Publications by authors named "JosE W De Morais"

The lack of synthesized information regarding biodiversity is a major problem among researchers, leading to a pervasive cycle where ecologists make field campaigns to collect information that already exists and yet has not been made available for a broader audience. This problem leads to long-lasting effects in public policies such as spending money multiple times to conduct similar studies in the same area. We aim to identify this knowledge gap by synthesizing information available regarding two Brazilian long-term biodiversity programs and the metadata generated by them.

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Some parasitic fungi can increase fitness by modifying the behavior of their hosts. These behaviors are known as extended phenotypes because they favor parasitic gene propagation. Here, we studied three lineages of Ophiocordyceps, a fungus that infects ants, altering their conduct before death.

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Herein Lepidocyrtinus Börner is reviewed based on African species and a new diagnosis to the genus is provided, including the description of intermediary stages of two species and a proposal for the interpretation of the dorsal chaetotaxy based in juveniles. In total, 17 species previously assigned as Seira Lubbock are transferred to Lepidocyrtinus, and three of them are redescribed: L. barnardi Womersley and L.

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In this contribution, Colacus rubrofemoratus Sobral, Morais, Grossi new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Agaocephalini) is described and illustrated based on male specimens found in a transitional area of Caatinga, Atlantic Forest, and Cerrado in Brazil. In addition, the female of Colacus morio Ohaus, 1910 is redescribed, a distribution map for the genus is provided, and a new key to the species of Colacus is presented.

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Tyranonoseira is revised and new diagnostic characters to the genus and its species are proposed. The genus is now characterised by distinct chaetotaxic patterns of head, in lacking M2, S1, S4, S5 macrochaetae and Th II to Abd IV with 21-27, 7, 0, 3, 1 and 8-10 central macrochaetae, as well as anterior legs of males with modified chaetae. The five species of the genus are redescribed based on type material: T.

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Two new species of Aegopsis Burmeister, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Agaocephalini), Aegopsis diceratops Sobral Grossi new species and Aegopsis vazdemelloi Sobral Grossi new species, are described and illustrated based on specimens collected in Cerrado habitat in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso. The new species are similar to A. bolboceridus (Thomson, 1860).

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Here three new species of Seira from Madagascar are described and illustrated, all with Lepidocyrtus-like habitus, as short antennae, truncate unguiculus, and overall reduction of dorsal macrochaetae. The new species Seira lepidochaetosa sp. nov.

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Over the last 50 years, the genus Aganacris has undergone several taxonomic changes. In this study, an infrared spectrum analysis as a complementary and alternative analysis method was carried out for 112 Aganacris specimens belonging to five species. Significant differences were observed between males and females of the species, thus taking into account a new taxonomic status for the genus and the revalidation of Aganacris sphex (Rehn) stat.

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The genus Titidius Simon, 1895 belongs to the family Thomisidae Sundevall, 1833 and can be easily identified from the related genera Tmarus Simon, 1875 and Acentroscelus Simon, 1886 by the high carapace, anterior eye row straight and posterior eye row recurve-;pd in dorsal view, carapace smooth with moderate setation, abdomen longer than wide, legs long, slender and setose and clypeus vertical (Esmerio Lise 1996). It is currently composed of 20 species, all occurring in Brazil with exception of Titidius ignestii Caporiacco, 1947 from Guyana (World Spider Catalog 2017). Eight species are distributed in the Amazon region (Esmerio Lise 1996): T.

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Mygalomorphs are a diverse spider group with primitive characteristics composed of the largest spider species in the world, however some species may be very small (Bond et al. 2012; Rogerio et al. 2013).

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In most ectotherms, adult body size decreases with warming, the so-called 'temperature-size rule' (TSR). However, the extent to which the strength of the TSR varies naturally within species is little known, and the significance of this phenomenon for tropical biota has been largely neglected. Here, we show that the adult body mass of the soil mite declined as maximum temperature increased over seasons in a central Amazonian rainforest.

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The neotropical termite genus Neocapritermes Holmgren (1912) was revised by Krishna & Araujo (1968), who recognized 14 valid species. Two additional species were described by Constantino (1991), and another one by Bandeira & Cancello (1992). However, the imago of most species of Neocapritermes remain unknown.

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Orchesellinae specimens are distinguished from other Entomobryidae by a shorter fourth abdominal segment (length at the midline less than 1.8 times the third segment), generally more than four antennal segments, recurved labral setae and the presence of a complex metatrochanteral organ, with at least 11 spine-like setae, (Soto-Adames et al. 2008).

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Small-scale spatial distribution of oribatid mites has been investigated in Amazonia. In addition, medium- and large-scale studies are needed to establish the utility of these mites in detecting natural environmental variability, and to distinguish this variability from anthropogenic impacts. We are expanding the knowledge about oribatid mites in a wet upland forest reserve, and investigate whether a standardized and integrated protocol is an efficient way to assess the effects of environmental variables on their qualitative and quantitative composition on a large spatial scale inside an ecological reserve in Central Amazonia, Brazil.

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The mesofauna has an important function in the soil and it is represented mainly by Acari Oribatida and Collembola. We report the first data on the density and diversity of the soil mesofauna in Benjamin Constant, Amazonas State, Brazil. The following systems were evaluated: primary forest, secondary forest, agroforestry system, cultivated areas and pastures.

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