Spittlebugs cause major pasture damage in the Neotropics. As most xylem-feeders, they depend on microbial symbionts to supply essential amino acids to their diet. Here, the obligate nutritional ...endosymbiont 'Candidatus Sulcia muelleri' (Bacteroidetes) was detected in three main cercopid pests of South America: Notozulia entreriana (Berg), Deois (Deois) mourei Cavichioli et Sakakibara and Deois (Deois) knoblauchii (Berg) (Cercopidae Ishnorhininae). In all insect species, bacteriomes were located laterally in the abdomen, and ultrathin sections of N. entreriana bacteriocytes showed typical sulcia-like bacteria. PCR and sequencing of a 914-bp fragment of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene revealed 100% nucleotide identity among sulcia strains obtained from the three host species. These sequences were also identical to those previously obtained from two other New World spittlebugs of the same subfamily, providing evidence for host/symbiont coevolution. Microscopic and molecular analyses suggested that N. entreriana lacked additional symbionts (i. e. 'Candidatus Zinderia insecticola' or sodalis-like bacteria Proteobacteria) that often co-occur with sulcia within members of the superfamily Cercopoidea. Though amplicons were occasionally generated from D. (D.) mourei and D. (D.) knoblauchii with primers intended for zinderia, they failed to sequence. Further research is needed to elucidate the identity of bacteria other than sulcia in Deois spp.
The Zethus mexicanus group sensu Bohart Stange (1965) consists of four species in the subgenus Zethusculus: Zethus brasiliensis de Saussure, 1852, Z. mexicanus (Linnaeus, 1758) (both subdivided into ...three subspecies each), Z. magnus de Saussure, 1852 and Z. waldoi Zavattari, 1912. Color patterns and distribution have been used to differentiate the subspecies until now. However, these patterns may vary among individuals, and the distribution of specimens examined in this study showed overlap between subspecies. The analysis of external morphology did not show significant differences, making the subspecific division unnecessary. Thus, the following synonyms are proposed: Zethus brasiliensis fuscatus Boharth Stange, 1965 n. syn. and Z. brasiliensis panamensis Boharth Stange, 1965 n. syn. are junior synonyms of Z. brasiliensis brasiliensis; and Z. mexicanus erythrogena Boharth Stange, 1965 n. syn. and Z. mexicanus lugubris Perty, 1833 n. syn. are junior synonyms of Zethus mexicanus mexicanus. Furthermore, the following status changed are proposed: Z. brasiliensis brasiliensis de Saussure, 1852 stat. rev. to Z. brasiliensis; and Z. mexicanus mexicanus (Linnaeus, 1758) stat. rev. to Z. mexicanus. In addition, a cladistic analysis, using terminals with representatives of the three subgenera of Zethus and one species of Ctenochilus, recovered the monophyly of the Zethus mexicanus group, as well as the subgenus Zethusculus, but rendered the arietis group paraphyletic. An identification key and redescriptions are given for the species in the group of Zethus mexicanus sensu Bohart Stange (1965).
Swarm-founding epiponine wasps are an intriguing group of social insects in which colonies are polygynic (several queens share reproduction) and differentiation between castes is often not obvious. ...However, caste differences in some may be more pronounced in later phases of the colony cycle.
Using morphometric analyses and multivariate statistics, it was found that caste differences in Metapolybia docilis are slight but more distinct in latter stages of the colony cycle.
Because differences in body parts are so slight, it is proposed that such variation may be due to differential growth rates of body parts rather than to queens being larger in size, similar to other previously observed epiponines.
DNA methylation plays an important role in the epigenetic control of developmental and behavioral plasticity, with connections to the generation of striking phenotypic differences between castes ...(larger, reproductive queens and smaller, non-reproductive workers) in honeybees and ants. Here, we provide the first comparative investigation of caste- and life stage-associated DNA methylation in several species of bees and vespid wasps displaying different levels of social organization. Our results reveal moderate levels of DNA methylation in most bees and wasps, with no clear relationship to the level of sociality. Strikingly, primitively social Polistes dominula paper wasps show unusually high overall DNA methylation and caste-related differences in site-specific methylation. These results suggest DNA methylation may play a role in the regulation of behavioral and physiological differences in primitively social species with more flexible caste differences.
Caste differences in Pseudopolybia compressa (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) Pizarro, Laura Chavarría(Universidade de São Paulo FFCLRP Departamento de Biologia,Universidade Estadual Paulista IBILCE Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica); Noll, Fernando B.(Universidade Estadual Paulista IBILCE Departamento de Zoologia e Botânica); Mateus, Sidnei(Universidade de São Paulo FFCLRP Departamento de Biologia)
Zoologia (Curitiba, Brazil),
12/2009, Letnik:
26, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Studies of morphological caste syndromes in the tribe Epiponini help us to understand the evolution of social behavior in insects. Few studies have integrated morphological syndromes of various ...species from the same or distinct genera. We studied morphological differences between castes from three colonies of Pseudopolybia compressa de Saussure, 1854, in order to relate their caste syndrome with those of other species in the genus. We took eight morphometric measures and females were classified in relation to ovarian development and spermathecal contents. Females of Colony 1 (C1) present a higher distinction between castes than females of Colonies 2 and 3 (C2 and C3), and, in general, queens of the three colonies are larger than workers in some measures but smaller in others. In Pseudopolybia Dalla Torre, 1894, shape rather than size is a more important trait in caste divergence.
Characters of adult morphology, male genitalia, and nest architecture are combined in a cladistic analysis of the neotropical paper wasp genus Synoeca. The single resulting cladogram supports the ...monophyly of genus. The species are related as follows: S. chalibea + (S. virginea + (S. septentrionalis + (S. surinama + S. cyanea))). A new identification key is also presented.
Abstract The variability of the organisms living in a given area constitute what is referred to as biodiversity, one of nature’s fundamental properties, responsible for the balance and stability of ...ecosystems. The loss of biodiversity has been of great concern to scientists, especially because of the role played by human activities in this regard, able to lead to irreversible circumstances. The São Paulo Research Foundation (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, FAPESP) plays a major role in supporting research efforts in the most diverse branches of science. In the late 1990´s, FAPESP launched a major program to promote research on biodiversity, named BIOTA/FAPESP. So far, this program has financed the conduction of 26 projects, involving research activities in most of Brazil, while focusing mainly the State of São Paulo. These projects have generated about 1140 publications in peer-reviewed journals of high standard, providing relevant information, including the original description of 1187 species and 76 genera, the complementary description of 350 species, as well as a number of inventory works, biological studies, etc. The program has also been instrumental in the establishment or adequacy of research facilities and training of new taxonomists. Most extensively studied groups of terrestrial invertebrates include Insecta of the orders Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Diptera, and Arachnida of the subclasses Araneae and Acari. Distinct projects have also contributed to the detection of organisms potentially useful as biological control agents and in the determination of maps of major interest for the establishment of public policies. In the future, priority groups for study should include the Annelida and the Nematoda, for the potential both have as beneficial organisms, or for the potential some Nematoda have as organisms harmful to plants and animals.
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