Where and why? Bees,snail shells and climate: Distribution of Rhodanthidium (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in the Iberian Peninsula

Species distribution patterns are widely studied through species distribution models (SDMs), focusing mostly on climatic variables. Joint species distribution models (JSDMs) allow inferring if other factors (biotic interactions, shared phylogenetic history or other unmeasured variables) can also have an influence on species distribution. We identified current distributional areas and optimal suitability areas of three species of the solitary snail‐shell bee Rhodanthidium (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), and their host gastropod species in the Iberian Peninsula. We undertook SDMs using Maxent software, based on presence points and climatic variables. We also undertook JSDMs for the bees and the snails to infer if co‐occurrence could be a result of biotic interactions. We found that the three bee species: (1) use at least five different species of Mediterranean snails; (2) use empty shells not only for nesting but also for sheltering when there is adverse weather and during the night; (3) have their most suitable areas in the eastern and southern Iberian Peninsula, mostly on limestone areas; and (4) have their optimal range under Mediterranean climatic values for the studied variables. There is positive co‐occurrence of Rhodanthidium with the gastropod species, especially with the snail Sphincterochila candidissima. The contribution of the environmental component to the co‐occurrence is less than that of the residual component in those cases, suggesting that: (i) the use of biotic resources (between Rhodanthidium and the gastropod species); (ii) shared phylogenetic history (between R. septemdentatum and R. sticticum); or (iii) unmeasured variables are largely responsible for co‐occurrence.     

Changes in Pyrenean woodlands as a result of the intensity of human exploitation: 2,000 years of metallurgy in Vallferrera, northeast Iberian Peninsula

This research is based on the discovery of a large number of charcoal kiln sites and abandoned iron mines in Vallferrera (Axial Pyrenees, northeastern Spain). The study reveals that this region has been affected by the metal mining and smelting industry for at least 2,000 years, with maximum intensity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, followed by abandonment of the activity. The region’s woodland dendrochronology and historical records indicate that exploitation of wood charcoal for metalworking affected the past vegetation in the area and impeded the development of mature woodland. Our findings suggest that the greatest changes in vegetation and landscape history occurred at times of particular specialization in socioeconomic activities.

Wild food plants and minor crops in the Ripollès district (Catalonia,Iberian Peninsula): potentialities for developing a local production,consumption and exchange program

Background

Wild food plants (WFP) have always been consumed by humans, first as the main basis of their food and, since the origins of agriculture, as ingredients of normal diets or as an alternative during situations of scarcity. In contemporary industrialized societies their use is for the most part being abandoned, but they may still play an important role. With the purpose of advancing in the ethnobotanical knowledge of one region of the Catalan Pyrenees, the present study reports the findings of a research project conducted in the Ripollès district (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula), concerning ethnobotanical knowledge and use of wild and semi-wild vascular plants as foods, along with minor crops.

Methods

From August 2004 to July 2014, we performed 104 interviews (93 of which yielded data on food plants) with 163 informants, using the method of semi-structured ethnobotanical interview. We identified the plants quoted and kept herbarium vouchers.

Results

We detected 967 use reports for 80 wild or naturalized taxa, which are or have been consumed in the Ripollès district, the most cited being Taraxacum dissectum, Cynara cardunculus and Origanum vulgare. Certain frequently reported species such as Molopospermum peloponnesiacum and Taraxacum dissectum have only been rarely cited previously or indicated as food plant in very restricted geographical areas. Most cited families included Asteraceae and Lamiaceae, followed by Rosaceae and Apiaceae. Preferred consumed plant parts included leaves, followed by aerial parts, along with fruits and infructescences, while most wild food plants are eaten raw or used as condiments. Demographic factors such as age and locality of informants seem to be more relevant to wild food plant knowledge than gender. Middle-aged people and inhabitants from the Higher Freser River Valley seem to have a greater knowledge of WFP, both in relation to the number of species elicited, as well as the diversity of uses and preparations. To a lesser degree, women seem to have a slightly higher WFP knowledge than men. The consumption of these resources is still fairly alive amongst the populace, yet changes affecting younger generations–in most cases abandonment–have been reported by various participants.

Conclusion

The information provided by this kind of research permits the detection of those traditional species that could constitute the basis for the future development and management of wild edible plant resources along with minor crops. It also helps to determine the factors affecting their use, as well as the distinct target groups that such programmes could be addressed to.

     

Food supply for waders (Aves: Charadrii) in an estuarine area in the Bay of Cádiz (SW Iberian Peninsula)

We studied the composition, density, size distribution and biomass of the food supply for waders in an estuarine area in the Bay of Cádiz (SW Iberian Peninsula), in winter (January-February) and in the pre-migratory period (late March). The estuarine area comprises an intertidal mudflat and an adjacent salina or salt-pan. On the intertidal mudflat, the biomass was 53 and 37 g  AFDW.m^-2in winter and the pre-migratory period, respectively. The main food source on mudflat was the polychaete Nereis diversicolor (44–54 % of the total biomass). On the other hand, the biomass in the salina was comparatively very poor, ranging from 0.008 to 0.079 g  AFDW.m^-2in winter and ranging from 0.011 to 0.09 g AFDW in late March. The main source of food in the salina was the crustacean Artemia. The total biomass on the mudflat during the pre-migratory period was 1.4 times lower than in February. This depletion could be caused by wader predation, mainly by Nereis diversicolor consumption. Although the potential food on the mudflats could allow high intertidal densities of waders, the availability of high tide foraging areas in the salina seems to contribute to the maintenance of these high intertidal densities.     

Genomic population structure of freshwater‐resident and anadromous ide (Leuciscus idus) in north‐western Europe

Climate change experts largely agree that future climate change and associated rises in oceanic water levels over the upcoming decades, will affect marine salinity levels. The subsequent effects on fish communities in estuarine ecosystems however, are less clear. One species that is likely to become increasingly affected by changes in salinity is the ide (Leuciscus idus). The ide is a stenohaline freshwater fish that primarily inhabits rivers, with frequent anadromous behavior when sea salinity does not exceed 15%. Unlike most other anadromous Baltic Sea fish species, the ide has yet to be subjected to large‐scale stocking programs, and thus provides an excellent opportunity for studying the natural population structure across the current salinity gradient in the Danish Belts. To explore this, we used Genotyping‐by‐Sequencing to determine genomic population structure of both freshwater resident and anadromous ide populations in the western Baltic Sea region, and relate the results to the current salinity gradient and the demographic history of ide in the region. The sample sites separate into four clusters, with all anadromous populations in one cluster and the freshwater resident populations in the remaining three. Results demonstrate high level of differentiation between sites hosting freshwater resident populations, but little differentiation among anadromous populations. Thus ide exhibit the genomic population structure of both a typical freshwater species, and a typical anadromous species. In addition to providing a first insight into the population structure of north‐western European ide, our data also (1) provide indications of a single illegal introduction by man; (2) suggest limited genetic effects of heavy pollution in the past; and (3) indicate possible historical anadromous behavior in a now isolated freshwater population.     

A new recent genus and species of three‐toed jerboas (Rodentia: Dipodinae) from China: A living fossil?

The new recent genus and species of three‐toed jerboas (Rodentia: Dipodinae), from southern Ningxia, China, is described. This form demonstrated a unique mixture of external, cranial, and dental characters that individually are typical for one or another of all known genera of Dipodinae. Based on morphological characters, it is recovered as the part of Dipodinae tree, distinct from all other members due to its unique combination of morphological characters, and appears to be a nearly ideal living ancestor of all other dipodines. In contrast to morphology, the molecular data indicate a relatively young age for this lineage and consistently place it as the sister group to Stylodipus. The results of the molecular clock analysis suggest that the separation of the two lineages dates back to the Early Pliocene or the Pliocene/Miocene boundary. The estimated geographic range of the new form seems extremely small. The conservational status of the new species remains to be determined; however, the available information suggests that it requires protection.     

Patterns of acoustic variation in Cicada barbara Stål (Hemiptera, Cicadoidea) from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco

Field recordings of the calling song and of an amplitude modulated signal produced by males of Cicada barbara from North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula were analysed in order to assess the geographical acoustic variation and the potential usefulness of acoustic data in the discrimination of subspecies and populations. Sound recordings were digitized and the frequency and temporal properties of the calls of each cicada were analysed. In all regions studied, peak frequency, quartiles 25, 50 and 75% and syllable rate showed low coefficients of variation suggesting inherent static properties. All frequency variables were correlated with the latitude, decreasing from south to north. In addition, most acoustic variables of the calling song showed significant differences between regions, and PCA and DFA analyses supported a partitioning within this species between Iberian Peninsula+Ceuta and Morocco, corroborating mtDNA data on the same species. Therefore, the subspecific division of C. barbara into C. barbara barbara from Morocco and C. barbara lusitanica from Portugal, Spain and Ceuta finds support from the present acoustic analyses, a result which is also reinforced by molecular markers.     

Genetic diversity and population structure of Culex modestus across Europe: does recent appearance in the United Kingdom reveal a tendency for geographical spread?

In mainland Europe, the mosquito species Culex modestus Ficalbi (1890) is a bridge vector for West Nile virus (WNV) from its natural bird-mosquito cycle to mammals. The present study assessed the genetic diversity of Cx. modestus, as well as related Culex species, using the mitochondrial COI DNA barcoding region and compared this with the population structure across Europe. A haplotype network was mapped to determine genealogical relationships among specimens. The intraspecific genetic diversity within individual Culex species was below 2%, whereas the interspecific genetic divergence varied from 2.99% to 13.74%. In total, 76 haplotypes were identified among 198 sequences. A median-joining network determined from 198 COI sequences identified two major lineages that were separated by at least four mutation steps. A high level of intraspecific genetic diversity was not detected in Cx. modestus in samples submitted from different European populations, which indicates that morphologically identified specimens represent a single species and not a species complex. Therefore, it is deduced that different populations of Cx. modestus will show a similar potential to transmit WNV, lending support to concerns that the population present in southeast England represents a risk of transmission to humans.     

Studies on the Genus Annitella Klapálek (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae: Chaetopterygini) in the Iberian Peninsula

Three new Annitella species (Trichoptera, Limnephilidae, Chaetopterygini) from the Iberian Peninsula, Annitella amelia sp.n. (Portugal), A. cabeza sp.n. (Spain) and A. lalomba sp.n. (Spain) are described. Psilopteryx (Acropsilopteryx) esparraguera Schmid, 1952 and Psilopteryx sanabriensis Gonzales and Otero, 1985 are transferred to the genus Annitella. Brief decriptions and illustrations of these species and of the related species A. pyrenaea (Navás, 1930) are given. A sketch map of the distribution of the Annitella species in the Iberian Peninsula is included.     

A life in the surf zone: Age and feeding habits of the pompano (Trachinotus ovatus,Linnaeus, 1758) on the beaches of the Gulf of Cádiz (south-west Iberian Peninsula)

Surf zones are crucial habitats for many fish species, where they spend the initial stages of their lives, finding food and shelter. One such species is the pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). The aim of this study was to examine the age and diet of the pompano within the surf zone, along with any potential variations in the environment. The average size of the specimens was 10.61 ± 4.91 cm. The length–weight relationship was total weight (TW) = 0.0136*total length (TL)^2.8512 (parameter a: 95% C.I. : 0.0130–0.0142 and parameter b: 95% C.I. : 2.8318–2.8705). The most abundant age classes were 0+ and 1+, making up 97% of the captured specimens, with significant differences in the abundance of age classes depending on the time of the day and season. The pompano primarily fed on clupeiforms, copepods, and mysids, with significant variations in diet based on the time of the day, season, and size of the specimens. This study contributes new information about the use of the surf zone by T. ovatus in its early years of life, underscoring the importance of these areas and their role as an additional ecosystem service.     

Hybridization versus conservation: are domestic cats threatening the genetic integrity of wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) in Iberian Peninsula?

Cross-breeding between wild and free-ranging domestic species is one of the main conservation problems for some threatened species. The situation of wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) in Europe is a good example of this critical phenomenon. Extensive hybridization was described in Hungary and Scotland, contrasting with occasional interbreeding in Italy and Germany. First analyses in Portugal revealed a clear genetic differentiation between wild and domestic cats; however, four hybrids were detected. Here, we extended the approach to Iberian Peninsula using multivariate and Bayesian analyses of multilocus genotypes for 44 Portuguese wildcats, 31 Spanish wildcats and 109 domestic cats. Globally, wild and domestic cats were significantly differentiated (FST=0.20, p<0.001) and clustered into two discrete groups. Diverse clustering methods and assignment criteria identified an additional hybrid in Portugal, performing a total of five admixed individuals. The power of admixture analyses was assessed by simulating hybrid genotypes, which revealed that used microsatellites were able to detect 100, 91 and 85% of first-generation hybrids, second-generation genotypes and backcrosses, respectively. These findings suggest that the true proportion of admixture can be higher than the value estimated in this study and that the improvement of genetic tools for hybrids detection is crucial for wildcat conservation.     

A new genus and species of Eulophidae (Hymenoptera:Chalcidoidea) parasitizing Hyphantria cunea(Drury) (Lepidoptera:Arctiidae) in China

In the spring of 1985, a species of chaicid wasps was reared from the pupae of fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea (Drury) (Lepidoptera:Arctiidae) during myinvestigation on the parasitoids of this introduced harmful insect pest inShaanxi Province, China. With high parasitic ratio (over 80 percent) and a largenumber of individuals (over 200 were usually reared from a single pupa of the     

Can differential predation of native and alien corixids explain the success of Trichocorixa verticalis verticalis (Hemiptera,Corixidae) in the Iberian Peninsula?

Statolith trace elemental concentrations can be used as natural tracers to better understand life history and stock structure of squid. A highly variable Humboldt squid population was targeted to determine if ontogenic patterns could be revealed and to compare variations among squid collected from three geographic areas. Statoliths from Humboldt squid collected off Westport, WA; Oceanside, CA; and the Galapagos Islands were sampled for ten trace elements using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Similar patterns were found for some elements despite geographic collection site distances indicating a potential to explain ontogenic shifts experienced by this species. Other elements displayed high variation in spatial pattern, which suggests the potential to distinguish among the squid collected from the three geographic regions and better understand stock structure. Within the California and Washington squid, eight of the elements varied in relation to calcium across the statolith with only yttrium and zirconium remaining statistically invariant. In addition to these two elements, copper and zinc also did not vary significantly across the statoliths collected from Galapagos squid. All elements demonstrate potential to influence a multivariate elemental fingerprint, which may provide a useful measure of population discrimination needed for stock assessment.     

Taxonomy of subgenus Temnoclemmys Bergounioux, 1958 (Testudines: Geoemydidae: Ptychogasterinae) based on new material from the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula)

The taxonomy of the freshwater turtle subgenus Ptychogaster (Temnoclemmys) (Testudines, Geoemydidae, Ptychogasterinae) is revised based on new and previously-published material from the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula). Additional remains of subgenus Ptychogaster, first reported from this basin, are also described. Although the oldest remains of Temnoclemmys are left unassigned, most of the available remains are attributed to its type species, Ptychogaster (Temnoclemmys) batalleri, originally described from the Late Miocene (MN9 and MN10) of this basin. The new material expands the chronostratigraphic range of P. batalleri in the Vallès-Penedès Basin back to the MN7 + 8 and shows that “Testudo” celonica is its junior synonym. Emended diagnoses for Ptychogaster and Temnoclemmys are also provided.     

Biology and natural enemies of Cydalima perspectalis in Asia: Is there biological control potential in Europe?

The box tree moth, Cydalima perspectalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), a native pest of box trees (Buxus spp.) in Asia, was first detected in Germany and the Netherlands in 2007 and has since rapidly spread throughout Europe causing severe damage to ornamental and native box trees. To date, sustainable control strategies for C. perspectalis in Europe are lacking, primarily owing to the inadequate information regarding the biology and the ecology of this recent invader. Several studies conducted in Asia, however, may provide important information for the development of management strategies against C. perspectalis, which are urgently needed to preserve the natural box tree forests in Europe. The current literatures on the biological characteristics, host plants, phenology, distribution and control options of the box tree moth in Asia are reviewed, preliminary data on the parasitism of C. perspectalis in Europe are provided, and options for sustainable long‐term solutions for the management of the invasive pest in Europe are discussed.     

The scimitar-toothed cat Machairodus aphanistus (Carnivora: Felidae) in the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula)

Here, we revise all the published and unpublished scimitar-toothed cat remains from the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula), in order to confirm their taxonomic attribution to Machairodus aphanistus as well as to provide more precise information about its chronological distribution in this basin. The studied material (including dentognathic as well as postcranial remains) comes from the following localities: Can Mata indeterminate (late MN7+8 or MN9), Creu Conill 22 (MN9), Can Poncic 1 (MN9), Can Llobateres 1 (MN9), Santiga (MN9), La Tarumba 1 (MN10), Viladecavalls (MN10), Ronda Oest Sabadell ROS-D3 (MN10), and Torrent de Febulines (MN10). Most of the studied material fits well with the morphologic and metrical features characteristic of the Vallesian species M. aphanistus, with the exception of the remains from Creu Conill 22 (an undescribed partial P4 formerly attributed to this taxon), which belongs in fact to a medium-sized hyaenid. From a biostratigraphic viewpoint, the removal of the Creu Conill material from the hypodigm of M. aphanistus has important implications, because this locality (11.1 Ma) was considered to record the first appearance datum of this taxon in the Vallès-Penedès Basin. However, the report of a previously unpublished talus from Can Mata (late MN7+8 or MN9) indicates that this taxon was present in this basin at least by the earliest Vallesian. Therefore, our results indicate that the first appearance datum of Machairodus in the Vallès-Penedès Basin might be somewhat younger than previously assumed, although dating uncertainties for the Can Mata remains preclude a more precise assessment. In contrast, the new mandibular remains from ROS-D3 (MN10) are likely coeval with those from La Tarumba 1, with the last appearance datum of M. aphanistus in the Vallès-Penedès Basin corresponding to Torrent de Febulines (ca. 9.1 Ma). The postcranial material described from various Vallès-Penedès localities further indicates that M. aphanistus displayed less cursorial adaptations than its purported descendant Homotherium.     

Host range of Lepidelphax pistiae (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) and its potential impact on Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae)

Pistia stratiotes L. (Araceae) is a floating aquatic plant that has become invasive in Florida. It is primarily controlled with herbicides, but two biocontrol agents have previously been released to assist in management of this species. A new potential biocontrol agent from Argentina, Lepidelphax pistiae Remes Lenicov (Hemiptera: Delphacidae), has been evaluated comprehensively for specificity after initial host range studies done in its native range indicated that it is likely specific to P. stratiotes. Host range studies indicated that this insect is specific to P. stratiotes, with no survival or reproduction occurring on any of the 42 other plant species tested. Impact studies indicated that this insect can significantly damage P. stratiotes at medium and high population densities, which were comparable to those seen in its native range. Lepidelphax pistiae is sufficiently specific enough to warrant release and has a high probability of aiding management of P. stratiotes populations in Florida.     

The spread of agriculture in northern Iberia: new archaeobotanical data from El Mirón cave (Cantabria) and the open-air site of Los Cascajos (Navarra)

This paper presents archaeobotanical results from the Neolithic levels (5,300–4,000 b.c.) of two recently excavated sites in northern Iberia: El Mirón cave (Cantabria) and the open-air site of Los Cascajos (Navarra). A cereal grain from El Mirón is currently the earliest domesticated plant remain from this region. Despite the large number of samples examined, plant remains are few. They include basically cereals (Triticum monococcum, T. dicoccum, T. aestivum/durum/turgidum and Hordeum vulgare) and some nuts and fruits (Corylus avellana, Quercus sp., Vitis sp., etc.). The presence of free-threshing wheats at El Mirón opens up an interesting subject for debate, as until now naked wheats have been absent from the early Neolithic archaeobotanical record of the coastal Cantabrian region. Hulled wheat chaff is the main plant component from Los Cascajos, south of the Cantabrian Cordillera in Navarra, indicating waste from processing activities. The association of barley almost exclusively with both a burial and a ritual vase in Los Cascajos could be related specific rituals or ceremonies.