Hematophagous biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) from Tefé municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil

Some species of biting midges are vectors of pathogens that cause disease in vertebrates, including humans. The aim of this study was to survey the biting midge fauna in Tefé, Amazonas, Brazil. Culicoides were collected using HP light traps during January, February, and April 2013. Midges collected included one species from the genus Lectoconops that bites humans. A total of 248 Culicoides individuals were collected, representing 19 species from two subgenera (Haematomyidium and Hoffmania) and four informal species groups (carpenteri, leoni, fluvialis, and reticulatus). Twelve individuals of L. brasiliensis were also collected, and this is the first record of L. brasiliensis in Amazonas. Three species of Culicoides were also recorded for the first time in Amazonas, including Culicoides aitkeni, C. glabellus and C. ocumarensis. The most abundant species were C. hylas (81 individuals), and C. foxi (27). The Culicoides fauna in Tefé is diverse, and proven vectors such as C. paraensis and C. insignis were found

Diversity of biting midges Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), potential vectors of disease, in different environments in an Amazonian rural settlement, Brazil

The Culicoides transmit a variety of pathogens. Our aim was to survey the Culicoides species occurring in an Amazonian rural settlement, comparing abundance, richness, and diversity in different environments. METHODS: Culicoides were captured using CDC light traps. The Shannon-Wiener (H') and Rényi indices were used to compare species diversity and evenness between environments, the equitability (J') index was used to calculate the uniformity of distribution among species, and similarity was estimated using the Jaccard similarity index. A permutational multivariate analysis of variance was applied to assess the influence of environment on species composition. A non-metric dimensional scale was used to represent the diversity profiles of each environment in a multidimensional space. RESULTS: 6.078 Culicoides were captured, representing 84 species (45 valid species/39 morphotypes). H' values showed the following gradient: forest > capoeira > peridomicile > forest edge. The equitability J' was greater in capoeira and forests compared to peridomiciles and the forest edge. The population compositions of each environment differed statistically, but rarefaction estimates indicate that environments of the same type possessed similar levels of richness. Species of medical and veterinary importance were found primarily in peridomiciles: C. paraensis, vector of Oropouche virus; C. insignis and C. pusillus, vectors of Bluetongue virus; C. filariferus, C. flavivenula, C. foxi, and C. ignacioi, found carrying Leishmania DNA. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that diversity was higher in natural environments than in anthropized environments, while abundance and richness were highest in the most anthropized environment. These findings suggest that strictly wild Culicoides can adapt to anthropized environments

Caracterização e relevância da Educação a Distância (EaD) no ensino

A Educação a Distância (EaD) é uma modalidade educacional caracterizada pela utilização de recursos tecnológicos na mediação didático-pedagógica dos processos de ensino e aprendizagem, pois as atividades educativas realizadas por estudantes e professores acontecem em lugares e tempos diferentes. O objetivo do estudo foi realizar através de uma revisão literatura, a caracterização e relevância da EaD no ensino. Para tanto, foi realizada uma revisão narrativa utilizando os descritores: educação a distância, tecnologias, cursos, ensino, e aprendizagem nos idiomas português e inglês. As publicações incluídas foram dos anos de 2001 a 2020. Verificou-se que a EaD é uma modalidade promissora e gerou muitos benefícios para o ensino contribuindo na implementação de projetos educacionais e incentivando no desenvolvimento de habilidades dos estudantes (autonomia com os estudos e gerenciamento de tempo para estudar). Porém, alguns desafios precisam ser enfrentados nesta modalidade, sobretudo em relação a utilização correta dos recursos tecnológicos por docentes e estudantes e também o incentivo a promover ambientes de interação nas plataformas EaD para assegurar uma aprendizagem colaborativa e de qualidade

Evidências de Sinatropização de mosquitos (DIPTERA: Culicidae) em um assentamento rural na Amazônia brasileira

Submitted by Ycaro Santos ([email protected]) on 2019-01-16T21:02:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Jéssica Almeida Feijó.pdf: 5438388 bytes, checksum: d4bbf3027a8a39023ad4a1e71518c369 (MD5)Approved for entry into archive by Ycaro Santos ([email protected]) on 2019-01-16T21:02:55Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Jéssica Almeida Feijó.pdf: 5438388 bytes, checksum: d4bbf3027a8a39023ad4a1e71518c369 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2019-01-16T21:02:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Jéssica Almeida Feijó.pdf: 5438388 bytes, checksum: d4bbf3027a8a39023ad4a1e71518c369 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018Projeto “Arboviroses emergentes na Amazônia: fatores de risco de incidência de Alphavirus, com ênfase em Mayaro, na fronteira agrícola na Amazônia Central”Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto de Pesquisas Leônidas e Maria Deane. Manaus, AM, Brasil.A fragmentação de florestas, ocasionada pelo homem, modifica os ecossistemas e estruturas de comunidades da flora e fauna, incluindo a composição da fauna de mosquitos; devido aos impactos nos seus ciclos de vida, taxas de reprodução, abundância e riqueza de espécies, essas alterações provocam a emergência e reemergência de doenças veiculadas por mosquitos. Este estudo avaliou a sinantropização de mosquitos, por meio da presença de imaturos, em uma comunidade rural amazônica, em duas paisagens com diferentes graus de antropização. Para a coleta dos imaturos foram utilizadas larvitrampas de internódio de bambu, recipiente plástico e pneu, entre os ambientes de floresta, borda de floresta e peridomicílio. Estes ambientes foram alocados dentro de duas paisagens, delimitadas em perímetros de 200m dos seguintes critérios: com alta densidade populacional (>15 moradores) e alto desmatamento (>43% de área desmatada) e outra com baixa densidade populacional (<=15 moradores) e baixo desmatamento (<=43% área desmatada). Foram coletados 10.131 imaturos, e em seguida criados em laboratório até larva madura ou adultos, e identificados em 20 espécies. As espécies de mosquitos mais abundantes foram Culex urichii (29,5%), Trichoprosopon digitatum (27,1%) e Cx. (Melanoconion) spp (10,4%). Não houve diferença entre diversidade e equitabilidade da composição de espécies entre as categorias (p=0.7495). Nos ambientes amostrados em relação às comunidades de mosquitos, borda de floresta apresentou maior diversidade, peridomicílio com maior equitabilidade e em floresta, maior abundância (p=0,0010). Entre as larvitrampas analisadas, o recipiente plástico registrou maior diversidade e equitabilidade de espécies, enquanto que pneu foi mais abundante, essas diferenças foram significantes (p=0,0005). Neste estudo, Aedes albopictus demonstrou ser uma espécie sinantrópica, enquanto que Cx. urichii e Limatus durhamii tenderam à sinantropização. Espécies tipicamente silvestres, Sabethes chloropterus e Sa. glaucodaemon, foram coletadas em peridomicílio. Os resultados indicaram que os mosquitos da região exploraram ambientes florestais e antrópicos para a reprodução, o que representa um risco de transmissão de diversas doenças zoonóticas aos moradores do assentamento.The forest fragmentation caused by humans, modifies ecosystem structures of flora and fauna communities, including mosquitoes. Forest fragmentation can impacts on mosquito species life cycles, reproduction rates, abundance and richness of species and then may affect the emergence and reemergence of mosquito-borne diseases. This study used the presence of mosquitoes immature, in a rural Amazon community in two of different degrees of anthropic impact landscapes, to evaluate the synanthropization process. Bamboo internode, plastic containers and tires were used as larval-traps to cacth immatures from the three different environments: forest, forest edge and peridomicile. These environments were allocated within two landscapes, delimited in perimeters of 200m, according to two criteria, a high population density (> 15 residents) and high deforestation (> 43% of deforested area) and another one with low population density (< = 15 residents) and low deforestation (< = 43% deforested area). A total of 10.131 immature mosquitoes were collected and reared in the laboratory to mature larvae or adults from which 20 species were identified. The most abundant mosquitoes species were Culex urichii (29,5%), Trichoprosopon digitatum (27,1%) and Cx. (Melanoconion) spp (10,4%). No difference between diversity and equitability of species composition among the categories was detected (p = 0.7495). In relation to mosquitos community composition, the forest edge zone presented greater diversit; peridomicile greater equitability; forest greater abundance (p = 0.0010). Comparing the larval-traps analyzed, the plastic container captured greater diversity and equitability of species, while the tire trap caught greater abundance of species (p = 0.0005). In the study, Aedes albopictus appeared as a synanthrope species, whereas Cx. urichii and Limatus durhamii tended to synanthropization. Other typically wild species such as Sabethes chloropterus and Sa.glaucodaemon, were collected in the peridomicile, as well as the household species Ae.albopictus in the forest. The results indicated that the region´s mosquitoes exploit both forest and anthropic environments for breeding, which present a variety zoonotic disease risks for the residents of this settlement

A study of Culicoides in Rondônia, in the Brazilian Amazon: species composition, relative abundance and potential vectors

There is very little information available about Culicoides species (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) in the western Brazilian Amazon. However, studies of the fauna of this region are essential to knowledge of the species and potential vectors within it. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the abundance, richness and composition of Culicoides species in rural areas in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. Culicoides specimens were collected in forest and pasture environments in the municipality of Porto Velho, using light traps. A total of 1708 individuals (1136 females and 572 males) belonging to 33 species were collected; 28 of these samples represent new records for the state of Rondônia and include the first record of Culicoides contubernalis in Brazil. Culicoides insignis was the most abundant species (86.1%). Species richness was greater in forest areas (32 species, 96.96%), whereas pastures presented the greatest number of Culicoides captured (n = 1540, 90.1%). This study shows that Culicoides populations differ between forest and pasture environments and indicates that the abundance of C. insignis is an important factor in epidemiological vigilance studies in the region. © 2016 The Royal Entomological Societ

First evidence of Zika virus venereal transmission in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes

<div><p> BACKGROUND Aedes aegypti is considered the main Zika virus (ZIKV) vector, and is thought to be responsible for the 2015-2016 outbreak in Brazil. Zika positive Ae. aegypti males collected in the field suggest that vertical and/or venereal transmission of ZIKV may occur. OBJECTIVES In this study, we aimed to demonstrate that venereal transmission of ZIKV by Ae. aegypti can occur under laboratory conditions. METHODS Ae. aegypti collected in the city of Manaus, confirmed as negative for Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya virus by reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) (AaM3V- strain), were reared under laboratory conditions and used for the experiments. The ZIKV used in this study was isolated from a patient presenting with symptoms; ZIKV was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Experiment 1: virgin male mosquitoes of AaM3V- strain were intrathoracically inoculated with a ZIKV suspension; four days after injection, they were transferred to a cage containing virgin females of AaM3V- strain and left to copulate for five days. Experiment 2: virgin female mosquitoes of AaM3V- strain were orally infected with a ZIKV suspension by blood feeding membrane assay; nine days after blood feeding, they were placed in cages with Ae. aegypti AaM3V- virgin males and left to copulate for four days. After copulation, all mosquitoes were individually evaluated for viral infection by RT-qPCR. FINDINGS The mean infection rate in Experiment 1 and Experiment 2 was 45% and 35%, respectively. In both experiments, cycle threshold values ranged from 13 to 35, indicating the presence of viral genomes. MAIN CONCLUSION Ae. aegypti males intrathoracically inoculated with a ZIKV suspension are infected and can transmit the virus to uninfected females by mating. Moreover, Ae. aegypti females orally infected with a ZIKV suspension can transmit the virus to uninfected males by copulation. This study shows that ZIKV infection of Ae. aegypti mosquitoes occurs not only during blood feeding, but also during copulation.</p></div

NEOTROPICAL ALIEN MAMMALS: a data set of occurrence and abundance of alien mammals in the Neotropics

Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this data set, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposed a geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into the Neotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced records on alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 species belonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotropics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Florida in the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 countries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g., Callithrix sp., Myocastor coypus, Nasua nasua) considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The most numerous species in terms of records are from Bos sp. (n = 37,782), Sus scrofa (n = 6,730), and Canis familiaris (n = 10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caffer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of species in the data set (n = 20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomic identification of the genera Callithrix, which includes the species Callithrix aurita, Callithrix flaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, and their hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion risk assessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copyright restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics

Xenarthrans—anteaters, sloths, and armadillos—have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data

NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES: a data set on carnivore distribution in the Neotropics

Mammalian carnivores are considered a key group in maintaining ecological health and can indicate potential ecological integrity in landscapes where they occur. Carnivores also hold high conservation value and their habitat requirements can guide management and conservation plans. The order Carnivora has 84 species from 8 families in the Neotropical region: Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Otariidae; Phocidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae. Herein, we include published and unpublished data on native terrestrial Neotropical carnivores (Canidae; Felidae; Mephitidae; Mustelidae; Procyonidae; and Ursidae). NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES is a publicly available data set that includes 99,605 data entries from 35,511 unique georeferenced coordinates. Detection/non-detection and quantitative data were obtained from 1818 to 2018 by researchers, governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private consultants. Data were collected using several methods including camera trapping, museum collections, roadkill, line transect, and opportunistic records. Literature (peer-reviewed and grey literature) from Portuguese, Spanish and English were incorporated in this compilation. Most of the data set consists of detection data entries (n = 79,343; 79.7%) but also includes non-detection data (n = 20,262; 20.3%). Of those, 43.3% also include count data (n = 43,151). The information available in NEOTROPICAL CARNIVORES will contribute to macroecological, ecological, and conservation questions in multiple spatio-temporal perspectives. As carnivores play key roles in trophic interactions, a better understanding of their distribution and habitat requirements are essential to establish conservation management plans and safeguard the future ecological health of Neotropical ecosystems. Our data paper, combined with other large-scale data sets, has great potential to clarify species distribution and related ecological processes within the Neotropics. There are no copyright restrictions and no restriction for using data from this data paper, as long as the data paper is cited as the source of the information used. We also request that users inform us of how they intend to use the data