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Prevalence of parasites in wild animals may follow ecogeographic patterns, under the influence of climatic factors and macroecological features. One of the largest scale biological patterns on Earth is the latitudinal diversity gradient; however, latitudinal gradients may also exist regarding the frequency of interspecific interactions such as the prevalence of parasitism in host populations. Dragonflies and damselflies (order Odonata) are hosts of a wide range of ecto- and endoparasites, interactions that can be affected by environmental factors that shape their occurrence and distribution, such as climatic variation, ultraviolet radiation and vegetation structure. Here, we retrieved data from the literature on parasites of Odonata, represented by 90 populations infected by ectoparasites (water mites) and 117 populations infected by endoparasites (intestinal gregarines). To test whether there is a latitudinal and bioclimatic gradient in the prevalence of water mites and gregarines parasitizing Odonata, we applied Bayesian phylogenetic comparative models. We found that prevalence of ectoparasites was partially associated with latitude, showing the opposite pattern from our expectations – prevalence was reduced at lower latitudes. Prevalence of endoparasites was not affected by latitude. While prevalence of water mites was also positively associated with vegetation biomass and climatic stability, we found no evidence of the effect of bioclimatic variables on the prevalence of gregarines. Our study suggests that infection by ectoparasites of dragonflies and damselflies is driven by latitudinal and bioclimatic variables. We add evidence of the role of global-scale biological patterns in shaping biodiversity, suggesting that parasitic organisms may prove reliable sources of information about climate change and its impact on ecological interactions.

Animals that live in hot environments must deal with extreme temperatures and overcome the constraints imposed by overheating. Some species exhibit remarkable adaptations to control body temperature, usually in the form of structures that act as thermal windows to cool down the body by dissipating heat. Here, we describe the case of the dragonfly Zenithoptera lanei, which inhabits open areas in the Neotropical Savannah and the Amazon. Males have striking and unique adaptations on the wings, not known in any other insect. The wings are covered with wax nanocrystals that reflect ultraviolet light and infrared radiation. Furthermore, the wing membrane is permeated by an intricate system of tracheae, another unique trait in Insecta. We hypothesized that these adaptations might be important not only for intraspecific communication, but also for thermoregulation. We analysed male body and wing temperatures and compared them with another dragonfly with common translucent wings. The results suggest that the dorsal wing surface acts as a cooling system, whereas the ventral surface might serve to elevate body temperature. Therefore, we conclude that Z. lanei possesses adaptations that are unique in nature; a complex system of thermoregulation with the dual function of cooling down or elevating body temperature, depending on wing position.

The increasing use of dragonflies and damselflies as models in studies on biodiversity in the last decades has unraveled several features of natural processes and mechanisms for species conservation. Nevertheless, biodiversity is a polysemic concept that resolves multiple dimensions that, together, enroll what we observe as species and lineages diversity. One of these dimensions is Ethodiversity, which may represent the individual diversity of behavioral traits and higher organization levels. Hence, measures of Ethodiversity may be used as indicator tools to measure such dimensions of biodiversity. However, we still lack methods and protocols to measure this diversity. Therefore, here we addressed whether damselfly behaviors may act as indicators of environmental impacts. We collected behavioral data of 120 males in two sites, one in an ecological reserve and another in an impacted habitat. Our results show differences in behavioral syndromes and behavioral integrity when comparing populations in impacted and conserved environments. In conclusion, we hope that these results stimulate future endeavors to create a methodological framework to assess behavioral diversity.

Male calopterygid damselflies often exhibit colourful wings used during aggressive contests and courtship displays. Evidence suggests that male wing coloration is a secondary sexual character assessed by males and females to identify male quality. In some species, males adopt a lekking strategy, where females visit exhibition arenas and choose the best mate. Here, we addressed whether the behaviour of Mnesarete pudica males is influenced by female visitation when gathering in leks. We hypothesized that female visitation would increase male investment in courtship and fighting, while reducing patrolling flights and harassment attempts. Moreover, we tested the hypothesis that more ornamented males attract more females to the territory, following the hotshot model of lek evolution. Our results suggest that, indeed, males with more pigmented wings attract more visiting females, independently of male size. Our results also show that the number of females in a territory attracts more males and elicits male contest behaviour, reducing male harassment. We conclude that male ornament and male clustering is a good predictor of female visitation rates, suggesting that females may exert mate choice.

The urban environment can act as an ecological filter and impose several negative impacts on bird behaviour. Although some species are well adapted to anthropic habitats, others are sensitive to the effects of human disturbance. Here, we addressed whether noise pollution affects the territorial behaviour of the Great Kiskadee, Pitangus sulphuratus. Here we conducted a field experiment on territorial individuals in urban and rural areas. We presented a model decoy along with the playback of the species’ song at 10 m from the focal individual to simulate a territory invasion. We used simulated territory intrusions as a method to stimulate bird territorial behaviour and notedthe time birds took to respond to the stimuli in urban and non-urban areas with different noise levels. The results show that response latency had a positive correlation with noise pollution. We conclude that noise pollution can interfere with intraspecific communication, affecting territorial behaviour.

Heteragrion gorbi sp. nov. (Zygoptera: Heteragrionidae) is described and diagnosed based on six ♂♂ and one ♀. The specimens were collected in a stream in a Neotropical savannah fragment in São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. We present pictures of the holotype and the female. This is a species with blue coloration pattern, rare among its congeners.

Color traits are highly influenced by environmental conditions along the distributional range of many species. Studies on the variation of animal coloration across different geographic gradients are, therefore, fundamental for a better understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes that shape color variation. Here, we address whether color lightness in velvet ants (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) responds to latitudinal gradients and bioclimatic variations, testing three ecogeographic rules: The Thermal melanism hypothesis; the Photoprotection hypothesis; and Gloger's rule. We test these hypotheses across the New World. We used photographs of 482 specimens (n = 142 species) of female mutillid wasps and extracted data on color lightness (V). We analyzed whether variation in color is determined by bioclimatic factors, using Phylogenetic Generalized Least Square analysis. Our explanatory variables were temperature, ultraviolet radiation, humidity, and forest indicators. Our results were consistent with the Photoprotection hypothesis and Gloger's rule. Species with darker coloration occupied habitats with more vegetation, higher humidity, and UV-B radiation. However, our results refute one of the initial hypotheses suggesting that mutillids do not respond to the predictions of the Thermal melanism hypothesis. The results presented here provide the first evidence that abiotic components of the environment can act as ecological filters and as selective forces driving the body coloration of velvet ants. Finally, we suggest that studies using animals with melanin-based colors as a model for mimetic and aposematic coloration hypotheses consider that this coloration may also be under the influence of climatic factors and not only predators.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T17:36:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-07-09 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Incubation is an energetically costly parental task of breeding birds. Incubating parents respond to environmental variation and nest-site features to adjust the balance between the time spent incubating (i.e. nest attentiveness) and foraging to supply their own needs. Non-natural nesting substrates such as human buildings impose new environmental contexts that may affect time allocation of incubating birds but this topic remains little studied. Here, we tested whether nesting substrate type (buildings vs. trees) affects the temperature inside the incubation chamber (hereafter 'nest temperature') in the Pale-breasted ThrushTurdus leucomelas, either during 'day' (with incubation recesses) or 'night' periods (representing uninterrupted female presence at the nest). We also tested whether nesting substrate type affects the incubation time budget using air temperature and the day of the incubation cycle as covariates. Nest temperature, when controlled for microhabitat temperature, was higher at night and in nests in buildings but did not differ between daytime and night for nests in buildings, indicating that buildings partially compensate for incubation recesses by females with regard to nest temperature stability. Females from nests placed in buildings exhibited lower nest attentiveness (the overall percentage of time spent incubating) and had longer bouts off the nest. Higher air temperatures were significantly correlated with shorter bouts on the nest and longer bouts off the nest, but without affecting nest attentiveness. We suggest that the longer bouts off the nest taken by females of nests in buildings is a consequence of higher nest temperatures promoted by man-made structures around these nests. Use of buildings as nesting substrate may therefore increase parental fitness due to a relaxed incubation budget, and potentially drive the evolution of incubation behaviour in certain urban bird populations. Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Programa Posgrad Ecol & Recursos Nat, Rod Washington Luiz Km 235, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Ave 24A 1515, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Hidrobiol, Rod Washington Luiz Km 235, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Univ Nacl Sur, Dept Biol Bioquim & Farm, San Juan 670, RA-8000 Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Ave 24A 1515, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

Here we describe the hitherto unknown female of Epipleoneura spatulata Rácenis, 1960 and present a table of characters (all illustrated) to distinguish it from other known congeneric females. We suggest that the main diagnostic character of the female of E. spatulata is the shape of posterior margin of prothorax, which is flat medially with smoothly curved erect lateral projections.

The knowledge about the richness and distribution of Brazilian dragonflies is still being unveiled. Over the years, inventories, reviews, and descriptions have been made. These contributions, apart from the taxonomic value, also provide valuable data on the occurrence of species and their distributions, which are rarely accompanied by notes about natural history and behavior. Keeping this legacy in mind, we collected dragonflies between 2011 and 2019 in Minas Gerais state, which resulted in the registration of 90 species, 41 genera and 11 families. Our results also increase distribution data, an important tool for conservation actions, and provide additional information about habitat and biology of species. Resumo: O conhecimento sobre a riqueza e distribuição das libélulas do Brasil ainda está sendo desvelado. Ao longo dos anos, inventários, revisões e descrições foram feitas. Essas contribuições, além do valor taxonômico, também fornecem um conjunto de dados precioso sobre a ocorrência das espécies e suas distribuições, estas que raramente são acompanhadas de anotações sobre história natural e comportamento. Mantendo este legado em mente, nós realizamos coletas de libélulas entre 2011 e 2019 no estado de Minas Gerais, o que resultou no registro de 90 espécies, 41 gêneros e 11 famílias. Nossos resultados aumentam os dados de distribuição, uma ferramenta importante para ações de conservação, e fornecem informações sobre o habitat e a biologia das espécies.

The effects of environmental factors have been considered important for the evolution of morphological complexity in organisms. The water flow exhibits constant disturbance on stream dwellers, independently of their taxonomic group. Thus, we assessed whether two different kinds of organisms (insects and algae) exhibit any ecological similarity by facing stream current. For this, we used several previous studies in order to relate the morphological complexity of insect gills and algal filaments to water velocity, in micro and mesohabitats. The results for micro-scale showed that complex body shape tends to favor taxa that colonize stream areas with lower velocity for both kind of organisms. However, mesohabitats exhibited no relationship between morphology and water velocity. We suggest that morphological complexity in organisms from different lineages (algae and insects) are similarly related to water velocity in stream habitats. Moreover, the methodology of stream samplings must be carefully designed to get more precisely the environmental factors that organisms experience.

Oviposition site selection by aquatic insects is usually influenced by both aquatic and terrestrial cues. Landscape changes (e.g. native vegetation loss) can affect the level of the reproductive success in aquatic insects, changing local species composition and richness. We investigate whether forest cover loss around streams influences the number of species with exophytic (species which lay eggs directly on the water surface), endophytic (species which lay their eggs directly into plant tissue), or epiphytic (species which lay eggs on the exposed surface of rocks, leaves, trunks or other substrates protruding from the stream surface) oviposition behaviour in dragonfly assemblages. We sampled adult dragonflies in 116 streams in a Neotropical savanna region in Brazil. The relationship between species richness for each behavioural category, and the proportion of forest cover around the streams, was tested using regression analysis. We collected 2413 dragonfly (Anisoptera and Zygoptera) individuals, belonging to 8 families, 30 genera, and 63 species. Of these, 25 species were classified as exophytic, 28 as epiphytic, and 10 as endophytic. Our results show that the number of species with exophytic or epiphytic behaviour was strongly related to riparian forest loss. Forest loss changes the habitat, and here, specifically changes site suitability for oviposition. We highlight the importance of using behavioural traits as a bioindicator tool for the assessment of anthropogenic impacts on tropical forest.

1. Determining which environmental traits enable animals to inhabit and choose preferred habitats is key to understanding ecological processes. Habitat complexity and background colour patterns can act as selective pressures on animal behaviour, and ultimately affect habitat choice. 2. To investigate the role of environmental features on habitat selection, this study looked at whether dragonfly and damselfly larvae show a preference between dark/light or complex environments. Last‐instar larvae of Micrathyria didyma (Odonata: Libellulidae) and Acanthagrion lancea (Odonata: Coenagrionidae) were collected in the Neotropical savanna, and five experiments in laboratory conditions were subsequently carried out. The first experiment tested the preference of larvae for leaves in contrast to a white background. The second experiment compared a preference for white and black backgrounds. As both experiments showed a significant preference for darker backgrounds, a predator was included in the black background in the third experiment, and a macrophyte was included in the white background in the fourth experiment. In this way, favourable and unfavourable conditions were included in the habitat of choice. The fifth experiment tested the influence of environmental complexity on habitat choice. 3. The results of these experiments showed that larvae choose darker backgrounds independently of predation risk, and that macrophytes are as attractive as a dark background. They also suggest that the coenagrionid, but not the libellulid, prefer more complex environments. 4. Overall, these findings suggest that larvae exhibit behavioural preferences for background colour and complexity, which may ultimately drive habitat occupation.

Alternative mating tactics (AMT) occur in several animal taxa as a way to respond to physiological or environmental factors that affect reproductive success. In other words, males can exhibit different mate acquisition tactics associated with phenotypic variations. Here we present the case of Epipleoneura williamsoni, a non-territorial Neotropical damselfly in which larger males actively search for females along the margins of streams and smaller males remain perched on the vegetation and adopt a sit-and-wait strategy. Males were captured, marked and behavioral observations were conducted to take notes on the spatial displacement of individuals. We then measured male body size and agility to test whether these traits could be used to predict flight ability and thus AMT’s. Agility was measured by the ȓ2(S) coefficient, which is a surrogate of flight ability and maneuverability. The results show that body size was positively correlated with male flight ability and agility. However, male agility did not predict the adopted AMT. These results suggest that the strategies adopted by E. williamsoni males may be a reflection of body condition. This study adds evidence on how selection may act on different phenotypes within a population and how body size variations may result in different displacement capacities and flight agility.

Human disturbance may have several negative impacts on bird biology. Although some species may habituate to human presence, other species do not show any signs of habituation, and may even be sensitized or affected by human disturbance. Furthermore, anthropogenic effects on bird behaviour have been rarely explored to address the alteration of frequencies of aggressive and fear associated behaviours. Such behavioural approaches may provide substantial data for bird conservation and management. Therefore, we assessed whether human disturbance disrupts the normal behaviour of Burrowing Owls Athene cunicularia. Specifically, we assessed whether guarding parents exhibited aggressive and fearful behaviours differentially in areas where human contact was more common. Burrowing Owls showed increased frequencies of threat displays in sites with more people walking by the nests, but not fear behaviours. These results suggest that different domains of behaviour (aggression versus fear) may respond differently to human disturbance. We highlight the importance of quantifying a wide range of behavioural acts as indicators of bird stress in studies of anthropogenic impact. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Polymorphism in coenagrionids is widely known, mainly for Ischnura. Here, we present the case of I. capreolus, a Neotropical species of which, until now, little information concerning color polymorphism and ontogenetic color changes was known. We used a marking and recapture method to evidence ontogenetic coloration changes in females. We show that, in addition to the gynochrome morph, I. capreolus females also exhibit at least one additional morph: an androchrome color pattern. Gynochrome females (97.1% of marked females) are green-yellow when young and change to a brownish pattern with age, within a week. Androchrome females (2.9% of marked females) exhibit blue coloration, similarly to males. Our study provides the first evidence of ontogenetic color change in I. capreolus. Furthermore, field observations show that I. capreolus is similar to other Ischnura species regarding sexual harassment behavior.

Philogenia gaiae sp. nov. (Holotype ♂, Ecuador, Orellana, Tiputini Biodiversity Station, -0.6349, -76.1501, 241 m, 13 xii 2012, A. Cordero-Rivera & M. Sánchez-Herrera leg., in MUAE) from the helena group is described, illustrated, diagnosed and compared with morphologically close species of the genus. Philogenia gaiae can be distinguished from its most similar congener P. minteri Dunkle, 1986 by the enlarged cerci and the club-like paraprocts. We also describe the female of P. macuma Dunkle, 1986, from a pair collected at Jatún Sacha Biological Reserve, which is also similar to P. gaiae and can be distinguished by the intersternite morphology, ovipositor length and vulvar lamina shape.

Heteragrion denisye sp. nov. (Zygoptera: Heteragrionidae) is described and diagnosed on specimens collected near a Vereda (i.e. palm swamp) area of the National Park of Serra da Canastra, Minas Gerais, Brazil (-20.2323, -46.6085, 1305 m, 25 x 2018, Vilela, Koroiva, Nobrega & Lera leg.). This species is unique within the genus and it is easily distinguished from congeners due to its blue coloration pattern and cerci morphology, which is robust and presents a reduced apical portion, longer on most Heteragrion species.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T00:57:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-11-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Iridescence is an optical effect that produces angle dependent coloration in animals. Recently, studies have attempted to unveil structures behind such elaborated visual signals and associated behaviors in Odonata. Here, we studied males of the Amazonian damselfly Chalcopteryx scintillans, which have hindwings that exhibit pronounced iridescence. This optical feature is used by the damselflies for intra-specific communication during territorial fights and courtship. The main question we addressed was whether male wing structural coloration may predict the outcome of male-male contests. We also studied the wing ultrastructure, in order to reveal the mechanisms that are responsible for wing coloration. Using various microscopal and spectroscopal techniques, we demonstrate that hindwing coloration is derived from two main effects: (1) light interference in the cuticle multilayer and (2) a specific angle dependent light scattering and antireflective properties of the epicuticular wax coverage. The results of our field experiment show that wing pigmentation and the hue of the dorsal surface of the hindwings is correlated with the outcome of territorial contests. This is one of the first studies showing that structural coloration derived from multilayer interference may influence the outcome of intrasexual agonistic interactions. This indicates that multicomponent structural coloration in visually guided insects may be under selective forces of male-male competition for resources and females. Department of Hydrobiology Federal University of São Carlos – UFSCar Biology Department University of São Paulo Department of Biological Sciences São Paulo State University - UNESP Department of Functional Morphology and Biomechanics Zoological Institute Kiel University, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9 Department of Biological Sciences São Paulo State University - UNESP FAPESP: 12/21196-8 FAPESP: 13/00406-7 CNPq: 237120/2012-7 CNPq: 3303260/2018-1

The female of Heteragrion icterops Selys, 1862, incompletely mentioned in 1886, is described, illustrated, keyed and diagnosed based on specimens collected in Pará State, North Brazil. We also provide an identification key and diagnostic comments on other two Group B females occurring in Brazil: H. angustipenne Selys, 1886 and H. bariai De Marmels, 1989. Heteragrion icterops females can be distinguished from other female congeners by having the genital valves tips leveling the posterior margin of S10 and by the morphology of the intersternites, presenting a well-developed dorsal plate and lacking a posterior plate.

Studies concerning the occurrence of species and seasonality are of great importance for both the elucidation of species distribution and conservation of natural habitats. We performed a survey of Odonata species and studied their seasonality in an endemic endangered palm swamp (i.e. Veredas) environment of the Ecological Reserve of Clube de Caça e Pesca Itororó de Uberlândia, Southestern Brazil. Between July 2010 and June 2011, we recorded 31 species of five different families and 21 genera. The community was strongly seasonal, since 24 species occurred in the wet season, while ten occurred in both dry and wet season, and only two species occured only in the dry season. All Anisoptera species preferred lentic habitats, whereas seven of the 18 Zygopera species preferred lentic habitats and 11 species preferred lotic sites. The five Calopterygidae and Protoneuridae species preferred lotic habitats. The study site exhibits a great diversity of dragonflies and damselflies, which are important elements of the trophic chain in the Cerrado aquatic and neighboring land environments. This justifies the development of conservation actions in palm swamp areas, which are poorly known and threatened by the constant advance of urban, monoculture and pasture areas in Cerrado.

Environments with higher complexity harbor a greater biodiversity and can directly influence on certain behaviors of aquatic animals. Here, we tested whether habitat complexity predicts odonate larvae emergence and mortality rates by rearing larvae in aquaria with or without artificial complexity. The results show a shorter emergence time in more complex environments, and a higher mortality rate on less complex habitats.

The female of Argia tupi Calvert, 1909 (BRAZIL, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, Cachoeira do Marimbondo (15.4330° S, 55.7198° W, 370 m), 01 xi 2015) is described, illustrated and diagnosed based on comparison with sympatric species of Argia Rambur, 1842. We also augmented the description of Argia bicellulata (Calvert, 1909) female (BRAZIL, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, Rio Paciencia (15.3438° S, 55.8322° W, 280 m), 25 x 2015).

Lopez, Vinicius M., Guillermo-Ferreira, Rhainer, Trad, Bhrenno M., Silvestre, Rogerio (2018): Description of the male of Darditilla araxa (Cresson, 1902) (Hymenoptera, Mutillidae) with geographical distribution, biological notes and key to males of Brazil. Zootaxa 4532 (1): 104-112, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4532.1.6

Recent expeditions to the Serra da Canastra and Chapada dos Guimarães National Parks in Brazil resulted in the collection of larvae of Argia mollis Hagen in Selys, 1865 and A. smithiana Calvert, 1909. Thus, here we describe the last instar larvae of these two Argia species from the Brazilian Cerrado.

Specimens of Anacroneuria Klapálek 1909 (Plecoptera: Perlidae) and Tupiperla Froehlich 1969 (Plecoptera: Gripopterygidae) from the headwater springs of the National Integration River (São Francisco River), Serra da Canastra National Park, in Minas Gerais State, of southeastern Brazil, were studied. A new species, Anacroneuria saofrancisco n. sp. is described and the descriptions of the nymph and the female of A. saofrancisco are also presented.

Argia angelae sp. nov. (Holotype ♂, BRAZIL, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, Rio Salgadeira (15°21'25" S, 55°49'51" W, 305 m), 1 xi 2015, D. S. Vilela leg., in LESTES, Cod. ACR 8173A) from Chapada dos Guimarães, Brazil is described, illustrated and diagnosed based on comparison with other known sympatric species of the genus. This species inhabits streams throughout the National Park and a map of its known distribution is provided.

The female of Dicterias atrosanguinea Selys, 1853 is described and illustrated based on two specimens collected in Pará and Amazonas States, Brazil. We compare the female with the most closely related species, Heliocharis amazona Selys, 1853, and present SEM images of the genital ligula for both D. atrosanguinea and H. amazona males. Additionally we provide behavioral observations on D. atrosanguinea males.

Trophobiosis between ants and homopterans is widely known. Nevertheless, this interaction can also happen between treehoppers and other animals in a non-mutualistic way. For instance, here we observed the wasp Pseudopolybia vespiceps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) collecting honeydew flickered by Aethalion reticulatum (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha) as an alternative food resource. Fieldwork was conducted during three consecutive days, when we made ad libitum behavioral observations using video footage. We noted the behavior of P. vespiceps when collecting honeydew from A. reticulatum. Strikingly, our observations resulted in the description of novel wasp behavior. The wasps compete with ants for access to treehoppers by kicking them out of the plant. Studies like this contribute to the understanding of trophic nets that depend on hemipteran honeydew.

The effects of habitat complexity have been considered important factors for the evolution of morphological complexity in organisms. We assessed the possible relationship between hydraulic niche conditions and the morphological complexity of algal filaments by sampling four species of macroalgae inhabiting different hydraulic niches in two freshwater streams. These algal species exhibit different fractal dimensions, which were measured by applying a grid method. The results showed that morphological differences are a function of hydraulic niche for stream macroalgae. Algae with complex shape (Nitella wrightii and Batrachosperum puiggarianum) were established in slower flows, while algae with simpler filament shape (Vaucheria sp. and Oedogonium sp.) were more likely to occur in faster water currents. The sites where the species occurred are a reflection of their ability to hold position, which is ultimately driven by their morphology. The influence of flow in stream habitats is an important factor for lotic macroalgae settlement and its effects can be related to evolutionary adjustment of body shape in these environments. We suggest that the morphological structure (here as fractal dimension) of freshwater macroalgae can be considered an adaptation to the costs and benefits exhibited by different hydraulic niches.

Polythorid damselflies are Neotropical stream dwellers, whose behavior has rarely been recorded. Here we describe the territorial and courtship behavior of Chalcopteryx scintillans McLachlan, an Amazonian damselfly with shiny copper-colored hind wings. Territorial behavior consists of aerial contests, when males engage in threat displays and mutual pursuits in ascending and rocking flights. During courtship, males hold their coppery hind wings still while hovering with their forewings, showing the hind wings to females, which hover in front of the male in response. After copulation, the male exhibits the courtship flight again by hovering over the oviposition resource (i.e. fallen tree trunk) on the stream. The females oviposit on the trunk while the males guard them by perching near and hovering around them constantly. We also present behavioral notes on reproductive and oviposition behavior, and comments on the differentiation between C. scintillans and C. rutilans (Rambur).

The genus Franciscobasis Machado & Bedê, 2016 is endemic to the Serra da Canastra National Park in Minas Gerais state, Brazil. Two species of Franciscobasis were described simultaneously with the genus description: F. franciscoi and F. sonia, the latter described only from females. Through morphological and molecular analysis, we investigated if F. sonia may represent the young female of F. franciscoi. Resulting data did not present adequate differences between females to characterize them as different species. Therefore, we suggest that F. sonia is a junior synonym of F. franciscoi, and the female of F. franciscoi goes through a complex ontogenetic color change. Rufford Foundation | Ref. RSG 25133-2 Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PGC2018-096656-B-I00

Pericarpial nectaries (PNs) have frequently been treated in the literature as extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). This treatment is partly justified by their morphological and functional similarities in attracting bodyguard ants to protect the plant against herbivores. Palicourea rigida is a common Neotropical savanna treelet with tubular yellow flowers that are pollinated by hummingbirds. After pollination, the corolla falls, but the sepal ring remains and keeps the nectaries active over the ovarium throughout fruit development stages. Using a standard ant-exclusion experiment, we tested whether these PNs attract ants to protect the developing fruits against seed parasites and the leaves against chewing herbivores. We analyzed the differences between the initial and final leaf area. Before full fruits maturity, they were collected and taken to the laboratory for weighing and to observe wasp emergence. The number of wasps per fruit and per plant was recorded. The results showed that after pollination, the floral nectaries of P. rigida act as EFNs, attracting visiting ants. Ant-tended plants lost significantly less leaf area and had heavier fruits than untended plants. However, the ants did not protect the fruits against seed-parasitic wasps. In P. rigida, the post-floral secretions of PNs play the same role as EFNs, and the ant-plant mutualism is context-dependent based on the type of herbivore and the plant tissue consumed.

Pigmentation patterns, ultraviolet reflection and fluorescent emission are often involved in mate recognition and mate quality functions in many animal taxa. We investigated the role of wing ultra-violet reflection, fluorescence emission, and pigmentation on age and sexual signals in the damselfly Mnesarete pudica. In this species, wings are sexually dimorphic in colour and exhibit age dependency: males and females show a smoky black colouration when young, turning red in mature males while it turns brown in females. First, we investigated wing UV patterns through reflectance and emission spectra. Second, behavioural experiments were undertaken to show male and female responses to manipulated wing pigmentation and experimentally reduced UV (UV-). Reflectance spectra of the wings of juvenile and mature males and females were used to show the differences between controls and individuals with manipulated colouration used in the behavioural experiment. UV-reduced, females with wings painted red, and control males and females were tethered and presented to conspecific males and females, and their behavioral responses were recorded. The male red wing pigmentation and females with red wings elicited an aggressive response in territorial males and a sexual response in females. Both males and females showed neutral responses towards individuals with reduced UV. Wing signals of juvenile individuals also provoked neutral responses. These results suggest that UV, together with pigmentation, plays a role during mate recognition in males and females. Other than butterflies and spiders, it seems that fluorescence signals and UV reflectance can also be part of communication in odonates.

Rhinotora Schiner, 1868, are a rare group of flies, previously including seven species distributed in the Americas, six of them occurring in Brazil. This work aims to provide a taxonomic review for Rhinotora Schiner, with addition of two species in the genus: Rhinotora fonsecai, which is transferred back to its original genus, and R. paschoali sp. nov. New distributional records are presented for R. lopesi and R. travassosi. A key to the all known heleomyzid species recorded from Brazil is provided.

Behavioral data on Neotropical coenagrionids is still scanty, with very few studies on their reproductive behavior. Here we present the first description of the reproductive behavior of A. truncatum in a high density population in the Brazilian Neotropical savanna. The observations were made at a pond in an ecological reserve. Males remain at the water searching for females. Females remain in the surrounding vegetation and only approach the water to mate and oviposit. The mean duration of copulation was 25.6±3.26 minutes. Copulations are concentrated between 12:00 and 14:00 h (71%). Females oviposit in tandem with males, sometimes submerging to oviposit. Oviposition took 43.08±22.17 minutes. Female underwater oviposition seems to disrupt male guarding and females emerge from the water by themselves. Male–male interactions usually consist of chases and “facing off”. This damselfly species is apparently non-territorial, since males did not defend resources and searched for females in the area.

The courtship behavior in calopterygid damselflies is well documented; however, the behavior of the large Neotropical genus Mnesarete is still unknown. Thus, here we present the first description of male–female interactions in Mnesarete pudica, a common damselfly in the Neotropical Savanna. The male–female interactions were composed of courtship displays, mounting, and chasing. The courtship behavior lasted 5.23 ± 1.65 s and is very different from other calopterygids, consisting of hovering flights and the cross display made in front of females rather than on the oviposition site. The arrival and presence of females on a male territory are not sufficient to initiate sexual interactions; the male usually interacts with the female only after a patrolling flight. The females may present three distinct behaviors in response to male approach: (a) warding off signal (31.53%), (b) escape (28.83%), (c) and wing flipping (39.64%), which seems to stimulate male courtship. Females also may sit still, which induces males to react as if females were signaling they are willing to mate. In this paper, we also suggest that male courtship behavior is mediated by female signals.

In Odonata, many species present sexual size dimorphism (SSD), which can be associated with male territoriality in Zygoptera. We hypothesized that in the territorial damselfly Argia reclusa, male–male competition can favor large males, and consequently, drive selection pressures to generate male-biased SSD. The study was performed at a small stream in southeastern Brazil. Males were marked, and we measured body size and assessed the quality of territories. We tested if larger territorial males (a) defended the best territories (those with more male intrusions and visiting females), (b) won more fights, and (c) mated more. Couples were collected and measured to show the occurrence of sexual size dimorphism. Results indicated that males are larger than females, and that territorial males were larger than non-territorial males. Larger territorial males won more fights and defended the best territories. There was no difference between the mating success of large territorial and small non-territorial males. Although our findings suggest that male territoriality may play a significant role on the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in A. reclusa, we suggest that other factors should also be considered to explain the evolution of SSD in damselflies, since non-territorial males are also capable of acquiring mates.

Oviposition site selection is crucial in the life history of odonates since females must find a suitable habitat to enhance larval survival and development. Males perch at these sites to get access to females to mate. Here we studied how different types of vegetation influence site selection of the damselfly Oxyagrion microstigma in a Neotropical savanna pond. We identified and quantified the aquatic plants on the study site and investigated the relationship between plant species density, male site fidelity and female oviposition. The results showed that male density increased with higher densities of the Cyperaceae Eleocharis sp. but with lower densities of the Pontederiaceae, Pontederia parviflora. The number of males was also positively correlated with the number of ovipositing females and the duration of oviposition bouts. The females were found ovipositing on sites with Eleocharis sp., which was used as an oviposition substrate. We suggest that the species composition of aquatic vegetation in the env...

Butterflies and moths are found in all terrestrial environments and require efforts for a better understanding of its mega-diversity. These taxa have been the subject of several studies involving phylogeny, ecology and environmental impacts. Nevertheless, several areas in the tropics remain unexplored, resulting in gaps in the taxonomic composition and distribution of butterflies in endemic environments. Therefore, a survey of the butterfly fauna of the Bodoquena Plateau in Brazil was conducted. This area consists of tropical Atlantic Forests, with marginal influences of Savannah, Chaco and Pantanal. Sampling was carried out in 20 locations using Van Someren Rydon traps and insect nets between November 2009 and April 2015. Active collection of individuals was conducted from 9:00 to 17:00h, totaling 240 hours of sampling effort. In total, we registered 768 individuals belonging to 146 species of 98 genera, six families and 18 subfamilies. Nymphalidae was the richest family (84 species), followed by Hesperiidae (22 species), Riodinidae (14 species), Pieridae (12) Papilionidae (11 species) and Lycaenidae (five species). We sampled 239 nymphalids in traps, with 48 species, 30 genera, 15 tribes and five subfamilies. The most common species were Eunica macris (Godart, 1824), Dynamine artemisia (Fabricius, 1793) and Memphis moruus (Fabricius, 1775). Therefore, this study contributes to the knowledge of the Neotropical butterfly diversity and distribution, providing 37 new records and supporting the use of wildlife inventories as important tools for the knowledge of tropical forests biodiversity and conservation.

Wing pigmentation is a trait that predicts the outcome of male contests in some damselflies. Thus, it is reasonable to suppose that males would have the ability to assess wing pigmentation and adjust investment in a fight according to the costs that the rival may potentially impose. Males of the damselfly Mnesarete pudica exhibit red-coloured wings and complex courtship behaviour and engage in striking male-male fights. In this study, we investigated male assessment behaviour during aerial contests. Theory suggests that the relationship between male resource-holding potential (RHP) and contest duration describes the kind of assessment adopted by males: self-assessment, opponent-only assessment or mutual assessment. A recent theory also suggests that weak and strong males exhibit variations in the assessment strategies adopted. We estimated male RHP through male body size and wing colouration (i.e. pigmentation, wing reflectance spectra and transmission spectra) and studied the relationship between male RHP and contest duration from video-documented behavioural observations of naturally occurring individual contests in the field. The results showed that males with more opaque wings and larger red spots were more likely to win contests. The relationships between RHP and contest durations partly supported the self-assessment and the mutual assessment models. We then experimentally augmented the pigmented area of the wings, in order to evaluate whether strong and weak males assess rivals' RHP through wing pigmentation. Our experimental manipulation, however, clearly demonstrated that strong males assess rivals' wing pigmentation. We finally suggest that there is a variation in the assessment strategy adopted by males.

Forcipomyia (Pterobosca) incubans Macfie (1937) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) is recorded here for the first time for Brazil. Females were collected in the Brazilian Neotropical Savanna parasitizing the wings of Erythrodiplax juliana Ris (1911), Erythrodiplax aff. anomala Brauer (1865) and Erythemis credula Hagen (1861), all Libellulidae dragonflies. A map of potential distribution of this species in the New World is also provided. The results suggest that its distribution may range from southern South America to Mexico, with higher densities in the Brazilian and Colombian Tropical Rain Forests. Forcipomyia (Pterobosca) incubans Macfie (1937) (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) é registrada aqui pela primeira vez para o Brasil. Fêmeas foram coletadas parasitando as asas de Erythrodiplax juliana Ris (1911), Erythrodiplax aff. anomala Brauer (1865) e Erythemis credula Hagen (1861), todas libélulas da família Libellulidae. Um mapa da distribuição potencial desta espécie no Novo Mundo também é fornecido. Os resultados sugerem que sua distribuição pode variar do sul da América do Sul ao México, com maiores densidades nas Florestas Tropicais Úmidas do Brasil e da Colômbia.

Assassin bugs (Reduviidae) are voracious insects that prey on other arthropods. Recent evidences have pointed out that these predators also feed on plant derived substances in rare opportunities. The present study describes the feeding behavior of the reduviid Atopozelus opsimus on extrafloral nectaries of Inga vera (Fabaceae) in a Neotropical savanna area. It was investigated if the insects feed more frequently of extrafloral nectar or prey, and if individuals of different stages of development vary according to feeding behavior. Notably, the results suggest that the diet of all instars and adults consist mainly of extrafloral nectar (N = 1013), in detriment of captured prey ingestion (N = 18). Also, there was no variation on feeding behavior and life stage.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T17:40:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-05-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Leverhulme Trust Some consider that the first winged insects had living tissue inside the wing membrane, resembling larval gills or developing wing pads. However, throughout the developmental process of the wing membrane of modem insects, cells and tracheoles in the lumen between dorsal and ventral cuticle disappear and both cuticles become fused. This process results in the rather thin rigid stable structure of the membrane. The herewith described remarkable case of the dragonfly Zenithoptera lanei shows that in some highly specialized wings, the membrane can still be supplemented by tracheae. Such a characteristic of the wing membrane presumably represents a strong specialization for the synthesis of melanin-filled nanolayers of the cuticle, nanospheres inside the wing membrane and complex arrangement of wax crystals on the membrane surface, all responsible for unique structural coloration. Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Hydrobiol, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Univ Kiel, Zool Inst, Dept Funct Morphol & Biomech, Bot Garten 1-9, D-24098 Kiel, Germany Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Assis, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Assis, Brazil CNPq: 307577/2011-2 CNPq: 237120/2012-7 CNPq: 305275/2014-3 FAPESP: 12/21196-8 FAPESP: 13/00406-7

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T15:27:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2015-10-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) German Science Foundation (DFG) 'Biomimetic Materials Research: Functionality by Hierarchical Structuring of Materials' Zenithoptera dragonflies are known for their remarkable bluish colouration on their wings and unique male behaviour of folding and unfolding their wings while perching. However, nothing is known about the optical properties of such colouration and its structural and functional background. In this paper, we aimed to study the relationship between the wing membrane ultrastructure, surface microstructure and colour spectra of male wings in Zenithoptera lanei and test the hypothesis that colouration functions as a signal in territorial fights between males. The results show that the specific wing colouration derives from interference in alternating layers of melanized and unmelanized cuticle in the wing membrane, combined with diffuse scattering in two different layers of wax crystals on the dorsal wing surface, one lower layer of long filaments, and one upper layer of leaf-shaped crystals. The results also show that the thicker wax coverage of the dorsal surface of the wings results in increased brightness and reduced chroma. In the field experiments, we have demonstrated that there is a reduction of aggressive reactions of rivals towards individuals with experimentally reduced amount of blue wing colouration. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Hydrobiol, Sao Paulo, Brazil Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Sao Paulo, Brazil Univ Kiel, Inst Zool, Dept Funct Morphol & Biomech, D-24098 Kiel, Germany Sao Paulo State Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Sao Paulo, Brazil CNPq: 237120/2012-7 CNPq: 305275/2014-3 FAPESP: 12/21196-8 FAPESP: 13/00406-7 German Science Foundation (DFG) 'Biomimetic Materials Research: Functionality by Hierarchical Structuring of Materials': SPP 1420 German Science Foundation (DFG) 'Biomimetic Materials Research: Functionality by Hierarchical Structuring of Materials': GO 995/9-2

Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-21T17:53:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-24T14:41:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ISSN0033-2615-2014-2014-01-03.pdf: 1195197 bytes, checksum: 9b2aa3a22793385f6d9b4cc5ee1dda76 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-21T17:53:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-24T14:41:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ISSN0033-2615-2014-2014-01-03.pdf: 1195197 bytes, checksum: 9b2aa3a22793385f6d9b4cc5ee1dda76 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-21T17:53:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-24T14:41:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ISSN0033-2615-2014-2014-01-03.pdf: 1195197 bytes, checksum: 9b2aa3a22793385f6d9b4cc5ee1dda76 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-21T17:53:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-24T14:41:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ISSN0033-2615-2014-2014-01-03.pdf: 1195197 bytes, checksum: 9b2aa3a22793385f6d9b4cc5ee1dda76 (MD5) Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-21T17:53:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-08-24T14:41:54Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 ISSN0033-2615-2014-2014-01-03.pdf: 1195197 bytes, checksum: 9b2aa3a22793385f6d9b4cc5ee1dda76 (MD5) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Conspecific density may influence adult recruitment and consequently population dynamics. Several studies have shown the density dependence of larvae growth rates in Odonata. However, few studies studied how conspecific density influence final instar larvae emergence date decisions. Considering that larvae may choose the date of emergence, the present study investigated if density affects larvae choice. For this, we reared eight final instar larvae in individual aquaria and other 24 larvae in aquaria with three larvae each. This way, we simulated environments with low and high larval densities. We then noted the days that larvae took to emerge and compared it between low and high density groups. The results showed that larvae seem to emerge earlier when in high densities (Mann-Whitney, U = 10.000, P = 0.03). These results support the hypothesis that damselfly last instar larvae may postpone or hasten emergence in response to the social environment and related constraints. Universidade de São Paulo, Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto Universidade Federal de Rondônia, Departamento de Biologia Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Faculdade de Ciências e Letras de Assis

Sexual and species recognition, along with sexual color dimorphism, play an important role in the reproduction of many animal species. In this article, it was investigated if males of the dimorphic Neotropical damselfly Acanthagrion truncatum are able to recognize mates and differentiate them between co-specific males and hetero-specific females of sympatric species. The results showed misguided mating attempts from males towards other males and Homeoura chelifera females. They also seem able to recognize A. lancea and Telebasis carmesina females as hetero-specifics. This study support the hypothesis that male- male interactions are misdirected sexual behavior and that sympatric morphologically similarspecies may represent visual interference for mate searching males.