This first survey of the ant fauna in a children's hospital in the city of Palmas, state of Tocantins, compares species composition, abundance and infestation rate of ants between rainy and dry seasons, day and night periods, and among 15 hospital sectors. Forty-eight collections, being 12 diurnal and 12 nocturnal in each season using five attractive baits distributed per sector, maintained for 3h per sampling. A total of 34,309 ants were collected, distributed in 12 species: Acromyrmex sp., Brachymyrmex sp., Camponotus spp. (four morphospecies), Dorymyrmex sp., Tetramorium sp., Solenopsis globularia (Creighton), Solenopsis saevissima Smith, Tapinoma melanocephalum (Fabricius) and Paratrechina longicornis (Latreille). The hospital presented an average building infestation rate (40.3%), when compared with hospitals from other Brazilian regions. In general, there was no difference in the species composition between seasons and the period of the day, although abundance of ants was higher at night. The dry season and the nocturnal period showed the highest infestation rate, mainly by T.melanocephalum and S.globularia. Gynecologic ward, lactation unit, preconception and pediatric ward access ramp showed higher infestation rate, although these varied between seasons. The significant infestation levels by the three species above, especially in sectors with restricted access such as lactation unit, laboratory, Intensive Care Unit e surgery center, indicate potential risks for contamination of patients by multi resistant pathogens possibly present in ants' bodies, as verified in others studies.

Foram investigadas as características da biologia e comportamento do forídeo Neodohrniphora elongata Brown, 2001 em relação às operárias do hospedeiro Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908. Vinte e quatro fêmeas de N. elongata coletadas no campo foram liberadas, uma por vez, em uma cuba de observação interposta entre um ninho de A. sexdens rubropilosa e uma arena de forrageamento. As moscas realizaram de quatro a cinco vezes mais investidas sem sucesso contra as formigas do que ataques efetivos, quando elas ovipositaram na cabeça das operárias. Houve ataques em 426 operárias e desenvolvimento da larva do parasitóide na cápsula cefálica de 63,8% delas, sendo que emergiram 218 moscas. N. elongata ovipositou nas maiores operárias, ou seja, naquelas com largura da cápsula cefálica de 2,9 ± 0,4 mm, o que parece ser importante para o desenvolvimento do parasitóide, pois o fracasso na formação de pupas ou a não emergência do adulto ocorreram principalmente em formigas com largura da cápsula inferior a 2,9 mm. As moscas que emergiram em laboratório tiveram maior longevidade quando alimentadas com solução de mel 10% do que com solução de mel 50% ou somente água destilada. As fêmeas que emergiram no laboratório exibiram os mesmos comportamentos de voo e ataque das fêmeas do campo, mas não foi possível obter parasitóides de segunda geração. Estudos adicionais devem ser realizados para investigar a adequação de fontes naturais de carboidratos e proteínas sobre a longevidade e reprodução de N. elongata, visando à multiplicação deste e de outros forídeos de saúvas em laboratório.

Characteristics of the biology and behavior of the phorid Neodohrniphora elongata Brown, 2001 in relation to workers of the host Atta sexdens rubropilosa Forel, 1908 were studied. Twenty-four field-collected females of N. elongata were released singly inside an observation chamber placed between a nest of A. sexdens rubropilosa and a foraging arena. Flies launched attacks on flies and failed four or five times before they would successfully attack ants and oviposit on the head of workers. Larvae of the parasitoid developed in the cephalic capsule of 63.8% of the 426 attacked workers; 218 flies emerged. N. elongata oviposited on bigger workers, or those with cephalic capsules 2.9 ± 0.4 mm wide. Capsule width seems to be important for the development of the parasitoid because failure in pupa formation and the non-emergence of adults occurred primarily among ants with capsules smaller than 2.9 mm. Flies that emerged in the laboratory had greater longevity when fed on honey solution at 10% than honey solution at 50%, or on distilled water only. The females emerged in laboratory had flight and attack behavior similar to those of field females, although second generation parasitoids could not be obtained. Additional studies on the impact of natural sources of carbohydrates and protein on the longevity and reproduction of N. elongate should be conducted to multiply this and other phorids of leaf-cutting ants in the laboratory.

Este trabalho apresenta análise faunística comparativa das espécies de moscas-das-frutas capturadas em armadilhas McPhail (junho a dezembro de 2002) com proteína hidrolisada de milho a 5%. Foram comparadas a riqueza de espécies e a estrutura populacional entre ambientes de mata e pomar dos municípios de Palmas e Porto Nacional, TO. Foram capturados 1.748 indivíduos de espécies de três gêneros de Tephritidae: Tomoplagia Coquillett, 1910, Anastrepha Schiner, 1868 e Ceratitis MacLeay, 1829. De Lonchaeidae foram capturadas espécies de três gêneros: Lonchaea Fallén, 1820, Neosilba McAlpine, 1962 e Dasiops Rondani, 1856. Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann, 1824). Dezenove espécies de Anastrepha foram coletadas, sendo a maioria dos indivíduos (69,1%) de A. obliqua (Macquart, 1835). Não houve diferença significativa (P < 0,05) do número médio de espécies coletadas entre municípios e entre ambientes, mas o número médio de indivíduos de Tephritidae do município de Palmas e do ambiente mata foram significativamente menores do que de Porto Nacional e pomar, respectivamente. Pelo índice de diversidade de Shannon (H'), utilizado para comparar a diversidade de moscas-das-frutas entre os ambientes dos dois municípios, verificou-se que apenas a diversidade do pomar de Palmas (H' = 1,96) foi maior do que a do pomar de Porto Nacional (H' = 0,81). Na determinação dos índices faunísticos, A. obliqua e A. distincta Greene, 1934 apresentaram-se geralmente como constantes, dominantes e muito abundantes.

This paper presents comparative and faunistic analysis of the species of fruit flies captured in McPhail traps (from June to December 2002) baited with 5% corn protein hydrolyzed. Species richness and the patterns of population are compared between forest and orchard environments and between the counties of Palmas and Porto Nacional. A total of 1,748 individuals of Tephritidae belonging to species of three genera were collected: Tomoplagia Coquillett, 1910, Anastrepha Schiner, 1868 and Ceratitis MacLeay, 1829. Species of three genera of Lonchaeidae were also captured: Lonchaea Fallén, 1820, Neosilba McAlpine, 1962 and Dasiops Rondani, 1856. Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann, 1824) and nineteen species of the genus Anastrepha were collected. Most of the collected individuals (69.1%) belonged to A. obliqua (Macquart, 1935). The average numbers of tephritid individuals in Palmas and native forests were significantly lower than Porto Nacional and orchards, respectively. According to the Shannon diversity index (H') and test t used for comparing the fruit flies fauna among the environments, it was verified that only one comparison showed significant difference (P<0,05), that is, the diversity of the orchards in Palmas (H=1.96) was greater than in Porto Nacional (H=0.81). Based on the faunistic indexes A. obliqua and A. distincta Greene, 1934 were found to be constant, dominant and very abundant in almost all environments.