In Brazil, a severe dry season lasting for approximately 5 months and frequent fires make life difficult for cerrado insects. In certain aspects, the cerrado can be considered to be an understudied ecosystem; even basic information such as knowledge about the annual peak in abundance of different insect orders is unknown. Insect abundance patterns have only been investigated for a few groups in the cerrado region. Thus, our study concerns the temporal distribution of insect abundance in the savanna‐like vegetation of the central Brazilian cerrado (sensu stricto) in Distrito Federal. The region has a well‐defined, long dry season between May and September. The insects were sampled by window, malaise tent and pitfall traps within 1 year. We used a multiple linear regression to analyse the relationship between abundance of insects of each order and climate variables. A total of 50 127 individuals from 15 orders was collected. The orders were Coleoptera (26%), Hymenoptera (23%), Diptera (20.5%), Isoptera (20%), Homoptera (4%), Lepidoptera (4%), Orthoptera (1.5%) and Hemiptera (1%). The abundance of Diptera, Homoptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera was randomly distributed over time, Isoptera peaked in the first half of the wet season, Coleoptera and Hemiptera in the second half of the wet season and Hymenoptera in each season. A significant correlation was found only between Coleoptera and delayed climatic variables. There were no obvious trends that might help explain the abundance patterns observed. The study provides baseline information about phenological patterns of insect abundance and permits evaluation of this group as a resource for various food chains and different trophic levels.

The Cerrado biome contains a rich mammal community, with an influence from the Amazonian and Atlantic rainforests, principally observed in the gallery forests. In this paper, through literature review, it is shown that the non-volant mammal community of the gallery forests is distinct from the mammal communities of any other physionomy of the Cerrado. Additionally, the gallery forests contain twice as many species common to the rainforests when compared to all the other physiognomies of the Cerrado combined. The gallery forests appear to provide habitat within the Cerrado for rainforest mammals, increasing the biodiversity of this biome. As such, gallery forests may function as dispersion corridors for these species.Key words: cerrado, dispersion corridors, gallery forests, mammals. RESUMO O papel das matas de galeria na distribuição dos mamíferos do cerradoO bioma dos cerrados contém uma rica comunidade de mamíferos, com influência das matas Amazônica e Atlântica, principalmente observada nas matas de galeria. Neste trabalho, por revisão da literatura, foi demonstrado que a comunidade de mamíferos não voadores das matas de galeria no cerrado é distinta das comunidades de mamíferos de qualquer outro tipo de fisionomia do cerrado. Além disso, as matas de galeria contêm duas vezes mais espécies comuns às matas úmidas que às outras fisionomias do cerrado (sensu latu) reunidas. As matas de galeria parecem fornecer hábitat dentro do cerrado (sensu latu) para mamíferos das matas úmidas, aumentando a biodiversidade deste bioma. Assim, as matas de galeria podem funcionar como corredores de dispersão para estas espécies.Palavras-chave: cerrado, corredores de dispersão, mamíferos, matas de galeria.

ABSTRACT. Composition and characterization of the mammal fauna of Emas National Park, Goilis, Brasil. Emas National Park is a very important Conservation Unit in the Cerrado Biome. Nevertheless the fauna of this region is still poorly known. In this study, a revised list of the mammal fauna of the Emas National Park with comments about the composition and the number of species surveyed is presented. Eighty six species of mammals were recorded in the Park and neighboring area, including several rare and threatened species, like the bush dog (Speothos venaticus (Lund , 1842)), Marsh deer (Blastocerus dichotonws (Illiger, 1815)) and others. The giant rat (Kunsia tomentosus (Lichtenstein, 1830)) was recorded for the first time in a conservation unit. On the other hand, species usually very common in the Cerrado biome, don't occur in Emas National Park: the brazi lian rabbit (Sylvilagus brasiliensis (Linnaeus, 1758)), marmosets (Callirhrix spp.), and the punare (Thrichomys apereoides (Lund, 184 I)). KEY WORDS . Cerrado, conservation, mammalian survey o Cerrado, segundo maior bioma sul-americano, abrange mais de dois milhoes de quil6metros quadrados e possui uma rica fauna de mamfferos composta por 190 especies (MARINHO-FILHO et aI. , no prelo). Ao longo dos ultimos 50 an os o Cerrado vern sendo gradativamente substitufdo por areas de pastagem e lavoura (NEPSTAD et al. 1997) e hoje 35% da area total do Bioma ja esta ocupado por atividades agrfcolas (MACEDO 1995). Atualmente men os de 1 % do Cerrado esta preservado em unidades de conservayao federais de uso indireto (PADUA 1996; 1) Associaifao Pra-Carnivoros. SON 412 K 305, Distrito Federal.

ABSTRACT. Streblid batnies (Diptera, Streblidae) on phyllostomid bats from caves in Distrito Federal Brazil. Asurvey of streblid batflies on phyllostomid bats was carried out frol11 caves in Distrito Federal, Brazil during 1997 and 1998. Thirteen species were found on eight species of bats. Two species of batllies, Trichobius IOllchophyllae Wenzel, 1966 and T propinquus Wenzel, 1976, are new records for Brazil.

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In ecological communities, interactions between consumers and resources lead to the emergence of ecological networks and a fundamental problem to solve is to understand which factors shape network structure. Empirical and theoretical studies on ecological networks suggest predator body size is a key factor structuring patterns of interaction. Because larger predators consume a wider resource range, including the prey consumed by smaller predators, we hypothesized that variation in body size favors the rise of nestedness. In contrast, if resource consumption requires specific adaptations, predators are expected to consume distinct sets of resources, thus favouring modularity. We investigate these predictions by characterising the trophic network of a species-rich Amazonian snake community (62 species). Our results revealed an intricate network pattern resulting from larger species feeding on higher diversity of prey, promoting nestedness, and specific lifestyles feeding on distinct resources, promoting modularity. Species removal simulations indicated that the nested structure is favored mainly by the presence of five species of the family Boidae, which because of their body size and generalist lifestyles connect modules in the network. Our study highlights the particular ways traits affect the structure of interactions among consumers and resources at the community level.