Protocol for collecting Mutillidae (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) in ecological studies: species–area effects on Mutillidae communities

AbstractThe species–area relationship is one of the most consistent patterns in ecology, and fragmentation is a major cause of habitat loss. Environmental changes in a site can affect the spatial distribution of organisms. Knowledge of Mutillidae ecology is still scarce due to the lack of standardized sampling. Our aim was to: (1) determine the effect of habitat fragmentation on the Mutillidae community and (2) establish a standard method for sampling Mutillidae in ecological studies. Sampling was conducted in four fragments of Brazilian Savanna in an urbanized matrix. We used quadrats with different areas: 25m2, 100m2 and 400m2 to verify sampling effort. Male and female Mutillidae were collected from each of these three treatments. Males were collected using Malaise traps while females were collected through active search. Ecological index, richness, abundance, and percent similarity between fragments were used to analyze the communities. The Kruskal–Wallis test was performed to verify differences between treatments. Nonparametric multivariate analysis of variance was used to determine community composition. Analysis of direct ordination of community with respect to the sample area size was performed. Three hundred individuals were collected; of which 201 were female, 99 male; belonging to 42 species distributed in 13 genera and two subfamilies. The richness, abundance and composition of the community were different between treatments. It was found that a 100m2 quadrat was sufficient for comparison and application of ecological concepts and theories for the group

Streblid bat flies on phyllostomid bats from an island off the coast of São Paulo, Brazil

Streblidae is the family of bloodsucking flies, mostly tropical and subtropical, that are obligate ectoparasites of bats. A high number of these fly species are found in the Atlantic Forest, but there is little information about their quantitative descriptors. In this paper, we describe the prevalence, mean intensity, and infracommunities of streblid bat flies on phyllostomid bats from the Parque Estadual da Ilha do Cardoso, São Paulo state, Brazil. Surveys were conducted from July 1990 to July 1991 in distinct places of the island, with a total of 454 flies of 30 species collected from 132 bats of 15 species. From those, we found 44 host-parasite associations and 31 infracommunities that suffered variations due to accidental associations or contaminations. With our results, the number of Streblidae species increased from 31 to 36 in São Paulo State

Influence of parasitoid Paravilla sp. (Diptera, Bombyliidae) on the development of larvae of Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Návas, 1914) (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae)

Parasitoids manipulate the host metabolism for their own benefit by influencing its development and the direct or indirect result of it is the host death. This study aimed to observe the influence of parasitoidism of Paravilla sp. (Diptera, Bombyliidae) on the development of antlion larvae Myrmeleon brasiliensis (Návas, 1914) (Neuroptera, Myrmeleontidae). The specific objectives were to verify in which larval instars the parasitoid oviposition occurs, the influence of the parasitoid on the larval and pupal development time of M. brasiliensis, the differences in body length of the antlion larvae, as well as of the sex ratio of M. brasiliensis adults. For this, the larvae were differentiated in 1st, 2nd and 3rd instar and measures on body length (head-abdomen) and accompanied until the emergence of the adult. It was observed that the parasitoid Paravilla sp. attacked only the 2nd and 3rd instar larvae. The parasitoid Paravilla sp. oviposited only in 2nd and 3rd instars larvae. No significant differences were observed on larval development time, in the larval body length and in the adult sex ratio between groups of parasitized and non-parasitized M. brasiliensis larvae, however, was observed differences in the pupal development time of these two groups. Thus, we can conclude that the parasitoid Paravilla sp. influences the development time of M. brasiliensis pupal

Diptera, Drosophilidae, Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970: distribution extension for the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Zaprionus indianus Gupta, 1970 is reported for the first time in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. During a study on synanthropic flies, a total of 13,797 specimens of Zaprionus indianus were collected using traps containing dog feces as bait

White-winged Vampire Bat, Diaemus youngi (Jentink, 1893) (Mammalia, Chiroptera): range extension in the Cerrado biome and new locality in Mato Grosso do Sul, southwestern Brazil

We document a new locality of Diaemus youngi in the Cerrado biome, extend the distribution in Mato Grosso do Sul state (southwestern Brazil), and present the first record of a vampire bat species from the state’s capital, Campo Grande. We recorded one male adult in an urban remnant of Cerrado. There are few locality data for this species in the Cerrado biome and our report significantly adds to the knowledge of this species’ distribution within the state and throughout Brazil

New records of bat flies (Diptera, Streblidae and Nycteribiidae) in Cerrado of Central Brazil

Here we record the occurrence of 38 species, including 30 species of Streblidae and eight species of Nycteribiidae. Of these, 12 are new records for the Distrito Federal, three are new for the Cerrado, and one, Trichobius johnsonae Wenzel, 1966 is the first record from Brazil. We also recorded a yet undescribed species of Basilia from the district

Ectoparasitic flies (Diptera, Streblidae) on bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in a dry tropical forest in the northern Colombia

This work represents the first report of host-parasite associations between flies of the family Streblidae and their host bats in the Colombian Caribbean region. Specimens were collected in a dry tropical forest in the Sucre department. A total of 17 species (eight genera) of Streblidae, as well as 19 species from five bat families were recorded. Strebla mirabilis, Trichobius costalimai, Trichobius parasiticus and Paradyschiria parvuloides were the most abundant ectoparasites. Prevalence of ectoparasites on bat assemblage was 48.57%. In nine bat species, more than one Streblidae species were recorded. Trichobius costalimai had the greatest number of host species. We have found remarkable new associations between Artibeus planirostris and Trichobius costalimai, Lophostoma silvicolum and Strebla mirabilis, as well as Lophostoma silvicolum and Trichobius parasiticus