Absence of Anastrepha grandis (Macquart, 1846) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in the coastal plain of Piauí, Brazil

The South American cucurbit fruit fly,Anastrepha grandis(Macquart) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an economically important pest of cucurbits and is classified as a quarantine species in many countries. In Brazil,A. grandishas a limited distribution; it is absent from northern and northeastern Brazil and distributed discontinuously in other parts of the country. To indirectly evaluate the influence of climatic and edaphic variables on the occurrence ofA. grandis, we used data based on 4 years of cucurbit fruit collections from all mesoregions of the state of São Paulo. Our results show evidence thatA. grandisis constrained by a minimum air temperature above 12 °C, low (<20 °C) and high (>29 °C) maximum air temperature, and by low rainfall and relative humidity, occurring at altitudes from 520 to 780 m. More importantly,A. grandiswas not collected in central to western São Paulo, where sandy soil and low soil water availability predominate and the climate is hot and dry. Our findings suggest that soil texture and moisture may be limiting factors for pupal survivorship ofA. grandis, and consequently edaphic characteristics should be taken into account in studies on its geographical distribution. Based on our results, central to western São Paulo state can potentially be classified as an area of low pest prevalence. Moreover, in countries where cucurbit species are cultivated in such conditions, it is not likely thatA. grandiscould become established.

This study was carried out in the Counties of Montenegro and Pareci Novo located in the region of the Vale do Rio Cai, Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil, aiming to determine the fruit fly species of Tephritidae and Lonchaeidae that occur in organic orchards of sweet orange [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] cultivar Céu, and Murcott tangor (Citrus reticulata Blanco x C. sinensis), during the fruit ripening stages in 2003 and 2004. Eight McPhail traps baited with integral grape juice diluted to 25% were installed in four orchards, two in each citrus species. The traps were checked weekly, when the baits were changed, the flies separated and preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol. Fruits were also sampled from the orchards, placed in containers with damp soil and closed with a mesh. The tephritid flies represented 86.2% of all captured flies in the four orchards during both years. Five Tephritidae species were captured from traps: Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann), Anastrepha grandis (Macquart), Anastrepha pseudoparallela (Loew), Anastrepha dissimilis Stone and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann). The captured species of Lonchaeidae were: Neosilba zadolicha McAlpine & Steyskal, Neosilba n.sp.3, Neosilba sp. and Lonchaea sp. Anastrepha fraterculus was found in 99% of the fruit samples, both in 'Céu' orange and 'Murcott' tangor, and Neosilba n.sp.3 were only obtained from 'Murcott' tangor fruits.

The many industries and research fields have demands for small scale optical systems. To satisfy the demands, many studies are conducted and the miniaturization technologies have been developed. The optical lens is directly related to the optical systems and a key component for the miniaturization. So the aspheric surface which can replace multispherical lenses is applied to the optical lens. And fabrication methods to reduce the diameter of the lens have been developed. The glass molding pressing (GMP) process is an attractive method to fabricate aspheric lens among the lens manufacturing processes. Because the GMP process has advantages of productivity, repeatability and so on. In this study, a 3 mm diameter aspheric plano-convex lens was fabricated using the GMP process. The GMP process was divided into heating, pressing, annealing and cooling. And the process was conducted using a commercial glass molding machine. Mold tools consist of an upper and a lower mold insert, an inner and an outer guide. The aspheric and the flat surfaces of the mold inserts were coated with ta-C to prevent the sticking of the glass to the mold. The surfaces of molded lens were measured by white interferometry and surface profilometer. The height and the diameter were measured using optical microscopy. As results, the aspheric surface of the lens was 5.1187 nm in Ra and 0.242 um in Pt. And the flat surface was 2.6697 nm in Ra and 0.13 um in Pt. The height and the diameter were 1.935 mm and 3.002 mm respectively.

Climate, sea-level, and anthropogenic influences on coastal vegetation of the southern Bahia, Northeastern Brazil, during the mid-late Holocene

RESUMO A ciriguela (Spondias purpurea L.) é um fruto muito apreciado no nordeste brasileiro, o que tem proporcionado crescente interesse para seu cultivo comercial. Assim, esta pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar as características físicas e químicas de frutos de 11 genótipos de cirigueleiras, cultivados no Banco Ativo de Germoplasma do Instituto Agronômico de Pernambuco (IPA), localizado na zona da mata Norte de Pernambuco. Frutos maduros foram avaliados quanto à massa, aos diâmetros longitudinal e transversal, ao pH, aos teores de sólidos solúveis (SS), à acidez titulável (AT), ao ácido ascórbico, aos carboidratos solúveis totais e aos carotenoides totais. Com relação às características físicas, os resultados da massa e dos diâmetros longitudinal e transversal não apresentaram diferença estatisticamente significativa. Quanto às características físico-químicas, os resultados demonstraram que o genótipo IPA-1 exibiu o maior teor de ácido ascórbico (32,88 mg 100g-1 de polpa) e, o genótipo IPA-7, a maior concentração de carotenoides totais, expressa em β-caroteno (22,63 µg g-1 de polpa). Os maiores teores de SS e de AT foram apresentados pelos genótipos IPA-9 e IPA-10, respectivamente. O genótipo IPA-4 apresentou maior relação SS/AT, enquanto o genótipo IPA-6 destacou-se dos demais por maior teor de carboidratos solúveis totais, expressos em glicose (32,78%). Desta forma, pode-se concluir que a variabilidade genética influenciou as características físico-químicas avaliadas.

Meireles, A.J. A, Gorayeb, A, Silva, D.R.F, Lima, G.S, 2013. Socio-environmental impacts of wind farms on the traditional communities of the western coast of Ceará, in the Brazilian NortheastThe global expansion of wind power has resulted from the development of scientific research that aims to establish an energy network which minimizes the emission of pollutants derived from the combustion of fossil fuels. Ceará, in the Brazilian Northeast, has a considerable potential for the generation of environment-friendly power, due to the occurrence of strong winds on many parts of the coast and at higher elevations. Given this, the present study aimed to evaluate the socio-environmental damage caused by the installation of a wind farm on the coastal plain of the municipality of Camocim, on the western coast of the state, and to identify the consequences for the coastal environment and the traditional community of Xavier, which survives primarily on fishing, agriculture, and the extraction of natural resources. The study was based on the recognition and definition of the environmental components of the local landscapes, and the mapping of the community's territory, based on the social cartography approach. The study area is characterized by mangrove ecosystems, dune fields, interdunal lakes, fluvial-lacustrine coastal plains, and a sandy beach. The integration of these different environments underpins the traditional lifestyle of the local community, which is based primarily on the exploitation of natural resources. Given this, the community of Xavier, which is made up of 20 families, was affected directly by the installation and subsequent operation of the local wind farm (one of the largest in the Brazilian Northeast, with 50 wind turbines generating a maximum output of 104.4 MW, and approximately 135 km of transmission lines) through (1) the gratuitous occupation of a significant portion of the community's territory, (2) deforestation of fixed dunes, (3) the suppression of dunes by bulldozing, (4) burying of interdunal lakes, (5) disturbance of the margins of fluvial-lacustrine systems, (6) compaction and impermeabilization of the soil, and (7) artificial retention of mobile dunes. These findings indicate that the licensing of wind farms in the state ignores a set of socio-environmental principles. The results of this analysis indicate the need for a regional blueprint for the development of effective socio-environmental policies for the sustainable exploitation of the coastline of the Brazilian Northeast, and in particular for the definition of the sectors most appropriate for the installation of wind farms, such as the coastal plains, which have been classified as the alternative sites with the best potential, as long as effective licensing measures are implemented.

Aceria guerreronis Keifer is a major coconut pest in the Americas, Africa and some Asian countries, and occurs in high population levels in northeastern Brazil. The determination of the climatic conditions that favorably affect its population growth and the prevalence and abundance of predatory mites can promote more efficient control practices. Our objective was to evaluate the pattern of occurrence and population dynamics of A. guerreronis, their associated predators and other mites during a 2year period in a hybrid coconut plantation in the municipality of Una, state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. Monthly samples of fruits were taken from June 2008 to May 2010 for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of mites. Aceria guerreronis represented 99.9% of the mites. An average density of 1,117 mites per fruit and a maximum of 23,596 mites per fruit indicated that the level of infestation can be high in Bahia. Bdella ueckermanni Hernandes, Daud and Feres was the most abundant and frequent predator. Population increase of A. guerreronis was directly related to the temperature rise and inversely related to both the increase of air relative humidity and rainfall. The highest population densities occurred from November to March. The largest A. guerreronis populations occurred in fruits with 32 and 48% of damaged surface. The relationship between prevailing wind direction and incidence of A. guerreronis could not be corroborated or refuted.

The sap beetles of the genus Nitops (Nitidulidae, Coleoptera) are often found in flowers of columnar cacti like Pilosocereus (Cactaceae). Little is known about the conditions in which these infestations occur and their effects on cacti. The first record of the genus Nitops in northeastern Brazil is presented and different aspects of the ecological interaction between the beetle and columnar cacti of the region are analysed. Quantitative analyses of infestations were performed on 141 samples of flowers, fruits and flower buds collected in the field. A single species of sap beetle, Nitops aff. pilosocerei, was observed in 33% of the flowers (fruits and flower buds did not present infestation). The number of beetles per flower varied from 1 to 126 (average: 12.9 beetles/flower). The male to female ratio was approximately 1:1. Several beetles were found with pollen attached to their exoskeleton. The number of beetles per flower reported is up to 3–4 times greater than other records in the literature. The ecological interaction between beetle and plant is discussed.

ABSTRACT: This research evaluated the effects of the irrigation on growth and productivity of irrigated cassava in the Coastal Plateaus of Alagoas. The planting was done in randomized blocks, with six treatments and four replications. The treatments were irrigation levels in function of crop evapotranspiration - ETC (L0 = 0% (rainfed), L1 = 40%, L2 = 80%, L3 = 120%, L4 = 160% and L5 = 200% of ETC). The total water applied was defined as the total irrigation plus the effective rain. The annual evapotranspiration of the cassava plantations in the Costal Plateaus of Alagoas, was 1,030 mm. Plant growth increased significantly with irrigation and the maximum values of the following variables are: leaf area index = 7.6, length of commercial roots = 49 cm, maximum productivity (physical and economic) of commercial roots = 94 Mg ha-1 and total biomass = 149 Mg ha-1 and the harvest index = 0.66, all obtained with total irrigation depths (effective rain plus irrigation) between 817 and 963 mm. Finally, it is ratified that understanding the growth, the agricultural and economically viable productivity of irrigated cassava, is an indispensable factor for good management of the crop, especially in regions with irregular rainfall such as the Northeast of Brazil.

Projections of the impacts of modern Relative Sea Level (RSL) rise on estuarine mangroves should be supported by coastal topographic data and records of mangrove dynamics under past RSL change. This work identified inland and seaward mangrove migrations along the Jucuruçu River (Bahia, Northeastern Brazil), during the Holocene based on sedimentary features, palynological and geochemical (δ13C, δ15N, C/N) data integrated with digital elevation models. During the Middle Holocene, in response to RSL rise, the estuary saw mangrove forest establish up to ~37 km inland. RSL stood between ‐1.4 (+0.36/‐2.2 m) and +1 (2.19/0.2 m) around 7400 cal yr BP, and rose to a highest position of +3.25 (4.22/2.45 m) reached around 5350 cal yr BP. That marine incursion caused the inland replacement of freshwater vegetation by mangroves on tidal flats. Since then, the estuary experienced RSL fall, reducing inland tidal water salinity towards the Late Holocene, making that the mangroves were replaced by freshwater floodplain vegetation. Today, in the seaward part of the estuary near its mouth, mangroves occupy an area of ~10 km2 along tidal channels. Considering a RSL rise of 98 cm up to the end of the 21st century, at a rate significantly higher than that of Middle Holocene RSL rise (1.5 mm/yr) and fall (0.6 mm/yr), the current mangrove substrates are expected to drown and/or eroded near the coast, while new mangroves may establish inland, at topographically higher tidal flats in nowadays freshwater‐tidal zones. Mangrove area could expand over 13 km2 of coastal and flood plain. Following the same interaction between RSL/climate changes and Holocene mangrove dynamics, such upstream mangrove migration may be attenuated or intensified by changes in fluvial discharge. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Martins, K.A. and Pereira, P.S., 2014. Coastal erosion at Pau Amarelo Beach, northeast of Brazil. This article concerns the erosion at Pau Amarelo Beach in Pernambuco, Brazil. The maintenance of this beach is important for tourists and the community and is significant for the local economy. Pau Amarelo is a highly urbanized area with poor coastal plain. The coast is characterized by the presence of lined reefs running along the shore. In order to understand the causes of the erosion at this site, coastline variation, the displacement of urban areas and wave characteristics were analyzed. It is believed that both the human incursions on the backshore and the intensification of longshore currents in some parts of the coast, caused by wave diffraction at the reefs, contribute to the beach erosion. The breakwaters built south of Pau Amarelo are also believed to decrease sediment transport by blocking the drift current. Beach nourishment is suggested as the most suitable solution to the erosion at Pau...

QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION OF BITTER ACIDS, XANTHOHUMOL AND ESSENTIAL OILS PRESENT IN FLOWERS OF DIFFERENT CULTIVARS OF Humulus lupulus L. GROWN IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL. Hop flowers contain chemical substances that are used to confer sensory properties to beer. Hop flower products have very high commercial value, but national production represents less than 2% of domestic consumption. In this work, flowers from different hop cultivars grown in northeast of Brazil (Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará) were analyzed to quantitate metabolites of industrial interest. Flowers from the initial and three consecutive harvests were collected, and bitter acids and xanthohumol were evaluated by HPLC-UV and essential oils by GC-MS. The cultivar Columbus was subjected to only 10% of the irrigation time during the third flowering phase to evaluate the effect of water stress on the formation of metabolites. Compounds were detected in appreciable quantities in all samples, and consecutive flowering of some cultivars showed a significant increase in total bitter acids with successive harvests. Plants subjected to water stress showed an abrupt decrease in the concentration of compounds. The cultivars evaluated by liquid and gas chromatography showed a significant concentration of bitter acids and essential oils within the expected range, and the chemical composition of the oils showed different compounds characteristic of hops.

Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) are important pests that affect the fruit-growing worldwide. In the northeastern Brazil, where a semiarid climate predominates and the production of tropical fruits for export is concentrated, some fruit flies, including Anastrepha spp. and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), are considered pests due to economic damage and quarantine restrictions. In several parts of the world, fruit fly population regulation is carried out with the support of hymenopteran parasitoids. In Brazil, some information exists about larval parasitoids of fruit flies, but little is known about pupal parasitoids of these tephritids, especially in Brazilian semiarid environments. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to know the pupal parasitoids associated with C. capitata in a semiarid environment in Brazil. The parasitoid survey was carried out in a semiarid region in the states of Rio do Norte and Ceará. To obtain the parasitoids, pupae (sentinels) of C. capitata from the laboratory, Applied Entomology Laboratory of Universidade Federal Rural do Semi-Árido, were exposed to natural parasitism in the field. Six parasitoid (Hymenoptera) species were obtained: Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae (Rondani), Spalangia simplex Perkins, Spalangia gemina Boucek, Spalangia leiopleura Gibson, and Spalangia impunctata Howard (Pteromalidae); Trichopria anastrephae Lima (Diapriidae). These are the first records of pupal parasitoids associated with the fruit fly C. capitata in Brazil.

A new spiny species of Solanum L., member of the Gardneri clade, is described from northeastern Brazil. Solanum fernandesii is found in open disturbed areas of coastal plains (tabuleiros) in the caatinga biome of the states of Alagoas, Bahia, and Ceará, from sea level to 900 m of altitude. It is morphologically similar to S. agrarium Sendtn., a neotropical species known from hot and dry areas of Colombia, Venezuela, the Caribbean, and central-eastern Brazil. The two species differ mainly in their habit, blade margins, shape of the calyx in fruit, and seeds. The new species is here described and illustrated. According to IUCN, Solanum fernandesii should be regarded as Least Concern (LC).

The Conde municipality is located in the northern coast of the state of Bahia (NC), northeastern Brazil, and is part of the Atlantic Tropical domain. The anuran fauna of the northern portion of the NC is still poorly known if compared to the southern portion. The Restinga is one of the predominant environments of the coastal plains of the NC and it is characterized essentially by presenting sandy soil covered by herbaceous and shrubby vegetation. The objective of this study was to determine the anuran species composition and diversity for the Restinga of the Conde municipality. Sampling was carried out at night by active search over four periods of five consecutive days each, two over the 'main rainy season' and two in a 'lesser rainy season', using 14 sample units (SUs) and five extra sample plots (EPs). We calculated dominance and species diversity using the Berger-Parker and Shannon-Wiener H' indices, respectively. We used accumulation curves and the Jackknife 1 estimator to estimate anuran species richness, considering only the data obtained from the SUs. We recorded 713 anuran specimens distributed within 33 species, 13 genera and five families (Bufonidae, Craugastoridae, Hylidae, Leptodactylidae and Microhylidae). The Hylidae and Leptodactylidae families had the highest species richness. Considering only the SUs (Jackknife 1 estimator in brackets), we recorded 28 species in the study area (33.9 ± 2.3), 13 in Shrubby Vegetation Zones - SVZ (20.8 ± 2.9) and 25 in Freshwater Wetland Zones - FWZ (28.9 ± 1.9). The abundance and species diversity of the FWZ (n = 638 specimens; H'= 2.4) were higher than those recorded for the SVZ (n = 52 specimens; H' = 1.9). The SVZ and FWZ showed distinct dominant species, wherein Pristimantis paulodutrai was the dominant species in SVZ and Scinax fuscomarginatus in FWZ. The Restinga of the Conde municipality stands out as the one with the highest anuran species richness already recorded considering only SVZ and FWZ. Moreover, its anuran species composition represented 55% of the anuran species known for the NC and included taxa common to three different morphoclimatic domains (Tropical Atlantic, Cerrado and Caatinga).