Evolutionary Biology integrates several disciplines of in a complex and interactive manner, where deep understanding the subject demands knowledge diverse areas. Since this is often inaccessible to majority specialized professionals, including teachers, we present some reflections order stimulate discussions aimed at improvement conditions education area. We examine profile evolutionary teaching Brazil, based on questionnaires distributed teachers Secondary Education Federal District, data...

Although natural populations of drosophilid flies have been the subject ecological studies, population ecology these insects in tropics is still poorly known. This paper discusses aspects relationship between drosophilids and their environment, based on 28 monthly collections made two contrasting vegetations Brazilian Cerrado biome: gallery forest savanna. Exotic species were found both types environment; but 14 30 captured Neotropical occurred exclusively forests, probably because climatic...

1. Species of Drosophilidae are frequently used as model organisms, but their relationships with the environment, particularly in immature stages, remain poorly known. 2. This is most comprehensive survey to date fruit‐breeding drosophilids and hosts Neotropics. Drosophilid host‐utilisation patterns were analysed geographic origin (native versus exotic) level specialisation. 3. The 180 species plants recorded drosophilid distributed across main Angiosperm lineages fleshy‐fruited orders;...

Seasonal variation in the availability of floral hosts or pollinators is a key factor influencing diversity plant-pollinator communities. In seasonally dry Neotropical habitats, where month-long periods extreme drought are followed by long rainy season, flowering often synchronized with beginning precipitation, when environmental conditions most beneficial for plant reproduction. Brazilian Cerrado, ecosystem considered one world's biodiversity hotspots angiosperms, plants shallow root...

Abstract The Brazilian Cerrado, a vegetation mosaic considered to be unique savannah hotspot, contains great diversity of insects. It is uncertain how communities insects in the Cerrado respond, at local scale, strong heterogeneity biome or increasing levels anthropogenic disturbance. This study examines relative importance habitat and human disturbance for structure drosophilid assemblages this biome. Our results are based on standardised monthly sampling 25 sites (3 conserved forests, 4...

Drosophila antonietae sp. nov. and D. gouveai are members of the buzzatii cluster repleta species group genus Drosophila. They can be distinguished from their cryptic species, borborema Vilela & Sene, 1977, koepferae Fontdevila Wasserman, 1988, serido seriema Tidon-Sklorz 1995 by morphological, genetic ecological criteria.

The study of organisms and their resources is critical to further understanding population dynamics in space time.Although drosophilids have been widely used as biological models, relationship with breeding feeding sites has received little attention.Here, we investigate fruits the Brazilian Savanna, two contrasting vegetation types, throughout 16 months.Specifically, larval assemblages were compared between savannas forests, well rainy dry seasons.The relationships resource availability...

Most Neotropical species of Malpighiaceae produce floral fatty oils in calyx glands to attract pollinating oil-collecting bees, which depend on this resource for reproduction. This specialized type pollination system tends be lost members the family that occur outside geographic distribution (e.g. Africa) bees. study focused ecology, chemical ecology and reproductive biology an oil flower species, Pterandra pyroidea (Malpighiaceae) from Brazilian Cerrado. Populations consist plants with...

Abstract Due to the increase in global transport recent decades, species that flourish human-altered environments are widening their geographical distribution. Consequently, endemic either declining or going extinction. Here, we report first occurrence of Afrotropical fly Zaprionus tuberculatus Malloch Americas. This has been recognized as invasive by Invasive Species Compendium, and argue it will probably impact drosophilid communities. Our study was conducted on natural urban Brazilian...

Protected areas (PAs) are a widely recognized tool for biodiversity and ecosystem conservation. However, megadiverse countries struggle to manage, maintain, expand PAs as they face mounting human pressures. The Brazilian Cerrado biome (a hotspot) is experiencing increasing land-use changes paired with loss of natural vegetation, only 3.2% its land area under strict protections. Long-Term Ecological Research Program (LTER) was created in 1997 monitor long-term protected non-protected biomes....

Although drosophilids have been extensively studied in laboratories worldwide, their ecology is still relatively poorly understood. This unfortunate because some species are currently expanding geographic distribution and infesting fruit crops. Here, we investigated the relationship between potential plant hosts a commercial vegetable center Neotropical region. We collected discarded fruits vegetables from this during two time periods (2007-2008 2017-2018). Resources were weighted...

Some species of drosophilids have been intensely studied, especially in the areas genetics and molecular biology. However, little is known about their ecology biogeography. Here, we revise records Drosophilidae Cerrado domain, order to organize available information recognize patterns geographic distribution endemism. The 43 sampled sites this domain reveal 100 (10 them exotic Neotropical region), distributed eight genera. collections were concentrated mainly States Goiás (including Federal...

Seasonality can cause severe bottlenecks in natural populations, even leading to local extinction. Large variation resource availability may explain the bottlenecks, but role of these variations is still poorly understood. The goal this study was analyze if temporal guild drosophilids breeding fruits Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae) be explained by shortage during dry season. Fruits M. were collected over one year a gallery forest located Central Brazilian Savanna. drosophilid assemblage varied...

Although cultivated and degraded lands outnumber natural ecosystems in many regions of the world, there are relatively few studies focusing on their biodiversity. Here, we investigated drosophilid assemblages recorded eight Brazilian fig plantations discussed probable invasive species among identified fauna. Each plantation was sampled monthly, from September 2010 to August 2011, using five retention traps arranged an 80-m transect. The 125,428 drosophilids captured represent 52 nominal 10...

Thirteen species of drosophilid exotic to the Neotropical Region are recorded in Brazil, and some them highly invasive threaten significantly fruit cultures. We provide an illustrated key for identifying these species, briefly discuss their taxonomic status, distribution, occurrence Neotropics. The should not only support newcomers study Drosophila but also facilitate identification by those interested insects associated with cultivated areas.

D. seriema n. sp. is a member of the buzzatii cluster (D. complex) repleta species group genus Drosophila. It distinguished from other group, serido, borborema, and koepferae, by morphological, genetic, ecological, reproductive criteria.