Acta Biológica Colombiana

<font color="#000080">ACTA BIOLÓGICA COLOMBIANA is a publication of the Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. It is published three times a year as a print version since 1982 and its publication was regularized at 1998. An online version is also avaible since 2004. This jounal divulges original and unpublished results of basic and applied research about biological subjects. <br></font><br>

List of Papers (Total 2,014)

Diametric and population structure of Caryodendron orinocense in the Amazonian rainforest of Ecuador

In the Ecuadorian Amazon, non-timber forest products provided by forest species such as Caryodendron orinocense play an important role in the daily life of the ancestral communities that have contributed to the conservation of these ecosystems. Therefore, for an adequate management and conservation of the species, the first step is to know the population structure based on the...

Design of an Automated Apparatus for the Assesment of Classical Learning in Apis mellifera var. scutellata

The honeybee is not only the most used pollinator but an insect model for behavioral studies. With the purpose of facilitating and encouraging behavioral research in honeybees in Colombia, an experimental apparatus for using the Proboscis Extension Response methodology-PER was built. That apparatus allows the evaluation of numerous learning phenomena, mainly related to classical...

Variation in Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae) gene expression by exposure to a sublethal dose of Flupyradifurone

The insecticide industry has developed more bee-safe active ingredients such as flupyradifurone. However, recent research provides evidence of the negative effects of this and its possible influence on the deterioration of the health of pollinators. During the experiment, mixed-age worker bees of A. mellifera were exposed to a single, sublethal oral dose of flupyradifurone (645...

ANTIFUNGAL RESISTANCE: A GROWING CONCERN

Globally, the increasing number of drug-resistant human pathogens represents a major threat to public health. Among these pathogens, fungi that have acquired resistance to the already scarce arsenal of antifungals are of particular significance, as they present therapeutic challenges that increase morbidity and mortality rates. Particularly, most mycoses are opportunistic since...

UNRAVELING THE GENETIC ARCHITECTURE OF COMPLEX TRAITS IN PLANTS

Complex traits are those whose inheritance does not follow simple and predictable patterns. They are not governed by a single locus, instead, they are determined by several loci and are influenced by the environment. Most of the traits with agronomic interest and economic importance such as resistance to biotic and abiotic stress, and yield, among others, are quantitative traits...

New records for Elmidae (Coleoptera: Byrrhoidea) in Colombia

The aquatic beetles of the Elmidae family are widely used in the hydrobiological monitoring of lotic ecosystems. In this work, samples belonging to 22 municipalities and 38 bodies of water in the department of Antioquia were reviewed, which were collected using a triangular or surber network. The species Cylloepus francescae, C. whitemanae, Macrelmis clypeata, M. elicioi and...

Hypolobocera bouvieri (Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae) and physicochemical analysis in micro-watersheds in montane agroecosystems

Mountain crabs (Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae) are considered sensitive to various anthropogenic and environmental alterations in aquatic ecosystems. In streams of the Colombian Andean region, which drain various agroecosystems, there is little information on these organisms. Here we show the results of the abundance of Hypolobocera bouvieri, in three high Andean microcatchments...

Preliminary analysis of benthos of northeast Coatepeque Lake, El Salvador

The knowledge of aquatic biodiversity in lentic ecosystems is scarce in many regions of the world. Therefore, it was considered important to accomplish preliminary assessments of benthic fauna associated with low depths in three sampling subaquatic fringes between 0 and 10 m on a rocky shore along the northeast area of Coatepeque Lake, El Salvador. The most abundant families were...

Diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates and habitat quality in tributaries of the national natural park Selva Florencia

Freshwater ecosystems are a primary source of ecosystem services essential for sustaining life and host an important diversity of aquatic species. The knowledge about aquatic macroinvertebrates is precarious in protected areas of Colombia. This study aimed to evaluate the diversity of aquatic macroinvertebrate bioindicators and the ecological quality of habitat in the Selva...

Trophic network of temporary ponds of the northern of department of la Guajira (Colombia)

Food webs allow us to understand the dynamics of energy flows within an ecosystem through consumption relationships. This research describes the food webs of two seasonal pools (Manaure and Maicao) in the north of the department of La Guajira. The aquatic macroinvertebrates and vertebrates were collected in the littoral and limnetic zones in two samplings per pound (filled with...

Leaf litter decomposition and macroinvertebrate assemblages in a tropical Andean stream (Ibagué, Colombia)

The ecosystem functioning in headwater Colombian Andean streams is still poorly understood. The objective of this study was to evaluate the leaf decomposition of alder (Alnusacuminata), sietecueros (Andesanthus lepidotus) and a 1:1 mixture of the two species using coarse- (5 mm) and fine-mesh litter bags (0.5 mm) in the Las Perlas stream, a high-altitude tropical Andean aquatic...

Vertical distribution of beta diversity of macroinvertebrates in an oligotrophic high mountain neotropical lake

The alpha (α) and beta (ß) components of gamma (γ) diversity, and the partitioning of ß into nesting and turnover, contribute to understanding the factors that determine biological diversity. The objective of this study was to understand the factors affecting spatial changes in macroinvertebrate diversity in tropical high mountain Andean lakes, from the study of diversity...

Effect of Seasonality on the Assembly of Macrobenthos in a High Andean River

The study of the functioning of the high Andean ecosystems is of great importance since any change will influence the entire basin. However, knowledge of these environments is still limited. Therefore, we sought to determine the effect of seasonality on the macrobenthos assemblage of a high Andean River and to determine the limnological, geomorphological, and hydrological...

Secondary production of two species of Anacroneuria (Perlidae) in a neotropical river

Secondary production in aquatic insects is a theme of great relevance and insufficiently studied. This topic allows an understanding of the rate variability of biomass by consumers in lotic systems. Plecoptera are one of the most abundant and widely used groups of aquatic insects used in this field. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the secondary production...

Functional and taxonomic diversity of aquatic insects (EPT) in an urban river of the Colombian plains

The Ocoa river is important for development of the municipality of Villavicencio, but it is subjected to different types of anthropogenic activities along its course; they affect the diversity of bioindicator aquatic insects. The objective of this research was to determine the response of the functional and taxonomic diversity of aquatic insects (EPT) to land use in the Ocoa...

Evaluation of the ecological status of the Ánimas River through multimetric indexes in Cerinza, Boyacá

Ecological or quality status is an integral concept that reflects the degree of deterioration of aquatic environments. To measure it, protocols have been designed that demonstrate changes in the structure and functioning of biotic communities in response to anthropogenic pressures. The ecological status of the Ánimas River was evaluated along its longitudinal axis, using the...

MEIOFAUNA IN TROPICAL MONTANE STREAMS: BIOTIC AND ABIOTIC FACTORS REGULATING COMMUNITIES

Meiofauna is a group of heterotrophic organisms smaller than macroinvertebrates but larger than microfauna and characterized by groups such as testate amoebae, ciliates, and nematodes. They are a link between bacteria and resources and macroinvertebrates. However, tropical meiofauna is poorly studied; thus, our goal was to characterize meiofaunal community composition and...

Trophic Structure of the Aquatic Macroinvertebrates Community in Streams from Colombian Orinoquía

A characterization of the trophic groups of the invertebrate communities in three streams and channels of the alluvial plains of the Colombian Orinoquia is presented. The sampling of the communities was carried out in three streams during July (2016), October (2016), and January (2017). Physicochemical [temperature (°C), dissolved oxygen (mg l-1 O2), pH, conductivity (µS cm-1...

Effect of physical-chemical variables on the aquatic Coleoptera community in a Coastal Wetland, Lima, Peru

Pantanos de Villa (RVSLPV) is the only coastal wetland located within the urban area of Lima that is recognized as a Ramsar site. Little is known about the diversity of macroinvertebrates that inhabit the area and what environmental factors influence them. The objective of this study was to determine the composition of the community of aquatic beetles and evaluate their...

Modeling the predator-prey relationship for the macroinvertebrate community on the shore of Lake Tota

High Andean lakes are ecosystems affected by multiple anthropogenic pressures that alter water quality and biotic communities, and aquatic macroinvertebrates are excellent bioindicators for these ecosystems. The present work analyzes the dynamics of the macroinvertebrate community associated with Egeria densa, the relationship with physicochemical variables, biotic indices, and...

A review of participatory aquatic biomonitoring in Latin America and the Caribbean

Participatory aquatic biomonitoring in Latin America and the Caribbean is still in the initial stage. This article reviews the experiences registered by researchers and those interested in the subject, who attended the survey disseminated by the Macrolatinos@ network, in addition to expanding the information through consultation with different sources. Most of the experiences...

Parasitic helminths of Halichoeres bivittatus (Pisces: Labridae) from the southwestern Gulf of México

A total of 326 parasitic helminths were obtained from 94 specimens of Halichoeres bivittatus (Pisces: Labridae) at two sites in the reef zone at the limits of the Veracruz Reef System National Park, Veracruz, Mexico, southwestern Gulf of Mexico: Punta Gorda (n = 51) and Mata de Uva (n = 43). Fish were caught from May to September 2001. Each sample was examined at the levels of...

Nota editorial

RECORD OF Hemidactylus agrius (GEKKONIDAE) IN THE DIET OF Thamnodynastes phoenix (DIPSADIDAE) IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

Information on snake diet is scarce, being obtained from specimens deposited in scientific collections or through occasional records. Thamnodynastes species have a generalist diet, although predominantly batracophagus. Thamnodynastes phoenix is an endemic snake in Brazil, which was described recently, and little is known about its ecology. Herein, we report the first record of...