Josué Raizer

Predicting the geographic distribution of Lutzomyia longipalpis (Diptera: Psychodidae) and visceral leishmaniasis in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

To understand the geographic distribution of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS), Brazil, both the climatic niches of Lutzomyia longipalpis and VL cases were analysed. Distributional data were obtained from 55 of the 79 counties of MS between 2003-2012. Ecological niche models (ENM) of Lu. longipalpis and VL cases were produced using the maximum entropy algorithm based on eight climatic variables. Lu. longipalpis showed a wide distribution in MS. The highest climatic suitability for Lu. longipalpis was observed in southern MS. Temperature seasonality and annual mean precipitation were the variables that most influenced these models. Two areas of high climatic suitability for the occurrence of VL cases were predicted: one near Aquidauana and another encompassing several municipalities in the southeast region of MS. As expected, a large overlap between the models for Lu. longipalpis and VL cases was detected. Northern and northwestern areas of MS were suitable for the occurrence of cases, but did not show high climatic suitability for Lu. longipalpis . ENM of vectors and human cases provided a greater understanding of the geographic distribution of VL in MS, which can be applied to the development of future surveillance strategies.

Geographic distribution of phlebotomine sandfly species (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Central-West Brazil

This study updates the geographic distributions of phlebotomine species in Central-West Brazil and analyses the climatic factors associated with their occurrence. The data were obtained from the entomology services of the state departments of health in Central-West Brazil, scientific collections and a literature review of articles from 1962-2014. Ecological niche models were produced for sandfly species with more than 20 occurrences using the Maxent algorithm and eight climate variables. In all, 2,803 phlebotomine records for 127 species were analysed. Nyssomyia whitmani, Evandromyia lenti and Lutzomyia longipalpis were the species with the greatest number of records and were present in all the biomes in Central-West Brazil. The models, which were produced for 34 species, indicated that the Cerrado areas in the central and western regions of Central-West Brazil were climatically more suitable to sandflies. The variables with the greatest influence on the models were the temperature in the coldest months and the temperature seasonality. The results show that phlebotomine species in Central-West Brazil have different geographical distribution patterns and that climate conditions in essentially the entire region favour the occurrence of at least one Leishmania vector species, highlighting the need to maintain or intensify vector control and surveillance strategies.

Division of labor in colonies of the eusocial wasp, Mischocyttarus consimilis.

Abstract The division of labor between castes and the division of labor in workers according to age (temporal polyethism) in social wasps are crucial for maintaining social organization. This study evaluated the division of labor between castes, and the temporal polyethism in workers of Mischocyttarus consimilis Zikán (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). To describe the behavioral repertory of this species, observations were made of 21 colonies, with 100 hours of observations. In order to observe temporal polyethism, each newly emerged wasp was marked with colored dots on the upper area of the thorax. This allowed the observation of behavioral acts performed by each worker from the time of emergence to its death. Through hybrid multidimensional scaling, a clear division between queens and workers could be identified, in which the behaviors of physical dominance and food solicitation characterized the queen caste; while behaviors such as adult—adult trophallaxis, destruction of cells, alarm, foraging for prey, foraging for nectar, and unsuccessful foraging characterized the worker caste. Hybrid multidimensional scaling characterized two groups, with intra—nest activities preferentially accomplished by younger workers, while extra—nest activities such as foraging were executed more frequently by older workers.

Predacious activity of Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in conventional and in No-till agriculture systems

This study had the objective of assessing the differences in foraging activity of the predacious ants between two areas, one conventional and other with no-till agriculture systems. The research was conducted in two contiguous 1.5 ha plots in Dourados MS, Brazil, from February 2001 to December 2003. Each plot received 750 baits (Nasutitermes termites), 425 at daylight and 325 at night. The termites were placed on the filter paper, on the ground, and ant attack was monitored for 15 min, until removed. Sixteen ant species were found in the no-till system and nine in the conventional system. Baits removed from no-till were significantly higher than the conventional plots and were influenced by the sampling time, at day or night. The seasons of the year did not significantly explain the variations in the structure of the predacious ant communities in neither of the systems. The significant differences at foraging activity and ant richness between the areas indicated that the no-tillage system could improve environmental quality of the cropping and therefore, became an important tool for the integrated pest management programs.

Passage Through Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818) Increases Germination of Cecropia pachystachya (Urticaceae) Seeds:

Neotropical frugivorous bats are common seed dispersers of several pioneer plant species, conferring to the bats an important role for conservation purposes. However, the effects of bats on seed germination have been scarcely addressed. Here, we evaluate effects of passage of seeds through guts of Artibeus lituratus bats on the germination of the pioneer tree Cecropia pachystachya, accounting for seed storage time and fruit maturity as covariates. To control for seed sources, we collected infructescences and offered them partially to captive bats in order to obtain seeds passed through bats and seeds unpassed from the same infructescences. We then stored in glycerol subsets of seeds of both treatments through time until the beginning of the germination experiment. Germination success responded to storage time and fruit maturation stage. Among seeds from unripe fruits, those passed through the bat guts showed higher percentage of germination than seeds unpassed, but no difference occurred between treatments for seeds from mature fruits. In addition, passage through bats positively affected germination speed, irrespective of fruit maturity. Overall results support that bats can promote germination of C. pachystachya seeds, in addition to seed dispersal.

Comunidade de Carabidae (Coleoptera) em manchas florestais no Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

This work addresses the effects of the size, flooding susceptibility and vegetation complexity on ground beetles community structure (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in forest patches (capoes) in the sub-regions Miranda and Abobral of the Pantanal, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Thirty pitfall traps were run for six days per month, in six forest patches between October 1998 and October 1999. A total of 2,071 individuals of 64 species were captured. Negrea scutellaris (Dejean, 1831) and an unidentified Lebiini were the most abundant species (472 and 464 individuals respectively). Gregarious distribution and great number of species of low abundance could reflect the pattern of resource availability in the tropical regions. Species richness in the forest patches was explained only by vegetation complexity, whereas species composition demonstrated no significant relationship with any of the considered variables. This lack of relationship could have been driven by the limited variation in size and vegetation complexity of capoes; alternatively, it may reflect a stronger effect of species composition change at regional, rather than local scales.

Germination of Cecropia pachystachya (Urticaceae) Dispersed by Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818) and Artibeus planirostris (Spix, 1823; Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Neotropical fruit bats are important dispersers of endozoochorous seeds, and the passage of seeds through their guts can affect germination. We asked whether the passage of Cecropia pachystachya (Urticaceae) seeds through guts of bats influences their germination behavior, specifically the proportion of germinated seeds and onset and speed of germination. We collected seed sets from bat feces and directly from ripe fruits monthly for a total of 6 months, in the urban area of Campo Grande, Central Brazil. Seeds were stored in glycerol until the germination experiment. During the experiment, for 45 days we maintained seed sets in a germinator and recorded daily seed development. Through redundancy correlation analysis, the interaction between seed source (fruits or bat feces) and time of storage explained 78% of variation in the germination parameters—the onset and speed of germination and the percentage of germinated seeds. Through data generated from random resamples, seed sets defecated by bats presented slower germination speed than seeds from ripe fruits, but onset of germination and proportion of germinated seeds did not differ between seeds passed or not passed through Artibeus lituratus and Artibeus planirostris. Overall, our results support that fruit bats are safe dispersers of C. pachystachya and promote asynchrony of germination among seeds, which may favor parental fitness in less predictable environments.