Resumo
The species Phaleria testacea Say, 1824 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) varies a lot in size, and its populations along the coast of Brazil, where it lives buried in sandy beaches, have temporal and geographical variation in density. In order to find out which factors were contributing to these variations, we sampled populations from three different areas in Rio de Janeiro, during summer and winter. Simultaneously, we made an analysis of the different substracts where the individuals were found, including their total fresh weight. The results show a significant difference in size of individuals between and within populations, when summer and winter were compared. There is also a positive association between the population density of P. testacea and the amount of "garbage" found at the study areas.
Coleoptera; Tenebrionidae; Phaleria testacea; morphometry; abundance
Coleoptera; Tenebrionidae; Phaleria testacea; morphometry; abundance
Variação morfométrica e demográfica em Phaleria testacea Say (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) de duas praias do Rio de Janeiro
Morphometry and abundance of Phaleria testacea Say (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) from two beaches of Rio de Janeiro
M.D. de AlmeidaI; A. CaldasII; J.R. de AlmeidaIII
IDepartamento de Entomologia, Fundação Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Caixa Postal 926, 21041-210 Rio de janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
IISetor de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524, 20050-013 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
IIIDepartamento de Ecologia. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68020, 21944-970 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
ABSTRACT
The species Phaleria testacea Say, 1824 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) varies a lot in size, and its populations along the coast of Brazil, where it lives buried in sandy beaches, have temporal and geographical variation in density. In order to find out which factors were contributing to these variations, we sampled populations from three different areas in Rio de Janeiro, during summer and winter. Simultaneously, we made an analysis of the different substracts where the individuals were found, including their total fresh weight. The results show a significant difference in size of individuals between and within populations, when summer and winter were compared. There is also a positive association between the population density of P. testacea and the amount of "garbage" found at the study areas.
Key words: Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Phaleria testacea, morphometry, abundance
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AGRADECIMENTOS. Ao Sr. Luiz de Almeida pela incansável ajuda nas coletas e pelo grande apoio dado à realização deste trabalho.
Recebido em 20.IX.1993; aceito em 25.XI.1993.
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Datas de Publicação
-
Publicação nesta coleção
24 Jul 2009 -
Data do Fascículo
1993
Histórico
-
Aceito
25 Nov 1993 -
Recebido
20 Set 1993