Orientador: Odair Correa Bueno / Banca: Luiz Carlos Forti / Banca: Maria Santina de Castro Morini / Banca: Osmar Malaspina / Banca: Ana Eugênia de Carvalho Campos Farinha / Abstract: The present work aimed to evaluate the efficiency of crude oils of Carapa guianensis Aubl. (crabwood), Elaeis guineensis Jacq. (African oil palm), Sesamum indicum L. (sesame), Ricinus communis L. (castor beans), Azadirachta indica Juss (neem), Theobroma cacao L. (cocoa), Anacardium occidentale L. (cashew nut) and crude extracts of Anacardium occidentale on leafcutting ants control, using Atta sexdens rubropilosa as model. Toxicity bioassays with ant workers were done using: 1) treatments by incorporation of crude oils or extracts in artificial diet and 2) treatments by topic application of crude oils or extracts on the ants pronotum. According to obtained results in toxicity tests, some crude oils and extracts were select to be incorporated in baits or applied by nebulization and tested on laboratory colonies. The crude oils or extracts more efficient on laboratory colonies control were tested on field grown up colonies. The obtained results in all toxicity tests permitted to select crude oils of C. guianensis, E. guineensis, S. indicum, R. communis, A. indica, A. occidentale and hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of A. occidentale to be applied by nebulization and crude oils of E. guineensis, A. indica and A. occidentale to be incorporated in baits and tested on laboratory colonies. On laboratory colonies, the nebulization with crude oils of C. guianensis, E. guineensis, S. indicum, R. communis and A. indica didn't cause any effect on colonies. Therefore, these crude oils don't must be used to leaf-cutting ants control. However, crude oil and hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of A. occidentale propitiated the extinction of colonies. The E. guineensis, A. indica and A. occidentale baits didn't any cause effect on colonies hence it follows that these baits don't must be used to leaf-cutting ant's control / Doutor

Orientador: Maurício Bacci Júnior / Resumo: A formiga saúva-da-mata, Atta cephalotes, tem como área de ocorrência a Mata Atlântica e a Floresta Amazônica, pois não consegue viver em regiões quentes e secas como o Cerrado e Caatinga. Como os demais atineos, corta folhas e flores que servem de substrato para o fungo que cultivam, sendo considerada, na Bahia, uma importante espécie que ataca as plantações de cacau na mata cabrucada. Sua classificação taxonômica sempre foi controversa e dificil devido à dificuldade de separar as subespécies através de caracteres morfológicos, que são polimórficos e pouco informativos, fazendo com todas as subespécies fossem sinonimizadas como Atta cephalotes. O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar os Ioci mitocondriais CDI, IGS, Leu-tRNA e CDII de populações de Atta cephalotes e estabelecer uma relação filogenética entre essas populações. Procedeu-se a extração de DNA genômico total, seguida de amplificação com iniciadores específicos e purificação dos amplicons. O produto purificado foi seqüenciado no sentido direto e reverso e consenso das seqüências foi submetido ao alinhamento múltiplo, análise de máxima parcimônia, análise de haplótipos e divergência genética. Os resultados mostraram que existem duas populações geneticamente distintas de Atta cephalotes, uma predominantemente de ocorrência amazônica e outra de Mata Atlântica, contrariando a classificação atual. Foram encontradas no Pará e Amapá dois grupos de populações: um se agrupa com o grupo de espécimes de Mata Atlântica (Bahia e Pernambuco) e o outro com os espécimes da Amazônia, sugerindo a existência de populações simpátricas nesses estados. Talvez o uso de outros marcadores, associados a estudos ecológicos e comportamentais, esclareça se nesses dois estados suas populações estão isoladas reprodutivamente. Possivelmente o grupo da Bahia deve ser classificado como uma espécie diferente do grupo da região Norte. / Abstract: Not available. / Mestre

Orientador: Odair Correa Bueno / Banca: Luiz Carlos Forti / Banca: Ana Paula Protti de Andrade Crusciol / Banca: Maria Santina de Castro Morini / Banca: Sulene Noriko Shima / Resumo: O presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da evolução dos comportamentos de preparação do substrato, cuidado com a cria e cuidado com a rainha e alados em formigas cultivadoras de fungo. Estas formigas pertencem à tribo Attini, subfamília Myrmicinae, e ocorrem exclusivamente no continente americano. Esta tribo contém aproximadamente 230 espécies, porém pouco se conhece da biologia da maioria delas, graças ao fato de serem extremamente crípticas e de não apresentarem importância econômica, como as formigas cortadeiras, que são as mais estudadas. Foram utilizadas seis espécies, que representam bem os diversos níveis da filogenia da tribo: Acromyrmex disciger, Apterostigma pilosum, Mycetarotes parallelus, Myrmicocrypta sp., Trachymyrmex fuscus e Trachymyrmex sp. nov. Os comportamentos foram estudados em ninhos mantidos em laboratório, com o auxílio de micro-câmeras e um aparelho gravador de vídeo. Os comportamentos foram analisados, caracterizados e quantificados. Os resultados foram divididos em três capítulos de acordo com o tipo de comportamento. No capítulo sobre a evolução dos comportamentos de preparação do substrato foi observado que, basicamente, o processo evoluiu no sentido de aumentar a capacidade das operárias em decompor inicialmente o substrato. As espécies basais, A. pilosum, M. parallelus e Myrmicocrypta sp. apresentaram um processamento mais simples com um número menor de comportamentos e principalmente sem os comportamentos do tratamento químico, que é responsável pela fragmentação do substrato ao mesmo tempo em que ele é tratado com enzimas digestivas. As duas espécies do gênero Trachymyrmex apresentaram um processo mais complexo com grande participação do tratamento químico. Em A. disciger, que é uma cortadeira, há uma intensa especialização do sistema de castas para o aumento da eficiência... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: This work aims to study the evolution of the behaviors of substrate preparation, brood, queen and winged forms care in fungus growing ants. These ants are included in the tribe Attini, subfamily Myrmicinae, and occur exclusively in the american continent. This tribe contains approximately 230 species, but little is known about the biology of most of them, tanks to the fact that they show very cryptic habits and are not economically important, like the leaf cutting ants, which are the most studied. Six species were used in this work, which represent well all the levels of the phylogeny of the tribe: Acromyrmex disciger, Apterostigma pilosum, Mycetarotes parallelus, Myrmicocrypta sp., Trachymyrmex fuscus and Trachymyrmex sp. Nov. The behaviors were studied in laboratory nests, with a set of micro cameras and a video recording device. The behaviors were analyzed, characterized and quantified. The results were summarized and discussed in tree chapters, arranged by type of behavior. In the chapter about the evolution of the substrate preparation behaviors, basically it is assumed that this process evolved in order to develop the capacity of previously decompose the substrate by the workers. In the basal species, A. pilosum, M. parallelus and Myrmicocrypta sp. this process is very simple with a small number of behaviors and principally without the behaviors of chemical treatment, which are responsible for the fragmentation of the substrate as it is treated by with digestive enzymes. In the two species of the genus Trachymyrmex, the process became more complex and showed a greater participation of these behaviors. A. disciger, witch is a leaf cutting ant, showed an extensive specialization of physical castes in all the phases of the process which elevated it's efficiency. In the chapter about the evolution of the behaviors of brood care... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:30:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-06-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:40:00Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 bution_ml_me_rcla.pdf: 1804947 bytes, checksum: 33e2939f1ab936fc56be7290fd892033 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / A presença de microorganismos no trato digestivo de formigas da tribo Cephalotini (Subfamília Myrmicinae) e do gênero Dolichoderus (Subfamília Dolichoderinae), tem sido motivo de várias especulações entre os mirmecologistas. Entretanto não existem dados sobre muitas das características da relação destes microorganismos descobertos a menos de 25 anos, principalmente no que concerne os aspectos histoquímicos, enzimológicos e também ultramorfológicos. Assim sendo, foram realizados estudos comparados do proventrículo, ventrículo e do íleo de três espécies pertencentes ao gênero Cephalotes: C. atratus, C. clypeatus e C. pusillus, e do ventrículo de uma espécie do gênero Dolichoderus: Dolichoderus (=Monacis) bispinosus, objetivando buscar relações entre as espécies, assim como, diferenças enzimológicas e histoquímicas tanto da parede como do conteúdo de destas porções do trato digestivo, que possam ser utilizadas para a compreensão da função intestinal, bem como esclarecer quais e como os recursos alimentares são aproveitados em cada parte do trato digestivo. Das espécies de Cephalotes foram feitas análises ultramorfológicas. Os resultados tanto de natureza enzimológica quanto de natureza histoquímica de todas as regiões estudadas, apresentaram o mesmo padrão para todas as espécies. De 2 mesma maneira, a secreção das células digestivas colunares para todas as espécies estudadas, foi considerada como do tipo apócrino. Na tribo Cephalotini (Myrmicinae) e em Dolichoderus (=Monacis) bispinosus (Dolichoderinae) o pH levemente ácido presente tanto no lúmen do ventrículo, quanto no lúmen do íleo, permite a sobrevivência dos microorganismos nestas regiões do trato digestivo. / The presence of microorganisms in the digestive tract of Cephalotini tribe (subfamilly Myrmicinae) and Dolichoderus (subfamily Dolichoderinae) ants has been causing several speculations among the myrmecologists. However, the data concerning the relationship of these microorganisms (discovered less than 25 years ago) to the ants are scarce at the histochemical, enzymological and ultramorphological point of view. Thus, we carried out studies on the proventriculus, midgut and ileum in three species of Cephalotes (C. atratus, C, clypeatus and C. pusillus) and the midgut of Dolichoderus (=Monacis) bispinosus. The histochemical and enzymological aspects of the epithelium of these structures and their contents were compared among these species. We tried to understand the function of these organs and establish how each of them takes advantage of the alimentary sources. Some ultramorphological studies were also carried out in Cephalotini. The enzymological and histochemical techniques showed that each studied organ presented the same pattern when compared among species. In the same way, the secretion 4 of the digestive cells was also similar. Besides, all of these digestive cells were classified as apocrine. In Dolichoderus (=Monacis) bispinosus and all species of Cephalotini studied the slightly acid pH allows the survival of the microorganisms as in the midgut lumen, as in ileum's lumen. We propose that, in Cephalotini, the stability of the pH is related to the intensive secretion of Ca++ by the digestive cells in the midgut. The morphological adaptations of the ileum in Cephalotini tribe provide high supply of oxygen and metabolites that also explain the strong presence of microorganisms in this region. Besides it, the absorptive and digestive capacity of this epithelium indicates that it could be a very specialized region adapted to maintain microorganisms.

Neste estudo foi avaliado o grau de proteção conferido à Chamaecrista debilis a partir das formigas visitantes dos seus nectários extraflorais (NEFs), que são estruturas não envolvidas diretamente na polinização e que representam uma importante fonte alimentar para vários grupos de artrópodes. Foram utilizados dois experimentos, no primeiro foram escolhidas e marcadas 20 plantas, sendo 10 destinadas ao controle, permanecendo em seu estado natural, e outras 10 denominadas tratamento, onde as formigas presentes foram retiradas, sendo aplicada uma resina na base do caule, afim de impedir o acesso das formigas à planta. Em cada planta de ambos os grupos, foram marcadas 6 folhas, contando¬se seus folíolos para acompanhar a herbivoria. No segundo experimento, foram escolhidas 6 plantas, sendo marcados dois ramos em cada uma, um destinado ao controle e outro destinado ao tratamento, onde foi aplicada a resina em sua base e as formigas foram excluídas. Foram marcadas 3 folhas em cada ramo, sendo contado o número de folíolos para acompanhar a herbivoria. No primeiro experimento não objetivou¬se determinar a defesa diferencial, dependendo das espécies das formigas associadas aos NEFs, enquanto que no segundo experimento foi avaliada especificamente a defesa conferida por Camponotus cingulatus. A fenologia foi acompanhada quinzenalmente, avaliando¬se a porcentagem das estruturas da plantas. Formigas, visitantes florais, herbívoros e outros insetos presentes na planta foram coletados. Foram encontradas 15 espécies de formigas associadas aos NEFs da planta, enquanto que os principais herbívoros foram os proscopídeos (Orthoptera). Quinze espécies de visitantes florais foram relatadas, e vários outros grupos estiveram associados à planta, especialmente em relação às galhas. Os resultados dos experimentos demonstraram que a presença das formigas determina uma redução significativa da herbivoria em Ch. debilis, nos dois experimentos, sendo que esta defesa amplia¬se com o passar do tempo. Todavia, este mutualismo parece ser facultativo, como a maioria destas relações envolvendo plantas com NEFs e organismos associados. / In this study was valued the protection degree provided to Chamaecrista debilis from ants visiting its extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), that are structures not involved directly to pollination and that are a important food resource to various arthropod groups. Were performes two experiments, in the first one were choosed and marked 20 plants, where 10 were control plants, remaining in to their natural conditions, and the other 10, labeled as treatement, where the ants presents were excluded and applied a resin at the basis of the stem, to prevent the access of the ants. In wich plant of both groups were marked 6 leaves, counting the number of folioles to value the herbivory rates. In the second experiment was choosen six plants, where were marked two branches, one destined to control and the other one to the treatment, where the resin was applied at the basis, to prevent the ants? access to these branches, from where the ants were excluded. Were marked 3 leaves in wich branch counting the number of folioles to value the herbivory rates. In the first experiment was not evalueted the differencial degree of protection, depending on the ants? species while in the second one was valueted specifically the defense from Camponotus cingulatus. The phenology was evalueted each 15 days, considering the porcentage of the plants? structures. Ants, flower visitors, herbivores and other insects presents on the plant were colected. Was found 15 ant species associated to EFNs, while the main herbivore were the Proscopiidae. Fifteen specis of flower visitors were recorded and another various groups were associeted to plant, specially to the galls. The results of the two experiments showed that the presence of ants provide a significative reduce to herbivory rates in Ch. debilis, and this defense grows along the time. However, this mutualism seems to be facultative, like the majotity of these relationships involving EFN plants and associated organisms.

The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta)(RIFA) is a major pest in the United States, causing serious economic and human costs. This study explored the feasibility of using digital aerial remote sensing in multispectral/multitemporal detection and mapping of RIFA mounds. Comparison of photointerpretive mound counts versus ground control counts was performed within two grass types, common Bermuda and tall fescue. Flights collecting digital image data occurred at three intervals in 2009, with ground truth data collected collaterally. Poisson regression count modeling was first utilized for analysis of both datasets. Moran's Index geospatial analysis was applied following the Poisson model. Outcomes in this study from these models demonstrate their ability to robustly support studies for tracking and control of RIFA or other pest populations. Additionally, in one location, type of grass cover appeared to affect detectability of mounds between the two methods.

No description available.

Grassland communities represent major biodiversity hotspots across the United States. Among these grassland types is the short-leaf pine savanna, a major historical habitat along the Cumberland Plateau. The Cumberland Plateau’s grasslands are under threat due to land use changes such as urbanization and land conversion to pasture and hardwood forests. This study seeks to better understand the community ecology of ants on the Cumberland Plateau using powerlines as a comparison to degraded and historic habitats. Ants have a preference between open sites and forested sites, a separation of 44.5% on a DCA. The Simpson diversity places the short-leaf pine savanna significantly lower than adjacent forest, (df-3, F=3.56, p-value=0.029; Figure 1.5). Stenamma Westwood, 1839 is a cryptic genus with a Holarctic clade of 44 species, six of which occur in the southeastern United States. This work is a redescription providing an updated key, with images to those species in the southeast.

Red imported fire ant specimens were first collected in Virginia in 1989 from colonies located in Hampton, Va. Now colonies are established throughout the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. Because the fire ant is a new pest information regarding the distribution, biology, and management of the ant in Virgnia are absent. Therefore studies were conducted to compare the efficacies of four broadcast fire ant control products and an individual mound treatment to control fire ants and to determine the impact of Advion and Top Choice on non-target ant species. Additionally, twenty-six fire ant colonies in Virginia were sampled to determine colony social form and to detect biological control organisms. Lastly, the CLIMEX model was used to predict the potential spread of the fire ant in Virginia. Field trials showed that combination applications of Advion and Top Choice provided the fastest and greatest reduction in foraging three days after treatment and the longest residual control of fire ant colonies for one year. Field tests documenting the impacts of Advion and Top Choice on non-target ants indicate treatments do supress ant foraging but ant populations will rebound 10-12 months after treatment. Laboratory PCR assays revealed that colonies in Virginia are primarily polygyne. Also, Kneallhazia solenopsae, Pseudaction spp. parasitoid decapitating phorid flies, and Solenopsis invicta virues (SINV) genetic materials were detected in fire ant samples. CLIMEX model results indicate that fire ants will be able to spread as far east as the Greater Richmond area and as far north as Alexandria in Virginia. / Master of Science in Life Sciences

The anatomical source of the trail pheromone in the black carpenter ant, <I> Camponotus pennsylvanicus </I>, was investigated by presenting workers with crude or synthetic hindgut extracts to test for attractancy and trail-following behavior. Chemical analysis was used in conjunction with behavioral bioassays to detect and identify volatiles from the rectal sac, poison, and Dufour's glands. The rectal material was also examined to determine levels of total nitrogen and identify metabolites in relation to other solid material present. Under laboratory conditions, foragers demonstrated a significant level of attraction to a combined Dufour's gland, poison gland, and rectal sac extract. No response was observed to synthetic compounds (formic acid and saturated hydrocarbons) from the poison or Dufour's gland. Two volatiles, n-undecane and n-tridecane, were identified from the Dufour's gland. Fatty acids and esters were found to be ubiquitous in the Dufour's and poison glands. Palmitic acid was identified in the poison gland. A compound described as a component of the trail pheromone in <I> Camponotus atriceps </I> (3,4-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-pyran-4-one) was identified in the rectum, but was not verified behaviorally as being part of the trail pheromone for <I> C. pennsylvanicus </I>. Trail following was not elicited from any of the rectal sac extracts. Dry weight analysis determined that the rectal material was only 14% solid material and total nitrogen levels were estimated at 19.2 ± 2 ug/mg of ant feces. Most of the components contributing to the total nitrogen excreted were left unidentified, but ammonia (2.7 ± 1.2 ug/mg), two tryptophan intermediates (kynurenic and xanthurenic acid) and one pteridine (biopterin), were identified. / Master of Science