Ricerche biospeleologiche. VI Boldoria (Pseudoboldoria) belluccii nuova entità cavernicola d'Italia

The Author describes Boldoria (Pseudobaldoria) belluccii n. sp. collected in three caves of the side of the Lake Iseo belonging to the Bergamo district. This new species is related to Boldoria (Pseudoboldoria) gratiae Monguzzi, from which can be distinguished due to the particular characters of aedeagus and for other exoskeleton characteristics.Viene descritta la nuova entità Boldoria (Pseudoboldoria) belluccii n. sp. rinvenuta in tre grotte della sponda bergamasca del Lago d'Iseo (Lombardia). Simile a Boldoria (Pseudoboldoria) gratiae Monguzzi, si distingue sia per le peculiari caratteristiche dell'edeago, sia per altri caratteri esoscheletrici

Infestazione di Sinoxylon unidentatum (Fabricius) su pallet di legno in Italia.

Si segnala una importante infestazione provocata da Sinoxylon unidentatum (Fabricius) (= S. conigerum Gerstacker) in un magazzino, a seguito di una importazione di the dallo Sri Lanka, su pallet in legno di Shorea sp.. Dopo alcuni mesi dal rilevamento,si è riscontrata la diffusione dell'attacco su altri pallet, costringendo alla distruzione di tutto il materiale ligneo. S. unidentatum era già stato intercettato in Italia, ma questo è il primo caso in cui e stato in grado di svilupparsi e di diffondersi in un magazzino.Sinoxylon unidentatum (Fabricius) (= S. conigerum Gerstacker) was found infesting wood pallets used to import tea from Sri Lanka. The tea arrived in Italy in June 2009. The beetles completed the development in the warehouse and spread the infestation to other pallets. S. unidentatum was previously intercepted in Italy but this is the first time it has been reported to be able to complete the development and to spread the infestation in an indoor site

Ritrovamento di Cryptocephalus (s. str.) barli Burlini, 1948 (Coleoptera Chrysomelidae) sul Monte Grigna Settentrionale (Prealpi lombarde) e note ecologiche

Si segnala il ritrovamento di Cryptocephalus barii Budini, specie rara e localizzata, sul Monte Grigna Settentrionale (Prealpi lombarde), fornendo alcune informazioni sulla sua ecologia ed il disegno della spermateca.The rare and localyzed species Cryptocephalus barii Budini, is recorded from Mount Grigna Settentrionale (Lombard Pre-Alps). Some ecological information and the drawing of the spermatheca are also given

Prima segnalazione per l'Europa di Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera, Curculionoidea, Erirhinidae), temibile parassita di Oryza sativa L.

Viene riportata la presenza in Italia (Lombardia occidentale) di Lissorhoptrus oryzaphilus Kuschel, 1952, parassita di Oryza sativa L., originario del Nord America e recentemente diffuso anche nella Regione Paleartica orientale (Giappone, Corea del Sud, Corea del Nord, Cina). Si tratta della prima segnalazione, sia della specie che del genere, per l'Europa. Sono forniti i caratteri principali utili alla sua identificazione ed alla separazione da alcune specie acquatiche europee, appartenenti al genere Bagous Germar, 1817, che più si avvicinano per habitus. Infine, sono riportate alcune notizie biologiche desunte dalla letteratura.Recently many adult female specimens of Lissorhoptrus orywphilus Kuschel, 1952 were collected in Western Lombardy (Northern Italy) both ibernant under Calluna vulgaris L. (January-March) and then moving on grasses and sedges, mainly on Carex acutiformis Ehrh. (April), near rice fields. This species, which is now recorded for the first time for Europe, is an important pest of rice, Oryza sativa L., in North America, but is also known from Mexico and Cuba; moreover partenogenetic populations have been introduced into Japan, North and South Korea, and China, where it is now seriously damaging rice cultivations. The adult of L. oryzophilus can be identified as follows: medium-sized (length 3.3-3.7 mm rostrum included), elongate-oval; integument reddish brown, densely clothed with contiguous to imbricated scales and waterproof coating; on dorsum scales usually light brown at side and dark brown medially; rostrum thick, with scrobes in lateral view oblique; antennae with funicle 6-segmented and with first segment of club glabrous; midtibiae bladelike, with evenly strongly curved outer margin and with dense elongate swimming hairs on inner and outer margins. In Europe these characters allow to distinguish this taxon from other species of Erirhinidae as well as from Bagous Germar, 1817, an aquatic genus of Curculionidae which shares L. oryzophilus in the general habitus. Besides, some notes on know biology of the species are reported

Segnalazioni di formiche esotiche per l'Italia (Hymenoptera, Formicidae)

We report records of several exotic ant species in Italy, including the major tramp species Tapinoma melanocephalum (F.), Technomyrmex pallipes (F. Smith), Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nyl.) and Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger).Riportiamo diverse segnalazioni di formiche esotiche in Italia, incluse le significative Tapinoma melanocephalum (F.), Technomyrmex pallipes (F. Smith), Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nyl.) e Wasmannia auropunctata (Roger)

Prime osservazioni sulla bio-etologia di Aclees sp. (Curculionidae, Molytinae) esiziale a Ficus carica L. in Italia

Gli Autori riportano i risultati ottenuti nelle osservazioni bio-etologiche, condotte nel 2005-2006 in provincia di Pistoia, su Aclees sp. appartenente ad un gruppo di specie di tassonomia non ancora ben definita distribuito prevalentemente in Asia orientale. Questo molitino, nuovo per i nostri ambienti, e strettamente legato a Ficus carica L. e sue cultivar per l' alimentazione e la riproduzione; i fattori climatici ne influenzano sensibilmente il ciclo vitale. Vengono illustrati i gravi danni causati dalle larve xilofaghe al legno ipogeo che e completamente distrutto con conseguente mortalita delle nutrici e quelli delle immagini alla porzione epigea sia in habitat vivaistico che a definitiva dimora in aree incolte e nei frutteti familiari.Results of bioethological observations on Aclees sp., that belongs to a group of species with not well known taxonomy, distributed in East Asia are reported. The observations were carried out from 2005 to 2006 in the Pistoia province (Tuscany). The species recently reported in Italy (as Aclees cribratus Gyllenhal) is, with respect to nutrition and reprodution, strictly related to Ficus carica L. and its cultivar; climatic factors have a significant influence on the life cicle. The xilophagous larvae cause serious damage to hypogeal wood that is completely destroyed resulting in high mortality of feeding larvae. Adults feed on epigeal plant parts. The plants suffering from infestations by Aclees sp. are found in either nurseries or permanent settings in both unmanaged areas or family orchards

An overview of the Brazilian Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera): The most species-rich beetle family in Brazil

The leaf beetles (Chrysomelidae) are one of the most species-rich family of herbivorous beetles with about 45,000 species worldwide. Based on the contributions of chrysomelidologists to the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna - CTFB, the family comprises 6,079 species in 562 genera of which 951 species are endemic to Brazil, standing out as the most diverse, representing 4.8% of the Brazilian fauna and 17.1% of the beetle species. Chrysomelidae has twelve subfamilies with nine reported to Brazil: Galerucinae, the richest with 1,916 species in 202 genera, followed by Cassidinae, Eumolpinae, Cryptocephalinae, Chrysomelinae, Bruchinae, Criocerinae, Lamprosomatinae and Sagrinae - this with only one species. Most of these subfamilies need urgent revision, since many species are poorly characterized, and polymorphism is frequent in some groups. The Czech couple Jan and Bohumila Bechyně were the researchers who described most species from Brazil. Furthermore, despite the increase of research on biology, natural history, host plants, genetics, ecology from 1980’s much still need to be investigated to better known the Brazilian Chrysomelidae and probably many new species are yet to be discovered

Evaluation of the clinical and cardiorespiratory effects of propofol microemulsion in dogs

This research aimed to evaluate the clinical and cardiorespiratory effects of a propofol formulation with nanometer droplet diameter in dogs. Six adult healthy female dogs weighing 14.8±1.2kg were used in this study. Each dog received two treatments with a 15-day washout period. A microemulsion (MICRO) or lipid emulsion (EMU) of propofol was administered intravenously (IV) for induction and maintenance of anesthesia. Anesthesia was maintained with a constant rate infusion of propofol (0.4mg kg-1 minute-1). Cardiorespiratory variables were recorded before induction (baseline), immediately after and at 15-minute intervals for 90 minutes after treatment. Arterial blood samples were also taken for blood gas analysis, except at 45 and 75 minutes after induction. The mean arterial pressure decreased significantly during both treatments, while the cardiac index decreased significantly only in MICRO treatment. The time to extubation, sternal recumbency, ambulation and total recovery was similar in both treatments. Opisthotonos was observed in 33% of the animals in each treatment. The propofol microemulsion presented clinical and respiratory parameters similar to those obtained with the lipid emulsion commercially available, but had some significantly different hemodynamic characteristics when used for inducing and maintaining anesthesia. Based only in these results, no advantages are seen in the use of this new microemulsion.</jats:p

Coleoptera of Brazil: what we knew then and what we know now. Insights from the Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil

ABSTRACT In 2000, Cleide Costa published a paper presenting the state of knowledge of the Neotropical Coleopte ra, with a focus on the Brazilian fauna. Twenty-four years later, thanks to the development of the Coleoptera section of the Taxonomic Catalog of the Brazilian Fauna (CTFB - Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil) through the collaboration of 100 coleopterists from all over the globe, we can build on Costa’s work and present an updated overview of the state of knowledge of the beetles from Brazil. There are currently 35,699 species in 4,958 genera and 116 families known to occur in the country, including representatives of all extant suborders and superfamilies. Our data show that the Brazilian beetle fauna is the richest on the planet, concentrating 9% of the world species diversity, with some estimates accounting to up to 15% of the global total. The most diverse family in numbers of genera is Cerambycidae (1,056 genera), while in number of species it is Chrysomelidae (6,079 species). Conotrachelus Dejean, 1835 (Curculionidae) is the most species-rich genus, with 570 species. The French entomologist Maurice Pic is the author who has contributed the most to the naming of species recorded from Brazil, with 1,794 valid names in 36 families, whereas the Brazilians Ubirajara R. Martins and Maria Helena M. Galileo are the only ones among the top-ten authors to have named species in the 21st century. Currently, approximately 144 new species of Brazilian beetles are described each year, and this average is projected to increase in the next decade to 180 species per year, or about one new Brazilian beetle every two days