Biodiversity of anuran endoparasites from a transitional area between the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes in Brazil: new records and remarks

The richness of metazoan endoparasites associated with 25 anuran species from a transitional area between Cerrado and Atlantic Rain Forest from Brazil is here presented. We present and discuss the type-host and localities, the current taxonomic status, remarks on morphological features, biological cycle, and new records of these parasites. Nine hundred and seventy-eight anurans of four families (Bufonidae, Hylidae, Microhylidae, and Leptodactylidae) were collected during four expeditions in a private forested area from Northwest of São Paulo state. The richness of metazoan parasites was composed of nematodes (21), acanthocephalans (2), digeneans (18), monogeneans (1), cestodes (1), and oligochaetes (1), resulting in 44 taxa that are presented with their respective prevalence and the range of abundance in host populations. Among these parasites, nine were found in immature stages which usually complete their life cycle in fishes, snakes, birds or mammals, attesting the trophic relation of amphibians and their parasites within the regional vertebrate community. We reported 23 anuran species as new hosts resulting in 79 new associations between anurans and parasites. Gorgoderina diaster and Bursotrema tetracotyloides are reported for the first time in Brazil, and our finding of Clinostomum cf. complanatum represents the first in South American anurans.

A review of leaf-miner tephritid flies (Diptera, Tephritidae) of the south-eastern part of West Siberia, Russia

Eleven leaf-miner tephritid fly species from 7 genera are reviewed for four regions in the south-eastern part of West Siberia, Russia, namely Tomskaya and Kemerovskaya Oblasts, Altaiskii Krai, and Republics of Altai and Khakassia. The share of leaf-miner species in the tephritid fly fauna of the region is 10.2%. Cornutrypeta svetlanae Richter & Shcherbakov, 2000, recorded from four regions, is the most numerous and widely distributed species preferring forest belt in the mountains of Kuznetskii Alatau (Kemerovskaya Oblast and Khakassia), North Altai (Republic of Altai) and West Altai (Altaiskii Krai). Two species are registered in only one region, namely Cornutrypeta spinifrons (Schroeder, 1913) in the forest belt of the Kuznetskii Alatau mountains (Kemerovskaya Oblast) and Hemilea dimidiata (Costa, 1844) in the forest meadows of Tomskaya Oblast. The rarest species in the region are Cornutrypeta spinifrons (Schroeder, 1913) and Trypeta zoe Meigen, 1826 known by single or several specimens only. Comments on the distribution and trophic relation of all the species are provided.

Occurrence of Polyprion americanus under floating objects in western Mediterranean oceanic waters, inference from stomach contents analysis

Catches of 11 juvenile specimens of Polyprion americanus (Osteichthyes: Polyprionidae) are reported under fish aggregation devices (FADs) in waters off Mallorca (western Mediterranean). Sampling was carried out fortnightly by surrounding artificial FADs with a purse seine from April 1995 till February 1997. Juveniles were present from June–August. Specimens were mostly solitary during the period of association to the FADs, with a length interval of 25.8 and 34.2 cm total length. The trophic spectrum was analysed to explain a possible food link with the FAD. The diet of Polyprion was mainly based on juvenile fish Trachurus and the eunestonic isopod Idotea metallica that were associated with the objects providing evidence for a trophic relation to the artificial structures.