Detection of Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella spp. in Ctenocephalides felis fleas from free‐ranging crab‐eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous)

Fleas are insects with a worldwide distribution that have been implicated in the transmission of several pathogens. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of Rickettsia spp. (Rickettsiales: Rickettsiaceae) and Bartonella spp. (Rhizobiales: Bartonellaceae) in fleas from free‐ranging crab‐eating foxes Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1766) (Carnivora: Canidae) from Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Fleas were collected manually from animals and used for the molecular detection of Rickettsia spp. and Bartonella spp. Twenty‐nine C. thous were sampled in six municipalities. Four foxes were parasitized by 10 fleas, all of which were identified as Ctenocephalides felis (Bouché, 1935) (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae). DNA from Rickettsia felis Bouyer et al., 2001 and Rickettsia asembonensis Maina et al., 2016 were found in three and eight fleas, respectively. In four fleas, DNA of Bartonella sp. was identified. Phylogenetic analysis grouped Bartonella sp. together with other genotypes previously reported in C. felis worldwide. The scenario described in the present study highlights a Neotropical canid parasitized by the invasive cosmopolitan cat flea, which in turn, is carrying potentially invasive vector‐borne microorganisms. These findings suggest that C. felis is adapted to wild hosts in wilderness areas in southern Brazil, hypothetically exposing the Neotropical fauna to unknown ecological and health disturbances.     

Ewing's sarcoma: Analysis of single nucleotide polymorphism in the EWS gene

We aimed to investigate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EWS gene breaking region in order to analyze Ewing's sarcoma susceptibility. The SNPs were investigated in a healthy subject population and in Ewing's sarcoma patients from Southern Brazil. Genotyping was performed by TaqMan® assay for allelic discrimination using Real-Time PCR. The analysis of incidence of SNPs or different SNP-arrangements revealed a higher presence of homozygote TT-rs4820804 in Ewing's sarcoma patients (p = 0.02; Chi Square Test). About 300 bp from the rs4820804 SNP lies a palindromic hexamer (5′-GCTAGC-3′) and three nucleotides (GTC), which were previously identified to be in close vicinity of the breakpoint junction in both EWS and FLI1 genes. This DNA segment surrounding the rs4820804 SNP is likely to indicate a breakpoint region. If the T-rs4820804 allele predisposes a DNA fragment to breakage, homozygotes (TT-rs4820804) would have double the chance of having a chromosome break, increasing the chances for a translocation to occur. In conclusion, the TT-rs4820804 EWS genotype can be associated with Ewing's sarcoma and the SNP rs4820804 can be a candidate marker to understand Ewing's sarcoma susceptibility.     

Breeding success of the colonist species Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758) and four native species

This work evaluated the breeding success of Bubulcus ibis (Ardeidae), Egretta thula, Nycticorax nycticorax, Phimosus infuscatus and Plegadis chihi in Rio Grande do Sul during two consecutive nesting seasons. Mean clutch size for B. ibis was 2.59 in 1998/1999 and 2.49 in 1999/2000. The species with both the smallest and largest clutch was P. infuscatus, with 2.04 in 1999/2000, and 3.16 in 1998/1999. The highest mean number of nestlings per nest was 2.86 for P. chihi in 1998/1999 and the lowest was 1.85 for B. ibis in 1998/1999 and P. infuscatus in 1999/2000. In both nesting seasons all the species had major success, laying three eggs and raising two nestlings, exept for B. ibis. The breeding success for P. chihi varied from 1.54 young/nest in 1998/1999 to 0.4 in 1999/2000, whereas B. ibis ranged from 1.16 in the first period to 0.99 in the second.     

Two new species of Alcantarea (Bromeliaceae,Tillandsioideae) from Brazil

Alcantarea turgida andA. tortuosa are described and illustrated as new species from southeastern Brazil. The relationships ofA. turgida withA. extensa and withA. vinicolor and ofA. tortuosa withA. farneyi and withA. benzingii are discussed.     

Impact of climatic and hydrological disturbances on blackwater floodplain forests in Central Amazonia

Extreme climatic events and anthropic disturbances affect the hydrological regime of Amazonian rivers and connected floodplain forests. This study aims to investigate the impacts of the Balbina hydroelectric power plant on the floodplain forests of the Uatumã River, in the Central Amazon. For this, tree age and diameter increment from the most abundant tree species of three different topographic levels were obtained and analyzed in the affected area downstream of the Balbina dam (Uatumã River) and compared to an undisturbed site (Abacate River, affluent) considering age structure and mean diameter increments between the topographic levels and the two systems. The occurrence of old trees is much lower at the disturbed site compared to the undisturbed system. Especially at the middle topography of the Uatumã site, we observed tree species with high mean diameter increment indicating a strong disturbance. We suggest that the disturbances may be associated with extreme hydro‐climatic events, such as extreme droughts that occurred during the El Niño years 1925/26 and 1982/83 and that these events may increase vulnerability of igapó floodplains to wildfires. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.     

Population Dynamics of Didelphis marsupialis in Northern Colombia

A population of the common opossum, Didelphis marsupialis, inhabiting a highly degraded agricultural area in northern Colombia was studied by live-trapping for over two years. Three transects were established in strips of riparian vegetation within a matrix of agricultural crops. Sampling was performed once in October 1993 and then monthly from August 1994 through December 1995. Four population-level characteristics were estimated: abundance, sex ratio, age structure, and breeding activity. Abundance was very high at the beginning of the study but declined dramatically and then fluctuated at low numbers. The sex ratio did not vary among high-abundance, decline, and low-abundance population phases, but there was a deficiency of females with young at high abundance and of adults during the decline. The impact of these characteristics on the population dynamics of D. marsupialis is discussed with special emphasis on reproductive traits. These characteristics may also contribute to the potential of D. marsupialis as a reservoir for a wide variety of infectious agents.     

The sandfly fauna (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) of the Parque Estadual da Serra da Tiririca,Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in the state of Rio de Janeiro is sporadic and canbe characterised as a peridomestic transmission that occurs in modified naturalenvironments. The aim of this work was to study the fauna and ecologicalcharacteristics of sandflies in an environmentally protected area (the StatePark of Serra da Tiririca) within the remnants of the Atlantic Forest in themunicipalities of Niterói and Maricá and their possible relationship withleishmaniasis. Captures were performed using light traps during the night once amonth for one year in both sylvatic environments and areas surrounding homesnear the park. A total of 1,037 sandflies were captured, belonging to ninegenera and 12 species: Evandromyia tupynambai (34.1%),Migonemyia migonei (20.6%), Brumptomyiacunhai (13.8%), Micropygomyia schreiberi (9.7%),Psathyromyia lanei (6.5%), Brumptomyianitzulescui (5.7%), Evandromyia edwardsi(5.4%), Nyssomyia intermedia (2.8%), Evandromyiacortelezzii (0.6%), Pintomyia bianchigalatiae(0.5%), Lutzomyia longipalpis (0.2%) and Sciopemyiamicrops (0.1%). Both Mg. migonei and Ny.intermedia may be acting as vectors of CL in this area.     

Three new species of Croton (Euphorbiaceae) from Brazil

Summary   Croton imbricatus L. R. Lima & Pirani from Bahia, C. muellerianus L. R. Lima from Paraná and C. pygmaeus L. R. Lima from Rio Grande do Sul are described and illustrated. They are included in Croton section Lamprocroton (Müll. Arg.) Pax because they are much branched subshrubs or shrubs, bearing leaves with a lepidote indumentum (at least in part), inflorescences lacking bisexual cymules, and pistillate flowers with bifid styles.

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Résumé   Croton imbricatus L. R. Lima & Pirani da Bahia, C. muellerianus L. R. Lima do Paraná e C. pygmaeus L. R. Lima do Rio Grande do Sul s?o descritas e ilustradas. Elas s?o representantes de Croton section Lamprocroton (Müll. Arg.) Pax e tal posicionamento sistemático é devido ao hábito arbustivo ou subarbustivo bastante ramificado, com indumento da folhagem lepidoto pelo menos em parte, inflorescências sem címulas bissexuadas e flores pistiladas com estiletes uma vez bífidos.

     

Impact of the arundo wasp,Tetramesa romana (Hymenoptera: Eurytomidae), on biomass of the invasive weed,Arundo donax (Poaceae: Arundinoideae), and on revegetation of riparian habitat along the Rio Grande in Texas

An invasive grass, Arundo donax, occupies thousands of hectares of arid riparian habitat along the Rio Grande in Texas and Mexico, and has negative impacts on national security, water resources, and riparian ecosystems. The shoot-tip-galling wasp Tetramesa romana was released in 2009 between Brownsville and Del Rio, Texas, and has dispersed over 800?km along the river channel. Plots along the river were surveyed for shoot counts of arundo and all other plant species in 2016 at seven sites in regions in which prior studies had documented a 22% decline in arundo biomass (estimated from live shoot length) from 2007 to 2014. Estimated live biomass declined a further 32% between 2014 and 2016. Native plants accounted for 86% of the 44 species encountered in plots. Individual plots averaged five plant species, and arundo was most abundant in only 9 of 21 plots. Arundo live biomass and shoot density were negatively associated with plant diversity, indicating that live arundo interferes with germination and/or survival of other plant species. The proportion of dead shoots in plots, proportion of wasp-galled shoots, and density of exit holes made by emerging adult wasps per metre live main shoot length were positively associated with plant diversity in a combined model. Regressions indicated that the effects of wasp damage measures on diversity were mediated through their effects on main shoot mortality. By reducing live arundo biomass, the arundo wasp is fostering recovery of native plant communities at riparian sites along the Rio Grande.     

Fish biodiversity changes in the Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, 1953–1996

Clearly defined changes in the fishesof the Lower Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, Texas andMexico, have been documented since 1953. Morerecent surveys show that the originalfreshwater fish fauna has been retreating fromthe lower reaches and is being replaced bybrackish and marine invaders. A total of 13localities between Colombia (Nuevo León,México) and the delta (580 km) weresurveyed, with a total fish fauna of 142species, which include native, exotic, andintruding species. Changes were analysed bylocality. These changes show a loss of themajority of freshwater species, replacement oflow to higher salinity forms. This shift isvery clear in marine invaders, with somespecies penetrating the whole areainvestigated. Those changes are morenoticeable in the lower-most localities, anddiminish upstream. Data suggest that thechanges in the basin, reflecting shifts inwhole-basin ecology, include elevatedtemperature, salinity, turbidity, and lowerrunoff levels. There are indications of higherlevels of pollution as well. Informationobtained in this study is being incorporated inan Index of Biological Integrity to appearelsewhere.