Spatial-Temporal Dynamics of Neotropical Velvet Ant (Hymenoptera: Mutillidae) Communities Along a Forest-Savanna Gradient

Understanding how and why biological communities are organized over space and time is a major challenge and can aid biodiversity conservation in times of global changes. Herein, spatial-temporal variation in the structure of velvet ant communities was examined along a forest-savanna gradient in the Brazilian Cerrado to assess the roles of environmental filters and interspecific interactions upon community assembly. Velvet ants were sampled using 25 arrays of Y-shaped pitfall traps with drift fences for one year along an environmental gradient from cerrado sensu stricto (open canopy, warmer, drier) to cerradão (closed canopy, cooler, moister). Dataloggers installed on each trap recorded microclimate parameters throughout the study period. The effects of spatial distances, microclimate parameters and shared ancestry on species abundances and turnover were assessed with canonical correspondence analysis, generalized dissimilarity modelling and variance components analysis. Velvet ant diversity and abundance were higher in the cerrado sensu stricto and early in the wet season. There was pronounced compositional turnover along the environmental gradient, and temporal variation in richness and abundance was stronger than spatial variation. The dry season blooming of woody plant species fosters host abundance and, subsequently, velvet ant captures. Species were taxonomically clustered along the gradient with Sphaeropthalmina (especially Traumatomutilla spp.) and Pseudomethocina more associated, respectively, with cerrado sensu stricto and cerradão. This suggests a predominant role of environmental filters on community assemble, with physiological tolerances and host preferences being shared among members of the same lineages. Induced environmental changes in Cerrado can impact communities of wasps and their hosts with unpredictable consequences upon ecosystem functioning and services

Anuran species from São Francisco Basin in Minas Gerais: composition and biogeography

O presente trabalho estudou a composição de anuros da Bacia do São Francisco em Minas Gerais. Na primeira parte o estudo traz, pela primeira vez, uma listagem da fauna de anfíbios do Município de Buritizeiro, uma área de Cerrado no norte de Minas Gerais. Foi registrado um total de 46 espécies, sendo que destas, 40 espécies foram coletadas em campo e 6 foram através de registros provindos de coleções herpetológicas. O município de Buritizeiro corresponde o limite mais meridional da ocorrência de Corythomantis greeningi e Ceratophrys joazeirensis, espécies relacionadas à Caatinga, além de ser a única localidade conhecida para Proceratophrys carranca. Neste estudo, foi constatado que, o município de Buritizeiro possui uma das maiores riquezas de anfíbios conhecidas para o bioma Cerrado. Na segunda parte, deste trabalho foi descrita a composição e distribuição de anuros da Bacia do São Francisco em Mina Gerais, bem como a relação hitórica de suas áreas com outras localidades do Brasil. No estudo de composição foram registradas 136 espécies, destas, 20 espécies são consideradas endêmicas da Bacia, 36 são típicas do Cerrado, 24 típicas da Mata Atlantica e 10 da Caatinga. A Análise de Parcimônia de Endemismo (PAE) utilizando 114 localidades e 253 espécies permitiu identificar que as áreas da Bacia do São Francisco em Minas Gerais não formaram uma área de endemismo única. Portanto, a Bacia do São Francisco em Minas Gerais pode ser considerada de extrema importância para conservação de anfíbios devido a elevada riqueza de espécies e alto grau de endemismo.The present work is a study of the anuran composition of São Francisco Basin in Minas Gerais State (MG). The first part of this work presents the first list of anuran species from Buritizeiro Municipality, a Cerrado Biome area in the north portion of MG. A total of 46 species were recorded, 40 species collected in field, and 6 recorded in herpetological colletions. The Buritizeiro municipality represents the southernmost distribution limit of Corythomantis greeningi and Ceratophrys joazeirensis, species related to Caatinga Biome. It was found that the Buritizeiro Municipality presents one of the greatest amphibians richness in the Cerrado biome. The second part of this work presents a description of the anuran species composition and its distribution in the São Francisco Basin in MG, as well as, the historical relationship of this area with other Brazilian localities. The composition study recorded 136 anuran' species, being: 20 endemic species from the São Francisco Basin in Minas Gerais, 36 species from Cerrado Biome, 24 species from Atlantic Forest Biome, and 12 species from Caatinga Biome. The Parsimony Analysis of Endemism (PAE) using 114 locations and 254 species identified that the areas of the São Francisco Basin in Minas Gerais not formed a single endemisms area. Therefore, the São Francisco Basin in Minas Gerais could be considered of utmost importance for anuran species conservation due to its high species richness and endemisms.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superio

Description of the tadpole of Proceratophrys carranca Godinho, Moura, Lacerda and Feio, 2013, (Anura, Odontophrynidae)

Proceratophrys carranca Godinho, Moura, Lacerda & Feio, 2013 belongs to the P. cristiceps group, which currently contains 15 species (Brandão et al. 2013). This group is defined by species lacking palpebral appendages, postocular swellings and inhabiting mainly seasonally dry open environments (Cerrado and Caatinga domains) in Brazil (Giaretta et al. 2000). Using molecular data, Amaro et al. (2009) showed the non-monophyletic status of the P. cristiceps group. These authors emphasize that more studies are needed for to understand the taxonomy of the genus Proceratophrys. Larval characters are important tools that make a significant contribution to the resolution of taxonomic problems

Contribuição da fauna silvestre em projetos de restauração ecológica no Brasil </p><p> Contribution of the wildlife in ecological restoration projects in Brazil </p><p>

O sucesso no processo de restauração e manutenção da dinâmica de um ecossistema é extremamente dependente da capacidade das espécies em promover interações interespecíficas entre as diversas formas de vida. Estas interações criam um cenário favorável à restauração ecológica de ecossistemas degradados. Assim, por meio de revisão de literatura, o objetivo deste trabalho é relatar a contribuição e utilização dos diferentes grupos de animais na execução de projetos de restauração ecológica no Brasil. As aves e mamíferos frugívoros e também outros animais, como os répteis, peixes e insetos, têm se destacado como ferramentas de auxílio aos projetos de restauração ecológica. As técnicas para atração de animais e consequente chegada de propágulos em um ecossistema degradado compreende a utilização de poleiros, que servem de pouso e abrigo para a avifauna e morcegos, e a utilização de abrigos artificiais, que servem para fuga de predadores, descanso e reprodução dos animais. De modo geral, estes estudos são excelentes ferramentas para gerir ações de manejo ambiental em ecossistemas degradados, possibilitando a recuperação da biodiversidade destes ambientes. The success in the process of restoration and maintenance of the dynamics of an ecosystem is highly dependent on the capacity of species to promote interspecific interactions among the various life forms. These interactions create a favorable environment for the ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems. Thus, by review the literature, the objective of this study is to report the contribution and use of different animal groups in carrying out ecological restoration projects in Brazil. The fruit-eating birds and mammals and also other animals such as reptiles, fish and insects have been highlighted as tools to aid environmental ecological restoration projects. Techniques for attracting animals and consequent arrival of seedlings in a degraded ecosystem comprises the use of perches, which serve as landing and shelter for birds and bats, and the use of artificial shelters, which serve to escape from predators, resting and reproduction of animals. In general, these studies are excellent tools for managing environmental management actions in degraded ecosystems, enabling the recovery of biodiversity in these environments

Slaget om hemmet : Värden, utanförskapanden och förorten som folkhemmets periferi

The struggle about home. Values, social exclusion and the suburb as the periphery of the People’s home In this article, we analyse contemporary discourses about social exclusion in the suburbs. The empirical material is mainly based on speeches of different Swedish political party leaders during the Politician’s Week (politikerveckan) in Almedalen that took place in 2016. By adopting a discursive psychology approach, we have examined the interpretative repertoires and the discursive resources that the party leaders use to frame the suburbs as sites of ”parallel society”, criminality, passivity, gender oppression, radicalization and dominance of values that assumingly pose a threat to the social cohesion of Swedish society and the basis of the People’s Home. In order to remediate the ”crisis of values” in Swedish society that migration and social exclusion of suburbs have supposedly engendered, ”Swedish values” are highlighted as important resources to strengthen social cohesion and reclaim the endangered People’s Home. Thus, values are gradually becoming primary markers of difference and deployed to construct hierarchies of belonging and rights in the Swedish society

Species turnover.

<p>Generalized dissimilarity modelling of velvet ant species turnover across 25 arrays of Y-shaped pitfall traps with drift fences, distributed along an environmental gradient from cerrado <i>sensu stricto</i> to cerradão and sampled for 12 months in Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil. (A) Relationship between observed velvet ant turnover for each trap array pair and predicted ecological distance between those trap arrays. (B) Relationship between observed and predicted velvet ant turnover. Generalized dissimilarity model-fitted I-splines (partial regression fits) of spatial distance (C) and selected environmental variables (D-J) as predictors. The steeper the slope of the I-spline, the greater the predicted species turnover on that portion of the gradient. The maximum height of each curve indicates the total amount of species turnover associated with that predictor and the relative importance of that predictor in explaining species turnover holding all other predictors constant.</p

Variance Components Analysis.

<p>Variance Components Analysis.</p

Species ordination.

<p>Correspondence analysis (CA) describing the variation on the distribution of velvet ants (only those species with abundance higher than average) captured for 12 months in 25 arrays of Y-shaped pitfall traps with drift fences, along an environmental gradient from cerrado <i>sensu stricto</i> to cerradão at Parque Municipal Mário Viana, Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Filled circles represent pitfall trap arrays. Trap array numbers increase from cerrado <i>sensu stricto</i> to cerradão. The first two correspondence axes (CA1 and CA2) explained 42.7% of the variation. Legend: Da1, <i>Darditilla</i> sp. 01; Da6, <i>Darditilla</i> sp. 06; Ep5, <i>Ephuta</i> sp. 05; Ep6, <i>Ephuta</i> sp. 06; Hop, <i>Hoplomutilla pollens</i>; Hot, <i>Hoplomutilla triumphans</i>; Hrf, <i>Horcomutilla fronticornis</i>; Mih, <i>Mickelia harpyia</i>; Pem, <i>Pertyella mayri</i>; Psg, <i>Pseudomethoca gounellei</i>; Taf, <i>Tallium festivum</i>; Ta5, <i>Tallium</i> sp. 05; Tim1, <i>Timulla</i> sp. 01; Trbf, <i>Traumatomutilla bellifera</i>; Trge, <i>Traumatomutilla geographica</i>; Trint, <i>Traumatomutilla integella</i>; Trmo, <i>Traumatomutilla moesta</i>; Trp, <i>Traumatomutilla parallela</i>; Trs, <i>Traumatomutilla sancta</i>.</p

Environmental ordination.

<p>Principal Components Analysis (PCA) describing the variation of microclimatic parameters collected for 12 months in 25 arrays of Y-shaped pitfall traps with drift fences, along an environmental gradient from cerrado <i>sensu stricto</i> to cerradão at Parque Municipal Mário Viana, Nova Xavantina, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Filled circles represent pitfall trap arrays. Trap array numbers increase from cerrado <i>sensu stricto</i> to cerradão. The first two principal components (PC1 and PC2) explained 86% of the variation. Arrow length and direction are proportional to correlation between microclimatic parameters and ordination axes. Largest eigenvectors: PC1: <i>Tsda</i>, <i>Tsd</i>, <i>Hmin</i>, <i>Tmax</i>, <i>Tmaxa</i>, and <i>Tmean</i>; PC2: <i>Hmax</i>, <i>Hmaxa</i>, and <i>Hsda</i>. Legend: <i>Hmaxa</i>, absolute maximum relative humidity (%); <i>Hmina</i>, absolute minimum relative humidity (%); <i>Hmax</i>, maximum relative humidity (%); <i>Hmin</i>, minimum relative humidity (%); <i>Hmean</i>, mean relative humidity (%); <i>Hsda</i>, absolute standard deviation of relative humidity (%); <i>Hsd</i>, standard deviation of relative humidity (%); <i>Tmaxa</i>, absolute maximum temperature (°C); <i>Tmina</i>, absolute minimum temperature (°C); <i>Tmax</i>, maximum temperature (°C); <i>Tmin</i>, minimum temperature (°C); <i>Tmean</i>, mean temperature (°C); <i>Tsda</i>, absolute standard deviation of temperature (°C); <i>Tsd</i>, standard deviation of temperature (°C).</p