Flesh Flies (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) of Forensic Importance Collected From Pig Carcasses in the Cerrado of Northeastern Brazil.

Sarcophagidae is a family of true flies frequently found colonizing carcasses and corpses as adults and/or larvae, therefore, they are of great forensic value in the medico-legal field. Thus, this study aims to inventory the sarcophagids species and describe their succession process in the decomposition of swine carcasses in the Cerrado (savanna-like vegetation), Brazilian Northeastern region. A total of 10,819 specimens were collected, belonging to 45 sarcophagid species. Of this total, one species was recently described (Helicobia neuzalmeidae Silva, Brasil, De-Souza & Carvalho-Filho), two [Blaesoxipha (Acanthodotheca) denieri (Blanchard) and Dexosarcophaga pusilla Lopes] are new records for the Cerrado biome, five [Argoravinia (Argoravinia) catiae Carvalho Filho & Esposito, B. (A.) denieri, Nephochaetopteryx orbitalis (Curran & Walley), Peckia (Sarcodexia) tridentata (Hall) and Tricharaea (Sarcophagula) ramirezi (Lopes)] are new records for the Northeast region and eight are new records for the state of Maranhão. The species A. (A.) catiae, Blaesoxipha (Gigantotheca) stallengi (Lahille), D. pusilla, H. neuzalmeidae, Lipoptilocnema misella Lopes, Oxysarcodexia bakeri (Aldrich) and Retrocitomyia retrocita (Hall) were collected for the first time in pig carcasses. Peckia (Sarcodexia) lambens (Wiedemann) and Oxysarcodexia thornax (Walker) were the most abundant species. In both collection seasons, five species were carcasses pioneers at an early stage. The majority of species (42 spp.) were collected during the dry season, primarily during the black putrefaction (39 spp.) and butyric fermentation (30 spp.) stages. The greatest number specimens (n = 6,484) were recorded during the rainy season, at the butyric fermentation (n = 2,517) and black putrefaction (n = 2,080).

Helicobia neuzalmeidae sp. nov., A New Species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) Reared From a Pig Carcass in the Brazilian Savanna.

A new species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera) in the genus Helicobia Coquillett, Helicobia neuzalmeidae sp. nov., is described based on two male specimens obtained from pig carcasses in savanna-like vegetation in northeastern Brazil (state of Maranhão) during a forensic study. The holotype was obtained from a larva that abandoned the pig carcass to pupate, whereas the paratype was collected with a trap placed above the cage containing the carcass. This is the first record of a Helicobia species reared from a vertebrate carcass.

Description of nymph of Brasilocaenis atawallpa Lima, Molineri, Vieira, Pinheiro amp; Salles, 2019 (Ephemeroptera: Caenidae) and notes on its taxonomic status.

Brasilocaenis atawallpa was recently described based on male imago from Colombian Amazon. The original description does not contain a designation of type specimens or locality, and it just states that the type series was studied in order to perform the cladistic analysis. In this context, we herein designate the lectotype and paralectotypes of B. atawallpa and describe its nymphal stage. The nymphs were associated to B. atawallpa by the male genitalia extracted from mature nymphs. The nymphal stage of B. atawallpa can be differentiated from others known nymphs of the genus by absence of pointed microspines on opercular gill, fore coxa without projection, middle coxa with well-developed and semicircular projection, hind coxa with finger-like projection, fore and middle tarsal claws without denticles and hind margin of the ninth sternite almost straight.

Impact of environmental changes on the behavioral diversity of the Odonata (Insecta) in the Amazon.

The odonates are insects that have a wide range of reproductive, ritualized territorial, and aggressive behaviors. Changes in behavior are the first response of most odonate species to environmental alterations. In this context, the primary objective of the present study was to assess the effects of environmental alterations resulting from shifts in land use on different aspects of the behavioral diversity of adult odonates. Fieldwork was conducted at 92 low-order streams in two different regions of the Brazilian Amazon. To address our main objective, we measured 29 abiotic variables at each stream, together with five morphological and five behavioral traits of the resident odonates. The results indicate a loss of behaviors at sites impacted by anthropogenic changes, as well as variation in some morphological/behavioral traits under specific environmental conditions. We highlight the importance of considering behavioral traits in the development of conservation strategies, given that species with a unique behavioral repertoire may suffer specific types of extinction pressure.