No abstract

Creeping water bugs (Naucoridae) are predatory aquatic insects widely distributed in the Neotropical region. This study describes the structure of the male reproductive tract in two species, Limnocoris porphyros Nieser & Lopez Ruf, 2001 (Limnocorinae) and Pelocoris subflavus Montandon, 1898 (Naucorinae), under light microscopy. Both in L. porphyros and P. subflavus, the reproductive tract of sexually mature males consists of a pair of testes, efferent ducts, deferent ducts, seminal vesicles, two pairs of accessory glands, and an ejaculatory duct. Each testis has seven follicles. Deferent ducts were long with a dilation forming the seminal vesicle. Post‐vesicular deferent ducts were long, coiled, and contained spermatozoa. Characters derived from anatomy and histology of the male reproductive tract in the two species, expand the knowledge on reproductive biology and provide new data that can enhance behavioural research and contribute to understand the evolutionary history of aquatic Heteroptera.

The high biological productivity presented along the Brazilian coast guarantees availability of resources and also protects a diverse community of marine tetrapods. Physical and biological factors can influence in these animal mortality rates and the analysis of stranding patterns helps to comprehend the external threats, as anthropic. We analysed the effects of seasonality in richness and abundance of marine tetrapods stranded between 2016 and 2020 in the Paraty Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In total, 588 strandings were recorded, Chelonia mydas as being the species with more abundance, followed by Sula leucogaster and Sotalia guianensis. Among the 28 species, birds richness were the highest, followed by marine mammals and reptiles. There was no significant difference in the numbers of stranding records throughout the different seasons. There was more similarity in the assemblies between spring and summer. Birds and reptiles had stranding records distributed mostly in winter and spring, with the majority of marine mammals stranding being concentrated during the spring season. The strandings patterns of marine tetrapods throughout a temporal sequence in the Paraty Bay generated data that can provide animal behavior understandings and population distributions of marine tetrapods and supplement data for management plans and conservation.

Members of the Hydrophilidae, one of the largest families of aquatic insects, are potential models for the biomonitoring of freshwater habitats and global climate change. In this study, we describe the morphology of the male reproductive tract in the water scavenger beetle Tropisternus collaris. The reproductive tract in sexually mature males comprised a pair of testes, each with at least 30 follicles, vasa efferentia, vasa deferentia, seminal vesicles, two pairs of accessory glands (a bean-shaped pair and a tubular pair with a forked end), and an ejaculatory duct. Characters such as the number of testicular follicles and accessory glands, as well as their shape, origin, and type of secretion, differ between Coleoptera taxa and have potential to help elucidate reproductive strategies and the evolutionary history of the group.

Seabirds use the extensive Brazilian coast as a migratory corridor where they explore resources for food and reproduction. The south coast of the State of Rio de Janeiro has hundreds of islands that are habitats for several species of seabirds. In this study, we analyze the abundance, richness and seasonality of birds stranded in Ilha Grande Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, an important natural and cultural heritage of humanity. The stranding record data were obtained during 5 years of beach monitoring (2016-2021), a total of 18.7 km of coastline and over 220 km (including islands and beaches outside regular monitoring). Most of the birds were found alive and sent for rehabilitation. A total of 268 seabird strandings were recorded, belonging to five orders, eight families and 19 species. Most strandings occurred in winter, with the most frequent species being Spheniscus magellanicus, Fregata magnificens and Sula leucogaster. Most species are seasonally without stranding pattern, with only six species being added throughout the annual cycle. Ilha Grande Bay is an important tourist pole in Brazil and knowledge of the diversity and dynamics of seabirds in the region can contribute to species management and conservation plans, in addition to potentialize the implementation of environmental tourism objectives and sustainable exploration of natural resources.