2017-08-25T16:31:15

16.9 km 2 is the main island (Lopes and Ulbrich, 2015), and the remaining area is distributed among 20 smaller islands, of which Rata Island is the largest with 0.8 km 2. The archipelago has suffered major ecological disturbances due to several human interventions. In 1737, fortifications were built, and the archipelago was transformed into a penal colony for almost 200 years. During this period, a large part of the native vegetation was devastated while exotic plants and animals were introduced to serve as food (Teixeira et al., 2003; Serafini et al., 2010). The human population in the archipelago increased significantly in 1942 through military occupation (i.e., World War II). Afterwards, significant changes were observed in the archipelago due to: • Several insecticide applications campaigns (i.e., DDT) for mosquito-control; • Wild animal introductions, such as the Teju lizard (Salvator merianae Duméril & Bibron) and the Mocó cavy (Kerodon rupestris Wied-Neuwied); • Release of birds seized in trade fairs and public markets of Recife (i.e., Saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola (Linnaeus)), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus (Linnaeus)), and the White-bellied seedeater (Sporophila leucoptera (Vieillot));

The identification of factors responsible for the population dynamics is fundamental for pest management, since losses can reach 18% of annual production. Besides regular seasonal environmental factors and crop managements, additional supra-annual meteorological phenomena can also affect population dynamics, although its relevance has been rarely investigated. Among crop pests, Spodoptera stands out due to its worldwide distribution, high degree of polyphagy, thus causing damages in several crops in the world. Aiming to distinguish the relevance of different factors shaping population dynamics of Spodoptera in an ecosystem constituted of dry and rainy seasons, the current study used circular statistics to identify phenological patterns and test if its population fluctuation is driven by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effect, seasonal meteorological parameters, and/or host plant availability. Samplings were done in an intercropping system, in the Brazilian Savanna, during the new moon cycles between July/2013 and June/2016. Species were recorded all year round, but demonstrated differently non-uniform distribution, being concentrated in different seasons of the year. Population fluctuations were mostly affected by the ENSO intensity, despite the contrasting seasonal meteorological variation or host plant availability in a 400-m radius. Studies involving the observation of supra-annual phenomena, although rare, reach similar conclusions in relation to Neotropical insect fauna. Therefore, it is paramount to have long-term sampling studies to obtain a more precise response of the pest populations towards the agroecosystem conditions.

Loopers such as Chrysodeixis includens (Walker), Rachiplusia nu (Guenée), and Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) are important defoliators in soybean, sunflower, and crucifer crops, respectively, in countries of the Americas. The biotic potential of these polyphagous species of Plusiinae was comparatively examined considering crop rotation and succession scenarios in which crucifer crops are cultivated during or after Brazilian winter. All the species developed and reproduced on soybean (BRS 133 Embrapa) and forage turnip (Cati AL 1000, Wolf Seeds do Brasil). The development of C. includens was similar on both host plants. The survival of R. nu was lower on forage turnip than on soybean. In contrast, T. ni performance (survival, fecundity, pupal weight) was better on forage turnip than on soybean. This suggests that in crop rotation and succession scenarios of soybean after brassicacea, C. includens is likely to have a higher number of generations per year and could be potentially more harmful.

Hesperiidae are claimed to be a group of elusive butterflies that need major effort for sampling, thus being frequently omitted from tropical butterfly surveys. As no studies have associated species richness patterns of butterflies with environmental gradients of high altitudes in Brazil, we surveyed Hesperiidae ensembles in Serra do Mar along elevational transects (900-1,800 m above sea level) on three mountains. Transects were sampled 11-12 times on each mountain to evaluate how local species richness is influenced by mountain region, vegetation type, and elevational zones. Patterns were also analyzed for the subfamilies, and after disregarding species that exhibit hilltopping behavior. Species richness was evaluated by the observed richness, Jacknife2 estimator and Chao 1 estimator standardized by sample coverage. Overall, 155 species were collected, but extrapolation algorithms suggest a regional richness of about 220 species. Species richness was far higher in forest than in early successional vegetation or grassland. Richness decreased with elevation, and was higher on Anhangava mountain compared with the two others. Patterns were similar between observed and extrapolated Jacknife2 richness, but vegetation type and mountain richness became altered using sample coverage standardization. Hilltopping species were more easily detected than species that do not show this behavior; however, their inclusion did neither affect estimated richness nor modify the shape of the species accumulation curve. This is the first contribution to systematically study highland butterflies in southern Brazil where all records above 1,200 m are altitudinal extensions of the known geographical ranges of skipper species in the region.

of the Parque Estadual do Chandless and surroundings, Acre, Brazil. Biota Neotrop. 10(4): http://www. biotaneotropica.org.br/v10n4/en/abstract?inventory+bn03210042010.Abstract: Given the absence of Lepidoptera inventories in the State of Acre and its scarcity in the Brazilian Amazon forest, this study aimed to list the species of Hesperioidea and Papilionoidea present in the Parque Estadual do Chandless and surroundings. The access to the region is complicated and it has no infrastructure for scientific research. During 14 days, the butterflies were collected with entomological nets, traps and Ahrenholz's technique in different environments in the park and its surroundings. A total of 482 species were identified, none of them present in red lists of endangered species. It is expected a significantly greater number of species after the addition of new collections in other seasons, as the Jacknife 1 estimate does not reach its asymptote, or as compared to inventories in nearby areas that list nearly 1700 species after a greater sampling effort.

Species turnover across elevational gradients has matured into an important paradigm of community ecology. Here, we tested whether ecological and phylogenetic structure of skipper butterfly assemblages is more strongly structured according to altitude or vegetation type along three elevation gradients of moderate extent in Serra do Mar, Southern Brazil. Skippers were surveyed along three different mountain transects, and data on altitude and vegetation type of every collection site were recorded. NMDS ordination plots were used to assess community turnover and the influence of phylogenetic distance between species on apparent community patterns. Ordinations based on ecological similarity (Bray-Curtis index) were compared to those based on phylogenetic distance measures (MPD and MNTD) derived from a supertree. In the absence of a well-resolved phylogeny, various branch length transformation methods were applied together with four different null models, aiming to assess if results were confounded by low-resolution trees. Species composition as well as phylogenetic community structure of skipper butterflies were more prominently related to vegetation type instead of altitude per se. Phylogenetic distances reflected spatial community patterns less clearly than species composition, but revealed a more distinct fauna of monocot feeders associated with grassland habitats, implying that historical factors have played a fundamental role in shaping species composition across elevation gradients. Phylogenetic structure of community turned out to be a relevant additional tool which was even superior to identify faunal contrasts between forest and grassland habitats related to deep evolutionary splits. Since endemic skippers tend to occur in grassland habitats in the Serra do Mar, inclusion of phylogenetic diversity may also be important for conservation decisions.

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