Abstract.-The aim of this study was to report the colouration patterns of live specimens of two Blenniidae species: Scartichthys gigas and S. viridis, from tide pools in the coastal area of 3 localities of northern Chile. Colouration patterns for S. gigas were: the two-bar front head covered/uncovered and the uniform orange-brown, found in specimens associated to kelps, for juveniles; an intermediate juvenile-adult reticulated bar-stained pattern described for the first time and the reticulated pattern for adults. For S. viridis the dark-light green pattern is described for juveniles and adults. The findings are discussed in terms of colouration patterns previously described for both species, with emphasis on the importance of using colouration patterns to improve species identification, reduce habitat disturbance and specimen removal from the wild.

The brown planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a key challenge to rice production in Asia. Outbreaks of planthoppers are associated with excessive fertilizer applications; consequently, we examined planthopper interactions with susceptible, tolerant and resistant varieties of rice under varying levels of soil nitrogen in a greenhouse experiment. We compared planthopper fitness (survival × reproduction) and plant tolerance (functional plant loss index) for 16 varieties at 0, 80 and 150 Kg added nitrogen ha−1. The planthoppers grew larger, developed more quickly and laid more eggs on susceptible varieties, compared with the resistant and tolerant varieties. Moreover, soil nitrogen generally increased planthopper fitness on resistant varieties, but relative resistance was maintained. Functional plant loss was highest among the susceptible varieties, but weight and growth rate reductions per mg of planthopper were often highest in the tolerant varieties. Tolerance was associated with large, fast-growing plants, with at least moderate resistance to the planthopper. Susceptibility was associated with a small size and/or an absence of resistance genes. Our results suggested that early-tillering rice plants can be both resistant and tolerant to the brown planthopper, but cannot be both susceptible and tolerant of planthoppers at high densities. This indicates that at least moderate resistance is required for tolerance against this herbivore. Furthermore, although dwarf varieties had a low tolerance of planthoppers, they could express resistance through functioning resistance genes.

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A bidimensional (cognitive–emotional) novel survey, the Emotional and Cognitive Scale of the Human–Nature Relationship (ECS-HNR), was designed and validated to measure Ecological Awareness (EAW) and Ecological Affectiveness (EAF) as vital aspects of the human–nature relationship. Data were collected in Chile between July and October 2019 from 474 participants ranging between 6 and 85 years old, using the snowball sampling technique. To examine the properties of the ECS-HNR we analyzed the results in terms of its content validity, reliability, factor structure, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The ECS-HNR comprises 24 items divided into two subscales with three subscales each (EAF: Empathy, Enjoyment, and Connectedness; EAW: Understanding, Appreciation, and Perception). The results demonstrated that the ECS-HNR is a reliable instrument, as items (the two scales and their subscales) exhibited an acceptable internal consistency. Our findings demonstrate that the ECS-HNR allows the integration of both dimensions of the human–nature relationship and is appropriate to evaluate attitudes and feelings toward nature.

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The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment proposed four categories of ecosystem services as regulating, provisioning, supporting and cultural. Of these, cultural services have been the most difficult to quantify despite playing a key role in developing society’s supporting services to ecosystems. By reviewing a series of case studies related to the cultural services derived from raptors, we examine relations between tangible ecosystem services and ‘knowledge’ and ‘beliefs’ as part of supporting services from human societies to ecosystems. We identified types of raptor regulating and provisioning services and patterns in service--knowledge-beliefs that defined positive or negative outcomes for raptor conservation. We also demonstrate how possible interactions between physical, experiential, physical-symbolic and representative-symbolic cultural services and between different stakeholders can create incentives or obstacles for conservation. Predictable patterns in service-knowledge-beliefs provide a framework upon which socio-cultural and ethnobiological aspects of raptor conservation may be combined with ecological research to support conservation initiatives. Based on these patterns we present examples of how cultural services might be employed to better promote raptor conservation while respecting the beliefs and traditions of stakeholders.

Background: Host plant specificity refers to the preference of insects for particular plant species that allow them to complete their life cycle. Moth species of the Geometridae family depend closely on the vegetation composition to complete their life cycles. In northern Chile, the Geometridae species Glena mielkei is the only species described of the genus Glena. So far, this species has only been associated to a single host plan species of the Asteraceae family, Trixis cacalioides. The aim of this study was to determine the suitability of five commonly occurring plant species of Asteraceae as hosts for G. mielkei. Findings: We collected G. mielkei larvae from T. cacalioides plants occurring in the Azapa valley and reared them in the laboratory. We tested host plant suitability by exposing recently lab-reared adults of G. mielkei to the following Asteraceae species: T. cacalioides, Pluchea chingollo, Baccharis salicifolia, Grindelia tarapacana and Tessaria absinthioides. Larvae fed with G. tarapacana died of starvation within four to five days. Larvae fed with B. salicifolia fed partially on the plant but died within the first and third day. Larvae fed with both plant species did not complete their development. Larvae fed with T. cacalioides, P. chingollo and T. absinthioides developed into adult stages, producing viable progeny. Conclusions: We found T. cacalioides, P. chingollo and T. absinthioides to be suitable hosts for G. mielkei. None of the larvae fed on G. tarapacana and B. salicifolia completed their life cycle. We conclude that this narrow range of host plants potentially threatens G. mielkei given the continuous loss of its host plants and feeding sources due to habitat loss and agricultural activities.