Estimating Global Termite Species Richness Using Extrapolation

Cumulative species description curves since 1758 are given for all termites of the world and for each biogeographical region (Australian, Ethiopian, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oriental, Palearctic, and Papuan). A cumulative description curve is also given for world genera. Estimation by maximum likelihood using the Michaelis-Menten model suggests a maximum of 5366 ± 175 species (p < 2.2E-16) and 704 ± 77 genera (p < 4.387E-13). Model fitting was poor for most individual biogeographical regions, with the exception of the Ethiopian region (estimate = 1295 ± 57 species, p < 2.2E-16). World War I and World War II had marked negative impacts on termite description rates. Data from China was treated separately due to the atypical rate of description of new termites in that country during the last two decades of the 20th century

Estimating Global Termite Species Richness Using Extrapolation

Cumulative species description curves since 1758 are given for all termites of the world and for each biogeographical region (Australian, Ethiopian, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oriental, Palearctic, and Papuan). A cumulative description curve is also given for world genera. Estimation by maximum likelihood using the Michaelis-Menten model suggests a maximum of 5366 ± 175 species (p < 2.2E-16) and 704 ± 77 genera (p < 4.387E-13). Model fitting was poor for most individual biogeographical regions, with the exception of the Ethiopian region (estimate = 1295 ± 57 species, p < 2.2E-16). World War I and World War II had marked negative impacts on termite description rates. Data from China was treated separately due to the atypical rate of description of new termites in that country during the last two decades of the 20th century

Phylogeny of the Nasutitermtinae and Revision of the Neotropical Genus Syntermes Holmgren (Isoptera: Termitidae)

The University of Kansas has long historical connections with Central America and the many Central Americans who have earned graduate degrees at KU. This work is part of the Central American Theses and Dissertations collection in KU ScholarWorks and is being made freely available with permission of the author through the efforts of Professor Emeritus Charles Stansifer of the History department and the staff of the Scholarly Communications program at the University of Kansas Libraries’ Center for Digital Scholarship.The Nasutitennitixiae are one of the most diverse subfamilies of termites, with more than 80 genera and 600 known species. Soldiers of most Nasutitermitinae have their heads modified for, chemical defense, with a long frontal tube connected to a reservoir of defensive secretions. These nasute soldiers are capable of squirting noxious substances on enemies and have vestigial mandibles. A group of 13 neotropical genera of Nasutitermitinae, the mandibulate nasutes, have soldiers with functional mandibles and various degrees of development of the frontal tube; they have been considered to represent intermediate stages toward the evolution of the nasute soldier, and would correspond to the basal branches of the Nasutitermitinae. This work investigates the phylogenetic relationships of the mandibulate nasutes. A cladistic analysis based on 35 morphological characters indicates that the traditional phylogenies are incorrect and that the mandibulate nasutes form a monophyletic group in which a long frontal tube evolved independently. The analysis of a fragment of the 16S rRNA gene provides some support for the same conclusion, but with lower resolution. The taxonomy of the genus Syntermes, traditionally considered the most primitive of the Nasutitermitinae, is revised, and 23 species are now recognized. Six species are described as new: S. barbatus, S. cearensis, 5. crassilabrum, S. longiceps, 5, nanus, and 5. tanygnathus; the imagoes of 5. aculeosus, S. chaquimayensis, and S. wheeleri are described for the first time; two species, S. bolivianus and 5. wheeleri, are revalidated; and six new synonyms are proposed: S, hageni (previously treated as a synonym of S. dims) and 5. lighti are junior synonyms of 5. granéis; and S. solidus, S. chaquimayensis parvinasus, 5. emersoni, and 5. robustus are junior synonyms of S. spinosus. A phylogenetic analysis of the species of Syntermes was based on 45 characters indicates that most characters of this genus that have been considered primitive are actually derived. Based on the cladistic analysis of the mandibulate Nasutitermitinae, Cahuallitermes, new genus, is described with two species from tropical North America, C. aduncus, new species, from southern Mexico and C intermedins, new combination, from Belize and Honduras

Revised systematic position of Nasutitermes brevipilus Emerson, 1925 (Isoptera: Termitidae: Nasutitermitinae) and the designation of Hyleotermes gen. nov.

A new monotypic nasute termite genus, Hyleotermes gen. nov., is proposed for Nasutitermes brevipilus Emerson, 1925. Hyleotermes brevipilus, comb. nov., is redescribed and illustrated based on the morphology of the imago, soldier, and worker castes. It is expanded into Amazonia. The soldier of Hyleotermes differs from that of Nasutitermes Dudley, 1890 in that the former has a long and cylindrical nasus and the head capsule lacks long setae and is covered with microscopic setae. Unlike the worker of Nasutitermes, the Hyleotermes worker has a short mixed segment and an enteric valve is adorned with narrow spines on conical bases. The phylogenetic position of H. brevipilus comb nov., is reconstructed based on a dataset with two mitochondrial markers (COI and 16SrRNA) for 36 terminals, under maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. Results corroborate that this species is unrelated to Nasutitermes and should be excluded from the genus.Fil: Cuezzo, Adriana Carolina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Scheffrahn, Rudolf H.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Constantino, Reginaldo. Universidade do Brasília; Brasi

Los efectos de la crisis económica en la brecha salarial

Jornada de promoción y difusión del SIMA dedicada a "Los salarios durante la crisis económica y su incidencia en el ASAC y los sistemas de solución de conflictos". Celebrada el día 16 de noviembre de 2016 y organizada por CCOO

Levantamento da termitofauna (Isoptera) de uma plantação de eucalipto no Brasil central

Os cupins de uma plantação de Eucaliptus urophylla S.T. Blake (Myrtales: Mytaceae) em Buritis, MG, foram amostrados manualmente em 12 transectos. A taxocenose encontrada continha 28 especies pertencentes a Termitidae e Rhinotermitidae. Essa taxocenoce corresponde a um subconjunto da fauna nativa do cerrado anteriormente presente na mesma área. Comparada com a fauna original, ela tem riqueza menor, uma proporção muito menor de humívoros e maior de ceifadores. O exame de 1600 árvores recém-cortadas revelou que apenas três delas (0.2%) apresentavam dano ao cerne causado por Coptotermes sp. Apesar da presença de uma fauna diversa incluindo várias espécies consideradas pragas, os cupins não são considerados um problema significativo nessa região.The termite fauna of a plantation of Eucaliptus urophylla S.T. Blake (Myrtales: Mytaceae) in Buritis, Minas Gerais, was manually sampled in 12 transects. The assemblage contained 28 species belonging to Termitidae and Rhinotermitidae. This assemblage corresponds to a subset of the native fauna of the cerrado previously present in this region. Compared to the original native fauna, it has a lower species richness, a much lower proportion of soil-feeders and a higher proportion of litter-feeders. A total of 1600 recently cut trees were examined and only three (0.2%) had damage to the heartwood caused by Coptotermes sp. Despite the presence of a diverse termite fauna including several putative pest species, termites are not considered a significant problem to eucalypt plantations in this region

Termite Foraging on Plants of a Brazilian Savanna: the Effects of Tree Height

Termites play an important role as ecosystem engineers in many tropical environments, acting as herbivore-detritivore organisms and strongly influencing vegetation structure and composition by modifying soil properties, providing nutrients by recycling the organic matter, and direct feeding on plants, notably in the Cerrado (Savanna) of Brazil. To evaluate the intensity of termite foraging on Cerrado plants, we recorded plants higher than 25 cm, which exhibited termite activity along nine transects (2 x 50m), at the Estação Ecológica de Pirapitinga (EEP), in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We recorded the height, basal area, and identified the species of each plant. Simultaneously, we used cellulose baits disposed at each 10 m along six transects of 100 m to sample termites in this area, which was protected from fire for at least 40 years. Twelve species of termites were recorded. Termite foraging on Cerrado plant species varied considerably and it was influenced by several factors including plant height and host species. Taller plants presented more termites than smaller plants, probably due to the amount of available resources (for nesting and feeding) for the termites

One hundred years of forensic entomology in Brazil (1908-2008)

Apresentamos uma história do desenvolvimento da Entomologia Forense no Brasil e uma avaliação do estado da arte e perspectivas. Esses estudos no Brasil iniciaram-se em 1908 com os trabalhos pioneiros de Roquette-Pinto e Oscar Freire, que notaram a grande diversidade da fauna de insetos necrófagos e a impossibilidade de aplicação direta de métodos desenvolvidos na Europa. Nas últimas duas décadas a Entomologia Forense tem avançado rapidamente no Brasil, mas ainda existem lacunas importantes no conhecimento, especialmente com relação à taxonomia, biologia e ecologia dos principais grupos de moscas e besouros necrófagos e também falta de integração entre os entomologistas e a polícia judiciária. Atualmente existem no Brasil mais de 20 pesquisadores desenvolvendo pesquisas relacionadas com Entomologia Forense e algumas dezenas de peritos criminais com treinamento nessa área, em quase todos os estados brasileiros. Neste trabalho são também apresentadas algumas diretrizes para políticas de desenvolvimento deste campo de pesquisas no Brasil.The history of the development of forensic entomology in Brazil, its current status and perspectives are reviewed. Those studies in Brazil began in 1908 with the pioneer works conducted by Roquette-Pinto and Oscar Freire, who noted the high diversity of the native fauna of necrophagous insects and the impossibility of direct application of the methods developed in Europe. In the last two decades, forensic entomology advanced rapidly in Brazil, but there still are some important limitations, especially in relation to the taxonomy, biology and ecology of necrophagous insects and the lack of interaction between researchers and police investigators. Today there are in Brazil over 20 researchers involved with forensic entomology and tens of police investigators with some training in this field. Guidelines for the development of this field of investigation in Brazil are also presented