Census of breeding birds and population trends of the Dupont’s lark Chersophilus duponti in eastern Spain

We present the results of a breeding census of Dupont’s Lark carried out in the Autonomous Community of Valencia in 2011 using the mapping method and an analysis of the recent trend for this population. The population was estimated at 44-47 males, located in five habitat patches of the Rincón de Ademuz, in zones where the species had been detected previously. Density in these patches fits within values expected according to the relation between patch size and density found in the populations of the nearby provinces. Comparison to previous studies reveals that population of Valencia has suffered an annual decline rate of around 10% on average, thus the implementation of a conservation plan is required to ensure the survival of the species in the study area.

Evidence of different thermoregulatory mechanisms between two sympatric Scarabaeus species using infrared thermography and micro-computer tomography

In endotherms insects, the thermoregulatory mechanisms modulate heat transfer from the thorax to the abdomen to avoid overheating or cooling in order to obtain a prolonged flight performance. Scarabaeus sacer and S. cicatricosus, two sympatric species with the same habitat and food preferences, showed daily temporal segregation with S. cicatricosus being more active during warmer hours of the day in opposition to S. sacer who avoid it. In the case of S. sacer, their endothermy pattern suggested an adaptive capacity for thorax heat retention. In S. cicatricosus, an active ‘heat exchanger’ mechanism was suggested. However, no empirical evidence had been documented until now. Thermographic sequences recorded during flight performance showed evidence of the existence of both thermoregulatory mechanisms. In S. sacer, infrared sequences showed a possible heat insulator (passive thermal window), which prevents heat transfer from meso- and metathorax to the abdomen during flight. In S. cicatricosus, infrared sequences revealed clear and effective heat flow between the thorax and abdomen (abdominal heat transfer) that should be considered the main mechanism of thermoregulation. This was related to a subsequent increase in abdominal pumping (as a cooling mechanism) during flight. Computer microtomography scanning, anatomical dissections and internal air volume measurements showed two possible heat retention mechanisms for S. sacer; the abdominal air sacs and the development of the internal abdominal sternites that could explain the thermoregulation between thorax and abdomen. Our results suggest that interspecific interactions between sympatric species are regulated by very different mechanisms. These mechanisms create unique thermal niches for the different species, thereby preventing competition and modulating spatio-temporal distribution and the composition of dung beetle assemblages.

Breaking down complex saproxylic communities: understanding sub-networks structure and implications to network robustness

Saproxylic insect communities inhabiting tree hollow microhabitats correspond with large food webs which simultaneously are constituted by multiple types of plant-animal and animal-animal interactions, according to the use of trophic resources (wood- and insect-dependent sub-networks), or to trophic habits or interaction types (xylophagous, saprophagous, xylomycetophagous, predators and commensals). We quantitatively assessed which properties of specialised networks were present in a complex networks involving different interacting types such as saproxylic community, and how they can be organised in trophic food webs. The architecture, interacting patterns and food web composition were evaluated along sub-networks, analysing their implications to network robustness from random and directed extinction simulations. A structure of large and cohesive modules with weakly connected nodes was observed throughout saproxylic sub-networks, composing the main food webs constituting this community. Insect-dependent sub-networks were more modular than wood-dependent sub-networks. Wood-dependent sub-networks presented higher species degree, connectance, links, linkage density, interaction strength, and were less specialised and more aggregated than insect-dependent sub-networks. These attributes defined high network robustness in wood-dependent sub-networks. Finally, our results emphasise the relevance of modularity, differences among interacting types and interrelations among them in modelling the structure of saproxylic communities and in determining their stability.

Acorn consumption improves the immune response of the dung beetle Thorectes lusitanicus

Thorectes lusitanicus, a typically coprophagous species is also actively attracted to oak acorns, consuming, burying them, and conferring ecophysiological and reproductive advantages to both the beetle and the tree. In this study, we explored the possible relation between diet shift and the health status of T. lusitanicus using a generalist entomopathogenic fungus (Metarhizium anisopliae) as a natural pathogen. To measure the health condition and immune response of beetles, we analysed the protein content in the haemolymph, prophenoloxidase (proPO) content, phenoloxidase (PO) activity and mortality of beetles with diets based on either acorns or cow dung. Protein content, proPO levels and PO levels in the haemolymph of T. lusitanicus were found to be dependent on the type of diet. Furthermore, the beetles fed with acorns developed a more effective proPO-PO system than the beetles fed with cow dung. Furthermore, a significant decrease in mortality was observed when infected individuals were submitted to an acorn-based diet. In addition to enhancing an understanding of the relevance of dietary change to the evolutionary biology of dung beetles, these results provide a more general understanding of the ecophysiological implications of differential dietary selection in the context of fitness.

The comparative effectiveness of rodents and dung beetles as local seed dispersers in Mediterranean oak forests

The process of seed dispersal of many animal-dispersed plants is frequently mediated by a small set of biotic agents. However, the contribution that each of these dispersers makes to the overall recruitment may differ largely, with important ecological and management implications for the population viability and dynamics of the species implied in these interactions. In this paper, we compared the relative contribution of two local guilds of scatter-hoarding animals with contrasting metabolic requirements and foraging behaviours (rodents and dung beetles) to the overall recruitment of two Quercus species co-occurring in the forests of southern Spain. For this purpose, we considered not only the quantity of dispersed seeds but also the quality of the seed dispersal process. The suitability for recruitment of the microhabitats where the seeds were deposited was evaluated in a multi-stage demographic approach. The highest rates of seed handling and predation occurred in those microhabitats located under shrubs, mostly due to the foraging activity of rodents. However, the probability of a seed being successfully cached was higher in microhabitats located beneath a tree canopy as a result of the feeding behaviour of beetles. Rodents and beetles showed remarkable differences in their effectiveness as local acorn dispersers. Quantitatively, rodents were much more important than beetles because they dispersed the vast majority of acorns. However, they were qualitatively less effective because they consumed a high proportion of them (over 95%), and seeds were mostly dispersed under shrubs, a less suitable microhabitat for short-term recruitment of the two oak species. Our findings demonstrate that certain species of dung beetles (such as Thorectes lusitanicus), despite being quantitatively less important than rodents, can act as effective local seed dispersers of Mediterranean oak species. Changes in the abundance of beetle populations could thus have profound implications for oak recruitment and community dynamics.

Molecules, wing pattern and distribution: an approach to species delimitation in the "loxurina group" (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Penaincisalia)

The wide range of morphological variations in the “loxurina group” makes taxa identification difficult, and despite several reviews, serious taxonomical confusion remains. We make use of DNA data in conjunction with morphological appearance and available information on species distribution to delimit the boundaries of the “loxurina” group species previously established based on morphology. A fragment of 635 base pairs within the mtDNA gene cytochrome oxidase I (COI) was analysed for seven species of the “loxurina group”. Phylogenetic relationships among the included taxa were inferred using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods. Penaincisalia sigsiga (Bálint et al), P. cillutincarae (Draudt), P. atymna (Hewitson) and P. loxurina (C. Felder & R. Felder) were easily delimited as the morphological, geographic and molecular data were congruent. Penaincisalia ludovica (Bálint & Wojtusiak) and P. loxurina astillero (Johnson) represent the same entity and constitute a sub-species of P. loxurina. However, incongruence among morphological, genetic, and geographic data is shown in P. chachapoya (Bálint & Wojtusiak) and P. tegulina (Bálint et al). Our results highlight that an integrative approach is needed to clarify the taxonomy of these neotropical taxa, but more genetic and geographical studies are still required.

Sampling scarab beetles in tropical forests: the effect of light source and night sampling periods

Light traps have been used widely to sample insect abundance and diversity, but their performance for sampling scarab beetles in tropical forests based on light source type and sampling hours throughout the night has not been evaluated. The efficiency of mercury-vapour lamps, cool white light and ultraviolet light sources in attracting Dynastinae, Melolonthinae and Rutelinae scarab beetles, and the most adequate period of the night to carry out the sampling was tested in different forest areas of Costa Rica. Our results showed that light source wavelengths and hours of sampling influenced scarab beetle catches. No significant differences were observed in trap performance between the ultraviolet light and mercury-vapour traps, whereas these two methods caught significantly more species richness and abundance than cool white light traps. Species composition also varied between methods. Large differences appear between catches in the sampling period, with the first five hours of the night being more effective than the last five hours. Because of their high efficiency and logistic advantages, we recommend ultraviolet light traps deployed during the first hours of the night as the best sampling method for biodiversity studies of those scarab beetles in tropical forests.

On nomenclature and identity of Scarabaeus aeruginosus Linnaeus, S. aeruginosus Drury and S. speciosissimus Scopoli (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea: Cetoniinae and Rutelinae)

The valid name for the largest European species of Cetoniinae is Protaetia speciosissima (Scopoli, 1786), with Protaetia aeruginosa (Medvedev, 1964) as a junior synonym. The specimen illustrated by Scopoli in the original description is designated as the lectotype of Scarabaeus speciosissimus Scopoli, 1786. Since the lectotype is lost, a neotype from Piedmont, Italy, is designated and deposited in the Museo Civico di Storia Naturale Carmagnola, Italy. The name Scarabaeus aeruginosus Drury, 1773 is unavailable since Drury did not describe a new species but misidentified Scarabaeus aeruginosus Linné, 1767. A specimen figured by Gronovius in 1764 and cited by Linné is designated as the lectotype of Scarabaeus aeruginosus Linné, 1767. This species remains dubious, but it can be assigned to the ruteline subtribe Anticheirina.

Elysia timida (Risso, 1818) three decades of research

During the last 30 years, studies on Elysia timida (Risso, 1818) have addressed various aspects related to food sources, photosynthetic efficiency of kleptoplasts, population genetics, chemical ecology and reproductive biology, both in the Mediterranean Sea and in the Mar Menor coastal lagoon. E. timida shows a strong specific interaction with Acetabularia acetabulum, retaining functional chloroplasts for at least 45 days and obtaining extra energy in periods when food resources are scarce. It shows control of parapodia, avoiding pigment photodestruction under oversaturated light conditions. The chemical ecological relationships established between E. timida and its potential predator fish, Thalassoma pavo, have also been evaluated, and it has been found that that the extracts of the mollusc contain repellent and unpalatable polypropionate compounds. Population genetics has demonstrated the genetic divergence between populations showing high and significant values of FST and genetic distances, and at least six privative alleles that are not shared with Mediterranean populations have been detected in lagoon populations. This sacoglossan is a poecilogonic species, and its lagoon populations show a greater reproductive output than Mediterranean populations; they produce a greater number of egg masses and embyros per individual, and the capsules have a wider diameter.

Polychaete distribution pattern on the Valencian Community coast, Spanish Mediterranean

Changes in benthic community structure are strongly related to environmental factors, and we need to determine how these natural changes occur in order to interpret the possible changes associated with anthropogenic impacts. The aim of this survey was to characterize and classify the polychaete assemblages inhabiting unpolluted soft bottoms in the Spanish Mediterranean in relation to environmental factors. Thirteen localities were sampled at depths between 9 and 31 m, from 2004 to 2006. Multivariate techniques showed that the structure of polychaete assemblages detected in 2004 was consistent over time and correlations between polychaetes and environmental factors were detected. The study area comprises four kinds of communities mainly characterized by polychaete assemblages, sediment types, and depth.

New Mediterranean Biodiversity Records (June 2012)

The present work reports on the extended distribution of nineteen species in the Mediterranean. These are: Upeneus pori (Fish:Turkey), Bursatella leachii (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia: eastern coast of Spain), Sparisoma cretense (Fish: Ionian coast of Greece), Pseudobryopsis myura (Chlorophyta:Turkey), Aplysia dactylomela (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia: Karpathos island, and Kyklades Archipelago, Greece), Asparagopsis armata and Botryocladia madagascariensis (Rhodophyta: South Peloponnesos, Greece), Oxynotus centrina (Fish: Greece), Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea (Chlorophyta ), Stypopodium schimperi (Phaeophyta ) Siganus luridus and Stephanolepis diaspros (Fish) Percnon gibbesi (Decapoda, Brachyura) (Kyklades Archipelago, Greece), Cerithium scabridum (Mollusca, Prosobranchia: Anavissos: Greece) and Cerithium renovatum (Mollusca, Prosobranchia: N. Κriti), Cassiopea andromeda (Scyphomedusa: Rhodos Island, Greece), Abra tenuis (Mollusca Bivalvia: Vouliagmeni Lake, Greece) Lagocephalus lagocephalus (Fish: Calabrian coast, Italy) and Plocamopherus ocellatus (Mollusca, Opisthobranchia: İskenderun Bay, Turkey).

Checking the concurrence among macrobenthic organism distribution patterns at different taxonomic scales in relation to environmental factors

The interaction of both natural conditions and anthropogenic environmental impacts can lead to different soft-bottom macrobenthic distribution patterns. Soft-bottom macrobenthic community was analysed at different taxonomic scales in order to evaluate whether diverse subset of organisms respond to the variability of the environmental pressures (natural and human induced) showing or not similar distribution patterns. Therefore, this long-term survey had been focused on a heterogeneous area, where both anthropogenic and natural stress may affect the community. Three perpendicular transects to the coast were established and stations at 4, 10 and 15 m depths were sampled at each transect twice a year (summer- winter) from 2004 to 2009. Non-parametric multivariate techniques were used to analyse soft-bottom macrobenthic community distribution and its relation to the environmental factors. Similar distribution patterns between investigated taxonomic levels were detected and they were mainly related to depth.

Colour morphotypes of Elysia timida (Sacoglossa, Gastropoda) are determined by light acclimation in food algae

Elysia timida (Risso, 1818) colonizing the shallow waters of the Mar Menor Lagoon (Spain) exhibit a brown and a green morph. It was hypothesised that these morphs were the result of feeding preferentially on brown and green algae, respectively. E. timida and its potential food sources, Acetabularia acetabulum (Chlorophyta) and Halopteris filicina (Heterokontophyta) were collected by snorkelling during April 2010. Photosynthetic pigments were analysed by HPLC, photo-physiological parameters were estimated by PAM fluorometry and body colour was characterized by spectral reflectance. Digital photography was used to count the number and area of red spots (small red dots on the slug’s surface) on the parapodia of the 2 morphs. In the laboratory, green E. timida was fed with A. acetabulum cultured under 2 light treatments (high light, 600 µmol E m−2 s−1 and low light, 40 µmol E m−2 s−1), and digital photography was used to monitor colour alterations in E. timida. Spectral reflectance confirmed the colour differences, but both morphs showed a pigment composition similar to the green alga A. acetabulum and showed none of the pigments present in the brown alga H. filicina, neither immediately after collection of the slugs in situ, nor after the feeding experiment. A. acetabulum grown under high light intensity changed from green to brown colour and E. timida changed to brown colour when fed with high-light acclimated A. acetabulum. Thus, E. timida colour differences could not be attributed to feeding on different algae groups but was likely the result of feeding on A. acetabulum growing under different light intensities.

Culturable aerobic and facultative bacteria from the gut of the polyphagic dung beetle Thorectes lusitanicus Jeckel

Unlike other dung beetles, the Iberian geotrupid Thorectes lusitanicus exhibits polyphagous behavior; for example, it is able to eat acorns, fungi, fruits, and carrion in addition to the dung of different mammals. This adaptation to digest a wider diet has physiological and developmental advantages and requires key changes in the composition and diversity of the beetle's gut microbiota. In this study, we isolated aerobic, facultative anaerobic, and aerotolerant microbiota amenable to grow in culture from the gut contents of T. lusitanicus and resolved isolate identity to the species level by sequencing 16S rRNA gene fragments. Using BLAST similarity searches and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses, we were able to reveal that the analyzed fraction (culturable, aerobic, facultative anaerobic, and aerotolerant) of beetle gut microbiota is dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria. Among Proteobacteria, members of the order Enterobacteriales (Gammaproteobacteria) were the most abundant. The main functions associated with the bacteria found in the gut of T. lusitanicus would likely include nitrogen fixation, denitrification, detoxification, and diverse defensive roles against pathogens.

La utilización de los insectos en la gastronomía, un taller nutritivo

En la tercera edición del curso “Investigando la biodiversidad: presente y futuro” organizado por el CIBIO (Universidad de Alicante), se ha querido dar un enfoque aún más práctico a través de diferentes talleres en los que los alumnos han podido aprender y participar de manera activa mediante actividades como: la edición digital de fotografía de la naturaleza, la historia y elaboración de herberos y la utilización de los insectos en la gastronomía. Sobre este último taller versa este artículo que resume las actividades realizadas durante el mismo después de que en la primera parte del taller se impartieran conocimientos de distinta índole sobre esta actividad.