Action Research on Land Management in the Western Amazon, Peru – A Research Process, Its Outcomes and the Researcher’s Role

The article explores the action research process throughout a land management research project, with the ambition to reflect upon action research as a working approach. It is shown how this process is experienced from a researcher’s point of view and it critically analyses its methodology and process, outcome and the role of the action researcher.The learning environment known to farmers and framed by local institutions and practical experimentation, embedded in the local worldview, constituted a necessary starting point for achieving motivation and practical outcomes. Tight feedback loops between practice and reflection enabled joint learning and innovation and rapid implementation of measures suggested by the farmers. The approach could be particularly useful for local NGOs and local universities.     

Asynchronous reproduction in three species of crocodilians in south-eastern Amazonia

We studied reproduction of three species of crocodilians, Paleosuchus trigonatus, Caiman crocodilus and Melanosuchus niger, in the Xingu River, near the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam. The periods of laying and hatching of eggs were estimated for each nest before (2013–2014) and after (2016–2017) the river was dammed and the reservoir was formed. Nesting of the three species occurred between August and December, but was largely asynchronous; nest construction peaked in September for P. trigonatus, October for M. niger and November for C. crocodilus. Reservoir filling had little effect on the laying period of any of the species. Nests of P. trigonatus and M. niger were always within 0–12 m of the bank, whereas nests of C. crocodilus, which nests later in the season when flooding is more likely, were up to 100 m from the nearest water body. There was no relationship between distance from water and the number of eggs in nests, suggesting that larger and presumably more experienced females do not lay at different distances from the bank in any of the species.     

The tortoise caterpillar: carnivory and armoured larval morphology of the metalmark butterfly Pachythone xanthe (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae)

ABSTRACT

The natural history and morphology of the later instars and pupa of the metalmark butterfly Pachythone xanthe H. Bates are described and illustrated for the first time. The caterpillars are myrmecophilous and carnivorous, feeding on scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) tended by Azteca cf. chartifex Forel (Formicidae: Dolichoderinae) ants and appear to be physically shielded from potential ant attacks by a carapace-like body that protects the head and appendages. In addition, the larvae present several types of specialised setae and ant-organs such as perforated cupola organs, glandular openings and functional tentacle nectary organs that may be related to appeasement of aggressive ant behaviour. Our results reveal the first detailed life cycle data for the Pachythonina subtribe and record a new independent origin of carnivory in Riodinidae.     

Biting midges (Ceratopogonidae: Diptera) present in aquatic macrophytes from wetlands of Marchantaria Island,Iranduba, Central Amazonia,Brazil

Ceratopogonidae (Diptera) are easily found in both aquatic and semi-aquatic sites under various environmental conditions, where their immature stages develop in areas of nutrient richness. Material was collected from six wetland areas in Ilha da Marchantaria, Iranduba, Amazonas, between July and October 2010 and February and June 2011 throughout the Amazon River’s cycle (receding and flooding stages), in aquatic macrophytes Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes and Salvinia auriculata. The collections produced 431 immature individuals: 191 (44.3%) in E. crassipes, 125 (29%) in P. stratiotes and 115 (26.7%) in S. auriculata. After development in the laboratory 16 species were identified belonging to the following genera: Alluaudomyia Kieffer, Bezzia Kieffer, Dasyhelea Kieffer, Forcipomyia Meigen, Heteromyia Say, Neobezzia Wirth and Ratanaworabhan, Palpomyia Meigen, Paryphoconus Enderlein and Stilobezzia Kieffer. Aquatic macrophytes are excellent substrates for immature Ceratopogonidae, which are important because of their value to the balance of biodiversity in ceratofauna in wetlands.     

Microhabitat use and intraspecific associations in the whip spider Heterophrynus longicornis (Arachnida: Amblypygi) in forest fragments formed by the Tucuruí Dam lake,Pará, Brazil

The effect of forest fragmentation on the abundance of the whip spiders Heterophrynus longicornis (Butler 1973) in land-bridge island fragments created by the lake formed by Tucuruí Dam, Pará, Brazil, was investigated. These fragments have been isolated for at least 23 years, on small islands that range in size from 12.9 to 91.3 ha. The abundance of whip spiders was calculated in 100 m transects on eight islands, both in the edge and in the interior of the islands. There were no differences in whip spider abundance between the edge or interior of islands, but the whip spiders strongly preferred areas with greater numbers of trees, trees with a DBH between 10 to 50 cm, and trees with termite nests. Over 31% of the whip spiders were found in association with other individuals on the same tree. Individuals were found in mother–offspring associations, mating pairs, and in mixed-age sex groups.     

A new nurse frog from Southwestern Amazonian highlands,with notes on the phylogenetic affinities of Allobates alessandroi (Aromobatidae)

ABSTRACT

Few studies have focused on the diverse fauna of southwestern Brazilian Amazonia. This region, spared from large-scale human occupation until the second half of the twentieth century, has been threatened by expanding agriculture, logging, and mining. Here, we describe a new nurse frog (Allobates, Aromobatidae) from the open highland habitats of Serra dos Pacaás Novos, one of the few large remnants of relatively intact native vegetation in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. The new species is diagnosed by its metallic orange dorsal colouration, weakly expanded discs on hands, and presence of two subarticular tubercles on Finger IV. A phylogenetic analysis based on DNA sequence data recovered the new species as more closely related to nurse frogs from the Madeira and Tapajós River basins; this pattern may reflect a history of dispersal uphill from a lowland ancestor. Our results also indicate that the generic assignment of Allobates alessandroi (Grant and Rodriguez, 2001), a high-elevation species from the Andes of Peru, needs to be reassessed; we discuss the phylogenetic affinities of this species based on morphological attributes.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:79131D82-B1B6-455D-AD9A-676D7E0783BC     

Revision of Zaphanta Dyar, 1910 (Lepidoptera: Mimallonidae: Zaphantinae), with descriptions of nine new species

ABSTRACT

A genus of small, yellow mimallonid moths, Zaphanta Dyar, is revised. This genus has been shown to be sister to the remainder of Mimallonidae, and therefore has been placed in its own monogeneric subfamily, Zaphantinae St Laurent and Kawahara. Long considered monotypic or bitypic, Zaphanta have not been the focus of any systematic treatment. The moths belonging to this genus are found throughout Central and South America, and detailed examination of several disparate, as well as sympatric, populations of Zaphanta have revealed numerous undescribed species all of similar appearance, but with distinct male genitalia, which we describe here. We redescribe Z. infantilis Dyar and Z. fraterna Schaus, and describe the females of both for the first time. An additional nine new species are described and figured from the Amazon, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest: Z. acuta sp. nov., Z. anas sp. nov., Z. bahiana sp. nov., Z. beckeri sp. nov., Z. elephanta sp. nov., Z. elephanticula sp. nov., Z. machaera sp. nov., Z. rawlinsi sp. nov. and Z. stiletto sp. nov. One of these, Z. beckeri, may be extremely imperilled due to deforestation.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B45DDB85-977F-42EF-9F2F-DB48827E521Ehttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C6F7DBF4-4871-403D-A387-DD920BA76D8Bhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C4C8DAAF-8C60-4C16-A626-3641EA3817FBhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6A57E1CC-D3E5-4E45-8C82-7006295ADF1Fhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:03241157-1925-4EF6-B426-A8E816C7E457http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A00749E5-888C-45FB-8FAA-0302A402496Fhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:89132977-91DC-4424-9C0E-98A954E467CAhttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:11AA3541-C7A4-4292-A5CA-10B89C5FAD2Chttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A5FA3ED1-5994-46B4-B018-1FA055C76496http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F1C63621-EF30-40B1-B437-87A79BD7E339     

淡水豚的现状与保护对策

研究表明约在公元2～3 千万年海水渐渐退出大陆架前缘,淡水豚率先在旧大陆河流中定居.这些河流,在雨季周期作用下,依托纵横交错的支流和星罗棋布的湖泊,将各种营养元素和无数个生命输送到陆地每个角落,大河流域成为迄今世界上生物多样性最为丰富的地方,也是人类文明的福址.由于人类经济活动日益扩张,拓荒建坝,任意改变河流自然属性,使河流生境严重退化,淡水豚数量急剧下降.因此,重建江湖联系,恢复渔业资源,建立自然保护区是保护淡水豚主要措施之一.     

Alipumilio (Diptera: Syrphidae) fly association with Burseraceae tree resins in the eastern Brazilian Amazon

Numerous fly (Diptera) larvae develop in plant saps or rotting exudates, but few have adapted to resin flows of trees. Among these are some primitive syrphid genera (Syrphidae), Cheilosia in the temperate region and Alipumilio in the neotropics. A recent study of resin harvest in the eastern Brazilian Amazon has revealed a potentially new species of Alipumilio that develops in resin lumps on some species of Burseraceae trees. These resin flows are primarily stimulated by larvae of a bark-boring Sternocoelus weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). This fly larva's morphology, movement in the resin and unsuccessful rearing apart from fresh resin indicate it may be consuming microbial spores or sap materials coming out of tree wounds. While Sternocoelus weevils are found in resin lumps in a range of Protium and other Burseraceae species in the region, Alipumilio larvae were only found in the resin of some of these species. The study speculates that some trees do not support Alipumilio because their resin's chemical properties are inhospitable to these larvae or inhibit the micro-organisms that they feed on.