Sistema Regional de Información
en línea para Revistas Científicas de América Latina,
el Caribe, España y Portugal

Se presenta un inventario de especies de Elateridae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Elateroidea) en la Estación de Biología Chamela, Jalisco, México. La identificación se realizó con base en evidencia morfológica y molecular (ADN mitocondrial del gen citocromo oxidasa subunidad I [COI]). El trabajo de campo se realizó entre 2009 y 2012. Se recolectaron 544 individuos pertenecientes a 46 especies, 25 géneros, 7 subfamilias y 11 tribus; se obtuvieron 106 secuencias de varias de las morfoespecies discriminadas. Treinta y ocho especies fueron discriminadas con información molecular, y se encontraron 10 casos de discordancia entre evidencia molecular y morfológica. La subfamilia Elaterinae presentó la mayor riqueza de especies (18 spp.), seguida de Agrypninae (16 spp.) y Cardiophorinae (6 spp.). Las subfamilias con menor número de especies fueron Cebrioninae (2 spp.), Lissominae (2 spp.), Semiotinae (1 sp.) y Thylacosterninae (1 sp.). Los géneros con mayor riqueza de especies fueron Conoderus (6 spp.), Megapenthes (5 spp.) y Esthesopus (4 spp.). Se obtuvieron 27 nuevos registros de especies para Jalisco, 5 nuevos registros para México y 7 especies potencialmente nuevas para la ciencia. Este estudio resalta la importancia de emplear diferentes fuentes de caracteres para obtener un mejor conocimiento de la riqueza de especies en estudios faunísticos, especialmente en grupos altamente diversos.

The size of the axial cell elements of wood, vessel elements and fibers, increases or decreases from pith to stem periphery in the species that have been studied with successive cambium such as members of the Menispermaceae. Iresine latifolia (Amaranthaceae) was selected for this study because it is a scandent shrub widely distributed in Mexico with successive cambia. The objectives were to quantify vessel element and fiber lengths in each of the vascular rings, to evaluate whether cellular size increases or decreases from pith to periphery, and to describe its wood. Macerations were performed for each of the secondary xylem rings present in 3 individual samples, and permanent slides were prepared using conventional procedures for wood. Observations showed that I. latifolia has 13–36 concentric rings, each ring showing an active cambium. Like other species of Amaranthaceae, there are nucleated fibers and multiseriate rays with a meristematic center. Variance analyses showed significant differences between vessel element and fiber lengths between only some of the vascular rings from pith to periphery. These results suggest that the parenchyma cells, from which the new cambium is derived, reach the size of the fusiform initial cells early in the differentiation process.

Se describen las larvas de tercer estadio y las pupas de Phyllophaga heteronycha (Bates) y Ph. leonina (Bates) y la larva de tercer estadio de  Ph. angulicollis (Bates), con ejemplares colectados en suelos de una plantación de Pseudotsuga macrolepis (Fluos. Pinaceae) establecida a 2,300 m de altitud en Las Vigas, Veracruz, México. Se incluyen diagnosis comparativas de las larvas del primer y segundo estadios de las 3 especies, ilustraciones de las estructuras características, comentarios sobre las similitudes con larvas de otras especies, y una clave para la identificación de las larvas de Phyllophaga en México. 

We give detailed information about the publication dates of the livraisons (deliveries) for the Reptiles and Amphibians of the Mission scientifique au Mexique et dans l’Amérique Centrale. We correct some of the previously published information regarding the publication dates and authorship of the livraisons. By providing this information we hope to help researchers interested in the herpetofauna of Mexico and Central America to avoid mistakes related to authorship and publication dates when citing species that were described in this important study of the region. In the appendix we give, to the extent our research allows, information about the artists who painted the plates in this work.

Se describe la genitalia de Coptocycla (Psalidonota) leprosa (Boheman, 1855). El edeago presenta la parte apical ensanchada seguida de una quilla en vista dorsal, carácter que difiere del esquema general registrado previamente para los genitales masculinos de la subfamilia Cassidinae. Los genitales femeninos siguen el patrón definido para la mayoría de los casidinos.

Limnohalacarus cultellatus Viets, 1940 was collected from an anchialine cave (Cenote Bang) in the Ox Bel Ha System located near Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico. This species has been recorded from Madagascar, Hungary, United States, the Antilles and Brazil. The record presented here is the first record of the species for Mexico and the first record for an halacarid mite from continental waters in the country. A key to the species of Limnohalacarus is given as well as information about the variation shown by the organisms named under L. cultellatus.

The taxonomic identification of species in the genus Philornis Meinert (Diptera: Muscidae) has been based primarily upon analysis of morpho-logical characters. However, relying solely on morphology has led to frequent species misidentification. This has been empirically demonstrated when specimens identified morphologically as Philornis seguyi have been reclassified as Philornis torquans based on DNA sequences of the second ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2), showing that the morphologic distinction between these 2 species is extremely challenging. Herein, new molecular data on specimens assigned to P. torquans and P. seguyi from the type locality of P. seguyi (Misiones province, Argentina) were analyzed. The ITS2 sequences obtained differed from those previously reported for Philornis, increasing to 3 the number of documented genotypes of flies morphologically indistinguishable from P. torquans. These results strongly suggest that subcutaneous Philornis spp. from southern SouthAmerica could represent a species complex (P. torquans complex).

Forestry plantations, and particularly those based on Eucalyptus, are known to have negative effects on native avifauna. However, abandoned plantations might provide habitat for some native birds due to the presence of a native understory. Bird diversity between native forest  stands and abandoned Eucalyptus plantations with native understory, at the South American temperate rainforest, was compared. Bird richness and composition did not differ between the native vegetation and the abandoned types. We identified 21 species of birds, being 19 of those (90%) shared between vegetation types. Most frequent species were Scelorchilus rubecula, Sephanoides sephaniodes and Elaenia albiceps, whereas Campephilus magellanicus and Zonotrichia capensis occurred only in the native vegetation. The plantation bird assemblage was a subset from the species pool ofthe native vegetation, with occurrence more variable than species identity between vegetation types. The presence of native understory vegetation at the plantation may explain the presence of some dispersal-restricted species such as rhynocryptids. Nevertheless, abandoned Eucalyptus plantations do not replace native forests as there are no species exclusive to this vegetation type and some species seem to be unable to use Eucalyptus trees.

Among the terrestrial invertebrates, the molluscan species of central and northern Chile have been scarcely studied and here, for the first time, a record of the diversity of land snail species of Los Molles (32◦14' S, 71◦31' W), in the Valparaíso region, central Chile is reported. Four species were found: Chiliborus rosaceus (King & Broderip, 1831); Lilloiconcha lopezi Araya & Aliaga, 2015; Plectostylus chilensis (Lesson, 1830), and Plectostylus reflexus (Pfeiffer, 1842); all of them are ground dwelling snails, endemic, occurring in small geographical ranges or in fragmented populations along northern and central Chile; L. lopezi is an endemic species to Los Molles. The geographic distribution records of P. chilensis and P. reflexus are also extended and illustrations of the species and distribution records are presented. The areas around Los Molles harbor a comparatively high diversity of plants and invertebrates, and they should be considered in future conservation efforts.

Las palomas y cotorras pueden resultar perjudiciales para cultivos anuales en algunas regiones de Sudamérica. En este estudio analizamos patrones de uso de hábitat de las palomas torcaza (Zenaida auriculata), manchada (Patagioenas maculosa) y picazuró (P. picazuro) y la cotorra(Myiopsitta monachus) durante la primera emergencia del cultivo de soja en Entre Ríos, Argentina. Se estimó el uso y la disponibilidad de hábitats y se calculó la selección mediante intervalos de confianza de Bonferroni. Ninguna de las 4 especies seleccionó el cultivo de soja. La paloma torcaza seleccionó rastrojos de trigo y colza, las palomas picazuró y manchada seleccionaron hábitats con árboles nativos e introducidos; finalmente, la cotorra común seleccionó hábitats con árboles introducidos. Esto reforzaría la hipótesis de que estas especies solo seleccionaron lotes con cotiledones de soja cuando existe escasez de granos en el ambiente. Asumiendo que esta hipótesis sea verdadera, una alternativa para disminuir daños por aves en soja en emergencia sería disuadirlas de utilizar los lotes de soja, ofreciendo granos para atraerlas a otros sitios y evitar quedañen el cultivo. Esta disuasión podría lograrse haciendo coincidir el espacio y la temporalidad de la siembra de soja con la cosecha de cultivos invernales, o bien ofreciendo granos como atrayentes para las aves.