The immature stages of insects can provide valuable data both for taxonomy and phylogeny, but they are well known only for negligible proportion of the described species. Here we describe lauxaniid immatures for 17 species that were reared under laboratory conditions and subjected to morphological investigation. Following species were included in our study: Cnemacantha muscaria, Homoneura biumb...

Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern), the first reported arsenic (As) hyperaccumulating plant, can be potentially applied in the phytoremediation As-contaminated sites. Understanding the mechanisms of As tolerance and detoxification in this plant is critical to further enhance its capability of As hyperaccumulation. In this study, an unknown As species, other than arsenite (AsIII) or arsenate (A...

The skink Trachylepis atlantica is endemic to the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. Although this species abundant in archipelago, it increasingly threatened by invasive species, predation, and anthropic interference. However, little known about its natural history. Here we report on territory use, male-male combat, mating behaviour of freeranging T. atlantica. During dry season, observed two bo...

A unique community-funded project in Puerto Rico has launched whole-genome sequencing of the critically endangered Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata), with interpretation by genome bioinformaticians and students, and deposition into public online databases. This is the first article that focuses on the whole genome of a parrot species, one endemic to the USA and recently threatened with exti...

BACKGROUND The evolution of South American Mabuyinae skinks holds significant biogeographic interest because its sister lineage is distributed across the African continent and adjacent islands. Moreover, at least one insular species, Trachylepis atlantica, has independently reached the New World through transoceanic dispersal. To clarify the evolutionary history of both Neotropical lineages, th...

A new species, Pirhosigma sulcata Ferreira & Hermes, sp. nov. is described from the Brazilian Amazon; the male of Pararhaphidoglossa gibbiventris Giordani Soika, 1978 is described for the first time. Pseudodynerus carpenteri Hermes & Melo, 2008 is newly recorded from Brazil. New collecting data are reported for Pseudodynerus griseus (Fox, 1902) and P. subapicalis (Fox, 1902).

O Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor é uma das regiões mais ricas em biodiversidade e, apesar de sua importância, ainda área pouco estudada. Aqui relatamos novos registros mamíferos nessa região e insights sobre história natural gatiara Bassaricyon alleni Thomas, 1880, cuíca Glironia venusta 1912 furão Galictis vittata (Schreber, 1776). Fornecemos contribuição a distribuição observações pontua...

Antimonite (SbIII) is transported into plants via aquaglyceroporin channels but it is unknown in As-hyperaccumulator Ptreis vittata (PV). We tested the effects of SbIII analogs (arsenite-AsIII, glycerol, silicic acid-Si, and, glucose), antimonate (SbV) analog (phosphate-P), and aquaglyceroporin transporter inhibitor (silver, Ag) on the uptake of SbIII or SbV by PV gametophytes. PV gametophytes ...

This study examined the effects of heavy metals and plant arsenic uptake on soil arsenic distribution. Chemical fractionation of an arsenic-contaminated soil spiked with 50 or 200mg kg(-1) Ni, Zn, Cd or Pb was performed before and after growing the arsenic hyperaccumulator Pteris vittata L for 8weeks using NH(4)Cl (water-soluble plus exchangeable, WE-As), NH(4)F (Al-As), NaOH (Fe-As), and H(2)S...

Using chemical extraction to evaluate plant arsenic availability in contaminated soils is important to estimate the time frame for site cleanup during phytoremediation. It is also of great value to assess As mobility in soil and its risk in environmental contamination. In this study, four conventional chemical extraction methods (water, ammonium sulfate, ammonium phosphate, and Mehlich III) and...