Esfingídeos (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) no Tabuleiro Paraibano, nordeste do Brasil: abundância, riqueza e relação com plantas esfingófilas Hawkmoths (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) in the Tabuleiro Paraibano, northeastern Brazil: abundance, richness and relations to sphingophilous plants

<abstract language="eng">Hawkmoths (Sphingidae) are among the major pollinators in tropical communities. Here the first survey of sphingids and related plants in Northeastern Brazil is presented. The sphingids were surveyed from March 1999 through April 2000 at the Reserva Biológica Guaribas, Mamanguape, Paraíba State. On black and mix light traps, 136 hawkmoths from 24 species were captured. Individuais of Erinnyis ello (Linnaeus, 1758), Isognathus menechus (Boisduval, 1875) and Xylophanes tersa (Linnaeus, 1771) represented 58% of the samples. One half of the recorded species show wide distribution in the Neotropics. Three species were registered for more than six months. Most of the species were found only in the dry or wet season. Pollen from 34 plant species were recorded by pollen analysis of sphingid mouth parts. Hancornia speciosa (Apocynaceae) and Guettarda platipoda (Rubiaceae) were the most important food plants. Both are characteristic elements of the Tabuleiro Nordestino and present typically sphingophilous flowers. More than one half of the sphingids presented pollen from only one or two species of plants. By transporting large quantities of pollen of a few species, hawkmoths seem to be the main pollinators of nocturnal flowers in the Tabuleiro Paraibano

Riqueza, abundância e diversidade de Euglossina (Hymenoptera, Apidae) em três áreas da Reserva Biológica Guaribas, Paraíba, Brasil Richness, abundance, and diversity of Euglossina (Hymenoptera, Apidae) at three areas of the Guaribas Biological Reserve, Paraíba, Brazil

O estudo realizou-se em três áreas da Reserva Biológica Guaribas, uma área com vegetação característica de Mata Atlântica, outra com vegetação característica de Tabuleiro Nordestino e a terceira, chamada de Transição, formada por um mosaico dos dois tipos vegetacionais. Foram coletados 2314 indivíduos pertencentes a 11 espécies de Euglossina. Utilizou-se como iscas seis fragrâncias artificiais: eugenol, eucaliptol, escatol, beta ionona, acetato de benzila e vanilina. Na área de Mata, foram coletados 850 indivíduos de 11 espécies, na área de Tabuleiro 737 indivíduos de cinco espécies e na área de Transição 727 indivíduos de seis espécies. A área de Mata apresentou a maior diversidade (H' = 0,94) e a maior riqueza. O coeficiente de similaridade binário de Sørensen indicou que as áreas mais semelhantes, com relação à composição das espécies, foram às de Tabuleiro e Transição (Ss = 0,92). O coeficiente de similaridade de Morisita apontou que as áreas de Mata e Transição são idênticas (Cmh = 1), com relação às abundâncias relativas das espécies. A área de Transição assemelha-se mais à área de Tabuleiro (quanto à composição e diversidade) e mais à área de Mata (quanto à abundância relativa), o que sugere que algumas espécies de Mata também forrageiam na área de Transição.<br>The study was carried out at three areas of the Guaribas Biological Reserve, one area with typical Atlantic rain forest vegetation, one with a Savanna-like vegetation typical of coastal ecosystems, locally known as 'Tabuleiro', and another called Transition area, containing a mosaic of the two former types of vegetation. A total of 2314 individuals belonging to 11 species of Euglossina were sampled, using traps. Six artificial fragrances were used as baits: eugenol, cineol, skatol, beta ionone, benzyl acetate, and vanillin. From the Forest area 850 males belonging to 11 species were sampled, from the Savanna-like vegetation 737 males belonging to five species were sampled, and from the Transition area 727 males belonging to six species were sampled. The highest diversity (H' = 0.94) and richness were obtained from the Forest area. The Sørensen binary similarity coefficient showed that regarding species composition Savanna-like vegetation and Transition were the most similar areas (Ss = 0.92). The Morisita similarity coefficient showed that Forest and Transition areas were identical (Cmh = 1) regarding relative abundance of species. Transition area is more similar to an open area of Savanna-like vegetation, in terms of composition and diversity, and more similar to the Forest area, regarding relative abundance, suggesting that some Forest species also forage in the Transition area