Factors affecting the use and preference of stingless bees in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: implications for conservation Juliana Loureiro Almeida Campos, Amanda Soares Miranda, Vinícius Albano Araújo Ethnobiology and Conservation, 2025 Meliponiculture plays an essential role in the conservation of stingless bees and the maintenance of biodiversity. This study investigated the factors influencing the use and preference for stingless bee species in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The species managed and preferred by meliponiculturists were identified, and the influence of socioeconomic and environmental variables on the diversity of managed species was evaluated. Forty-three meliponiculturists were interviewed, reporting a total of 38 managed species. The results indicated that the most managed species were also the most preferred, with Tetragonisca angustula, Melipona quadrifasciata, and Melipona mondury being the most frequently cited. The primary criteria for species selection were ease of management, productivity, and behavior, while financial factors had less influence. Years of experience, education level, and marital status were determining factors in the diversification of managed species. However, the level of involvement in meliponiculture, the number of products sold, and the location of the meliponiculturists (urban or rural areas) did not significantly impact the diversity of raised bees. Although meliponiculture promotes conservation efforts, the management of non-native species to the Atlantic Forest biome requires attention due to potential ecological impacts. The findings of this study can contribute to the development of sustainable management and conservation strategies for stingless bees in Brazil.
Anthropogenic threats associated with mortality and biomass of stranded sea turtles on the northern coast of São Paulo State, Brazil Vitória Lopes Nunes, Caio Henrique Gonçalves Cutrim, Elmo Borges de Azevedo Koch, Vinícius Albano Araújo International Journal of Environmental Studies, 2023 Beach monitoring programmes along the Brazilian coast in recent years have provided stranding data which can be analysed to show the effects of human impacts on sea turtle populations. In Brazil, the five species recorded are threatened with extinction. In this study, data from strandings of sea turtles on the northern coast of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, over six years (2015–2021), were used to evaluate whether human activities are associated with impacts on the populations and to analyse the effects of seasonality on abundance. There were 6411 strandings of sea turtles, the majority being Chelonia mydas, followed by Caretta caretta, Lepidochelys olivacea, Eretmochelys imbricata and Dermochelys coriacea. Strandings occurred mainly during winter and spring. Where it was possible to determine the cause of death of an individual, there were several associations with anthropogenic factors, mainly solid waste, fishing gear, collisions with vessels, injuries and dredging. The high incidence of strandings of sea turtles on the Brazilian coast, mostly juveniles, and the great impact of anthropogenic factors in the causa mortis indicate the need to adopt ocean education strategies and public policies that can establish effective management and conservation plans of marine ecosystems.
Anatomy and histology of the male reproductive tract in creeping water bugs (Heteroptera: Naucoridae) Igor Luiz Araújo Munhoz, José Eduardo Serrão, Alan Lane de Melo, Luiza Carla Barbosa Martins, Vinícius Albano Araújo Acta Zoologica, 2022 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.
Anatomy and histology of the metapleural gland in the giant tropical ant Paraponera clavata (Fabricius, 1775) (Formicidae: Paraponerinae) LUIZA C.B. MARTINS, JOSÉ E. SERRÃO, HELEN P. SANTOS, VINÍCIUS A. ARAÚJO Anais Da Academia Brasileira De Ciencias, 2022 Ants are social insects with about 85 exocrine glands with different morphologies. The metapleural gland is exclusive to ants and its compounds have antimicrobial action, indicating a function in the defense against pathogens. Within ants, Paraponera clavata is the only living species representative of Paraponerinae. This study describes the anatomy and histology of the metapleural gland in workers of P. clavata. The metapleural gland is formed by secretory units that release secretion in a reservoir through collecting canaliculi. Secretory units are bicellular with a well-developed globular secretory cell, with 145 µm in diameter, and a duct cell forming the collecting canaliculi characterizing a class III gland. The metapleural gland is pointed out as a synapomorphy of ants. Paraponerinae constitutes one of the six subfamilies of the basal and paraphyletic Poneroide clade and knowledge of the metapleural gland morphology contribute to the understanding of evolutionary history of the basal ants' groups.
Three-dimensional modeling as a methodological innovation for teaching zoology and environmental education Caio Henrique Gonçalves Cutrim, Vinícius Albano Araújo International Journal of Educational Research and Innovation, 2021 The great diversity of animals and the relationship between their morphological characteristics, adaptations and life strategies are approached in the teaching of zoology. The use of innovative and alternative methodologies, such as zoological modeling, are tools that can contribute to a high interest in the study of zoology and it is use in an environmental education strategy. In this study, the zoological modeling intermediated the teaching-learning process in undergraduate students of the Biological Sciences course and the connection of teaching practices with environmental extension activities. Twenty-two animal models were built with representatives of the Phylum Arthropoda, Mollusca, Cnidaria and Echinodermata, approaching aspects of external, internal morphology and life cycle. The process of perception, viability and assimilation of the construction of the zoological modeling was analyzed through interviews with 40 undergraduates and 100 children and teenagers, the target audience of the workshops. The results showed that the three-dimensional modeling stimulates environmental students in the teaching-learning process and it is use in education activities were efficient, awakening curiosity, enabling the demystification of animals and the dissemination of their essential ecosystem services for the conservation of biodiversity.
Morphology of the male reproductive tract of the harvestman Mischonyx cuspidatus (Roewer, 1913) (Gonyleptidae: Opiliones: Chelicerata) Kaynan Queiroz de Carvalho Martins, Glenda Dias, Mateus Soares de Oliveira, Hakan Bozdoğan, José Eduardo Serrão, Vinícius Albano Araújo Journal of Arachnology, 2021 Arachnida evolved different reproductive strategies in the terrestrial habitats. Knowledge of the morphology of reproductive systems varies depending on the group, and for Opiliones only a few studies exists addressing this topic. Here, we describe the morphology of the male reproductive tract and the spermatozoon of the harvestman Mischonyx cuspidatus (Roewer, 1913). In this species, males have a single testis, a pair of deferent ducts, a seminal vesicle, a propelling organ and a penis. The lumen of the folded seminal vesicle and testis follicles are filled with spermatozoa, suggesting a storage of sperm related to a possible reproductive strategy involving multiple matings. The spermatozoa are aflagellate and ca. 6.5 µm in length. This study sheds light on the knowledge of the harvestman's reproductive biology and life strategy, which can be used in future studies involving Opiliones behavior and systematics.
Quantitative analysis of the digestive and regenerative cells of the midgut of Melipona quadrifasciata anthidioides (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Sociobiology, 2010
