Resumo: Phloeophana longirostris e uma especie de percevejo pertencente aos Phloeidae, uma pequena familia de insetos tropicais. Sao organismos de habito fitofago, que vivem camuflados sobre o tronco de suas plantas hospedeiras, se assemelhando a liquens. Esse trabalho reune, com base em dezoito meses de estudo na Serra do Japi, observacoes naturalisticas da historia natural e biologia da especie. Tambem foram investigadas a estrutura e a biologia populacional de P. longirostris, e se ha correlacao dos parametros populacionais com os fatores climáticos precipitação e temperatura. Os individuos de P. longirostris foram encontrados em areas de mata, somente sobre arvores de Croton floribundus Spreng (Euphorbiaceae), em locais com ocorrencia de liquens. Sua defesa e primariamente baseada em sua camuflagem nas arvores hospedeiras, e formigas Crematogaster spp. foram os principais predadores de P. longirostris ao longo do estudo. A especie apresenta cuidado maternal, com a protecao dos ovos e das ninfas, que ficam sob o abdomen materno ate pouco depois da primeira ecdise. O crescimento das ninfas e lento, e estas apresentam cinco instares ate atingirem a fase adulta. Na fase adulta ha dimorfismo entre machos e femeas, e as femeas sao maiores que os machos. A estrutura da populacao de P. longirostris variou ao longo do estudo, e a especie apresentou um padrão sazonal, com o periodo reprodutivo ocorrendo na estacao quente e chuvosa. A abundancia de individuos nao foi correlacionada a precipitacao total mensal e a temperatura media mensal. Houve somente correlacao entre a abundancia de individuos e o instar de desenvolvimento em todos os meses. A distribuicao vertical de ninfas e adultos tambem nao foram relacionados a precipitacao total mensal e a temperatura media mensal. Os adultos apresentaram distribuição vertical superior a das ninfas. Esse foi o primeiro estudo sobre a historia natural e ecologia de P. longirostris. Ver menos

Abstract: Phloeophana longirostris is a true-bug species which belongs to the Phloeidae, a small family of tropical insects. It is a lichen-like phytophagous species which lives camouflaged on its host plants' trunk. This study presents information on this species biology, natural history and naturalistic observations gathered during an eighteen-month study in Serra do Japi. P. longirostris population biology was also investigated specially regarding the correlation between population parameters with climatic factors such as temperature and rainfall. The P. longirostris individuals were found only in forest areas, exclusively on Croton floribundus Spreng (Euphorbiaceae) trees, in sites where lichens also occurred. This species main defense is the camouflage on its host tree. Crematogaster spp. (Formicidae) were P. longirostris' main predators during the study. This species presents maternal care with the protection of eggs and nymphs, which remain under the female's abdomen a bit after the first molt. The nymphs' growth is slow and presents five instars before the adult stage. In the adult stage there is sexual dimorphism between male and female individuals, and females are bigger than males. P. longirostris' population structure was variable throughout the study and presented a seasonal pattern, with the reproductive period in Serra do Japi's rainy season. The individuals' abundance was not correlated with the total monthly precipitation and with the average temperature. There was only a correlation between the individuals' abundance and the development instar in all of the months considered. The vertical distribution of nymphs and adults was not related too with the total monthly precipitation and with the average temperature. The adult individuals presented a superior vertical distribution in relation to the nymphs. This was the first study on P. longirostris' ecology and natural history. Ver menos