The increase in the research of cetacean surveys on the Brazilian coast has brought new data on the distribution of species never reported before. The present work reviews the current knowledge on cetaceans species and extends this knowledge with an analysis of cetaceans stranded in the Parnaiba Delta, on the coast of Maranhão State, Brazil. The studies on cetacean diversity on the coast of the...

Among plants with proven medicinal properties, jaborandi (Pilocarpus microphyllus Stapf.) is ascribed priority in conservation programs (Vieira 1999). It is a Rutaceae shrubby tree that occurs in penumbra areas and, according to Skorupa (2000), is found in parts of the Amazon region, mainly in the East of the state of Pará, West and North of Maranhão and North of Piauí. Its leaves contain the i...

Protosilvius gurupisp. n. (Tabanidae, Pangoniinae) is described and illustrated based on seven female and 53 male specimens collected in the Amazonian region at Reserva Biológica Gurupi, Centro Novo do Maranhão municipality, northwest Maranhão, Brazil. This is the first record of Protosilvius in northern Brazil and in the Amazon Basin. An illustrated key to all Protosilvius species is also pres...

INTRODUCTION Malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax species has shown signs of severity, recorded with increasing frequency in the medical literature. This study aimed to characterize the signs of severe malaria by Plasmodium vivax in the State of Maranhão, Brazil. METHODS A descriptive cohort study of patients assisted in the field and a historical and concurrent study of a series of cases among...

C. F. Barsalobres-Cavallari, A. S. Petitot, F. E. Severino, I. G. Maia and D. Fernandez Résistance des Plantes aux Bioagresseurs, IRD, 911 Avenue d'Agropolis, BP64501, 34394, Montpellier, France Laboratório de Biotecnologia e Genética Molecular, IB, UNESP, 18618-000, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil Present address: Departamento de Química e Biologia, Centro de Educação, Ciências Exatas e Naturais, ...

Understanding the biodiversity of an area is the first step for establishing effective interventions for conservation, especially when it comes to herpetofauna, since 4.1% and 9.2%, respectively, of Brazilian amphibians and reptiles are endangered. The aim of this study is to identify the composition of the herpetofauna occurring in the Northwest Amazonian state of Maranhão, with a focus on the...