EntomoBrasilis

Lestrimelitta chacoana Roig-Alsina, 2010 (Meliponini, Apidae) in a Semideciduous Atlantic Forest, Southern Brazil

Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The species of the cleptobiotic bee genus Lestrimelitta Friese, 1903 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) are generally known as a menace to Meliponiculture and Apiculture, that is why it is common to observe recommendations to beekeepers to avoid the proximity of their meliponaries with any Lestrimelitta hives. So, besides other anthropic pressures, the growth of beekeeping may represent a particular threat to its species. In this note we address the distribution of three species recorded in the triple border region of Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil. One of these species, Lestrimelitta chacoana Roig-Alsina, 2010 (Hymenoptera: Apidae), previously described from the Argentinian Dry Chaco, is recorded for the Semideciduous Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil where it was already expected to be found due to its previous record in a contiguous forest type in Northeastern Argentina. A discussion about the characters to differentiate it from two other species is made.

Record of Lepidoptera and Hemiptera as a food resource of Acutisoma longipes Roewer, 1913 (Arachnida; Opiliones) in the Cerrado, Brazil

Fri, 21 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Harvestmen are nocturnal arachnids, commonly found in humid forests, with omnivorous feeding behavior. There are records of different taxa in the diet of these arthropods, but data is still scarce for many species, especially in Cerrado areas. Thus, the objective of the present work is to report Lepidoptera and Hemiptera in the diet of the harvestman Acutisoma longipes Roewer, 1913, in Mata de Galeria in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The records occurred randomly in the municipality of Luminárias, Minas Gerais, on October 10th and December 4th, 2023. In the first record, the species A. longipes was feeding on a moth (Lepidoptera: Erebidae). In the second record, the same species fed on a leafhopper, Mahanarva sp. (Hemiptera, Cercopidae). It was not possible to say whether these insects were preyed upon, usurped by other predators or found dead, but any of these hypotheses can be considered. This record contributes to increasing knowledge about the diet of harvestmen, especially in the Cerrado biome, where there is a need for more related studies.

Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) as a predator of the leaf-galling form of the grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch, 1856) (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) in Brazil

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is an Asian species intentionally introduced in many countries as a biological control agent for insect pests. In Brazil, it was introduced accidentally and recorded for the first time in Curitiba, Paraná State, in 2002. An inventory of natural enemies of the leaf-galling form of the grape phylloxera Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (Fitch, 1856) (Hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) carried out in Bento Gonçalves, Rio Grande do Sul, the occurrence of predation of all stages of development of D. vitifoliae by larvae and adults of H. axyridis. The presence of H. axyridis preying on D. vitifoliae in vineyards is important because it identifies an exotic species acting as a predator of grape phylloxera populations in Brazil.

Recent observations on the distribution of the endangered butterfly Eresia erysice erysice (Geyer, 1832) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)

Gabriel Vila-Verde, Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The Brazilian endemic butterfly Eresia erysice erysice (Geyer, 1832) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) has been included in the Official List of Brazilian Endangered Fauna as critically endangered (CR). Until now, this rare butterfly has only been known to inhabit Atlantic Forest fragments in the “Hileia Baiana”. This paper presents updated information on occurrences of E. e. erysice. A male and a female specimens were collected in a disturbed forest fragment near the experimental fields of the Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau (CEPEC), Ilhéus, Bahia. These new findings indicate that the distribution boundary of this subspecies extends about 80 km more to the north and suggest that it is not as exclusive to forest habitats as previously thought.

Antennal ultrastructure of three species of Cyclocephala Dejean, 1821 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Sérgio Roberto Rodrigues, Andrezza Santos Cocco — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0300

This study describes the antennal ultrastructure in Cyclocephala forsteri Endrodi, 1963, Cyclocephala melanocephala (Fabricius, 1775) and Cyclocephala tucumana Brethes, 1904 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Adult of Cyclocephala Dejean, 1821 specimens were collected using a light trap placed near a pasture area, segregated by gender, based on male-specific dilated pre-tarsomeres and preserved in 70% alcohol. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the antenna lamellae were obtained from ten specimens at Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil. We identified trichoid, chaetic, placoid, coeloconic, basiconic sensilla, and pores in antenna of all the species. Placoid sensilla were prevalent in the antennal lamellae. The antennae of C. forsteri females had 5,457 sensilla, of which 5,327 (97.62%) were placoid, 123 (2.25%) coeloconic, and seven (0.13%) basiconic, while the antennae of males showed 5,351 sensilla, with 5,238 (97.89%) being placoid, 100 (1.87%) coeloconic, and 13 (0.24%) basiconic. The antennae of C. melanocephala females presented 6,814 sensilla, with 6,581 (96.58%) being placoid, 231 (3.39%) coeloconic, and two (0.03%) basiconic; while those of males had 6,333 sensilla, with 6,023 (95.11%) being placoid and 310 (4.89%) coeloconic. Finally, the antennae of C. tucumana females had 1,981 sensilla, with 1,845 (93.13%) being placoid, 127 (6.42%) coeloconic, and nine (0.45%) basiconic; while the antennae of males had 3,756 sensilla, with 3,656 (97.34%) being placoid, 99 (2.64%) coeloconic, and one (0.02%) basiconic. Overall, adults of C. melanocephala and C. tucumana presented dimorphism in the antennal sensilla.

Case report of a preserved male corpse: estimation of post-mortem interval based on four Dipteran species of four different families

Victor Wilson Botteon, Anderson Gaedke, Victor Michelon Alves — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Case reports are extremely valuable in forensic entomology and very rare in Brazil. In this report we describe a case of multiple colonization of a preserved male cadaver found indoors in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil, by four dipterans species of four different families: Fannia canicularis (Linnaeus, 1761) (Diptera: Fanniidae), Microcerella halli (Engel, 1931) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), Muscina stabulans (Fallén, 1817) (Diptera: Muscidae) and Sarconesia chlorogaster (Wiedemann, 1830) (Diptera: Calliphoridae). The development time data of the species were used to estimate the minimum postmortem interval (PMI). Considering the methodology applied in this study and the values calculated for the species development, it was possible to estimate a minimum PMI of 24 days. Besides the diversity of dipteran species colonizing a single human body in an indoor environment, this case report reinforces the importance of these species as forensically indicator to estimate the time of death.

Idiopidae Simon, 1889 in the Brazilian Amazon: two new species and a new geographic record

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Idiopidae Simon, 1889 is mostly composed of spiders known as trapdoor spiders, which create structures for shelter, hunting and protection against possible predators (Mason et al., 2013). It is divided into three subfamilies: Arbanitinae Simon, 1903, with spiders restricted to Oceania, Genysinae Simon, 1903, occurring in India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar and South America, and Idiopinae Simon, 1889, from South America, Africa, East Middle and South to Southeast Asia (Raven 1985; World Spider Catalog 2023). Idiopidae is widely distributed throughout the world, however, only two genera are present in Brazil: Idiops Perty, 1833 and Neocteniza Pocock, 1895. In this work, we describe a new species for both genera present in Brazil and a new record of Idiops.

New species of Bolbapium Boucomont, 1910 (Coleoptera: Geotrupidae) from Brazil

Caique Dantas, André da Silva Ferreira, Freddy Bravo — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Bolbapium Boucomont, 1910 is a Neotropical genus of Geotrupidae with 22 known species. In this paper, we describe Bolbapium vazdemelloi sp. nov. in Southwestern Bahia, Brazil. This new species is distinguished from congeneric species by its unique combination of morphological characters: cephalic tubercle adjacent to each eye; pronotum with little expanded bidentate tubercle; parameres symmetric, with acute and divergent apex. The new species was incorporated into a previously published identification key for Bolbapium.

Mosquitex, a new tool for capturing Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae)

Thu, 09 May 2024 00:00:00 -0300

The species Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti (Linnaeus, 1762) (Diptera: Culicidae) is of great importance for human health, as it is responsible for the transmission of viruses that can cause dengue, chikungunya, zika and urban yellow fever. The proposal of this study is to test the efficiency of a new trap model in capturing and trapping Ae. aegypti based on favoring the insect's ecology. This trap model was analyzed regarding the attractiveness for egg-laying, and the trapping of larvae and consequently the adults. The tests were carried out using white traps (original version) and black traps (adapted from the original), both in field and laboratory conditions. In the field, the black traps showed 100% effectiveness compared to white traps, showing more positive results for the attractiveness of Ae. aegypti mosquito and adult imprisonment. According to the results for this trap model, from both test in the field and in the laboratory, it was concluded that this new product is effective in capturing Ae. aegypti and it guarantees mosquito trapping safety, also low-cost production, practicality, logistics and possibility of its use by the local population. After the validation and effectiveness of the trap “drinking-fountain like”, the definitive trap called Mosquitex was developed, which is brand new for this mosquito, with patent registration INPI - BR2020190112226 - 2019, and with the possibility of assisting in the control and monitoring of Ae. aegypti in urban areas.

When the predator becomes the prey: record of Mischocyttarus rotundicollis (Cameron, 1912) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) feeding on a spider in southeastern Brazil

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0300

Social wasps are commonly considered generalists in their feeding habits, but there are genera with little information regarding their diet, such as Mischocyttarus de Saussure, 1853 (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), the most species-rich wasp genus in the world. The objective of this study is to report Mischocyttarus rotundicollis (Cameron, 1912) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) feeding on a spider in the southeastern region of Brazil, aiming to expand information about its feeding behavior. The record occurred occasionally on September 23, 2023, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, in the ecotone region between the Atlantic Forest and the Cerrado. The feeding of a species from the Araneidae family occurred in its web, and the individual of M. rotundicollis used the tarsi of its legs to cling to the silk threads of the web, which could suggest a specialization for the exploitation of this food resource. Our record provides further information on the feeding behavior and diet of M. rotundicollis and presents the first information on spider feeding by this species. Further studies are suggested to evaluate this possible hypothesis of specialization of the genus for foraging in spider webs.