Universiẗat, Diss., 2003--Jena.

Orientador:: Vera Nisaka Solferini / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T17:59:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bartoleti_LuizFilipedeMacedo_M.pdf: 981663 bytes, checksum: 9efdfd02f5146e866175388d02da7638 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: Processos históricos e contemporâneos moldaram os padrões de variabilidade genética das espécies da Mata Atlântica, um dos biomas mais diversos do mundo. Além disso, a fragmentação recente das florestas brasileiras pode causar sérios efeitos na estruturação genética das populações naturais, intensificando processos como deriva genética e endogamia. Os efeitos da fragmentação dependem principalmente da matriz entre os fragmentos e das características de dispersão da espécie. As aranhas são organismos que possuem modos de vida bastante diversos e as características de dispersão podem também variar bastante. Nephila clavipes é uma aranha que possui ampla distribuição na Mata Atlântica e considera-se que a espécie é capaz de dispersão por balonismo (dispersão aérea). Os objetivos desse trabalho foram estudar os padrões de variabilidade e estruturação genética em populações de fragmentos de Mata Atlântica, usando N. clavipes. Os estudos foram realizados em micro e macro escala, para inferir padrões de fluxo gênico e relacionar os resultados a aspectos ecológicos e comportamentais da espécie. Além disso, buscou-se explorar aspectos da história evolutiva da espécie e sua corrente distribuição em populações. Para isso, foi sequenciado o gene mitocondrial Citocromo Oxidase I de 323 indivíduos coletados em 15 populações de cinco Estados. Foram calculados índices de diversidade genética, além de parâmetros filogeográficos, por meio de análises bayesianas e de máxima verossimilhança. Todas as populações apresentaram polimorfismo sendo que, em geral, as populações de Minas Gerais apresentaram índices de diversidade mais altos. Os valores médios de diversidade ficaram próximos aos encontrados para outras espécies do gênero. Foi encontrada grande estruturação genética, principalmente em distâncias médias e grandes, com FST geral de 0,30178. O FST no Estado de São Paulo (a microescala geográfica) foi de apenas 0,02996, indicando baixa estruturação em baixas distâncias. A distância genética não apresentou claras relações com a distância geográfica (Teste de Mantel, p > 0,05), o que pode ser devido à dispersão por agentes, inclusive antrópicos. A análise dos valores de FST obtidos apenas com as fêmeas indica que os machos podem ter efeito de manutenção do fluxo gênico em baixas distâncias. A rede de haplótipos e as árvores de máxima verossimilhança e bayesiana indicaram a presença de três clados genéticos, não inteiramente concordantes com a distribuição dos grupos geográficos. As estimativas apontam para divergências entre esses clados genéticos datadas do Pleistoceno, assim como reportado em vários outros organismos que habitam a Mata Atlântica. Nossos resultados mostram uma espécie de invertebrado apresentando padrões filogeográficos semelhantes aos encontrados para organismos de outros grupos, o que pode indicar processos em comum na diversificação das espécies da Mata Atlântica / Abstract: Historic and contemporary processes have shaped the patterns of genetic variability of the species from Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, one of the world's most diverse biomes. Furthermore, the recent fragmentation of Brazilian Rainforests may cause serious effects in genetic structure of natural populations, intensifying processes like genetic drift and endogamy. Fragmentation effects depend mainly on the matrix between the fragments and the species' dispersion characteristics. Spiders are organisms that show different lifestyles, and dispersion characteristics may also vary within the group. Nephila clavipes is a spider that is widely distributed in the Atlantic Rainforest and it is widely accepted that it is capable of ballooning (aerial dispersal). In the present work, we sought to study the patterns of genetic variability and structure in populations from fragments of Atlantic Rainforest, using N. clavipes. The studies have been made in micro and macro scale, looking forward to infer gene flow patterns and relate the results to ecologic and behavioral aspects of the species. Furthermore, we sought to explore aspects of the species' evolutionary history and its current distribution in populations. With those objectives in mind, we sequenced the mitochondrial gene Cytochrome Oxidase I from 323 individuals sampled in 15 populations from five States. We calculated genetic diversity indexes, phylogeographic parameters, and performed bayesian and maximum likelihood analysis. All populations presented polymorphism and, in general, Minas Gerais populations showed higher diversity indexes. Diversity mean values were close to that found in others species from the genera. We found high genetic structure, mainly at medium and great distances, with a FST value of 0,30178. The FST in São Paulo State (the geographic micro scale) was as low as 0,02996, showing low genetic structure at short distances. The genetic distance didn't show clear relationships with the geographic distance (Mantel test, p > 0,05), which may be due to the agent-guide dispersal, including anthropic agents. The analysis of the FST values obtained exclusively from the females indicates that the males may have a gene flow maintenance effect at short distances. The haplotype network and the bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees reported the presence of three genetic clades, not entirely in agreement with the geographic groups' distribution. The estimates point to divergences between the genetic clades dated from the Pleistocene, like reported for various other organisms that live in the Atlantic Rainforest. Our results present an invertebrate species showing phylogeographic patterns similar to that found to other groups, which may indicate common processes in the diversification of Atlantic Rainforest species / Mestrado / Genetica Animal e Evolução / Mestre em Genética e Biologia Molecular

No description available.

Webs are fundamental to the ecology of Nephila clavipes, the golden orb-weaver spider, because they serve as sites for prey capture, reproduction, competition, predation, and parasitism. In addition to the presence of the female N. clavipes, males and kleptoparasites reside on the web in varying numbers. Webs are also found in clusters with conspecific females. Web site selection and length of web tenure is a behavioral decision vital to the spider’s fitness and the ecology of her species. I conducted a field census to quantify these factors and analyze their influence on web tenure, compare web ecology between a forest and non-forest habitat, as well as explain the significance of N. clavipes’ web as central to many interactions. Web tenure, as well, was influenced differently by the factors between both environments. In the forest habitat, increase in prey capture rate decreased web tenure and inclusion in cluster increased web tenure. In the non-forest habitat, only increase in spider size was related to increased web tenure. There were significant differences between the two habitats in the sizes of the female spider and quantity of males and kleptoparasites. Results also showed that spider size influenced quantity of males and web diameter influenced quantity of kleptoparasites. Explanation of these results can be attributed to the complex relationships among the variables and the consequences of living in habitats impacted by human occupation.

Webs are fundamental to the ecology of Nephila clavipes, the golden orb-weaver spider, because they serve as sites for prey capture, reproduction, competition, predation, and parasitism. In addition to the presence of the female N. clavipes, males and kleptoparasites reside on the web in varying numbers. Webs are also found in clusters with conspecific females. Web site selection and length of web tenure is a behavioral decision vital to the spider’s fitness and the ecology of her species. I conducted a field census to quantify these factors and analyze their influence on web tenure, compare web ecology between a forest and non-forest habitat, as well as explain the significance of N. clavipes’ web as central to many interactions. Web tenure, as well, was influenced differently by the factors between both environments. In the forest habitat, increase in prey capture rate decreased web tenure and inclusion in cluster increased web tenure. In the non-forest habitat, only increase in spider size was related to increased web tenure. There were significant differences between the two habitats in the sizes of the female spider and quantity of males and kleptoparasites. Results also showed that spider size influenced quantity of males and web diameter influenced quantity of kleptoparasites. Explanation of these results can be attributed to the complex relationships among the variables and the consequences of living in habitats impacted by human occupation.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:29:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4885.pdf: 5238876 bytes, checksum: 19642fd4b131f25c12001f75544ff2cd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-01-30 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / Parasitoid wasps may use a wide variety of arthropods as food for their larvae. Among koinobiont species, whose development of the parasitoid does not disrupt the normal activities of the host, there is a group of wasps that exclusively uses spiders as hosts. In Polysphincta group (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae), some species are able to change their hosts behavior before turning into pupa. These behavioral changes that are possibly responsible for an increase in the probability of survival of the parasitoid, are rare in this type of interaction. In this study, which was divided into four chapters, the interaction between the spider Nephila clavipes (Araneae, Nephilidae) and Hymenoepimecis bicolor wasp (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae) are described in detail. In the first chapter we describe the attack and oviposition behavior of H. bicolor,that starts with the wasp flying around the N. clavipes web. Then the wasp attacks inserting the ovipositor into the mouth and paralyzing the spider at the center of the web. Females H. bicolor emerge from larger spiders while males emerge from smaller spiders. Apparently the wasp is able to estimate the size of the host and decide whether or not to fertilize the egg to be laid down in the spider. In the second chapter, we found the frequency of parasitism in N. clavipes for H. bicolor and also verify the choice of the host size, can be directly related to a trade-off between size and risk of injury. The ecdysis is not able to remove the parasitoid larva which remains attached to the spider body. Furthermore, we note that six days before the ecdysis, so in the period of pre-ecdysis, there is a decrease in the number of rays and turns, causing a decrease in the web size. The changed web built by spiders in the preecdysis is very similar to the modified web built by spiders parasitized days before being killed by the parasitoid larva. xi The third chapter describes the influence of the architecture of the modified webs and the normal ones on the survival of pupa of H. bicolor. In normal webs the pupa survival is greatly affected and in most of the observations cocoons fell in the soil or suffered other kind damage. In another experiment, we removed the third instar larva in the moment that the spider began to build the modified web and we found that after removing the larva the spider start building its standard web. Thus, our goal was to verify if that the larva injects substances that induce the spider to build a web modified. In the final chapter the immature stages of the H. bicolor are described by observing morphological and behavioral characteristics in each stage / Vespas parasitoides podem utilizar uma ampla diversidade de artrópodes como alimento para suas larvas. Entre as espécies cenobiontes, aquelas cujo desenvolvimento do parasitoide não interrompe as atividades normais do hospedeiro, está um grupo de vespas que utiliza exclusivamente aranhas como hospedeiros. No grupo Polysphincta (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae), algumas espécies são capazes de alterar o comportamento de seus hospedeiros logo antes de empuparem. Essas modificações comportamentais, que possivelmente são responsáveis por um aumento na probabilidade de sobrevivência do parasitoide, são raras nesse tipo de interação. Nesse trabalho, que foi dividido em quatro capítulos, foi descrita em detalhes a interação entre a aranha Nephila clavipes (Araneae, Nephilidae) e a vespa Hymenoepimecis bicolor (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Pimplinae). No primeiro capítulo nós descrevemos o comportamento de ataque e oviposição de H. bicolor, que tem início com a vespa voando em volta da teia de N. clavipes. Em seguida, a vespa ataca inserindo o ovipositor na boca, paralisando a aranha no centro da teia. As fêmeas de H. bicolor emergem de aranhas maiores enquanto os machos emergem de aranhas menores. Aparentemente a vespa é capaz de avaliar o tamanho do hospedeiro e decidir por fertilizar ou não o ovo que será fixado na aranha. No segundo capítulo, verificamos a frequência de parasitismo em N. clavipes por H. bicolor e também verificamos a escolha do tamanho do hospedeiro, que pode estar relacionada diretamente com um trade-off entre tamanho e risco de injúria. A ecdise não é capaz de remover a larva do parasitoide, que permanece aderida ao corpo da aranha. Além disso, observamos que seis dias antes da ecdise, portanto no período de préecdise, ocorre uma diminuição do número de raios e espiras, levando a uma diminuição ix do tamanho da teia. A teia modificada construída por aranhas no período de pré-ecdise é muito similar à teia modificada construída por aranhas parasitadas poucos dias antes de serem mortas pela larva do parasitoide. No terceiro capítulo descrevemos a influência da arquitetura das teias modificadas e teias normais na sobrevivência das pupas de H. bicolor. Em teias normais a sobrevivência da pupa é grandemente afetada, sendo que na maioria das observações os casulos caíram no solo ou sofreram outros tipos de danos. Em outro experimento, removemos a larva de terceiro ínstar assim que a aranha começou a construir a teia modificada e verificamos que após a remoção da larva a aranha voltou a construir uma teia normal. Com isso buscamos verificar se a vespa injeta substâncias na aranha que a induz a construção de teias modificadas. No último capítulo descrevemos os estágios imaturos de H. bicolor observando as características morfológicas e comportamentais em cada um dos estágios.

This thesis describes an investigation into silk spinning, with the objective of producing high performance silk fibres in the laboratory using a novel spinning device based upon observations on natural spinning glands and processes. After an in-depth literature review the work is reported in two sections: natural and artificial spinning. The literature provides fragmented data on different aspects of natural silk production, and artificial spinning has not yet reproduced fibres with the properties of native silk fibres, despite unfounded claims of biomimetic spinning. The first half of the thesis looks at natural silk spinning. The work started with a general study of the morphology of spider and silkworm spinning ducts: First, how the silk fibre develops as the dope flows through the gland; and second the relationship between silk fibre properties and both gland morphology and spinning speed. More detailed studies using histochemical and spectroscopic investigations showed that the silk ducts of the spider Nephila edulis and the silkworm Bombyx mori both contain β-chitin, despite an evolutionarily distant common ancestor. Finally, observations showed that the duct of N. edulis consists of alternating nanoporous discs, and FEA modelling indicated that the duct is optimised for mechanical integrity and permeability. The second half of the thesis describes the development of a spinning device that uses natural silk dope mainly taken from B. mori as feedstock. It begins with a description of the gradual development of the engineering aspects of the spinning device, to meet challenges raised during the spinning investigation. The development of a centrifugal capillary rheometer, for practical quantitative insights into rheological processes is then presented. Finally the spinning investigation is reported: first, the screening of spinning in glass capillaries based upon natural gland dimensions and flow rates, which have been shown to induce fibrillation in silk dope in a rheometer, and also included initiation of instability through heat applied along the capillary; second, the final spinning evaluation, using lessons learned from all the screening trials throughout the project, but also including a key development of a hydrophobic coating on the capillary tip to inhibit droplet formation and massively increase the process stability and ease of fibre production. The main conclusions from this work are that good silk fibre cannot be spun by flow shear stress alone; and, that heat instability induces indiscriminate gelation of the silk, whose disordered molecular structure gives poor silk fibre properties. The body of work behind these conclusions provides fundamental background information and new insights that will contribute to the next stages of development of artificial silk spinning, from obtaining a better understanding of the biology of natural spinning glands to the engineering difficulties of implementing the bioinspired principles.