Abstract: The study of floral phenology patterns and floral visitors of palms is key to understanding evolutionary interactions between plants and insects. We studied the flowering pattern and floral visitors of Wettinia kalbreyeri in an Andean montane forest of Colombia. We monitored 100 adult palms throughout 1-year and observed an asynchronous flowering pattern at the population level. Collectively, those 100 individuals developed 125 inflorescences, composed of 96 staminates, 28 pistillates, and 1 androgynous. We classified 39 morphotypes of insect floral visitors, including beetles, bees, and flies. The composition and abundance of floral visitors between staminate and pistillate inflorescences were markedly different. Sap beetles – Mystrops – were the most abundant visitors in both pistillate and staminate inflorescences. We suggest that the higher production of staminate inflorescences compared to pistillate inflorescences and the availability of inflorescences throughout the year may promote a permanent and abundant community of floral visitors. This study suggests that Mystrops are associated with Wettinia species in high altitude forests, as it also occurs in Ceroxylum species.

Resumen: Para entender las interacciones evolutivas entre palmas e insectos, es importante estudiar los patrones de floración y los visitantes florales. Se estudiaron la floración y los visitantes florales de Wettinia kalbreyeri en un bosque de los Andes colombianos. Se monitorearon 100 palmas adultas durante un año y se observó un patrón de floración asincrónico a nivel poblacional. Colectivamente, las 100 palmas evaluadas desarrollaron 125 inflorescencias, compuestas por 96 estaminadas, 28 pistiladas y una andrógina. En total, clasificamos 39 morfoespecies de insectos, incluyendo escarabajos, abejas y moscas. La composición y abundancia de los visitantes florales fue marcadamente diferente entre las inflorescencias estaminadas y pistiladas. Mystrops fue más abundante en ambas inflorescencias. Sugerimos que la alta producción de inflorescencias estaminadas, en comparación con inflorescencias pistiladas, y la disponibilidad de inflorescencias durante todo el año, favorece la permanencia de visitantes florales. Este estudio sugiere que Mystrops está relacionado con especies de Wettinia en bosques altoandinos, como ocurre en el género Ceroxylum.

O abscesso hepático é a complicação mais freqüente da amebíase intestinal: o seu diagnótico sugere-se pelo quadro clínico, mas é confirmado pelos estudos paraclínicos. Para confirmar o diagnóstico precisa-se identificar a E. histolytica, o que é apenas possível em muito poucos casos. As provas sorolôgicas melhoram notadamente o diagnóstico das complicações severas da amebíase. Em nosso estudo comparamos o teste de ELISA e a Contraimunoeletroforese (CIE). Ambas as técnicas foram utilizadas para detectar anticorpos contra ameba em 50 pacientes sem amebíase, 30 pacientes com abscesso hepático e 30 com amebíase intestinal. Todos os soros dos pacientes sem amebíase foram negativos por ambas as técnicas. Quando analisamos os soros dos pacientes com amebíase intestinal, encontrou-se que 10% destes, foram positivos para ELISA, enquanto que nenhum o foi para CIE. Nos soros dos pacientes com abscesso hepático, encontrou-se uma positividade de 90% para ELISA e 66.6% para CIE. Estes resultados mostram que o teste de ELISA foi de maior sensibilidade (100%i de sensibilidade) no diagnóstico do abscesso hepático amebiano, quando comparado com a Contraimunoeletroforese (66.6%).

The liver abscess is the most frequent extraintestinal complication of intestinal amoebiasis: its diagnosis is suggested by the clinical picture but it must be confirmed by paraclinic tests. Themost stringent diagnosis requires identification of E. histolytica. But this is possible only in a few cases. Serological tests greatly improve the diagnosis of this severe complication of amoebiasis. We compared the Enzyme Linfed Immunosorbent Assay and the Counterimmunoeletrophoresis techniques. Both techniques were used to detect amoebic antibodies in 50 control patients, 30 patients with liver abscess and 30 patients with intestinal amoebiasis. All the sera from control patients gave negative results iin both techniques. When analysing the sera from patients with intestinal amoebiasis, 10% of them were positive by ELISA but non by CIE. The sera of patients with liver abscess, we found that 90% were positive by the ELISA method and 66.6% by the CIE technique. In patients with amoebic liver abscess, the results showed that the ELISA was more sensitive than the CIE, as it presented a higher sensitivity (100%) than that of the CIE technique (66%).