Manoel Martins Dias

Estrutura trófica da avifauna na Reserva Estadual de Gurjaú, Zona da Mata Sul, Pernambuco, Brasil

O estudo da estrutura trofica da avifauna da Reserva Estadual de Gurjau (8o14’S, 35o03’W) envolveu 225 especies de aves identificadas, das quais, 220 registradas por meio de observacoes in situ e capturas, quatro por meio de entrevistas com moradores da area do entorno e uma atraves de consulta a Colecao Ornitologica da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco. As familias que se destacaram com o maior numero de especies foram Tyrannidae (N = 43) e Emberizidae (N = 36). Dentre as guildas, os insetivoros (N = 99) e onivoros (N = 59) englobaram a maioria das especies.

Composição da avifauna em duas matas ciliares na bacia do rio Jacaré-Pepira, São Paulo, Brasil

A quali-quantitative survey was carried out in two riparian forests fragmente (approximately 40 ha each) at Jacare-Pepira river. Our intention was to characterize its bird community conceming richness, abundance and species occurrence in these areas. The qualitative survey showed 130 species at Santa Elisa (Brotas, Sao Paulo) and 151 at Morro Chato (Dourado, Sao Paulo), whereas the quantitative survey revealed the presence of 69 and 75 species at Santa Elisa and Morro Chato, respectively. The small size and the isolation might be responsible for the low number of species found. Observing the abundance index values (IPA) we realize that there are a few number of species with a high IPA on the one hand, while on the other there is a large number of species with intermediate and low IPA rates. A high detection coefficient (vocalization), low predatoiy rates and competition might have contributed for the higher abundance values found among these species. Furthermore, we have also registered species which are abundant in a fragment, but absent in the other, which might be explained by initial exclusion or local extinction. In spite of the riparian forests being protected by law, its clearing process has not stopped yet. Therefore, the study of this bird community is of uppermost impoitance for the elaboration of both conservation and management projects regarding these areas.

Larvas de Geometridae (Lepidoptera) e seus parasitóides, associadas a Erythroxylum microphyllum St.- Hilaire (Erythroxylaceae)

This work was carried out in a cerrado area, in Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. The samples were collected at each two weeks, from June/1999 to June/2000, with entomological umbrella. 22 species of Geometridae arranged in 14 genera were found; concerning parasitoids, 11 genera of Hymenoptera and two genera of Diptera, Tachinidae. The occurrence of Cyclomia mopsaria (Geometridae) was 83%. Other Geometridae recorded were: Glena unipennaria, G. bipennaria, G. demissaria, G. brachia, Physocleora junctilinea, P. cariaria, Physocleora sp., Iridopsis fulvitincta, I. nigraria, Hymenomima amberia, Macaria regulata, Ischnopteris inornata, Prochoerodes onustaria, Prochoerodes sp., Thyrinteina arnobia, Nematocampa sp., Melanolophia sp., Isochromodes sp., Semaeopus lunifera, S. vizaria. The Hymenoptera were: Microcharops peronata, Charops sp., Metopius sp., Hyposoter sp., Mesochorus sp. (Ichneumonidae); Aleiodes sp., Meteorus sp., Glyptapanteles sp., Protapanteles sp. (Braconidae); Euplectrus sp. (Eulophidae). The Diptera, Tachinidae were: Winthemia sp. (Winthemiini) and a Blondeliini species. The period of higher occurrence of Geometridae larvae and lowest rate of parasitism was during the end of rainy season and the beginning of the dry season.

Comunidade de aves da Reserva Estadual de Gurjaú, Pernambuco, Brasil

A qualitative and quantitative bird surveys were carried out in a forest fragment in Gurjau Reserve, Santo Agostinho Cape, Pernambuco State, Brazil. By qualitative census were registered 220 different bird species. Concerning the point counts, were identified 175 different species in 6.470 contacts (270 samples). A frequency of occurrence of 75% was registered for 43 species (19,6%); the most part of species had a frequency of occurrence below 25%.

Diet of understorey birds in two Atlantic Forest areas of southeast Brazil.

The feeding habits of understorey birds of two fragments of Atlantic Forest in southeast Brazil were studied, based on faecal content. The 434 samples examined contained 2535 items, principally consisting of invertebrates and fruit, of which 2286 (90.2%) could be identified in detail. Although there was no significant difference between the areas with respect to the occurrence of these two food categories in the diet, there were differences in the relative proportions of some of the invertebrate and plant taxa represented. Some birds that had been considered generalists appeared to have dietary specializations, indicating that existing knowledge of the trophic ecology of neotropical birds is inadequate. To eliminate this critical knowledge gap, it is recommended that studies be undertaken at community level together with examination of faecal samples, the latter being a low-cost, non-invasive, non-lethal technique.

Frugivory by birds in a mosaic of seasonal semideciduous forest and a mixed reforested area in Rio Claro, Sao Paulo, Brazil

To support future forest recovery projects based on plant-animal interactions, this work aimed to evaluate the ornithochoric species and fruit consumption by birds in both a mosaic of seasonal semideciduous forest and a mixed reforested area in Rio Claro, Sao Paulo, Brazil. By monitoring and evaluating fruiting and frugivory events in focal and ad libitum sessions, 31 ornithochoric species were found that provide fruits to 38 species of frugivorous birds. In the mixed reforested area, 90.3% (n = 28) of the ornithochoric species had fruit throughout the year, while in the forest fragment this percentage was only 51.6% (n = 16), with higher temporal variations in the availability of the fruits; 65.2% (n = 1027) of fruits were consumed in the reforested area and 34.8% (n = 547) in the forest fragment. These results may be related to the smaller size of the forest fragment, which, proportionately, could determine a lower richness of plant species, and/or to the fact that abiotic dispersal tends to predominate in fragmented and disturbed sites. The mixed reforested area, although it has some exotic plant species, is ecologically more functional for birds and, due to its proximity to the fragment, apparently contributes to the maintenance of the resident and visiting bird communities of this region by providing food resources.

Diet and prey availability of terrestrial insectivorous birds prone to extinction in amazonian forest fragments

Dieta e disponibilidade de presas de aves insetivoras terrestres em fragmentos florestais amazonicos. As aves insetivoras terrestres sao um dos grupos mais vulneraveis a fragmentacao de florestas tropicais; no entanto algumas especies desta guilda ainda sobrevivem em fragmentos florestais e em florestas secundarias. Se a sensibilidade destas aves a fragmentacao de florestas estivesse associada a dieta, entao especies com a dieta relativamente flexivel teriam maior propensao em persistir nos fragmentos florestais. Este estudo comparou sobreposicao trofica, amplitude de nicho, tamanho de presas e variabilidade de dieta de dois pares de especies de aves insetivoras terrestres, onde cada par foi composto por uma especie que persiste nos fragmentos e outra que nao: Myrmeciza ferruginea e Sclerurus rufigularis; Formicarius colma e Formicarius analis, respectivamente. A disponibilidade de presas foi tambem amostrada e comparada entre os fragmentos florestais e a floresta continua. Os indices de amplitude de nicho nao foram significativamente diferentes entre membros dos pares, e a variabilidade de dieta diferiu no sentido oposto aquele previsto. Embora as especies mais vulneraveis tenham consumido presas maiores que as especies mais resistentes, a disponibilidade de presas nao diferiu significativamente entre os fragmentos e a floresta continua. Assim, pode ser concluido que dieta nao e o principal determinante na extincao destas especies nos pequenos fragmentos florestais. A mais simples explicacao proposta, de que vulnerabilidade a fragmentacao e diretamente relacionada ao tamanho do territorio, requer testes. No entanto, a probabilidade de que estas aves precisem de territorios maiores por que predam invertebrados maiores e consistente com observacoes nao publicadas feitas nas areas de estudo.

Aspectos bionômicos de Eois tegularia (Guenée) e Eois glauculata (Walker) (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae) e seus parasitóides

Eois tegularia (Guenee, [1858]) and Eois glauculata (Walker, [1863]) larvae were studied by one year in semidec iduous forest at Canchim Farm (EMBRAPA), Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Specimens were hosted by species of Piper Linnaeus (Piperaceae): P. mollicomum Kunth, P. amalogo Linnaeus, P. glabratum Kunth and P. gaudichaudianum Kunth. Some parasitoids were reared from the larvae of Eois Hubner, 1818 species, as follow. Hymenoptera: Cotesia Cameron, 1891, Apanteles Foerster, 1862, Glyptapanteles Ashmead, 1904, Dolichogenidea Viereck, 1911, Meteorus Haliday, 1835 (Braconidae); Mesochorus Gravenhorst, 1829, Venturia Schrottky, 1902 (Ichneumonidae); Elachertus Spinola, 1811 (Eulophidae); Perilampus Latreille, 1809 (Perilampidae), Diptera: Myiopharus Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1889 (Tachinidae).

Novos gênero e espécie de Satyrinae (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) do sudeste brasileiro

Euplychia paeon (Godart, 1824) (=Euptychia marmorata Butler, 1866) and Euptychia griseldis Weymer, 1911 are placed under Carminda gen.n. Carminda umuarama sp.n. is described. The studied specimens are from southem Brazil and adjacent areas of Paraguay and Argentina.

Cuidado parental de Sula leucogaster (Boddaert) (Aves, Pelecaniformes, Sulidae) nas Ilhas dos Currais, Paraná, Brasil

In Sula leucogaster (Boddaert, 1783) it happens a brood reduction from two to one egg. The eggs hatch asynchronously and it is rare for the second chick to survive for long. A quantify parental investment is proposed and the differences between males and females of Sula leucogaster is verified for to help to understand the brood reduction. The studies were conducted on Ilhas dos Currais, Parana, Brazil, where a total of 140 nests were studied. Males and females shared the breeding care period. However, females invested about 8% more on incubation than males (c2 = 7,37; c2 critic = 3,842). Time of absence in the nest for females was larger than for males (c2 = 13,9; c2 critic = 3,842). This is probably a function of females bringing food to chicks more frequently (61%, n = 120) than males (c2 = 5,63; c2 critic = 3,842). The main parental investment during the phases with eggs and/or hatchings was protection, and during the postfledging period was to provide feeding. The brood reduction in S. leucogaster is due to the high cost of rearing two chicks during the same breeding attempt. This could be a disadvantage to the future survival and/or the reproduction of both parents and chicks.