Encounters between flowers and invertebrates are key events for the functioning of tropical forests. Assessing the structure of networks composed of the interactions between those partners leads to a better understanding of ecosystem functioning and the effects of environmental factors on ecological processes. Gathering such data is, however, costly and time-consuming, especially in the highly diverse tropics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsect pest infestations are a worldwide problem as a result of human actions. Among them, Aedes aegypti stands out as vector of several diseases. Like other pests, A.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe mosquito Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of diseases such as dengue, Zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever. Improving control techniques requires a better understanding of the mosquito's life cycle, including spatial population dynamics in endemic regions. One of the most promising techniques consists of introducing genetically modified male mosquitoes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSocial wasps present various architectural patterns for their nests, which may differ in shape, size, color, and material used in construction. The distribution pattern of comb cells presented by Mischocyttarus mirificus (Zikán, 1935) is vertical with a single cell of width, resulting in a filiform shape that camouflages in the middle of the substrate. There are few studies regarding this architectural pattern for social wasps and their role in camouflage, and this study aims to detail the nesting habits of this species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUrban cemeteries on a global scale raise concerns due to their potential to concentrate differing levels of hazardous pollutants in their native soils due to the unnatural concentration of burials in a limited space. It is paramount for sustainability that designers of future cemeteries take this into account in order to minimize the deposition and movement of these contaminants within the soil profile. The objective of this manuscript is to identify the levels of certain hazardous element contamination, specifically heavy metals, in the soil of horizontal urban cemeteries that do not utilize herbicides for weed control.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterest in the well being of wild animals in their natural habitats is still lower than that of domesticated animals and captive wild animals. Urban development is one of the events that has the greatest impact on fauna, as it affects the survival and well being of wild species in many ways. This study aimed to record death by being run over of two (black-tufted) marmosets in a fragmented environment by urbanization and to discuss how anthropic intervention modifies species behavior and influences their well being, and to suggest measures which can reduce the occurrence of incidents, thereby contributing to maintaining the fauna and their well being.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn environments undergoing constant transformation due to human action, such as deforestation and urbanization, the emergence of pests has become a challenge for agriculture and human welfare. In Brazil, over a thousand tonnes of pesticides are used annually, causing serious environmental damage such as the decline of insect populations. It is necessary to search for control alternatives in order to reduce the environmental impact caused by insecticides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssessment of marine debris ingestion by sea turtles is important, especially to ensure their survival. From January to December 2011, 23 specimens of five species of sea turtles were found dead or dying after being rehabilitated, along the coast of the municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. To detect the presence of marine debris in the digestive tract of these turtles, we conducted a postmortem examination from the esophagus until the distal portion of the large intestine for each specimen.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolistes versicolor (Olivier) (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) colonies are easily found in anthropic environments; however there is little information available on biological, ecological and behavioral interactions of this species under these environmental conditions. The objective of this work was to characterize the foundation pattern, the productivity, and the success of colonies of P. versicolor in anthropic environments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudies of species survey are important to know the available natural resources and to get useful information about the ecological characteristics of a specific area. There are not studies, on this issue, related to social wasps, in the Triângulo Mineiro region. The present study describes the diversity of species found in fragments of the cerrado region in Uberlândia, MG, and their temporal distribution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe rearing of Galleria mellonella L. in laboratory is important for multiplication of entomopathogenic nematodes, mandatory for biological control studies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of three thermal profiles on development stages of this insect, allowing synchronization of cycle production.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe social wasps are predators of many insect species and the study of their preys can reveal the potential of these natural enemies in biological control programs. A total of 240h of collections of preys in 32 nests of Polistes versicolor (Olivier) was carried on in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, from March 2000 to February 2001. The preys captured by P.
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