wasp species composition. The variance of tree abundance, shrub height and the abundance of wood logs were good predictors of solitary bee and wasp species richness and abundance in the study area. We demonstrate that even in a small scale it is possible to detect significant influences of habitat features on alpha diversity and that some of them are effective as predictors of trap-nesting Hymenoptera richness and abundance.

Os hábitos alimentares da onça-parda, jaguatirica e outros carnívoros foram estudados na Juréia (80.000 ha), um dos maiores remanescentes de Mata Atlântica do estado de São Paulo. O estudo foi baseado na análise de fezes encontradas durante um período de amostragem de 15 meses e 415 km percorridos. A diversidade de presas encontradas nas fezes foi alta para ambos os felinos, tendo como presas mais importantes da onça-parda em freqüência de ocorrência e biomassa, o cateto e o tatu-de-rabo-mole, e marsupiais na dieta da jaguatirica. Maior freqüência de fezes de carnívoros foi encontrada distante das casas de moradores tradicionais, sugerindo um comportamento territorial evitando a proximidade da presença humana.

Measuring bee and wasp community habitat preferences in natural systems may provide insights for biodiversity management and conservation as habitat heterogeneity can be the major factor affecting species diversity in a community. Here, we present evidence that supports the use of a vegetation structure-based approach in order to predict the occurrence of common Brazilian-remnant solitary bee and wasp species. Using trap nests, we sampled Aculeate bees and wasps in a forest remnant within an urban area of southeast Brazil. We also measured eight habitat structure components in the area. Tree trunk circumference, shrub and wood log abundance were good predictors of presence or absence of the commonest solitary bee and wasp species in the study area. We demonstrated that even on a small scale it is possible to detect significant influences of habitat structural features on species occurrences and that some of them are effective as surrogates for predicting trap-nesting Hymenoptera occurrence in a given area. Our data present evidence on the potential application of a habitat structure-based approach in conservation assessments concerning cavity-nesting Hymenoptera. We caution, however, that this habitat structure-based approach must to be taken with prudence as a detailed survey of an area’s biodiversity is always preferable.

We compared the abundance of foliage-living spiders among seven widespread plant species comprising a gradient of levels of structural complexity in a tropical savannah-like region in southeastern Brazil. Spider abundance among plant species was positively related to the foliage density of their branches. A field experiment using artificial branches was carried out to isolate foliage density effects on spider abundance, thus controlling both biomass and texture effects. Artificial branches were attached to branches of three plant species with similar foliage density, Baccharis dracunculifolia, Diplusodon virgatus, and Microlicia fasciculata. Two treatments were set up: artificial branches with higher foliage density attracted more spiders than those with lower foliage density. The guild structure of hunting spiders was compared among vegetative branches of three plant species with different levels of foliage density: B. dracunculifolia, D. virgatus, and Bidens gardneri. Stalker, and ambusher spiders were more abundant on branches of B. dracunculifolia, which had the highest foliage density. Foliage-runners constituted the dominant guild on D. virgatus and B. gardneri, which have lower foliage density branches. Our results suggest that branch architecture is the most important factor determining the abundance of plant-dwelling spiders in the study area independently of branch biomass, leaf surface area or texture. RESUMO A abundância de aranhas foi comparada entre sete especies de plantas, que formam um gradiente de niveis de complexidade estrutural, descrito atraves do numero de folhas por unidade de volume do ramo, numa regiao de cerrado no sudeste do Brasil. A abundância de aranhas entre as especies de plantas foi positivamente relacionada com a densidade de folhas de seus ramos. Um experimento de campo, usando ramos artificiais, foi conduzido para isolar o efeito da densidade de folhas dos efeitos de biomassa. Ramos artificiais foram amarrados a ramos de tres especies de plantas com densidade foliar semelhante, Baccharis dracunculifolia, Diplusodon virgatus and Microlicia fasciculata. Dois tratamentos foram usados, ramos artificiais com alta densidade de folhas atrairam mais aranhas do que os com baixa densidade de folhas. A distribuicao de guildas de aranhas errantes foi comparada entre ramos de tres especies de plantas com diferentes niveis de densidade de folhas, B. dracunculifolia, D. virgatus e Bidens gardneri. Aranhas saltadoras (Oxyopidae e Salticidae) e de tocaia (Thomisidae) foram mais abundantes nos ramos de B. dracunculifolia, cujos ramos possuiam uma maior densidade de folhas. Aranhas cacadoras noturnas foi a guilda dominante em D. virgatus e B. gardneri. Nossos resultados sugerem que a arquitetura de ramos pode ser o fator mais importante que determina a abundância de aranhas que habitam plantas, independentemente da biomassa, area superficial de folhas e textura dos ramos.

Two new ascomycetous yeast species belonging to the Starmerella clade were discovered in nests of two solitary bee species in the Atlantic rain forest of Brazil. Candida riodocensis was isolated from pollen-nectar provisions, larvae and fecal pellets of nests of Megachile sp., and Candida cellae was found in pollen-nectar provisions of Centris tarsata. Analysis of the sequences of the D1/D2 large-subunit ribosomal DNA showed that C. riodocensis is phylogenetically related to C. batistae, and the closest relative of C. cellae is C. etchellsii. The type strains are C. riodocensis UFMG-MG02 (=CBS 10087 T = NRRL Y-27859 T ) and C. cellae UFMG-PC04 (=CBS 10086 T = NRRL Y-27860 T ).

During 2 years (1992 and 1993) the nesting biology of Auplopus militaris (Lynch-Arribalzaga 1873) was studied using trap-nests placed in a preserved natural area in the Campus of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, M.G., Brazil. One to 10 jug-shaped mud cells were built in each trap-nest (mode = 6). No vestibular cells were found. Cells were provisioned with one de-legged spider of the genus Corinna C.L. Koch 1841 (Corinnidae). Overall, 172 (out of 2400) trap-nests were occupied by A. militaris. Eighty-two males and 72 females emerged from 68 trap-nests. Females were signifcantly larger (mean thorax width = 1.558, SD = 0.169) than males (mean = 1.155, SD = 0.129) and the wasps that emerged in 1992 were signifcantly larger than those that emerged in 1993. Sex ratios varied between years. The estimated development time (egg to adult) ranged from 7 to 160 days, 67% of the values being between 10 and 40 days (mode = 33, mean = 39.31). Delayed emergence was observed in both years. ...

The ecotone zone between epigean and hypogean environments has been delimited for two limestone caves using a new method proposed herein. The richness and the diversity of the ecotone, epigean and hypogean environments and their similarities have also been determined. The ecotones were delimited using a similarity matrix between the inner and outer sectors of each cave. The ecotone of Dona Rita's cave was estimated to be 12 m long and the ecotone of Retiro's cave 16 m. The richness (S) of arthropods in Dona Rita's cave was higher in the ecotone (S = 131), intermediate in the epigean environment (S = 75) and lower in the hypogean system (S = 45). The invertebrate diversity (H′) was lower in the hypogean environment (H′ = 2.89) and not statistically different between the epigean environment and the ecotone (H′ = 3.56 and H′ = 3.76, respectively). The richness in Retiro's cave was higher in the ecotone (S = 86), intermediate in the epigean environment (S = 39) and lower in the hypogean system (S = 12). The invertebrate diversity was lower in the hypogean environment (H′ = 0.48), intermediate in the ecotone (H′ = 3.02) and higher in the epigean region (H′ = 3.29). Species migration patterns, differential environmental barriers and determination of accidental versus trogloxenes/troglophylous species are topics that are primarily approached by establishing ecotone zones in caves. The aim of the present paper is to establish the delimitation of theses zones.

The influence of the architecture of vegetative branches on the distribution of plant-dwelling spiders has been intensively studied, and the effects on the aggregation of individuals in several spider species on plants include variation in prey abundance, availability of predator-free refuges and smoother microclimate conditions. The emergence of inflorescences at the reproductive time of the plants changes branch architecture, and could provide higher prey abundance for the spiders. The distribution of spiders between inflorescences and vegetative branches was compared on four widespread plant species in a Brazilian savannah-like system. Inflorescences attracted more spiders than vegetative branches for all plant species sampled. The influence of branch type (inflorescence and vegetative) on spider distribution was also evaluated by monitoring branches of Baccharis dracunculifolia DC. in vegetative and flowering periods for 1 year, and through a field experiment carried out during the same period where artificial inflorescences were available for spider colonization. Artificial inflorescences attached to B. dracunculifolia branches attracted more spiders than non-manipulated vegetative branches for most of the year. However, this pattern differed among spider guilds. Foliage-runners and stalkers occurred preferentially on artificial inflorescences relative to control branches. The frequencies of ambushers and web-builders were not significantly different between treatment and control branches. However, most ambush spiders (65%) occurred only during the flowering period of B. dracunculifolia, suggesting that this guild was influenced only by natural inflorescences. The experimental treatment also influenced the size distribution of spiders: larger spiders were more abundant on artificial inflorescences than on vegetative branches. The hypothesis that habitat architecture can influence the spider assemblage was supported. In addition, our observational and experimental data strongly suggest that inflorescences can be a higher quality microhabitat than non-reproductive branches for most plant-dwelling spiders.

The richness and the composition of bee species at the ecological station of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil, was recorded from January to December 1996. The bee fauna of the ecological station is rich (98 species) in low-density populations species (350 individuals). The composition of the bee fauna is seasonal (Q = 29.35, df = 11, P < 0.002), however the composition in flowering plants showed no seasonality (Q = 17.30, df = 11, P < 0,099). The bee species visited 23 flowering plant species from 11 families. Asteraceae (111 individuals in 53 species) and Convolvulaceae (88 individuals in 26 species) were the most visited families. There was a positive relation between bee abundance and the number of flowering plants (r2 = 0.72, P = 0.0011, n = 12) and bee richness and abundance of flowering plants (r2 = 0.46; P = 0.010, n = 12). In the studied area and other sites at Southeastern Brazil, Apidae was the richer and abundant family and Halictidae was the richer and abundant at South Brazil. Despite its localization in a heavily urbanized area, the ecological station supports a rich bee species assembly.

Aspects of the population dynamics of a solitary ground-nesting oligolectic bee, Diadasina distincta (Holmberg 1903) (Hymenoptera Anthophoridae), were studied in relation to the number of parasitized nests in aggregations of different sizes. Inversely density-dependent parasitism by bombyliid flies and densityindependent mortality by fungi together explained most of the variation in population size. There was a significant negative correlation between the number of nests in an aggregation and parasitism by bombyliid flies. Bombyliids accounted for 19.4% of mortality and two fungal species for an additional 19%. It is hypothesized that male patrolling in larger aggregations accounted for lower parasitism rates by bombyliid flies. KEY WORDS: solitary bee, Diadasina distincta, Anthrax sp., nest aggregation, parasitism, mortality, bombyliid flies, fungi.

The new species of Goniosoma found in the city of Pains, Brazil, is well distributed in the caves of the region, occurring in 55 out of 62 visited caves. The species is still being described. This study aimed to evaluate oscillations in population sizes and to show possible allometric variations between individuals. The caves presented more constant temperature and relative humidity than the external environment. In Dona Rita cave the population of Goniosoma sp. varied between 48 and 140 individuals; in Sao Lourenco cave, between 45 and 346 individuals; in Isaias cave, between 93 and 509 individuals, and in Sorvetao cave, between 27 and 125 individuals. Despite the different sizes, the populations presented similar oscillations, reaching maximum values in June and July and then decreasing until October. No migration events were observed between the nearest caves, about 250 m apart. The species is trogloxen, leaving the cave regularly to feed on the nearest trees and rocky walls and returning in the morning. A Principal Components Analysis (PCA) revealed a sexual dimorphism in the size of the second leg and its femur, the males with average leg length of 16 cm and femur length of 4.5 cm and the females with average leg length of 9 cm and femur length of 2.5 cm. KEY WORDS: Brazil, caves, Goniosoma sp., population ecology.

The Gray-backed Tachuri (Polystictus superciliaris) is a Tyrannidae restricted to eastern Brazilian highlands. Its population and range are still thought to be declining mainly due to habitat loss, caused by land use. We evaluated the impacts on its range (increase or decrease, displacement in latitude and altitude), considering possible effects caused by inappropriate land use and climatic changes. For this purpose, we modeled its current range and estimated its overlap between the predicted area and future scenarios. We also analyzed the efficiency of the Brazilian reserves to the species’ protection. The range established by the Maxent model was 76.1% lower than that available in the literature and presented a decrease in the future. Range contraction for the periods under consideration ranged from 22.5% to 77.3%. The distribution center shifts to the southwest (from 102.5 km to 275.4 km) and to higher elevations (1,102 m to 1,428 m). From the predicted range, 20% are under some kind of human occupation. The Brazilian reserves partially protect the species, with only 12% of its range, from the 44.2% expected. Based on these predictions, and depending on the species’ dispersal ability and adaptation, it may become vulnerable in the period of 2080. This study demonstrates that the most important areas for maintaining populations ofP. superciliaris now and in the future are those located in the ‘Iron Quadrangle’, especially the Serra da Gandarela, where it was partially protected by the recently decreed Gandarela National Park. This region should receive special attention because it is strongly threatened by iron mining in areas relevant for conservation located outside this reserve. O papa-moscas-de-costas-cinzentas (Polystictus superciliaris) é uma espécie de Tyrannidae endêmica dos topos de montanha do leste do Brasil. Sua população e área de distribuição estão em declínio principalmente devido è perda de habitat causada pelo uso inadequado da terra. Nós avaliamos os impactos sobre sua distribuição (aumento ou diminuição, deslocamento em latitude e altitude), considerando os possíveis efeitos causados pelo uso do solo e pelas mudanças climáticas. Para esse propósito, modelamos a distribuição atual e avaliamos a sobreposição entre a área predita e os cenários futuros. Também avaliamos a eficiência das Unidades de Conservação brasileiras para a proteção da espécie. A área de distribuição estimada por meio do programa Maxent foi 79,1% menor que a área encontrada na literatura, apresentando uma tendência a diminuição no futuro. Foi projetada uma contração de 22,5% a 77,3% da área de distribuição atual para o futuro. O centro da área de distribuição deslocou-se para o sudeste (de 102,5 a 275,4 km) e para áreas com alta elevação (1.102 m a 1.428 m). Da área projetada, 20% encontra-se sob algum tipo de ocupação humana. As Unidades de Conservação brasileiras protegem parcialmente a espécie, com somente 12% de sua distribuição quando o esperado seriam 44,2%. Baseado nas projeções e, dependendo das habilidades de dispersão e adaptação da espécie, ela pode se tornar vulnerável no período de 2080. Este estudo demonstrou que as áreas mais importantes para a manutenção de P. superciliaris na atualidade e em períodos futuros situam-se no Quadrilátero Ferrífero, especialmente na Serra da Gandarela, onde parte foi recentemente decretada como Parque Nacional da Gandarela. Essa região deve receber atenção especial por ser altamente ameaçada pela exploração do minério de Ferro e por áreas relevantes continuarem desprotegidas fora da abrangência do novo Parque.

Rubrica nasuta (Christ 1791) is a solitary wasp that feeds its larvae progressively with adults of at least eight families of flies: Tabanidae, Stratiomyidae, Asilidae, Bombyliidae, syrphidae, Calliphoridae, Tachinidae, and Muscidae. The wasps showed two tactics of searching for prey: a continuous search for flies sparsely distributed in pathways; a restricted search in more profitable patches. In the former, the wasps were seen alongside dirt-roads and in places with open vegetation, flying about 30 cm above the ground. In the latter, restricted searching was observed wherever large quantities of flies were found, for instance, over ephemeral resources like flowers or feces. Restricting the search to a patch could be more profitable but requires previous information about the distribution of the patches. This information could be gained when the wasps are engaged in continuous searching. The R. nasuta searching flight was performed around obstacles, like twigs and leaves, where potential prey could be pe...

Summary 1. Ptilothrix plumata (Hymenoptera) is a neotropical solitary bee that nests in bare, sandy soils. Data on the biology and behaviour of this species are provided. Egg-to-adult development time of a neotropical solitary bee and its parasitoids is quantified for the first time. 2. The bee showed huge variability in egg-to-adult development time. There are two categories of eggs relative to adult emergence. The same season eggs are those from which adults emerge in the same reproductive season in which the eggs were laid. Adults from next season eggs emerge in the next dry reproductive season. This variability in egg-to-adult development time is reached through prepupal diapause. The bee larval parasitoids Leucospis genalis (Hymenoptera) and Anthrax sp. (Diptera) showed similar range in their development times. The data show that diapause is controlled by season. 3. By synchronising adult emergence, this variability in egg-to-adult development time facilitates mate finding, and population recruitment is a consequence of the bees avoiding the unfavourable reproductive season.