Ultrastructure and redescription of Notozulia entreriana (Berg) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) / Ultraestrutura e redescrição de Notozulia entreriana (Berg) (Hemiptera: Cercopidae)

A morfologia ultra-estrutural da cigarrinha Notozulia entreriana (Berg) é apresentada. Resultaram 32 ilustrações, utilizando-se microscópio eletrônico de varredura, bem como uma detalhada descrição da espécie.

The ultrastructure of the spittlebug Notozulia entreriana (Berg) is presented. The study resulted in 32 scanning electron microscope photos, with detailed species description.

Brochosomes-for-eggs of the Proconiini ( Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, Cicadellinae ) species associated with orchards of Citrus sinensis ( L. ) Osbeck in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Brocossomos são corpos ultramicroscópicos, reticulados, produzidos pelos tubos de Malpighi das cigarrinhas. São geralmente esféricos (brocossomos de tegumento) ou alongados (brocossomos de ovos). Neste estudo, as espécies de Proconiini foram identificadas de acordo com seus brocossomos de ovos. As características e uma chave para a identificação dos brocossomos também foram discutidas. Os espécimes foram coletados em nove pomares de Citrus sinensis ('Valencia'), com o uso da armadilha adesiva de cor amarela. Os pomares estão localizados em sete municípios do Rio Grande do Sul: Tenente Portela, Ijuí, Jaguari, Harmonia, Taquari, Montenegro e Pelotas. Os dados foram coletados de outubro de 1999 a dezembro de 2000 e de outubro de 2001 a março de 2002. Foram identificadas sete espécies capazes de produzir brocossomos de ovos: Acrogonia citrina Marucci & Cavichioli, Homalodisca ignorata Melichar, Molomea consolida Shröder, Molomea lineiceps Young, Molomea magna (Walker), Oncometopia facialis (Signoret), e Oncometopia fusca Melichar. Este estudo demonstra que a diversidade de brocossomos de ovos pode ser uma ferramenta útil para a identificação de espécies de Proconiini.

A new genus and nine new species of Neotropical spittlebugs (Hemiptera, Cercopidae, Tomaspidinae)

Um gênero novo e nove espécies novas de cigarrinhas Neotropicais (Hemiptera, Cercopidae, Tomaspidinae). Os seguintes novos táxons de Cercopidae sul-americanos são descritos: Ferorhinella gen. nov., com a espécie-tipo Sphenorhina brevis Walker, 1851; Deois (Deois) knighti sp. nov. (Brasil), Deois (Deois) sexpunctata sp. nov. (Brasil), Deois (Pandysia) constricta sp. nov. (Brasil), Mahanarva (Ipiranga) bahiaensis sp. nov. (Brasil), Maxantonia bifurcata sp. nov. (Brasil), Neosphenorhina curvipenis sp. nov. (Brasil), Sphenorhina brevispina sp. nov. (Equador), Sphenorhina nigricephala sp. nov. (Equador), Sphenorhina minuta sp. nov. (Brasil), Tropidorhinella onorei sp. nov. (Colômbia), Zuata luteofascia sp. nov. (Colômbia). Ferorhinella brevis (Walker, 1851) comb. nov. São fornecidas, também, descrições de um novo padrão de colorido de Mahanarva (M.) phantastica (Breddin, 1904) e de uma variação constatada recentemente na genitália do macho de Deoisella fasciata Costa & Sakakibara, 2002.

Comunidade de cigarrinhas (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) de uma área de campo do município de Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil / The assembly of the homopteran (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) of grasslands at Viamão County, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

A study was conducted about the Auchenorrhyncha assembly of grassland area with earthmounds of forests at Viamão County, Rio Grande do Sul State from November, 1996 to November, 1997. Forty-four samples were taken with the aid of a square mouth sweeping net. The collections were alleatory made, employing the method of transects. In total 5350 individuals were collected belonging to 38 species and seven families: Cicadellidae (3074), Issidae (1870), Membracidae (379) Dictyopharidae (9), Cercopidae (7), Cixiidae (6) and Delphacidae (1). The commonest species was Nubithia grisescens Stal (Issidae) with 1669 (31.2%) specimens. The homopterans showed a highest density in August (3.38 ind/m³) and the lowest in April (0.32 ind./m³). A total richness of 45 species was estimated by "Jacknife" procedure. Shannon-Wiener's heterogenity index was 2.18. Pielou's homogenity index was 0.60.

Estudou-se a comunidade de auquenorrincos em uma área de campos com capões de mata do município de Viamão, RS no período de novembro de 1996 a novembro de 1997. Realizaram-se 44 coletas semanais utilizando-se uma rede-de-varredura de secção quadrada sobre transectos escolhidos aleatoriamente. No total foram coletados 5350 indivíduos pertencentes a 38 espécies distribuídos em sete famílias: Cicadellidae (3078), Issidae (1870), Membracidae (379), Dictyopharidae (9), Cercopidae (7), Cixiidae (6) e Delphacidae (1). A espécie mais abundante foi Nubithia grisescens Stal (Issidae) com 1669 (31,2%) exemplares coletados. As cigarrinhas apresentaram a maior média de densidade populacional no mês de agosto (3,48 ind/m³) e a menor no mês de abril (0,32 ind/m³) com média anual de 1,61 ind/m³. A estimativa do total de morfoespécies que podem ser encontradas na área, obtida através do cálculo do "Jacknife" foi de 45 morfoespécies. Para o índice de heterogeneidade de Shannon-Wiener obteve-se 2,18. O valor de homogeneidade de Pielou foi de 0,60.

Descrição dos estágios imaturos de Phthia picta (Drury) (Hemiptera: Coreidae) / Description of immature stages of Phthia picta (Drury) (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

The external morphological characters of the egg and five instars of Phthia picta (Drury) are described and illustrated.

Neste trabalho é apresentada a descrição dos caracteres morfológicos externos do ovo e dos cinco ínstares ninfais de Phthia picta (Drury), incluindo ilustrações.

High prevalence of alpha-thalassemia among individuals with microcytosis and hypochromia without anemia

In order to determine the contribution of alpha-thalassemia to microcytosis and hypochromia, 339 adult outpatients seen at Unicamp University Hospital (with the exception of the Clinical Hematology outpatient clinics), who showed normal hemoglobin (Hb) levels and reduced mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin, were analyzed. Ninety-eight were Blacks (28.9 percent) and 241 were Caucasians (71.1 percent). In all cases, Hb A2 and F levels were either normal or low. The most common deletional and nondeletional forms of alpha-thalassemia [-alpha3.7, -alpha4.2, --MED, -(alpha)20.5, alphaHphIalpha, alphaNcoIalpha, aaNcoI and alphaTSAUDI] were investigated by PCR and restriction enzyme analyses. A total of 169 individuals (49.9 percent) presented alpha-thalassemia: 145 (42.8 percent) were heterozygous for the -alpha3.7 deletion (-alpha3.7/aa) and 18 (5.3 percent) homozygous (-alpha3.7/-alpha3.7), 5 (1.5 percent) were heterozygous for the nondeletional form alphaHphIalpha (alphaHphIalpha/aa), and 1 (0.3 percent) was a --MED carrier (--MED/aa). Among the Blacks, 56 (57.1 percent) showed the -alpha3.7/aa genotype, whereas 12 (12.2 percent) were -alpha3.7/-alpha3.7 and 1 (1.0 percent) was an alphaHphIalpha carrier; among the Caucasians, 89 (36.9 percent) were -alpha3.7/aa, 6 (2.5 percent) had the -alpha3.7/-alpha3.7 genotype, 4 (1.7 percent) presented the nondeletional form (alphaHphIalpha/aa), and 1 (0.4 percent) was a --MED carrier. These results demonstrate that alpha-thalassemia, mainly through the -alpha3.7 deletion, is an important cause of microcytosis and hypochromia in individuals without anemia. These data are of clinical relevance since these hematological alterations are often interpreted as indicators of iron deficiency

Alpha-Globin genes: thalassemic and structural alterations in a Brazilian population

Seven unrelated patients with hemoglobin (Hb) H disease and 27 individuals with alpha-chain structural alterations were studied to identify the alpha-globin gene mutations present in the population of Southeast Brazil. The -alpha3.7, --MED and -(alpha)20.5 deletions were investigated by PCR, whereas non-deletional alpha-thalassemia (alphaHphalpha, alphaNcoIalpha, aaNcoI, alphaIcalpha and alphaTSaudialpha) was screened with restriction enzymes and by nested PCR. Structural alterations were identified by direct DNA sequencing. Of the seven patients with Hb H disease, all of Italian descent, two had the -(alpha)20.5/-alpha3.7 genotype, one had the --MED/-alpha3.7 genotype, one had the --MED/alphaHphalpha genotype and three showed interaction of the -alpha3.7 deletion with an unusual, unidentified form of non-deletional alpha-thalassemia [-alpha3.7/(aa)T]. Among the 27 patients with structural alterations, 15 (of Italian descent) had Hb Hasharon (alpha47Asp->His) associated with the -alpha3.7 deletion, 4 (of Italian descent) were heterozygous for Hb J-Rovigo (alpha53Ala->Asp), 4 (3 Blacks and 1 Caucasian) were heterozygous for Hb Stanleyville-II (alpha78Asn->Lys) associated with the alpha+-thalassemia, 1 (Black) was heterozygous for Hb G-Pest (alpha74Asp->Asn), 1 (Caucasian) was heterozygous for Hb Kurosaki (alpha7Lys->Glu), 1 (Caucasian) was heterozygous for Hb Westmead (alpha122His->Gln), and 1 (Caucasian) was the carrier of a novel silent variant (Hb Campinas, alpha26Ala->Val). Most of the mutations found reflected the Mediterranean and African origins of the population. Hbs G-Pest and Kurosaki, very rare, and Hb Westmead, common in southern China, were initially described in individuals of ethnic origin differing from those of the carriers reported in the present study and are the first cases to be reported in the Brazilian population