Utilisation of intensive foraging zones by female Australian fur seals.

Within a heterogeneous environment, animals must efficiently locate and utilise foraging patches. One way animals can achieve this is by increasing residency times in areas where foraging success is highest (area-restricted search). For air-breathing diving predators, increased patch residency times can be achieved by altering both surface movements and diving patterns. The current study aimed to spatially identify the areas where female Australian fur seals allocated the most foraging effort, while simultaneously determining the behavioural changes that occur when they increase their foraging intensity. To achieve this, foraging behaviour was successfully recorded with a FastLoc GPS logger and dive behaviour recorder from 29 individual females provisioning pups. Females travelled an average of 118 ± 50 km from their colony during foraging trips that lasted 7.3 ± 3.4 days. Comparison of two methods for calculating foraging intensity (first-passage time and first-passage time modified to include diving behaviour) determined that, due to extended surface intervals where individuals did not travel, inclusion of diving behaviour into foraging analyses was important for this species. Foraging intensity 'hot spots' were found to exist in a mosaic of patches within the Bass Basin, primarily to the south-west of the colony. However, the composition of benthic habitat being targeted remains unclear. When increasing their foraging intensity, individuals tended to perform dives around 148 s or greater, with descent/ascent rates of approximately 1.9 m•s-1 or greater and reduced postdive durations. This suggests individuals were maximising their time within the benthic foraging zone. Furthermore, individuals increased tortuosity and decreased travel speeds while at the surface to maximise their time within a foraging location. These results suggest Australian fur seals will modify both surface movements and diving behaviour to maximise their time within a foraging patch

Two new species of Aguarunichthys from the Amazon basin (Siluroidei : Pimelodidae)

Two new species of #Aguarunichthys are described and compared to #A. torosus. #Aguarunichthys tocantinsensis, new specimen of the Tocantins River, differs from #A. torosus by having a larger orbital diameter, overlapping branchiostegal membranes, distance between snout tip and anterior nostrils less than distance between anterior and posterior nostrils and posterior edge of orbital rim. #Aguarunichthys impai$, new species, from the Solimoes River, differs from the other species by having a broader head, smaller eyes and a wider mouth. (Résumé d'auteur

High-Contrast OLEDs with High-Efficiency

Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye

LIFETIMES OF HUMAN OCCUPATIONS IN AMAZONIA: RETHINKING THE HUMAN PRESENCE AND LANDSCAPE TRANSFORMATIONS

Following the Historical Ecologists approach, this article will use data from different collaborative  with the intention of showing that the Amazon rainforest today, considered by many as the one of very few wild, pristine and unspoilt environments on the planet is actually the result of a long period of human managements that have had beneficial impacts on the system. This is an extremely important premise to rethink the role of traditional populations to preserve the Amazon. This work addresses the four main moments in the history of human occupation in the Amazon: the early migrants; the first more stationary occupations, the great villages, the population peak around the year one thousand and the traditional populations today.   Key-words: Historical Ecology. Traditional Amazonian societies. Amazonian archaeology.Seguindo a abordagem dos Ecologistas Históricos, este artigo usará dados de diferentes projetos colaborativos com o intuito de demonstrar que a floresta amazônica atual, considerada por muitos como um dos poucos ambientes selvagens, pristinos e intocados do planeta, é, na verdade, o resultado de um longo período manejos humanos que causaram impactos benéficos ao sistema. Essa premissa é extremamente importante para repensar o papel das populações tradicionais para a preservação da Amazônia. Este trabalho foca quatro momentos principais da história da ocupação humana na Amazônia: os migrantes iniciais; as primeiras ocupações mais fixas, as grandes aldeias, o ápice populacional por volta do ano mil e as populações tradicionais atuais.    Palavras-chaves: Ecologia Histórica. Sociedades amazônicas tradicionais. Arqueologia amazônica

Simuliidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha) in Brazil: VI - Simulium (Psaroniocompsa) siolii sp.n., Simulium (P.) lourencoi sp.n., and Simulium (P.) damascenoi sp.n.

Three new species of the subgenus Simulium (Psaroniocompsa) Enderlein are described: S.(P.) siolii, found in the Hydrogeological Provinces of the Central Shield and West-Center (in the subprovinces of Chapada dos Parecis and Upper Paraguay), S.(P.) lourencoi, found in the Hydrogeological Provinces of the Central Shield and the Parnaiba, and S.(P.) damascenoi, found in the Hydrogeological Provinces of Amazonas and the Northern Shield. These species have some convergent characteristics during the larval stage with the subgenera Edwardsellum (Ethiopian) and Byssodon (Ethiopian and Holoarctic). This is the first time that these convergent characteristics have been observed in the neotropical region. Differential keys are presented for larvae and pupae of the subgenus Psaroniocompsa the pupae of which have 4 terminal gill filaments.São descritas três espécies novas para o subgênero Simulium (Psaroniocompsa) Enderlein: S. (P.) siolii com distribuição geográfica abrangendo as Províncias Hidrogeológicas do Escudo Central e Centro-oeste (nas subprovíncias Chapadas dos Parecis e Alto Paraguai), S.(P)lourencoi das Províncias Hidrogeológicas do Escudo Central e Parnaíba, S.(P.) damascenoi das Províncias Hidrogeológicas do Amazonas e Escudo Setentrional. Estas espécies apresentam caracteres convergentes, assinalados pela primeira vez para a região Neotropical, ao nível larval, com os subgêneros Edwardsellum (Etiópico) e Byssodon (Etiópico e Holoártico). São apresentadas chaves diferenciativas para larvas e pupas do subgênero Psaroniocompsa cujas pupas apresentam quatro filamentos branquiais terminais

Algumas considerações sobre Simulidae (Diptera-Nematocera) - II

Simulium cerqueirai Almeida, 1979 is considered a new synonym of S. pertinax Kollar, 1832. A new character, the Frontal Index, is proposed in substitution of the Frontal Angle. This character will presented the proportion between width and height of the frons of the female. The Latero-Mandibular Process is presented as a new taxonomic character in order to help in the specific identification of simulid larvae. Simulium metallicum Bellardi, 1859 is noted as a neotropical species whose larvae have Accessory Sclerites. It is proposed that Simulium goeldii Cerqueira & Nunes de Mello, 1967 should be put alone in a separate group, within this genus, until the discovery of other species near this allow better characterization of the group. This species is revised to include new taxonomic characters.O Simulium cerqueirai Almeida, 1979 é colocado como um novo sinônimo do Simulium pertinax Kollar 1832. É proposta a substituição do caráter Ângulo Frontal por Índice Frontalcom o intuito de obter-se uma proporção entre a largura e altura da fronte das fêmeas. É apresentado um novo caráter taxionômico, o Processo Latero-Mandibular, para ajudar na identificação específica a nível larval. O Simulium metallicum Bellardi, 1859, é relembrado como uma espécie neotropical, cujas larvas possuem Escleritos Acessórios. É proposto que o Simulium goeldii Cerqueira & Nunes de Mello, 1967 seja colocado em um grupo à parte, dentro do gênero, até que ocorram futuras descobertas de espécies próximas a este, que melhor possam caracterizar o grupo; a espécie é revista para a atualização de alguns caracteres taxionômicos

Novas sinonímias e correções em Simulium com a revalidação de S. pruinosum Lutz, 1904 (Culicomorpha, Simuliidae)

The following synonyms are proposed: Simulium antunesi (Lane & Porto, 1940), Simulium mauense Nunes de Mello, 1974 and Simulium nilesi Rambajam, 1979 are synonyms of Simulium perflavum Roubaud, 1906; Simulium sucamense Nunes de Mello, 1974 and Simulium santaelenae Ramirez-Perez & Peterson, 1981 are synonyms of Simulium (Psilopelmia) iracouboense Floch & Abonnenc, 1946; Simulium major Lane & Porto, 1940 are synonym of Simulium (Hemicnetha) rubrithorax Lutz, 1909. The recent use of the miswriting name Grenierella to the subgenus Grenieriella Vargas & Nájera, 1951 is mentioned. Simulium (Grenieriella) pruinosum Lutz, 1910 is revalidated and Simulium nigrimanum Macquart, 1838 should be considered species inquirendae.Consideram-se Simulium antunesi (Lane & Porto, 1940), S. mauense Nunes de Mello, 1974 e S. nilesi Rambajam, 1979 sinonímias de Simulium perflavum Roubaud, 1906; S. sucamense Nunes de Mello, 1974 e S. santaelenae Ramirez-Pérez & Peterson, 1981 sinonímias de S. (Psilopelmia) iracouboense Floch & Abonnenc, 1946; S. major Lane & Porto, 1940 sinonímia S. (Helmicnetha) rubrithorax Lutz, 1909. Ressalta-se a utilização errônea do nome Grenierella para o subgênero Grenieriella Vargas & Nájera, 1951. Simulium (G.) pruinosum Lutz, 1910 é revalidada, e sugere-se que S. nigrimanum Macquart, 1838 volte a ocupar a posição de species inquirendae

Description of two new Neotropical subgenera of Simulliidae (Diptera: Culicomorpha)

Zwei neue Untergattungen (Cerqueirellum :und Coscaroniellum) werden auf der Grundlage von Arten beschrieben, die bisher in die "amazonicum"-Gruppe gehörten. Die meisten dieser Arten werden revidiert und einige Synonyme hinzugefügt. Schlüssel zur Art- und Untergattungsunterscheidung werden vorgestellt

Algumas considerações sobre Simuliidae (Diptera : Nematocera)

New changes are proposed for the tribes Simuliini and Prosimuliini to those Crosskey (1969) and Wygodzinsky & Coscarón (1973) based on laboratory observation of the abdomen of pupae (some neotropical species) that were not treated with the "clarifier-cleaner", KOH. These changes would be: Simuliini - with median longitudinal striate membranous area on the sternites V-VII and sometimes VIII: Prosimuliini - with median longitudinal striate membranous area on the sternites VI-VII and sometimes also on the VIII.Com base em observações do abdome pupal de algumas espécies neotropicais de Simuliini e Prosimuliini, sem o uso do KOH (Hidróxido de Potássio) como agente "limpador-clarificante", são propostas algumas alterações nas definições apresentadas por Crosskey (1969) e por Wygodzinsky & Coscarón (1973) para estas tribosSimuliini com áreas membranosas estriadas longitudinais medianas nos esternitos V, VI-VII e algumas vezes também no VIII; Prosimuliini somente apresentando áreas estriadas membranosas longitudinais, medianamente, nos esternitos VI-VII e algumas vezes também no VIII