Foi realizado um estudo da assembléia de borboletas frugívoras da Área de Proteção Especial Manancial Mutuca, Nova Lima-MG, com o objetivo de inventariar as espécies do local. Foram utilizadas 42 armadilhas atrativas para borboletas frugívoras, divididas entre mata ciliar e Cerrado (campo rupestre), mensalmente ao longo de um ano. Foram amostradas 2245 borboletas, pertencentes a 63 espécies. Deste total, 48 espécies foram coletadas no Cerrado, sendo 21 exclusivamente neste ambiente, 42 na Mata Ciliar com 15 exclusivas e 27 espécies foram amostradas nos dois ambientes. Do total de espécies amostradas, 35 foram consideradas raras, oito acessórias e 20 constantes. Prepona deiphile deiphile (Charaxine) encontra-se classificada como vulnerável na lista de Minas Gerais e na lista nacional de espécies ameaçadas. A curva do coletor não mostrou tendência nítida è estabilização, o que sugere que ainda existam espécies não amostradas na área de estudo. Somando-se aos dados de amostragem em campo, informações sobre ocorrência de espécies na literatura e em coleções entomológicas, o número atual de espécies de borboletas frugívoras para a região de Belo Horizonte é de 104. Esse resultado ressalta a importância da APE Mutuca na manutenção de uma fauna rica de borboletas frugívoras para a região.

A study of the assembly of fruit-feeding butterflies in the Área de Proteção Especial Manancial Mutuca, Nova Lima, MG was conducted with the goal of inventorying the species of the site. Forty-two traps were used to attract fruit-feeding butterflies, divided between Cerrado (rupestrian field) and riparian vegetation, monthly over one year. 2245 butterflies, which belonged to 63 species, were recorded. Of this total, fourty-eight species were collected in the Cerrado, twenty-one exclusively in this environment, forty-two in riparian forest, fifteen being exclusive to this environment, and twenty-seven species were sampled in both environments. From the total of sampled species, thirty-five were considered rare, eight accessory species, and twenty constant species. Prepona deiphile deiphile (Charaxine) is classified as vulnerable on the Minas Gerais’ list and on the national list of threatened species. The collector curve showed no clear trend to stabilization, suggesting that there are species still not sampled in the study area. Adding the data from field sampling to the information on species occurrence in the literature and in entomological collections, the current number of frugivorous butterflies species for the region of Belo Horizonte is 104. This result foregrounds the importance of APE Mutuca for maintaning a rich fauna of frugivorous butterflies to the area.

Existe, en las últimas décadas, un aumento sustancial de literatura sobre estudios ecológicos que emplean trampas con cebo para capturar mariposas. El interés creciente por los estudios con trampas motivó un grupo exigente de estudiantes jóvenes e investigadores a la búsqueda de información y protocolos estandarizados. Con base en lo anterior, esta revisión tiene como objetivo discutir (i) los aspectos básicos de los principales métodos, y (ii) soluciones alternas de los diferentes estudios con trampas en el Neotrópico. Además se discuten los errores comunes que pueden disminuir la calidad y comparación de los resultados.

In the last decades, there has been a considerable increase in literature concerning ecological studies employing bait traps to capture butterflies. The growing interest in this kind of studies has given rise to a demanding group of young students and researchers looking for information and standardized protocols. Due to such growing interest in bait trap studies, this review aims to discuss (i) the basic aspects of the main technique of collection and sampling methods, and (ii) alternative solutions of different bait trap surveys in the Neotropics. Common mistakes that could undermine the quality and comparability of obtained data are also discussed.

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is currently reduced to about 12% of its original range. Among the components that make up its great diversity, there are species with the potential to be bioindicators, which can be very important for conservation-oriented studies. This study compares the species composition, abundance and sex ratio of terrestrial isopods in sites that show different anthropogenic disturbance histories and are located within four reserves in the Atlantic Forest of southwestern Brazil. Our study explores these crustaceans as indicators of anthropogenic disturbance. The influence of one of the following factors was explored in each protected area: 1) history of vegetation harvesting, 2) trail management, 3) Eucalyptus planting, and 4) edge effect. A total of 2,217 individuals of six species (Atlantoscia sp., Benthana werneri Lemos de Castro, 1958, Pseudodiploexochus tabularis (Barnard, 1932), Pudeoniscus obscures Lemos de Castro, 1973, Styloniscus spinosus (Patience, 1907), and Trichorhina sp.) were captured in pitfall traps. The composition of isopod species was different between most of the contrasting sites within reserves, and was similar among the less disturbed sites of different reserves. The total number of isopod individuals and the sex ratio were not different between the contrasting sites within most of the reserves and only the sex ratio of Atlantoscia sp. differed between contrasting sites of one protected area. Upon an individual analysis of each species, S. spinosus (an exotic species) was most abundant in more disturbed sites. The distributions of B. werneri and Atlantoscia sp. over time were relatively synchronous, except where S. spinosus was abundant. Our results also indicate that the exotic species S. spinosus may benefit from the vegetation mosaic produced by disturbance, so differences in abundance of this species may be useful for bioindication. A change in the spatial and temporal structure of Oniscidea communities caused by anthropogenic disturbance may have a cascade effect on ecological cycles because terrestrial isopods play a fundamental role in nutrient cycling.

Fire is a major determinant of structure and dynamics in savannas, and the rapid increase of human activities in this biome has changed the natural burning regime. The effects of fire on the fauna of the cerrado (Brazilian savanna) are still poorly understood, and studies comparing sites frequently and infrequently burned are scarce. In this study, the abundance of epigaeic arthropod orders and trophic guilds was assessed in cerrado sites located in the Brazilian Central Plateau that were subjected to three burning frequencies: frequent (HighFi), intermediary (MidFi), and infrequent (LowFi). In general, we found a positive relationship between the abundance of epigaeic arthropods and fire frequency. When arthropods were analyzed by orders, the abundance of Collembola and Orthoptera was lower in the LowFi site, while for Hemiptera, it was higher in the MidFi site. No significant differences were found for Hymenoptera, Coleoptera, and Araneae. The abundance of detritivores and herbivores decreased from HighFi to LowFi, but did not change significantly for omnivores and predators. These results indicate that some arthropod groups may not only be resilient to fire effects, but actually might benefit from fire effects in the cerrado. Characterizing arthropod responses to burning frequency at high taxonomic or functional levels is important for applied studies. Based on the results of the current study, springtails and ants seem to be particularly appropriate focal groups for further exploratory studies on the effects of fire at the species level.

No presente trabalho verificou-se o efeito de perturbação antrópica na incidência de minhocas exóticas e nativas ativas na superfície do solo de uma área de Floresta Atlântica do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Os oligoquetos foram amostrados usando armadilhas de queda (pitfall) em duas áreas, uma onde houve corte raso e queima, e outra onde houve corte seletivo de espécies lenhosas. A maior parte dos indivíduos (91,4%) foi amostrada na área onde houve corte raso e queima, e todos eram espécies exóticas (Amynthas sp., A. gracilis, A. corticis) ou peregrinas (Pontoscolex corethrurus). O contraste no número de indivíduos entre as duas áreas sugere que a perturbação antrópica influencia a atividade superficial e a abundância das espécies exóticas de minhocas e que estas apresentam potencial de uso como indicadores biológicos.

En el presente trabajo se evaluó el efecto de la perturbación antrópica en la incidencia de lombrices exóticas y nativas activas en la superficie del suelo en un área de bosque atlántico del estado de São Paulo, Brasil. Los oligoquetos fueron muestreados usando trampas (pitfall) en dos áreas, una en donde hubo corte raso y quema y otra en donde solamente hubo corte selectivo. La mayor parte de los individuos (91.4%) fue colectada en el área en donde hubo corte raso y quema y todos eran especies exóticas (Amynthas sp., A. gracilis, A. corticis) o peregrinas (Pontoscolex corethrurus). El contraste del número de individuos entre las dos áreas sugiere que la perturbación antrópica influye en la actividad superficial y la abundancia de especies exóticas de lombrices y que éstas presentan un uso potencial como indicadores biológicos.

Machos de Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) foram amostrados em um pequeno gradiente altitudinal no Sudeste do Brasil e apresentaram picos seqüenciais de abundância do ponto mais baixo (700 m) para o ponto mais alto (1.100 m) do gradiente durante o período de amostragem. A influência da temperatura sobre a duração do período de ovo-a-adulto e nas épocas de florescimento de plantas fornecedoras de alimento (néctar) sugere que esse seja um dos fatores que determinam a distribuição da abundância dos machos ao longo do gradiente altitudinal. Os resultados ressaltam a importância de se obter amostras estratificadas em função da altitude quando populações de Euglossini são estudadas, especialmente em localidades com grande variação topográfica.

Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) males were sampled in a small-scale elevational gradient in Southeastern Brazil and showed sequential peaks of abundance from lowest (700 m) to highest (1,100 m) altitudes during the sampling period. The influence of the temperature on the length of the egg-to-adult period and flowering dates of plants producing food (nectar) suggests that it may be one of the factors determining the distribution of male abundance along the altitudinal gradient. The results emphasize the importance of obtaining altitudinal stratified samples when studying Euglossini populations, especially when the studies are done at sites with marked topographical variation.

As espécies de borboletas frugívoras (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) conhecidas da Reserva Estadual do Morro Grande (Cotia, SP) e Caucaia do Alto são apresentadas na forma de um guia de campo.

The frugivorous butterflies species (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) known from Morro Grande Forest Reserve and Caucaia do Alto (Cotia, SP) are presented as a field guide.