Antonio José Creão-Duarte

Diversidade de Scarabaeidae s. str. (Coleoptera) da Reserva Biológica Guaribas, Mamanguape, Paraíba, Brasil: uma comparação entre Mata Atlântica e Tabuleiro Nordestino

Diversity of Scarabaeidae s. str. (Coleoptera) in the Reserva Biologica Guaribas, Mamanguape, Paraiba, Brazil: a comparison between Atlantic Forest and northeasts Tabuleiro. Scarabaeid beetles consume dung and carcasses of large vertebrates. Guilds of scarabeids were compared between Forest and Tabuleiro at the Reserva Biologica Guaribas, Mamanguape, in the state of Paraiba. Samples were collected monthly from November 2001 to April 2002 in Forest and Tabuleiro. Insects were collected by using 24 pitfall-traps, 12 in each area, with six traps baited with human excrement and six with rotten liver. Fifteen species and 1298 specimens were collected in the Forest and 25 species and 2235 specimens in the Tabuleiro. Eleven species occurred in both areas, whereas 14 were found only in the Tabuleiro and four in the Forest. Dichotomius sericeus (Harold, 1867) was the most abundant species in the two areas. The Tabuleiro was the most species-rich; however dominance was greatest in the Forest. The presence of common species in the two studied areas confers a moderate similarity to the forest and Tabuleiro habitats.

Diversidade e análise faunística de Sphingidae (Lepidoptera) em área de brejo e caatinga no Estado da Paraíba, Brasil

As comunidades de Sphingidae da area de brejo e area de caatinga foram estudadas com armadilhas luminosas, durante 12 meses (marco/2000 a fevereiro/2001), com o objetivo de conhecer a diversidade e estabelecer alguns parâmetros para o monitoramento dessas areas. Dezenove especies foram coletadas, sendo 15 na area de brejo e 14 na area de caatinga. Dez especies foram comuns as areas, 15 foram coletadas apenas no brejo e quatro na caatinga. Callionima grisescens elegans (Gehlen, 1935) foi a especie mais abundante nas duas areas. A distribuicao da abundância de especies no brejo segue o modelo log normal truncado. Na caatinga o padrao de distribuicao de abundância de especies nao foi discriminado pelo teste c2, embora evidencias indiretas indicam uma tendencia para o modelo serie log. Os parâmetros estruturais das assembleias foram estimados a partir de indices de diversidade. No brejo, enquanto a equitatividade foi maior, os indices de Shannon e Brillouin superam aqueles da caatinga. Nessa localidade, os indices de Simpson e Berger-Parker sao muito maior devido a uma maior dominância. A flutuacao populacional para ambas as assembleias, mostraram que suas populacoes sao afetadas pela distribuicao de chuvas durante o ano, ou mais precisamente, pelo periodo de reposicao de agua no solo, como demonstrado pelo balanco hidrico.

Considerações sobre Coprophanaeus ensifer (Germar) (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) em um remanescente de Mata Atlântica no Estado da Paraíba, Brasil

Insects of the family Scarabaeidae feed on organic matter in decomposition, participating actively in biogeocycling of nutrients. C. ensifer is a large-sized necrophagous beette that occurs in tropical forests. In the present work we aimed to record some ecological characteristics of this species regarding the seasonality and bait attractivity. Thirteen samples were performed between December/1998 and December/1999 in the Mata do Buraquinho, a remnant of the Atlantic Forest in Joao Pessoa, PB. Seventy-one specimens were captured in four baited pitfall traps: 35 on pork meat, 22 on kidney, and 14 on bovine meat. There was no significant difference among the baits with respect to their stimuli for attracting the insects. No specimens of C. ensifer were trapped on baits of liver. The monthly abundance of insects is positively correlated the precipitation (rs=0,65; p<0,05) and humidity (rs=0,55; p<0,05) and inversely with temperature (rs=-0,70; p<0,01). The specimens were collected only from April to September, within the rainy period, an aspect that corroborates the seasonal pattern of occurrence.

Estimativa do intervalo pós-morte em um canino (Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus 1758) pela entomologia forense em Cabedelo-PB, Brasil: relato de caso

The postmortem interval (PMI) is an important tool for diagnosis related to the forensic practice. The use of insects has proved to be an efficient diagnosis tool when the cadaver is in advanced decomposition stage. The objective of this work was to estimate PMI based on entomological evidence in a canine. Fly larvae was collected from the cadaver and forwarded to the Entomology laboratory. The fly larvae were reared and hatched adults of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann 1819). With these insects and the abiotic data of temperature and relative humidity, from the places of collection and rearing larvae, a minimum PMI of 3.34 days from the laying of eggs by the flies until the time that we collected the larvae was obtained. The results show that Forensic Entomology as tool to estimate PMI is decisive and effective in the elucidation of the case.

Diversidade de membracídeos (Hemiptera, Membracidae) e sobreposição de recursos tróficos em área do semi-árido

We examined 1,069 individuals of 13 species of membracids collected on their host plants, between August 2004 and September 2005, in a semi-arid region, State of Paraiba, Northeastern Brazil. Enchenopa concolor (Fairmaire, 1846) (31.6%) and E. euniceae Creao-Duarte & Rothea, 2006 (24.8%) were the most abundant species. Five families of host plants harbored these insects. Amongst these families, Fabaceae showed the highest richness (12) and abundance (70.3%) of membracids. Darnis olivacea Fabricius, 1803, Hygris beckeri Sakakibara, 1998 and Sundarion flavum (Fairmaire, 1846) showed the highest values of niche breadth. Amongst the most abundant species, E. minuta Creao-Duarte & Rothea, 2006 and Micrutalis binaria (Faimaire, 1846) showed the highest trophic niche overlap, but the temporal overlap between them was relatively low. The results revealed possible strategies developed by the species for coexistence and utilization of resources in Caatinga.

Análise de parcimônia de endemismo de membracídeos neotropicais (Hemiptera, Membracidae, Hoplophorionini)

The Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE) consists in an important tool of the historical biogeography which has the purpose of detecting distribution patterns of organisms and the relationships among areas of endemism. Insect distribution data included in Membracidae-Hoplophorionini occurring in the American Continent were used in the present research in order to establish the relationships among eight predetermined areas of endemism which are: 1) Mexico, 2) Greater Antilles, 3) Central America, 4) North Andes, 5) Central Andes, 6) South Andes, 7) Amazon, e 8) South East Brazil. The data matrix was based on the presence (coded as 1) and abscence (0) of taxa in the areas. The analysis was performed with the use of computer program Hennig86 (Farris 1988) applying the comands ie (implicit enumeration), and xs w (successive weighting). Resulted in the cladogram (A2,((A6,(A1 ,(A3,(A4,A5)))),(A7,A8))) with 236 steps, consistency index = 0.94 and retention index = 0.86. Areas 7 and 8 follow a subtropical and tropical vegetation pattern made up respectively by pluvial forests and groves. The remaining areas (except 2) agree with mountainous vegetation of the Andes pattern and groves throughout the extention.

Revisão de Alchisme Kirkaldy (Hemiptera, Membracidae, Membracinae, Hoplophorionini)

Thirty four (34) species of Alchisme Kirkaldy, 1904 are presented with descriptions, illustrations, and key for identification, except for two of them which were not seen, A. truncaticornis (Germar, 1835) and A. intermedia (Distant, 1881). The following nomenclatural changes are introduced: Achisme intermedia (Distant, 1881), sp. rev.; A. testacea (Fairmaire, 1846), sp. rev.; Alchisme apicalis (Walker, 1851) = A. costaricensis Goding, 1929, syn.n.; A. inermis (Fairmaire, 1846) = Triquetra nigrocarinala Fairmaire, 1846, syn.n.; A. rubrocostata (Spinola, 1852) = A. neuquina Remes-Lenicov, 1978, syn.n.; A. turrita (Germar, 1835) = Triquetra submaculata Buckton, 1901, syn.n.; A. ustulata (Fairmaire, 1846) = Triquetra virgata Fairmaire, 1846, syn.n.; A. virescens (Fairmaire, 1846) = Alchisme spinosa Funkhouser, 1940, syn.n.; Alchisme banosiensis sp.n. (from Ecuador); A. bordoni sp.n. (from Venezuela); A. colombiana sp.n. (from Colombia); A. salta sp.n. (from Argentina); A. cultellata sp.n. (from Venezuela); A. deflexa sp.n. (from Venezuela); A. erecta sp.n. (from Venezuela); A. frontomaculata sp.n. (from Brazil); A. goiana sp.n. (from Brazil); A. henryi sp.n. (from Venezuela); A. insolita sp.n. (from Colombia); A. mackameyi sp.n. (from Ecuador); A. onorei sp.n. (from Ecuador); A. schuhi sp.n. (from Peru).

Revisão do gênero Potnia Stål (Homoptera, Membracidae, Membracinae, Hoplophorionini)

Fifteen species of Potnia Stal, 1866 are presented with descriptions, illustrations and a key for identification. The following nomenclatural changes are introduced: P. knightae sp.n. (from Guiana), P. miracyae sp.n. (from Costa Rica), P. diringshofeni sp.n. (from Brasil), P. webbi sp.n. (from Brazil), P. turrialbensis sp.n. (from Costa Rica), P. pinheiroi sp.n. (from Brazil), P. tapuruquarensis sp.n. (from Brasil), P. cornigera sp.n. (from Brazil) and P. inca sp.n. (from Peru). Potnia venosa (Germar, 1821) = Aconophora nigrivittata Walker, 1851, syn.n. = Potnia perobtusa Fowler, 1894, syn.n.. Potnia brevicornis Fowler, 1894, sp. reval. = Potnia brunneifrontis Funkhouser, 1943, syn.n. = Potnia maculata Funkhouser, 1943, syn.n.. Potnia jacula (Fabricius, 1803) = Potnia orthosoma Fonseca & Diringshofen, 1974, syn.n.

Duas novas espécies de Enchenopa Amyot & Serville (Hemiptera, Membracidae) do semi-árido do Estado da Paraíba, Brasil

Enchenopa euniceae sp. nov. and E. minuta sp. nov. (both from Sao Jose dos Cordeiros, Paraiba, Brasil) are described and illustrated.

Revisão do gênero Tynelia Stål e descrição de um novo gênero correlato (Hemiptera, Membracidae, Smiliinae)

Tynelia Stal, 1858 is revised and its limits redefined; two species are included: T. longula Burmeister, 1835 (= Boethoos nitida Funkhouser, 1922, Syn.n.)and T. godoyae sp.n. (from Brazil, Para). Neotynelia gen.n. (type species: Darnis pubescens Fabricius, 1803) is described and the following species are treated, as well as some nomenclatural changes introduced: Neotynelia pubescens (Fabricius, 1803) comb.n. (= Tragopa prominens Walker, 1858 Syn.n.;= Boethoos hirsuta Funkhouser, 1922 Syn.n.; = Boethoos cinctata Haviland, 1925, Syn.n.); Neotynelia vertebralis (Fairmaire, 1846) sp. reval., comb.n. (= Tragopa bilinea Walker, 1858 Syn.n.; = Boethoos brunnea Funkhouser, 1922 Syn.n.); Neotynelia distinguenda (Fowler, 1895), sp. reval., comb.n.; Neotynelia nigra (Funkhouser, 1940) comb.n. (= Tynelia flavodorsata Fonseca, 1941 Syn.n.); Neotynelia bandeirai sp.n., Neotynelia martinsi sp.n., and Neotynelia rafaeli sp.n. (all three new species from Brazil, Mato Grosso).