Luis Anderson Ribeiro Leite

Mitochondrial pseudogenes in insect DNA barcoding: differing points of view on the same issue

Molecular tools have been used in taxonomy for the purpose of identification and classification of living organisms. Among these, a short sequence of the mitochondrial DNA, popularly known as DNA barcoding, has become very popular. However, the usefulness and dependability of DNA barcodes have been recently questioned because mitochondrial pseudogenes, non-functional copies of the mitochondrial DNA incorporated into the nuclear genome, have been found in various taxa. When these paralogous sequences are amplified together with the mitochondrial DNA, they may go unnoticed and end up being analyzed as if they were orthologous sequences. In this contribution the different points of view regarding the implications of mitochondrial pseudogenes for entomology are reviewed and discussed. A discussion of the problem from a historical and conceptual perspective is presented as well as a discussion of strategies to keep these nuclear mtDNA copies out of sequence analyzes.

Immature Stages of the Neotropical Butterfly, Dynamine agacles agacles

Abstract The external morphology of the immature stages of Dynamine agacles agacles (Dalman, 1823) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Biblidinae) is described, including photos, drawings, and scanning electron micrographs. Data on the adult and larval behavior are given based on observations in the host plant Dalechampia triphylla Lam. (Malpighiales : Euphorbiaceae). The results are compared and discussed with other described species of Biblidinae, allowing to make further observations on the natural history and evolution of Dynamine.

External morphology of the adult of Heraclides anchisiades capys (Hübner, [1809]) (Lepidoptera - Papilionidae) III: abdomen

The purpose of this study was to highlight the morphological components of the abdomen of the adults of Heraclides anchisiades capys (Hubner, [1809]), seeking a comparative focus with other Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea. The most relevant morphological characters were: absence of post-espiracular bar in both the sexes, presence of superuncus in the males as a projection of the eighth tergum and saccus with a posterior projection, bursa copulatrix with approximately 2.3 times the length of the ductus bursae in the females.

External morphology of the adult of Heraclides anchisiades capys (Hübner, [1809]) (Lepidoptera - Papilionidae) I: head, cephalic appendages and cervical region

O proposito deste estudo foi evidenciar os componentes morfologicos da cabeca, seus apendices cefalicos e da regiao cervical dos adultos de Heraclides anchisiades capys (Hubner, [1809]), visando um enfoque comparativo com outros Papilionoidea e Hesperioidea. A morfologia foi descrita atraves de ilustracoes e microscopia eletronica de varredura. Dentre os caracteres morfologicos encontrados destacam-se: presenca de banda transclipeal, sutura laterofacial em vista ventral proxima da metade da margem ocular de aspecto convexo e presenca de rudimento de palpo maxilar. Uniao dos escleritos cervicais ventromedianamente; esclerito cervical ventral anterior situado anteriormente a uniao dos escleritos laterais.

External morphology of the adult of Dynamine postverta (Cramer) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Biblidinae) and patterns of morphological similarity among species from eight tribes of Nymphalidae

External morphology of the adult of Dynamine postverta (Cramer) (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Biblidinae) and patterns of morphological similarity among species from eight tribes of Nymphalidae. The external structure of the integument of Dynamine postverta postverta (Cramer, 1779) is based on detailed morphological drawings and scanning electron microscopy. The data are compared with other species belonging to eight tribes of Nymphalidae, to assist future studies on the taxonomy and systematics of Neotropical Biblidinae.

Immature stages of the Neotropical cracker butterfly, Hamadryas epinome.

Abstract The external morphology of the immature stages of Hamadryas epinome (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867) (Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae : Biblidinae) is described, including drawings, photos and scanning electron micrographs.

Riqueza de borboletas em dois parques urbanos de Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil

In order to contribute to the knowledge of butterflies of Curitiba, were studied two urban municipal parks, the Botanical Garden which has total area of 178,000 m² and has a grove of preserved Araucaria forest only for scientific research, and the Municipal Park of Barreirinha which has total area of 275,380 m² and the area used for sampling of free access to population, with predominance of reforested vegetation. After 10 months of sampling, totaling 240 hours, 787 individuals and 166 species were registered, distributed to the families: Hesperiidae - 46 spp. (27.7%), Nymphalidae - 75 spp. (45.2%), Pieridae - 17 spp. (10.3%), Lycaenidae - 13 spp. (7.8%), Papilionidae - 8 spp. (4.8%) and Riodinidae - 7 spp. (4.2%), among which 22 species are new records for Curitiba, belonging to the families: Hesperiidae, Pieridae, Lycaenidae, Riodinidae and Nymphalidae. About the recorded species, only 33% are considered common to the parks, Sorensen similarity index of 48% confirm that each location has a characteristic lepidopterofauna and distinct from each other.

Butterfly communities respond to structural changes in forest restorations and regeneration in lowland Atlantic Forest, Paraná, Brazil

The Atlantic forest is one of the most diverse biomes on Earth but human activities are transforming this ecosystem into one of the most endangered. Most remnant old-growth rainforest is embedded within a mosaic of regenerating forest, tree plantations, pastures, and agricultural production. This has left a large percentage of the region’s endemic species threatened with extinction. Butterflies are considered as sensitive indicators of ecological conditions, especially in the Atlantic forest. This community can provide a window into animal response to restoration and how recovering habitats are used by native animal communities. The primary goal of this paper was to determine if butterfly communities respond to measures of structural recovery in naturally regenerating and re-forested pastures, and if this response increases the similarity of recovering butterfly communities relative to those of intact forests. Butterfly communities were sampled using two sampling methodologies, passive bait trapping and timed meander counts. These data sets were combined and correlated to assessment of habitat structure. We found that butterfly communities respond rapidly to structural changes in habitats as forest structure recovers on abandoned and restored pastures. While many species of mature forest inhabiting butterflies use regenerating forests as habitat, our young forests also retained an almost intact community of ruderal pasture inhabiting butterflies as well, indicating that these habitats retain many features of highly disturbed pastures. We suggest that measures of beta-diversity, which can be used to assess convergence in community structure, are far superior to the alpha-diversity measures that are typically used for assessing restoration recovery.

Morfologia, comportamento, parasitismo e mecanismos de defesa dos imaturos de Heraclides anchisiades capys (Hübner)(Lepidoptera, Papilionidae)

Heraclides anchisiades capys is a common species among the Papilionidae, whose larvae feed on various species of Citrus spp. (Rutaceae). In this study the morphology and data on natural history of the immature stages of this species are described with illustrations, including photos in scanning electronic microscope.

Imaturos de Sarsina violascens (Herrich-Schäffer) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Lymantriinae)

Sarsina violascens is a polyphagous species that also feeds on P. cattleianum Sabine (Myrtaceae) during the larval stages. In this study the morphology and the behaviour of the immature stages of this species are described and illustrated, including scanning electronic microscopy photographs.