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The taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled and controversial since its initial description in 1792. Since that time it has been referred to by various names including Canis dingo, Canis lupus dingo, Canis familiaris and Canis familiaris dingo. Of these names C. l. dingo and C. f. dingo have been most often used, but it has recently been proposed that the Australian Dingo should be once again recognized as a full species-Canis dingo. There is an urgent need to address the instability of the names referring to the Dingo because of the consequences for management and policy. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the morphological, genetic, ecological and biological data to determine the taxonomic relationships of the Dingo with the aim of confirming the correct scientific name. The recent proposal for Canis dingo as the most appropriate name is not sustainable under zoological nomenclature protocols nor based on the genetic and morphological evidence. Instead we proffer the name C. familiaris for all free-ranging dogs, regardless of breed and location throughout the world, including the Australian Dingo. The suggested nomenclature also provides a framework for managing free-ranging dogs including Dingoes, under Australian legislation and policy. The broad principles of nomenclature we discuss here apply to all free-roaming dogs that coexist with their hybrids, including the New Guinea Singing Dog.

The spiders are one of the most important predators that produce the mortality of the plague insects. The spider community was sampled with nets, plant pocketed and pit fall traps on soybean crop and the wild vegetation on the borders (2h manual capture). The samples are done during the crop development (December to mid-May) and, in the fallow period (mid-May to November), in order to know spiders specific composition, to compare specific diversity through Shannon index, and, to analyze the colonization process. Total specific richness was 37 species grouped in 13 families, and the dominant species was Misumenops pallidus (Keyserling) (Thomisidae). The higher diversity was recorded in wild vegetation (H = 2.829, and 25 species), then the herbal stratum of crop showed the highest affinity (H = 2.140, and 28 species), lowest diversity was recorded during the fallow period (H = 1.050, and 12 species). The early species colonizing the crop (December) belong to the families Thomisidae, Anyphaenidae and Oxyopidae, after them Araneidae and Corinnidae were recorded, the late colonizing were the Salticidae species. Thomisidae species were always the most abundant, predominating from February to April. The lowest density of species of spiders was found on December in the border crop, but the distribution, from the border to the center crop, from January to March, did not show any gradient. The occurrence of several species belonging to different guild in all the plots suggests that the spiders are an important limiting effect on insect populations, as soon as the importance of the preservation of natural areas in techniques of biological control.

Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) associated with two degraded forests in the humid Chaco of Corrientes, Argentina. The advancing degradation of the forest in the biogeographic Chaco province (Argentina) produces an important loss of its little known biodiversity. We studied the spider biodiversity in two forests of Corrientes, Argentina's "Distrito Oriental Húmedo del Chaco": Laguna Brava and El Perichón. Seasonal samplings of foliage and fallen leaves between 2001 and 2002 produced 2 067 individuals from 33 families and 226 species/ morphospecies). The families Araneidae, Anyphaenidae, Salticidae and Theridiidae were the most abundant in both forests. The "orb weavers" guild had the highest number of specimens (n=382) and "stalkers" the highest richness (S=56). in Brava, highest abundance was in the summer (n=287) and spring (n=273), in Perichón, it was in winter (n=315). The specific richness and the diversity indexes were higher in

Soybean pest control in Argentina is done just by chemical control using broad-spectrum pesticides. Alpaida veniliae (Araneae, Araneidae) is one of the most abundant spider species of the orb web weaver guild in soybean, and it is considered a very important polyphagous predator, attacking different insects' families. The objective of this study was to determine if neurotoxic insecticides commonly used in soybean crops and a new active ingredient registered in Argentina (spinosad) adversely affected survival, prey consumption, mating behaviour, web building and reproductive capacity of A. veniliae females, under standard laboratory conditions. Spinosad was the most harmful insecticide due to high acute toxicity, even at lower concentrations than those registered for its field use and for its sublethal effects also. Cypermethrin caused several sublethal effects although its acute toxicity on spider was lower than other insecticides. It reduced prey consumption, affected web building, caused abnormalities in eggs sacs and decreased drastically the fecundity and fertility at sublethal concentrations. Endosulfan did not reduce prey consumption but it affected web building, caused abnormalities in eggs sacs and egg masses, and decreased the fecundity and fertility. Spinosad was also the compound with the most drastic effect on web building, it did not reduce prey consumption and fecundity, but fertility was reduced and abnormalities in egg sacs and egg masses were observed. The use of these insecticides in IPM programs according to their potential toxicity on spider communities is discussed.

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Trials during two consecutive soybean cycles were performed in central Santa Fe in order to determine the main spider families present in the crop and to determine the influence of spontaneous margin flora on colonization towards the lot. Samplings were done by sweeping net and pitfall traps. It was concluded that:1. Oxyopidae was the most frequent family in the herbaceous layer of both the margins and the soybean crop, and Lycosidae in the lower layer; 2. Margin strips in a soybean lot contribute to the colonization of the crop by spiders of aerial habits and also promote re-colonization following pesticide applications, since they act as shelters. The influence on spiders of terrestrial habits was somewhat lower; 3. The distribution of the populations of spiders of terrestrial habits was homogeneous in a soybean crop seeded directly and these predators had a greater capacity to control pests at all points of the lot.Keywords: spiders, soybean, colonization. RESUMOAranhas no cultivo da soja no estado de Santa Fé, Argentina e a influência da vegetação espontânea ao redor sobre a colonização da parcelaCom o objetivo de determinar as principais famílias de aranhas presentes em cultivos de soja na zona central de Santa Fé e de determinar a influência da flora espontânea das bordas, na colonização, para o lote, realizaram-se, durante dois ciclos de cultivo de soja, amostragens mediante rede de arraste e armadilhas de queda. Concluiu-se que: 1) a família de aranhas mais freqüente no estrato herbáceo das bordas e do cultivo de soja foi Oxyopidae, enquanto no estrato inferior foi Lycosidae; 2) as faixas marginais do cultivo em um lote de soja contribuem na colonização das aranhas de hábitos aéreos, sendo também promotoras da recolonização posterior às aplicações de pesticidas, ao atuar como zona de refúgio. Uma menor incidência, foi encontrada na colonização das aranhas de hábitos terrestres e sua distribuição populacional foi homogênea em um cultivo de soja de semeadura direta, proporcionando maior capacidade para controlar as pragas em todos os pontos do lote.Palavras-chave: aranhas, soja, colonização.

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