Estudos sobre o mesozooplâncton foram realizados no sistema estuarino de Barra das Jangadas, Pernambuco, Brasil (8º14'36"S, 34º56'28"W) visando analisar a estrutura da comunidade. As amostras foram obtidas com rede de plâncton, com malha de 300 µm, durante os períodos, seco (janeiro/2001) e chuvoso (julho/2001), nas marés de sizígia e de quadratura, em intervalos de três horas. Foram identificados 37 taxa, destacando-se Copepoda com as espécies Pseudodiaptomus acutus (F. Dahl, 1894), Pseudodiaptomus richardi (F. Dahl, 1894), Acartia lilljeborgi (Giesbrecht, 1892), Parvocalanus crassirostris (Dahl, 1894), Oithona hebes (Santos, 1973) e Notodiaptomus cearensis Wright, 1936. A densidade total durante o período seco variou de 69,34 a 8.568,34 org.m-3. Para o período chuvoso variou de 261,98 a 10.224,83 org.m-3. Os Crustacea meroplanctônicos (Brachyura zoea) foram muito freqüentes e muito abundantes, destacando seu importante papel na cadeia trófica pelágica. A diversidade específica durante o período seco, variou de 0,44 a 3,13 bits.ind-1, e para o período chuvoso de 0,66 a 2,93 bits.ind-1. Os baixos valores de diversidade ocorreram devido à dominância de Brachyura (zoea). A análise de agrupamento revelou a formação de dois grupos. O primeiro formado por espécies marinhas e euri-halinas, e o segundo por espécies indicadoras de ambientes estuarinos.

Mesozooplankton studies were carried out at the Barra das Jangadas estuarine system, Pernambuco, Brazil (8º14'36"S, 34º56'28"W), to assess its community structure. Samples were collected with a plankton net (300 µm mesh size) during the dry (January, 2001) and rainy (July, 2001) seasons, with three hour intervals between each sampling, both in spring and neap tides. Thirty seven mesozooplankton taxa were identified, from which Copepoda were particularly abundant, including the species Pseudodiaptomus acutus (F. Dahl, 1894), Peudodiaptomus richardi (F. Dahl, 1894), Acartia lilljeborgi (Giesbrecht, 1892), Parvocalanus crassirostris (Dahl, 1894), Oithona hebes (Santos, 1973), and Notodiaptomus cearensis Wright, 1936. Total density varied from 69.34 to 8568.34 org.m-3 in the dry season and from 261.98 to 10224.83 org.m-3 in the rainy season. Meroplanktonic crustaceans (brachyuran zoeae) were very frequent and numerically abundant, playing an important role in the pelagic food web. Species diversity varied from 0.44 to 3.13 bits.ind-1 (dry season) and from 0.66 to 2.92 bits.ind-1 (rainy season). Low diversities were caused by the dominance of brachyuran zoeae. Cluster analysis revealed two groups, the first formed by marine euryhaline species and the second by true estuarine species.

Foram amostrados 400 ninhos de Acromyrmex striatus entre 1997 e 1998, nas dunas da praia da Joaquina, Florianópolis, SC, para a verificação do material vegetal trazido para o ninho. Estas formigas usam partes de 50 espécies de plantas dispostas em 22 famílias, sendo as principais, representantes de Compositae, Gramineae e Leguminosae. Nesta última família, Stylosanthes viscosa foi a espécie mais utilizada nos dois anos de amostragem. Acromyrmex striatus corta matéria vegetal fresca, bem como se utiliza de material vegetal já caído, podendo, então se comportar como cortadeira ou como uma espécie oportunista.

A total of 400 nests of Acromyrmex striatus (Roger, 1863) was evaluated between 1997 and 1998 at the dunes of the Joaquina Beach, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, in order to determine the vegetable substrate brought back to the nests. These ants use some parts of 50 plant species in 22 botanical families, being Compositae, Gramineae and Leguminosae the principal ones. In this last family, Stylosanthes viscosa Swartz was the most herbivored species in the two years samplings. Acromyrmex striatus cut fresh vegetables, as well as use decayed materials, being then a true leaf-cutter ant or a opportunistic ant.

The objective of this study was to compare two different morphometric methodologies - traditional measurements and truss networks - based on two species of silversides, Odontesthes bonariensis (Valenciennes, 1835) and O. humensis De Buen, 1953, to determine which of the methods results in more reliable distinction between groups. The traditional measures do not represent the true fish form because it does not take into account alometric variations or distinct growth stages. The measures with truss networks extend over the fish form thoroughly resulting in complete representation of the fish's body when homologous morphologic points are connected. The two sets of measures used in the principal components analysis resulted in two groups. The first principal component presented similar positive coefficients, being interpreted as a variation of "size", due to different stages of fish growth. The second component presented positive and negative coefficients, with different values that were interpreted as changes in the "shape" of the organisms. As the groups overlapped partially on the second component axis (the one that represents shape), data were adjusted to exclude the size effect. The first component, then, presented positive and negative coefficients that were related to changes in the shape of organisms. The variables with positive coefficients were related to the anterior area of the body, while the negative coefficients were associated with the caudal peduncle. These variables were the same ones found in both the adjusted and non-adjusted analysis. This study showed that measures with truss networks represented more clearly the difference between groups of O. bonariensis and O. humensis, than with the traditional measures.

Eumorpha danielis (Schrottky, 1907) and Centris nigrita var. raymondi Schrottky, 1907, are trasferred to Euplusia Moure, 1943 and validated as Euplusia danielis and Euplusia raymondi comb.n.. Specimens from Santa Isabel do Morro, Ilha do Bananal, Tocantins, and from Santarém and Cachimbo, Pará, are described as Euplusia danielis fuscatra subsp.n., Euplusia fragocara Kimsey, 1977, was discovered in Ouro Preto d'Oeste, Rondônia; its female shows bluish colors as E. caerulaescens (Lepeletier, 1841), and E. violacea (Blanchard, 1840). The true meaning of E. smaragdina (Perty, 1833) as different from E. surinamensis (Linnaeus, 1758) is restored according to the study of the type specimen in Munich, Germany. E. xantha Kimsey, 1977 is a new synonym of E. vidua Moure, 1976. The following species from Brasil are described as new: Euplusia faceta from Mucujé, Bahia, Euplusia nordestina from Santa Luzia, Paraiba, and Euplusia velutina from Mérida, Northwestern Venezuela.

This study provides a list of anurans occuring in Londrina Municipality, north of Paraná, and analyses the difference in species richness between one well preserved forest area (Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy) and another, altered area (Estação de Piscicultura da Universidade Estadual de Londrina). The greatest number of species was in the preserved area (24 species) when compared to the altered one (14 species). The occurence of true forest species (stenoics), such Crossodactylus sp., Eleutherodactylus binotatus, E. guentheri, and Hyalinobatrachium uranoscopum, only in the Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy shows the conservation leveis of áreas and put in evidence the anurans as biological indicators of environmental quality. New registers for Paraná State were the following species: H. uranoscopum, P. avelinoi and Scinax perereca.

The genus Microschema Stål, 1869 (type species: Hoplophora straminicolor Stål, 1862) is here reinstated and redescribed. Micropepla Sakakibara, 1979 is considered its new synonym. Microschema straminicolor (Stål, 1862), comb.n. is also redescribed and illustrated; Micropepla mourei Sakakibara, 1979, is a new synonym. The holotype of Hoplophora straminicolor Stål (in the Museum of Stockholm) was mislabelled. The correction is here made and the true type specimen duly labelled as Holotype.

Among the specimens of Neotropical Bees described by Friese and preserved in the Berlim Museum the following ones were studied, or synonymized, or to some of them given a new status and redescribed, namely: the specimen of Megacilissa pretiosa Friese, 1898, is considered the holotype of Ptiloglossa pretiosa. Ptilothrix ? similis Friese, 1899 is a synonym of Melitoma nudipes (Burmeister, 1876). Centris (Epicharis) pygialis Friese, 1899, is an independent species. the present specimen the holotype and Bahia the type locality. Centris (Epicharis) flava Friese, 1900 a widely distributed species in South and Central America, described from 'Brasilia' is also considered as an independent species. The specimen of Centris atra Friese, 1900, from San Antonio, Colombia, is Centris (Melacentris) aeneiventris Mocsáry, 1899 and the specimen from Blumenau (Rio das Antas), SC, Brazil, at the Viena Museum, is the melanic form of Centris (Melacentris) dorsata Lepeletier, 1841, the true Centris atra Friese, 1900, belongs in the subgenus Ptilotopus Klug, 1810, and is recorded from Northern South Anerica to Central Brazil [North of the States of Minas Gerais and Goiás]. Centris xylocopoides Fox, 1899, from Trinidad, confounded with C. atra belongs to Melacentris and compared with the type of Centris (Melacentris) braccata Packard, 1869, proved to be a synonym. Centris ruficauda Friese, 1900 is the melanic form of Centris (Melacentris) intermixta Friese, 1900. Because Centris atra, selected by Sandhouse as the type species of Melanocentris, is a Ptilotopus, and the type species of Ptilotopus Klug, 1810, - Ptilotopus americanus Klug, 1810 - was included by Friese among his Melanocentris, Melacentris new name is proposed for Melanocentris autorum. non Friese, 1900, with Centris dorsata Lepeletier, 1841, as the type species.

A new technique to reliably estimate true tadpole abundance in small ephemeral forest ponds based on a sample taken from a bottom net is presented. The bottom net is placed in the pond before it fills with water. At given intervals the bottom net is lifted through the water column and all tadpoles can be counted. Based on a series of calibrations, the technique showed significant correlations between estimated abundance of Osteocephalus taurinus Steindachner, 1862, Colostelhus marchesianus Melin, 1941, Phyllomedusa tomoptema Cope, 1868, and aeshnid larvae, and true abundances based on total counts.

In the presente study on the mating of Nothura maculosa (Temminck, 1815) the tertiary and quaternary sex ratios were joined together The sex ratio was 1:1 or when deviated, favouring females When such deviations occur, they are probably due to quaternary sex ratio The inversion of sexual rôles could be responsible for the larger number of females, since males are more exposed to mortality risks The mating system in the Tinamidae is simultaneous poliginy for the male and sequential poliandry for the female, Emlen & Oring, 1977 Such complexity in the mating system results in a greater share among all individuals in the reproduction effort in relation to poliginy The sexual inativity of males for at least around 24 days after the begining of incubation, allows new males to participate in the reproductive effort The assumption that some of the females wuld be excluded from the reproductive effort when sex ratio is deviated in their favour, probably can not be held as true Bump & Bump, 1969, reported that 95% of the eggs examined (114 eggs), were fertile There are reasons to believe that neariy all females will successfully copulate under these circunstances

Descreve-se Pimelodus paranaensis, sp. n., da bacia do Alto Paraná, Brasil, com base em 20 exemplares. A nova espécie pode ser assim diagnosticada: (i) dentes presentes e formando duas áreas isoladas no vômer; (ii) faixa pré-maxilar de dentes com um ângulo projetado para trás; (iii) teto do crânio coberto por pele fina; (iv) comprimento da nadadeira adiposa 3,9 a 4,3 vezes no comprimento padrão; (v) a maior altura da nadadeira adiposa 3,1 a 4.3 vezes no seu comprimento; (vi) região dorsal do corpo de cor castanha com pequenas manchas arredondadas, castanho-escuras. Apesar de possuir dentes vomerianos como em Pimelodus albicans, e como em certos exemplares de P. clarias (sensu Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890), achamos que as verdadeiras relações desta nova espécie e sua situação genérica só poderão ser estabelecidas após uma nova boa revisão do grupo.

Pimelodus paranaensis, n. sp., from the Upper Paraná basin, is described on the basis of 20 specimens. The new species can be diagnosed as follows: (1) teeth present and forming two isolated on the vomer; (2) premaxillary band of teeth with a backward projecting angle; (3) top of head covered with thin layer of skin; (4) adipose fin basis 3,9 to 4.6 in standard length; (5) greatest depth of adipose fin 3.1 to 4.3 in its length, (6) dark spots along the dorsum. In spite of having teeth on the vomer as Pimelodus albicans, and as some specimens of P. clarias (sensu Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1890) and in being similar to Bagropsis reinhardti in many respects, we feel that the true relationships and the generic status of the new species can be established only after a thorough revision of the group.