1. Ecological interaction networks, those built from linking interacting species in a biological community, can be structured according to neutral factors, like abundance, or depend on species distribution in space, time, or functional aspects of interacting species. 2. Gall inducers are a specialized guild of herbivores producing a structure serving as shelter, food, and defence against natural enemies. Interactions between galling insects and their parasitoids can become complex; studies analysing processes influencing how these interactions occur are uncommon. 3. We tested for ecological processes predictive of network structure: neutral (abundance), temporal, or morphological coupling factors. 4. We used a single host plant, and six Cecidomyiidae species from subtropical forests of southern Brazil. There were 14 samples across two years; out of 1762 galls, 741 parasitoids emerged (45 species). The network had high specialization (39 exclusive parasitoid species) and low connectance (21%). 5. Gall-parasitoid morphological coupling (gall thickness vs. parasitoid ovipositor length) was the best factor explaining network structure, with little effect for time, or abundances. Modularity was significant, with two modules, one with only Pisphondylia brasiliensis and its parasitoids. This insect induces thick multichambered galls with the lowest parasitism rate, attacked by parasitoids with longer ovipositors. Thinner galls had higher parasitism rates and more attacking parasitoid species, implying an important adaptive role for gall shape/size in natural enemy interactions. 6. Interaction networks are important tools to help understand how ecological function impacts community structure, but higher-scale studies may be needed to reach more encompassing conclusions about galler-parasitoid interactions.

Galls are specific changes induced by insects on plant organs mainly through increases in plant cell number and/or size. Gall diversity is easy to recognize in the field because gallers are mostly species-specific, and thus each gall morphotype can be a proxy for a galling species. Insect galls are virtually unknown in Seasonal Deciduous and Semi-Deciduous forests of southern Brazil. Here, galls and host plants were surveyed between 2015 and 2017 in four forest fragments of Rio Grande do Sul State in these two vegetation types, in secondary-growth and areas under restoration. We recorded 89 gall morphotypes, with gallers belonging to Lepidoptera and Diptera, with the latter represented mainly by Cecidomyiidae. Galls were associated to 46 plant species in 27 families. Asteraceae, Piperaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Lauraceae were the richest families in terms of galls, whilst Piper aduncum and Mikania glomerata were superhosts. Most galls occurred in leaves and shoots. The most common shapes were fusiform, globoid and lenticular. Forty-eight gall morphotype records are new for both Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil, an expressive number considering only two seasonal forest types sampled and few sampling points, showing how important surveys still are for these little know fauna both in taxonomic and ecological terms.

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The male, female, pupa and larva of a new species of Gelechiidae (Lepidoptera), Locharcha opportuna Moreira and Becker, are described and illustrated with the aid of optical and scanning electron microscopy. A preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences including members of related lineages is also provided. The immature stages are associated with galls induced by a species of Palaeomystella Fletcher (Lepidoptera: Momphidae) on Tibouchina sellowiana (Cham.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae), endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest. Larvae are kleptoparasitic, usurping the gall internal space and thereafter feeding on the internal tissues. By determining the variation in population density of both species and following gall development individually throughout ontogeny under field conditions, we demonstrated that the kleptoparasite completes its life cycle inside galls induced by Palaeomystella, where pupation occurs. The variation in seasonal abundance of the kleptoparasite is tied to that of the cecidogenous species, with their corresponding peaks in density occurring sequentially. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:525F6D52-8CE1-47D1-A0D9-78B564DF5565

ABSTRACT Parasitoid ovipositor size importantly affects host choice; those attacking exposed hosts usually have shorter ovipositors compared to those needing drilling deeper through substrates such as plant tissue and gall tissue. Most studies treat this theme at the interspecific level, and the aim of this work was to test for intraspecific variation and phenotypic matching in ovipositor size for Galeopsomyia sp. attacking galls. Galls were sampled from Guapira opposita(Nyctaginaceae), a host plant to five species of Bruggmannia gallers (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) in southern Brazil: Bruggmannia elongata, B. robusta, B. acaudata, and two undescribed species of Bruggmannia (sp. 1 and sp. 2). On forest transects, all galls from the 30 first galled plants found were sampled and kept in sealed plastic bags until parasitoid emergence. A total of 15 samples were done along two years. We measured galler last instar larvae length and gall thickness for each galling species, and ovipositor length for all Galeopsomyia sp. individuals emerging from the galls. There were no differences in larval length among galler species. However, Bruggmannia sp. 1 and sp. 2 galls were significantly thicker than those of B. acaudata, and the latter thicker than both B. elongata and B. robusta galls. Wasp ovipositor size differed significantly between those coming from Bruggmannia sp. 1 and sp. 2 galls relative to all others. Host extended phenotype size is thus fundamental to determine parasitoid size, but in this case host (larval) size does not change among species, although gall thickness was different. Thicker galls were attacked by larger parasitoids with longer ovipositors, denoting phenotypic matching. Thicker galls appear to be selecting larger parasitoid individuals, which in the long run can lead to important evolutionary change as well.

Three new cecidogenous species of Palaeomystella Fletcher (Lepidoptera, Momphidae) from the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest are described. Larvae of P. fernandesi Moreira & Becker, sp. n., P. rosaemariae Moreira & Becker, sp. n. and P. tavaresi Becker & Moreira, sp. n. induce galls, respectively, on Tibouchina sellowiana (Cham.) Cogn., T. asperior (Cham.) Cogn. and T. fissinervia (Schrank & Mart. ex DC.) Cogn. (Melastomataceae). Adults, immature stages and galls are illustrated, and data on life history and a preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences, including related species, are also provided.

A sexualidade é um assunto de grande importância no ambiente escolar e a Educação Sexual é um anseio e um direito dos adolescentes em idade escolar podendo auxiliar na sua formação, tornando-os críticos e conscientes de seus direitos e deveres. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi compreender como os alunos enxergam o tema sexualidade e qual a sua importância. A justificativa desta pesquisa está relacionada com a dificuldade de abordagem da educação sexual no âmbito escolar e a falta de trabalhos que entendam a visão dos alunos sobre o tema. O trabalho teve como público alvo 155 estudantes da rede pública de ensino da cidade de Dom Pedrito- RS. A pesquisa foi qualitativa, explicativa e do tipo levantamento. Para a coleta dos dados foi elaborado um questionário com perguntas abertas e fechadas. Percebeu-se que os alunos pesquisados não compreendem o conceito de sexualidade, relacionando-o com sexo e o gênero de cada indivíduo. Também verificou que os alunos possuem dúvidas sobre o assunto que gostariam que fossem debatidas e reconhecem a importância do tema, muito embora ainda não se sintam 100% a vontade de conversar sobre. Conclui-se que para que toda e qualquer iniciativa de educar sexualmente seja funcional, é necessário entender o que se passa na cabeça do aluno, suas necessidades e seus anseios. Muito embora seja amplamente discutido entre os profissionais da Educação, a sexualidade ainda é terreno desconhecido para os alunos.

O ensino de química nem sempre é vinculado à prática e realidade dos discentes, fato que pode gerar a incompreensão dos conteúdos e desinteresse pela disciplina. Este artigo objetiva analisar o uso da contextualização regional dos livros do Programa Nacional do Livro Didático (PNLD) na disciplina de Química do ensino básico, relacionados ao contexto amazônico. A metodologia consistiu na análise dos livros didáticos do Ensino Médio adotados na rede federal e estadual (1º, 2º e 3º ano) e apresentou uma abordagem quali-quantitativa, descritiva e exploratória. Os resultados obtidos mostram que os livros didáticos apresentam uma contextualização voltada mais para área do sul e sudeste, e uma carência representativa para a contextualização voltada para a região amazônica, principalmente nos livros do segundo ano. Dessa forma, faz-se necessário uma complementação dos conteúdos nas metodologias de ensino objetivando contribuir com essa lacuna. Palavras-chave: Ensino de química; Amazônia; Contextualização.