During parasitological surveys of freshwater fish from the Miranda River, Brazil, 199 Pygocentrus nattereri kner (Characidae) were caught. Two pentastomid families, Subtriquetridae Fain, 1961, represented by its single genus Subtriquetra Sambon, 1922, and Sebekidae Sambon, 1922, represented by three genera, were present. Free-living larvae of Subtriquetra subtriquetra (Diesing, 1835) were collected from the swim bladder. Encysted larvae of Alofia Giglioli, 1922 were found in the abdominal cavity, chambers of the heart, musculature, on the surface of the gonads and swim bladder. Some Alofia larvae were moving freely in the swim bladder. Larvae of Sebekia Sambon, 1922 were encysted in the musculature. Some larvae of Leiperia Sambon, 1922 were found encysted in the musculature and on the surface of the pyloric caeca, whereas others occurred free in the abdominal cavity. In some of the latter, the head was buried deep in the wall of the intestine, stomach or ovaries, whereas the rest of their body remained free. Infective pentastomid larvae were present throughout the year with an overall prevalence of 77%. Both prevalence and intensity were higher in members of the Sebekidae than in Su. subtriquetra, possibly due to the latter's mode of transmission and its high pathogenicity. No sex-related, statistically significant differences (p > 0.05) in prevalence or abundance were found. Fish weight and length had significant but weak positive correlations (r ≤ 0.27) with the abundance of pentastomid larvae, possibly reflecting an increased likelihood of prior exposure in older fish. Parasite abundance had no significant effect on host body condition (p ≥ 0.69). A higher prevalence and monthly mean abundance of pentastomids were seen in the dry season and might be due to increased host densities as habitats dry up. Pygocentrus nattereri represents a new intermediate host record for the genera Alofia, Leiperia and Subtriquetra.
A new endemic species, F. sanctae-martae Stančík (sect. Festuca) and a new subspecies, F. amplissima subsp. magdalenaensis Stančík (sect. Ruprechtia), from the Colombian Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, are described and illustrated.
Bats of the family Phyllostomidae are common hosts to streblids known as bat flies. Here, we discuss the component community, prevalence and intensity of infection with species of Streblidae on an assemblage of phyllostomid bats in the Cafuringa Environmental Protection Area (APA Cafuringa) in the core area of the Cerrado in Central Brazil. A total of 1 841 streblid individuals of 24 species occurred on 752 bats of 14 species. Ten species of streblids infected Glossophaga soricina (Pallas), whereas seven or fewer streblid species infected the other bat species. Nine bat fly species presented a prevalence of more than 50%, whereas some differences in the abundance of bat flies among hosts were observed. Strebla wiedemanni Kolenati, 1856 and Trichobius furmani Wenzel, 1966 were more host-specific compared to the other streblids, and they occurred in greater abundance on their preferred hosts. Trichobius uniformis Curran, 1935 and Strebla mirabilis (Waterhouse, 1879) were the least host-specific, occurring on five and six hosts, respectively., Ludmilla M. S. Aguiar, Yasmine Antonini., and Obsahuje bibliografii
Procesům adaptace na život v lidských sídlech podléhají mnohé druhy ptáků nejenom v Evropě, ale i v Latinské Americe. Během několika cest po tropických zemích Nového světa od Mexika po Argentinu autoři zaznamenali v tamních městech i na venkově několik desítek ptačích druhů se sklonem k synantropnímu způsobu života. V sumáru 57 druhů z patnácti čeledí, které byly zařazeny do článku, dominují pěvci (41 druhů). Přestože jde o subjektivní výběr a jednotlivé druhy ptáků nebylo možné podrobněji charakterizovat, uvedené informace mohou návštěvníkům této oblasti usnadnit orientaci při setkání se zástupci avifauny latinskoamerických sídel., Many bird species are involved in processes of adaptation to life in human settlements, not only in Europe, but also in Latin America. During several trips to tropical countries in the New World, from Mexico to Argentina, the authors noted several dozen bird species in the cities and the countryside that tended to adopt a synanthropic lifestyle. Songbirds predominate (with 41 species) in a list of 57 species from the 15 families presented. The article may help visitors to the region find their bearings among the birdlife in Latin American conurbations., and Jozef Májský, Stanislav Chudý.
Současná diverzita tropické flóry a bioty Latinské Ameriky je výsledkem řady historických událostí, ke kterým došlo během jejího dlouhého vývoje. Výskyt stejných či příbuzných čeledí, rodů nebo druhů v oblastech a na kontinentech představujících součásti někdejšího prakontinentu Gondwana jsou výsledkem působení tří mechanismů: rozpadu souvislého areálu výskytu (vikariance) na území někdejší Gondwany, migrací rostlin přes kontinenty severní polokoule a disperzí přes oceány. Při mezikontinentálním rozšíření řady čeledí však často nehrál roli jen jeden z výše uvedených mechanismů, ale často šlo o jejich kombinace. Tím se stává studium historie různých taxonů komplikovanější. K jejímu odhalení je potřeba mít jasnou představu o stáří jejich jednotlivých vývojových linií, umožňující správnou interpretaci působení konkrétního mechanismu na jejich dnešní rozšíření a diverzitu., The tropical flora and biota of Latin America was influenced during its long history by several events that led to their current diversity and disjunct distribution. Three mechanisms have been proposed to explain the occurrence of the same or closely related families, genera and/or species among fragments of former Gondwana: vicariance, migration of plants across the continents and long distance dispersion. Recent intercontinental distribution of several taxa is commonly a result of their combination. Good knowledge of the age of principal lineages is needed for the correct interpretation of the effect of these mechanisms on the distribution and diversity of the investigated lineages., and Anna Potůčková, Daniel Stančík.
The genus Platesthes Waterhouse, 1845 (Pimeliinae: Praocini), distributed in the Patagonian steppes in southern Argentina and Chile, is revised. A phylogeny of its 13 species is proposed, based on 48 morphological characters. The cladistic analysis provides one most parsimonious cladogram showing that three unambiguous synapomorphic characters of external morphology and male genitalia support the monophyly of Platesthes. This article includes a redescription of the genus, redescriptions of its species, an identification key, habitus photographs of the most representative species, illustrations of external morphology, genital features and metendosternites, a cladogram and distribution maps. A discussion of the biogeography and status of conservation of Platesthes in the Patagonian steppes and in Central Chile is presented. A new Platesthes species is described: P. neuquensis sp. n. and P. hirtipes Kulzer, 1962 stat. n. is elevated to species status. Other valid species of the genus are: P. depressa (Guérin-Ménéville, 1841), P. similis Kulzer, 1956, P. unicosta Kulzer, 1956, P. nigra Kulzer, 1956, P. pilosa Kulzer, 1956, P. vidali Peña, 1986, P. burmeisteri Haag-Rutenberg, 1877, P. granulipennis Kulzer, 1956, P. kuscheli Kulzer, 1958, P. humeralis Kulzer, 1958 and P. silphoides Waterhouse, 1845 (type species), for which a lectotype is designated.
Two new lung-dwelling nematode species of the genus Rhabdias Stiles et Hassall, 1905 were discovered in Caxiuanã National Forest, Pará state, Brazil. Rhabdias galactonoti sp. n. was found in a dendrobatid frog Adelphobates galactonotus (Steindachner). The species is characterised by the regularly folded inner surface of the anterior part of the buccal capsule seen in apical view, flask-shaped oesophageal bulb and narrow, elongated tail. Rhabdias stenocephala sp. n. from two species of leptodactylid frogs, Leptodactylus pentadactylus (Laurenti) (type host) and L. paraensis (Heyer), is characterised by a narrow anterior end that is separated from the remaining body by a constriction. Both species possess six small but distinct lips, a cuticle that is inflated along the whole body, a doliiform buccal capsule separated into a longer anterior and a shallow, ring-shaped posterior part, lateral pores in the body cuticle and zones of spermatogenesis in the syngonia. Rhabdias galactonoti sp. n. is the first species of the genus found in Dendrobatidae; R. stenocephala sp. n. is the second species described from Leptodactylidae in eastern Amazonia., Yuriy Kuzmin, Francisco Tiago de Vasconcelos Melo, Heriberto Figueira da Silva Filho, Jeannie Nascimento dos Santos., and Obsahuje bibliografii