ABSTRACT Collection of pollen was verified in 248 samples of the material on the hind tibial scopae of the solitary bee, Epicharis rustica (Olivier, 1879) captured on their return to the nest. Of the total, 54% (133) of the samples had material on the scopae, 48 of then had only oil and 85 (64%) had both oil and pollen. For seven weeks, almost all (91%) of the 85,000 the pollen grains were of the tree, Byrsonima sericea DC. In the latter weeks the proportion of this species decreased. Like several other members of the genus, E. rustica is univoltine, oligolectic and nests in aggregations.

Abstract We designed 14 new primers for amplification of the COI barcode region of decapod crustacean species. We tested, with high level of success, the generation of ~ 640 ± 49 base-pair sequences in selected groups of decapods (hermit crabs, squat lobsters, marine and freshwater crabs and shrimps), encompassing representatives of 27 genera of 15 families, 11 of Pleocyemata (Anomura, Brachyura, and Caridea) and 4 of Dendrobranchiata. Based on the results we expect the applicability of these primers for several studies with different taxa within Decapoda.

A recent taxonomic revision indicated that Macrobrachiumpotiuna, an endemic prawn in Brazilian freshwater drainages, exhibits wide morphological variability along its limited geographical distribution. However, in some cases, taxonomic doubts at the species level have no clear morphological resolution. Considering that no molecular data of M. potiuna along its distribution were available to provide a complete and integrated overview, we analyzed 21 partial sequences (531 bp) from the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene of M. potiuna and 9 sequences from outgroup species, by maximum likelihood and parsimony, in order to investigate the possibility of the existence of cryptic species, within the morphologically based M. potiuna. The topologies obtained revealed that M. potiuna represents a monophyletic clade. Nevertheless, two clades supported by both analyses were formed within the M. potiuna taxon. The mean genetic divergence between these two groups was 0.044 ± 0.007, and within each group (i.e., M. potiuna "sensu stricto" andM. potiuna "Affinis-Clade") the divergences were 0.010 ± 0.003 and 0.028 ± 0.005, respectively. As far as we know, this is the first report to show a genetic separation between populations of prawns with abbreviated larval development in South American drainages. Pending additional analysis, to propose a conclusive inference, the existence of these distinct genetic groups must be considered in future studies with the morphologically based M. potiuna. In addition, we extended the known northern distribution with a record from the state of Bahia.

Una revisión taxonómica reciente reveló que el camarón endémico, Macrobrachium potiuna, distribuido en riachuelos brasileños, presenta una alta variabilidad morfológica a lo largo de su limitada distribución geográfica. Sin embargo, los problemas taxonómicos a nivel de especie no parecen tener clara resolución en algunos casos. Considerando que no hay datos moleculares disponibles de M. potiuna a lo largo de su distribución, que puedan proveer una visión general completa e integrada, se analizaron 21 secuencias parciales (531pb) del gen mitocondrial 16S, de M. potiuna y 9 secuencias del grupo externo, usando máxima verosimilitud y máxima parsimonia, para investigar la posibilidad de que exista una especie críptica dentro de M. potiuna. Las topologías obtenidas mostraron que M. potiuna es un grupo monofilético. Sin embargo, se formaron dos clados internos, bien soportados por ambos análisis. La divergencia genética promedio entre estos dos grupos fue de 0,044 ± 0,007; dentro de los clados (i.e., M. potiuna "sensu stricto" y M. potiuna "Affinis-Clade") las divergencias fueron de 0,010 ± 0,003 y 0,028 ± 0,005, respectivamente. Hasta donde se sabe, este es el primer estudio que muestra una separación entre las poblaciones de camarones de agua dulce de Sudamérica con desarrollo larval abreviado. En espera de un análisis más exhaustivo, que proponga una conclusión definitiva, la existencia de estos dos grupos genéticos distintos debe ser considerada en estudios futuros de M. potiuna, basados únicamente en morfología. De manera adicional, este trabajo incluye una extensión en la distribución norte de M. potiuna hasta el estado de Bahía.