Habitat requirements of Tetanocera elata (Diptera: Sciomyzidae): case study of a dry meadow in western Ireland

Terrestrial slugs are pervasive pests of agriculture throughout temperate regions and have the potential to disrupt the germination of seedlings, cause damage to fruiting bodies of crops, and vector plant pathogens. Tetanocera elata Fabricius (Diptera: Sciomyzidae), a widely distributed Palaearctic species, is an obligate mesoparasitoid and predator of pestiferous slugs including Deroceras reticulatum Müller (Stylommatophora: Agriolimacidae). It has the potential to be developed as a native natural enemy in a conservation biological control programme as an alternative to chemical molluscicides. To better understand the ecological requirements of this species, a detailed observational study was conducted at a site in the west of Ireland possessing naturally occurring T. elata populations. Comparison of local patches where T. elata were recovered revealed no association with plant community composition. Taller dead vegetation was associated with T. elata presence throughout the site. Within the area of greatest T. elata aggregation, there was a significantly greater percentage cover of dead vegetation where T. elata occurred. Abundance of T. elata was also significantly correlated to hedgerow proximity. Results of this study are directly applicable for the design of a conservation biological control programme, which effectively satisfies the principal habitat requirements of T. elata populations

Caracterização morfométrica da corvlna Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest) (Pisces, Sciaenidae) na Baía de Sepetiba, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Morphometric characterization of the white croaker Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest) (Pisces, Sciaenidae) in Sepetiba Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

<abstract language="eng">The white croaker Micropogonias fumieri (Desmarest, 1823) is one of the most abundant fish species in the Sepetiba Bay, being heavily exploited in fisheries. Two hundred eleven fishes, captured from October 1998 to September 1999, in monthly samplings with otter trawling, were studied. The aim here is to characterize morphometrics of populations that use de Bay in order to compare with other areas. Measurements included standard length (SL), head length (HL), Pre-dorsal distance (PDD), pectoral distance (PD), ventral distance (VD) and anal distance (AD), pectoral length (PL) and eye diarneter (ED). The values of HL, PDD, PD, VD, AD, were related to SL, while ED was related to HL. Scatterplot from logaritrnized data, by sex, were analyzed in order to assess alometry. Males outnumber females with differences being highly significant (p < 0.01), mainly in size c1ass 100 and 150 mm SL. The studied population varying from 62 to 205 mm. Head length varied from 28.7 to 38.6% SL; PDD 32.5 to 42.9%; PD 276 to 41.1 %; VD 26.6 to 44.8%; AD 58.1 to 76.8%; and PL 10.8 to 29.8%. Eye diameter varied from 16.7 to 26.1 % HL. Positive alometry (k > I) were shown for PL in both sexes, and for AD in female, indicating that these measurements increase proportionately more than the standard length; isometric growth (k = 1) were shown for HL, PDD, PD, VD in both sexes, for AD in males; negative alometry (k < 1) was shown only for ED in relation to head length (HL), in both males and females. The white croaker populations in lhe Sepetiba Bay seems to be similar in their morphometrics aspects to the populations of coastal zone at Southeast Brazil, which differ from South coastal zone populations

An\ue1lise de caracteres morfol\uf3gicos e comportamentais em abelhas africanizadas, caucasianas e em descendentes dos seus cruzamentos

<abstract language="eng">Twetve external morphological traits and seven traits of food-gathering behavior were studied in africanized and caucasian (A. m. caucasica), bees. Discriminant analysis showed that neither the length of the fourth segment of the abdomen, nor bee weight can be considered as the traits with the highest discriminatory power between africanized and caucasian bees, with any in-bred bees. In the case of in-bred bees the discriminam traits had a lower interorbital width and time to reach the feeder. Multivariate comparisons between the data of in-bred colonies and twenty hibrid colonies, suggest dominance of the genes group of the africanized subspecies