ABSTRACT A list of spider species is presented for the Belém Area of Endemism, the most threatened region in the Amazon Basin, comprising portions of eastern State of Pará and western State of Maranhão, Brazil. The data are based both on records from the taxonomic and biodiversity survey literature and on scientific collection databases. A total of 319 identified species were recorded, with 318 occurring in Pará and only 22 in Maranhão. About 80% of species are recorded at the vicinities of the city of Belém, indicating that sampling effort have been strongly biased. To identify potentially high-diversity areas, discounting the effect of variations in sampling effort, the residues of a linear regression between the number of records and number of species mapped in each 0.25°grid cells were analyzed. One grid, representing the Alto Turiaçu Indigenous land, had the highest deviation from the expected from the linear regression, indicating high expected species richness. Several other grid cells showed intermediate values of the regression residuals, indicating species richness moderately above to the expected from the model.

A verificação da capacidade indutora de fitoalexinas a partir de extratos e tinturas de espécies vegetais pode representar uma forma potencial de controle de doenças em plantas cultivadas. O objetivo foi verificar a capacidade de indução de fitoalexinas em cotilédones de Soja e mesocótilos de Sorgo a partir de extratos brutos aquosos (EBAs) e tinturas de espécies medicinais. As espécies utilizadas foram as plantas medicinais Arruda (Ruta graveolens), Manjerona (Origanum majorana) e Carqueja (Baccharis trimera). Os resultados obtidos mostraram que os EBAs são eficientes na indução de fitoalexinas em cotilédones de Soja. Em mesocótilos de Sorgo os EBAs das plantas medicinais Carqueja e Manjerona induzem a produção de fitoalexinas em concentrações elevadas (15, 20, 25 e 50%). As tinturas são capazes de induzir a produção de fitoalexinas em cotilédones de Soja nas concentrações de 10 e 15%, porém, não são capazes de induzir acúmulo de fitoalexinas em mesocótilos de Sorgo.

The verification of the capacity to induce phytoalexins from the biological activity of plant species may represent a potential way to control diseases in crops. This research studied the induction of phytoalexins in cotyledons of Soybean and Sorghum mesocotyles from crude aqueous extracts (CAEs) and tinctures of plants of medicinal and forest species. The species used were the medicinal plants Ruta graveolens, Baccharis trimera and Origanum majorana. The results showed that CAEs are efficient in the induction of phytoalexins in cotyledons of soybean. , while CAEs of medicinal plants Baccharis trimera and Origanum majorana induce phytoalexin production in high concentrations (15, 20, 25 and 50%). Tinctures are able of inducing the production of phytoalexin in concentrations of 10 and 15% in Soybean cotyledons; however, they are not able to induce the accumulation of phytoalexins in Sorghum mesocotyles.

Human infection with fish parasites can result from the ingestion of incompletely cooked or raw fish, giving origin to parasitic diseases such as anisakiasis, caused by parasites of the Anisakidae family. The present study assessed the in vitro larvicidal effect of two monoterpene compounds, geraniol and citronellal, against Contracaecum sp (Nematoda: Anisakidae). Four hundred live larvae of Contracaecum sp obtained from "traíra" fish (Hoplias malabaricus, Bloch, 1974) were analyzed on 40 Petri dishes (10 larvae each) with the compounds to be tested. The final concentrations tested for each compound were 250, 125, 62.5, and 31.2 µg/mL and the evaluation was carried out at five different times (2, 4, 8, 24, and 48 h). The larvicidal action of geraniol and citronellal was statistically superior (P < 0.005) to the control (1% ethanol) at concentrations of 250 and 31.2 µg/mL (geraniol) and 250, 125, and 62.5 μg/mL (citronellal). However, no larvicidal activity was observed at concentrations of 125 and 62.5 µg/mL for geraniol and 31.2 µg/mL for citronellal. When the larvicidal action of geraniol was compared to that of citronellal, the former was found to be statistically superior (P < 0.05) to the latter at concentrations of 250 and 31.2 μg/mL. On the other hand, citronellal was statistically superior (P < 0.005) to geraniol at concentrations of 125 and 62.5 μg/mL. The larval mortality rate in terms of time (hours) was higher for geraniol with the passing of time at the 250 μg/mL concentration. At this concentration (in 48 h) the best larvicidal effect was observed with 90% lethality. The larvae were considered to be dead using no motility and loss of structural integrity as parameters. The data indicate that natural terpene compounds should be more explored for antihelminthic activity and can be useful for other studies about anisakiasis treatment.

O peixe-borboleta (Chaetodon striatus) do Atlântico ocidental tropical e subtropical é uma espécie territorial, diurna e que forrageia sobre invertebrados bentônicos, sendo geralmente encontrada aos pares ou solitária, nadando poucos metros acima do substrato. Estudamos a atividade de forrageamento dessa espécie em recifes rochosos no sudeste brasileiro. O peixe-borboleta despende cerca de 11 h e 30 min em atividades alimentares por dia e prefere colônias de antozoários a substratos arenosos e rochosos para o forrageamento. As menores taxas de forrageamento foram registradas ao amanhecer e ao entardecer, não sendo encontradas outras diferenças nessa freqüência ao longo do dia. Não foram encontradas diferenças entre a freqüência alimentar de indivíduos aos pares e solitários.

The banded butterflyfish (Chaetodon striatus) from the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic is a territorial, diurnal forager on benthic invertebrates. It is usually seen moving singly or in pairs, a few meters above the sea floor. We studied the foraging activity of C. striatus on rocky reefs in southeastern Brazil. This fish spent about 11 h and 30 min per day on feeding activities, and preferred colonies of non-scleratinian anthozoans over sandy and rocky substrata while foraging. The lowest feeding rates were recorded in the early morning and late afternoon, but we found no further differences between feeding rates throughout the day. We also found no differences between the feeding rates of paired and single individuals.

Compostos secundários presentes em plantas medicinais podem desempenhar funções importantes em interações planta-patógeno, através de ação antimicrobiana direta ou ativando mecanismos de defesa de outras plantas que venham a ser tratadas com esses compostos. Com o objetivo de verificar o potencial de eucalipto (Eucalyptus citriodora) no controle alternativo de antracnose em pepino (Cucumus sativus), extrato aquoso (EA) desta essência florestal, autoclavado ou não autoclavado, nas concentrações de 0,1, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 e 25% foi utilizado nos seguintes ensaios: indução de fitoalexinas em mesocótilos estiolados de sorgo (Sorghum bicolor) e em cotilédones de soja (Glycine max); fungitoxicidade in vitro sobre conídios de Colletotricum lagenarium; indução de resistência local ou sistêmica em plantas de pepino. Água e Bion foram utilizados como tratamentos controle. Os resultados indicaram que os EAs autoclavados e não autoclavados induziram a síntese de fitoalexinas em sorgo a partir da concentração de 1%. Em soja ocorreu síntese de gliceolina a partir de 10% e 15% dos EAs autoclavados e não autoclavados, respectivamente. Houve inibição total na germinação de esporos e formação de apressórios de C. lagenarium em concentrações de 20% e 1% do EA autoclavado, respectivamente. Para o extrato não autoclavado houve 75% de inibição da germinação de esporos em 25% do EA e inibição total da formação de apressórios em 15% do EA. Baseado no parâmetro tamanho de lesão, o extrato aquoso de E. citriodora, não autoclavado, apresenta potencial para induzir resistência local em pepino contra C. lagenarium.

Secondary compounds present in medicinal plants can play important roles in plant-pathogen interactions, through immediate antimicrobial action or by inducing a defence mechanism in other plants that may be treated with such compounds. With the objective of verifying the potential of Eucalyptus citriodora in the alternative control of anthracnose in cucumber (Cucumus sativus), aqueous extract (AE) of this forest essence, autoclaved or unautoclaved, in concentrations of 0,1, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 e 25% was used in the following experiments: induction of phytoalexins in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) etiolated mesocotyls and soybean (Glycine max) cotyledons; fungitoxicity in vitro against Colletotrichum lagenarium conidia; local or systemic induction of resistance in cucumber plants. Water and Bion were used as control treatments. The results indicated that the autoclaved and unautoclaved AE induced phytoalexin synthesis in sorghum starting from the concentration of 1%. In soybean, gliceollin synthesis took place in 10% and 15% of the autoclaved and unautoclaved AEs, respectively. There was total inhibition in the spores germination and apressoria formation in concentrations of 20% and 1% of the autoclaved AE, respectively. As for the unautoclaved extract, there was 75% inhibition of the spores germination in 25% of AE and total inhibition in the apressoria formation in 15% of AE. Based on the parameter size of lesion, the unautoclaved aqueous extract of E. citriodora could potentially induce local resistance in cucumber against C. lagenarium.