Partnership CBio-INPA with the Rio Grande do Sul universities promotes experts visit in mites

Two acarologistas, Dr. Dinarte Gonçalves and MSc. Matheus Rocha dos Santos, are visiting the INPA, for a period of 20 days, through collaboration with Dr. Elizabeth Franklin and Dr. José Wellington de Morais, the CBio. The research goal is to discover and describe new species of Cunaxidae family and Mesostigmata order in natural environments of the Amazon rainforest through biological material collected by Systematics Laboratory and Soil Invertebrate Ecology.

 

The study of soil mite fauna of Mesostigmata and Cunaxidae in the Amazon forest fills the gap of knowledge about this group of organisms extremely important environments in Brazil. From the knowledge of the richness and abundance of species and the composition may determine the characteristic patterns that fauna and in addition, this study will form the basis for further research in the Amazon, as the fauna of these groups has never been studied in the state . Many predatory mites that inhabit natural areas may have the potential to play the natural control of pests in agricultural ecosystems. Thus, it is important to know these reservoirs of natural enemies natural environment so that we can design and implement biological control programs. This need for knowledge becomes even more important when considering the high level of agricultural and livestock expansion in the state.

 

The collaboration also underscores the importance of proper preservation of biological material collected in several projects, mainly PPBio and CENBAM, and can now serve as a valuable repository for several specialists in Brazil and worldwide.

 

 

Doctor in the Postgraduate Program in Plant Protection at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel). He is currently Scholarship for Post Doctoral (PNPD / Capes), with the Graduate Program in Environment and Development in UNIVATES, acting in acarology lab. It has experience in Mesostigmata Taxonomy area (Acari) working in natural environments and agricultural agrosystems. The main purpose of research is the search for natural enemies that can assist in biological control programs.

 

 

Doctoral student at the Graduate in Biology from Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos Program (UNISINOS), working in the laboratory of diversity and systematics of Arachnida. Master in Biology UNISINOS and a degree in Biological Sciences from the University Center UNIVATES. Develops his research investigating the ecology of terrestrial mites in bromeliads tank ecosystems. In addition, it acts as Cunaxidae family expert on the national project Catalog taxonomical of Brazil Fauna (BFTC). He has experience in Zoology, with emphasis on Acarology, acting on the following topics: Mites in natural environments; Edaphic mites; Community ecology; Taxonomy Cunaxidae and Phytoseiidae.