Diptera of forensic importance in the Iberian Peninsula: larval identification key

A revision of the species and families of sarcosaprophagous flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae, Sarcophagidae, Muscidae, Fanniidae, Drosophilidae, Phoridae, Piophilidae and Stratiomyidae) suitable for forensic purposes in the Iberian Peninsula is presented. Morphological characteristics that allow the accurate identification of third instars of the species present in the Iberian Peninsula are described and presented in the form of a diagnostic key. For larval Calliphoridae, characteristics such as the spines of the body segments were useful for the genus Calliphora whereas features of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were useful for larvae of Lucilia. Identification of three Chrysominae species present in the Iberian Peninsula is included. For larval Sarcophagidae, characters such as the arrangement and shape of spiracular openings, structures of the anal segment and the cephalopharyngeal skeleton were used for the first time. A new record of Sarcophaga cultellata Pandellé, from a human corpse, is also included as well as recent incursions into the European cadaveric entomofauna such as Synthesiomyia nudiseta (van der Wulp) and Hermetia illucens (Linnaeus). This work provides useful new information that could be applied to forensic investigations in the Iberian Peninsula and in southern Europe.     

The Pinus pinea L. woodlands along the coast of South-western Spain: data for a new geobotanical interpretation

The origin and natural range of the Stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) has been questioned for more than a century. In this work, we focus the investigation on one of the most important and controversial regions, viz., the Iberian Peninsula and, specifically, the Huelva and Cadiz populations in Andalusia, one of the most representative population cores. Although some authors maintain that it is an autochthonous Iberian species, most of them consider it to be exotic. From this idea, many works have been done and a sintaxonomic scheme has been created, which is accepted by the majority of the scientific community, not including Pinus pinea, nor its formations, since they are considered as man-induced forest crops. However, Stone has been present for several thousand years in the Iberian Peninsula and in the territory studied, as several paleobotanic and historical data show, proving that Pinus pinea is an autochthonous species of this region. This is a clear consequence to the field of geobotany, since – at least – the Stone pine woodlands from the Iberian Southeast must be considered as communities predominated by an autochthonous species that must be included in the sintaxonomichal schemes. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Survival and long-term maintenance of tertiary trees in the Iberian Peninsula during the Pleistocene: first record of Aesculus L. (Hippocastanaceae) in Spain

The Italian and Balkan peninsulas have been places traditionally highlighted as Pleistocene glacial refuges. The Iberian Peninsula, however, has been a focus of controversy between geobotanists and palaeobotanists as a result of its exclusion from this category on different occasions. In the current paper, we synthesise geological, molecular, palaeobotanical and geobotanical data that show the importance of the Iberian Peninsula in the Western Mediterranean as a refugium area. The presence of Aesculus aff. hippocastanum L. at the Iberian site at Cal Guardiola (Tarrasa, Barcelona, NE Spain) in the Lower–Middle Pleistocene transition helps to consolidate the remarkable role of the Iberian Peninsula in the survival of tertiary species during the Pleistocene. The palaeodistribution of the genus in Europe highlights a model of area abandonment for a widely-distributed species in the Miocene and Pliocene, leading to a diminished and fragmentary presence in the Pleistocene and Holocene on the southern Mediterranean peninsulas. Aesculus fossils are not uncommon within the series of Tertiary taxa. Many appear in the Pliocene and suffer a radical impoverishment in the Lower–Middle Pleistocene transition. Nonetheless some of these tertiary taxa persisted throughout the Pleistocene and Holocene up to the present in the Iberian Peninsula. Locating these refuge areas on the Peninsula is not an easy task, although areas characterised by a sustained level of humidity must have played an predominant role.     

Arbutus unedo L. communities in southern Iberian Peninsula mountains

Arbutus unedo L. communities in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) were studied, highlighting the differences regarding their floristic composition, biological diversity and plant dynamics according to the dominant geological substratum. Firstly, this type of formation on the little-known decarbonated calcareous substrata was analysed using classification techniques. Later, they were compared to the remaining phytocoenoses in the southern part of the Iberian Peninsula using an ordination analysis. As a result, a new suballiance is proposed together with two plant associations, which will enable us to characterize the strawberry tree groves growing on carbonated substrata and those already proposed for siliceous substrata are confirmed.     

Present and future extension of the Iberian submediterranean territories as determined from the distribution of marcescent oaks

The present work proposes new boundaries for the current submediterranean territories of the Iberian Peninsula, defining them at the smallest scale attempted to date. The boundaries proposed are not sharp divisions but somewhat ‘gradual’, reflecting the transitional nature of the territories they encompass. Climate change predictions were used to estimate how the distribution of these submediterranean regions might change in the near future. The maps constructed are based on the distribution of marcescent Quercus species—trees that characterise the submediterranean plant landscape where they form the main forest communities. To determine their climatic range, the distribution of different types of Iberian oak forest was represented in ‘climate diagrams’ (ordination diagrams derived from principal components analysis), both in terms of individual species and groups of species based on leaf ecophysiological type, i.e. marcescent (Submediterranean), sclerophyllous (Mediterranean), semideciduous (Mediterranean) and deciduous (Eurosiberian). The climate range of each type of forest was determined, and the means of representative climate variables are analysed by one way ANOVA. The variables differentiating the forest groups were also examined by discriminant analysis. The range of the climate variables found to be associated with the majority of marcescent forests was used to determine the distribution of territories throughout the Peninsula with the same conditions (i.e. whether marcescent forests were present or not), thus providing a map of the Iberian submediterranean territories. Predictions of climate change were used to investigate possible climate-induced modifications in the boundaries of these territories in the near future. The patterns obtained show dramatic reductions in the extension of the Iberian submediterranean environment. Submediterranean conditions will probably disappear from the areas where they currently reign, and it seems unlikely that any new, large submediterranean areas will form by displacement towards higher altitudes. The outlook for the unique submediterranean vegetation of the Iberian Peninsula is gloomy.

MtDNA markers reveal the existence of allopatric evolutionary lineages in the threatened lampreys <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lampetra fluviatilis</Emphasis> (L.) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lampetra planeri</Emphasis> (Bloch) in the Iberian glacial refugium

The Iberian Peninsula has been identified as an important glacial refugium during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs for the genus Lampetra, providing intermittent refuge and postglacial opportunities for colonization and expansion. We used mitochondrial DNA markers to investigate the processes that have shaped present-day genetic constitution of the genus Lampetra within the Iberian Peninsula. We surveyed 1,173 bp of the cytochrome b gene and 829 bp of the genes ATPase subunits 6 and 8 in 233 individuals of Lampetra fluviatilis (L.) and Lampetra planeri (Bloch) from 21 localities along their distribution range in the Iberian Peninsula. We identified four highly divergent allopatric evolutionary lineages that evolved by fragmentation during the Pliocene and Pleistocene likely driven by environmental factors, namely regional geomorphic events. The high level of genetic divergence between the four lineages suggests that sufficient time has apparently passed by to originate a complex of incipient or cryptic resident species and allows the definition of four evolutionary significant units (ESUs) for L. planeri and one ESU for L. fluviatilis. These findings have important consequences for the interpretation of refugia biological diversity and have major implications on the conservation of these threatened species.     

Phylogeography of Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) lusitanicum (Acarina,Parasitiformes, Ixodidae) in Andalusia based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene

The genetic population structure relationships of Hyalomma (Euhyalomma) lusitanicum in Andalusia (the south of the Iberian Peninsula) were examined using mtDNA sequence data from 887 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The sequence for the COI region was determined for 84 individuals collected in several localities of Andalusia, and 10 for other localities (i.e., five from Toledo, central Iberian Peninsula, four from Sicily (Italy) and one from Canary Island). Seventeen haplotypes were detected, including 27 polymorphic sites. The number of amino acid substitutions per site from mean diversity calculations for the entire population was 0.017. AMOVA analysis revealed a low gene flow that characterises the genetic population structure of this species in South Iberian Peninsula, with a haplotype diversity (h) value of 0.815. No geographically induced differentiation was observed, and separate evolutionary units were not detected. Our results indicate low genetic diversity across the geographical range of H. lusitanicum tick in Andalusia. Our data do not show any genetic discontinuity between the tick populations studied, including specimens from Canary Island and Sicily (Italy).

     

A new infraspecific arrangement of Teucrium thymifolium (Lamiaceae), an aggregate endemic to the Iberian Peninsula

In the framework of our studies on Lamiaceae from the eastern Iberian Peninsula, for the forthcoming fourth volume of Flora valentina, a new infraspecific arrangement is proposed here for the Iberian endemic Teucrium thymifolium. Besides the type subspecies, T. thymifolium subsp. thymifolium, which is widely distributed through the eastern Iberian Peninsula, two new nomenclatural combinations are established: (i) T. thymifolium subsp. fraternum (Pau) M.B. Crespo, M.A. Alonso & Mart.-Azorín (= T. terciae), for the thermophilous populations growing in SE Murcia province, and (ii) T. thymifolium subsp. hervieri (Briq. & Debeaux) M.B. Crespo, M.A. Alonso & Mart.-Azorín, for Subbaetic inland populations from where the provinces of Albacete, Jaén and Granada come into contact. Nomenclatural types and data on distribution and ecology are reported for all accepted subspecies, including the designation of a lectotype for T. thymifolium subsp. hervieri. Furthermore, relationships of the latter to the recently described T. moleromesae Sánchez Gómez et al. are briefly discussed, both taxa being treated here in synonymy.     

Consensual predictions of potential distributional areas for invasive species: a case study of Argentine ants in the Iberian Peninsula

Invasive species are known to influence the structure and function of invaded ecological communities, and preventive measures appear to be the most efficient means of controlling these effects. However, management of biological invasions requires use of adequate tools to understand and predict invasion patterns in recently introduced areas. The present study: (1) estimates the potential geographic distribution and ecological requirements of the Argentine ant (Linepithema humile Mayr), one of the most conspicuous invasive species throughout the world, in the Iberian Peninsula using ecological niche modeling, and (2) provides new insights into the process of selection of consensual areas among predictions from several modeling methodologies. Ecological niche models were developed using 5 modeling techniques: generalized linear models (GLM), generalized additive models (GAM), generalized boosted models (GBM), Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Prediction (GARP), and Maximum Entropy (Maxent). Models for the eastern and western portions of the Iberian Peninsula were built using subsets of occurrence and environmental data to investigate the potential for ecological niche differences between the invading populations. Our results indicate geographic differences between predictions of different approaches, and the utility of ensemble predictions in identifying areas of uncertainty regarding the species’ invasive potential. More generally, our models predict coastal areas and major river corridors as highly suitable for Argentine ants, and indicate that western and eastern Iberian Peninsula populations occupy similar environmental conditions.

Deciduous and semi-deciduous oak forests (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus robur,Q. petraea</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Q. pyrenaica</Emphasis>) floristic composition in the Northwest Iberian Peninsula

Oak forests in the Northwest Iberian Peninsula represent climax communities with a high floristic diversity of vascular plants. This study presents data from 189 botanical samples randomly collected in stands of deciduous and semi-deciduous oak as Quercus robur (98), Q. petraea (50) and Q. pyrenaica (41). Within these stands, 187 species or subspecies were identified, in addition to 20 genera and 68 families, all of them present in forests of Quercus robur. A total of 126 species occur in more than five relevés. The largest number of species corresponds to Poaceae (22), Fabaceae (19) and Rosaceae (14). The biological spectrum is dominated by hemicryptophytes, with mainly Atlantic and Sub-Atlantic floristic elements. The distribution of the stands has been studied by using Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis, obtaining like pseudo-species, with shrubby and arborea form, the following ones: Fagus sylvatica, Castanea sativa, Sorbus aucuparia, Corylus avellana, Crataegus monogyna, Pyrus cordata, Erica arborea, Frangula alnus and Cytisus scoparius.     

Beyond nature: The management of a productive cultural landscape in Las Médulas area (El Bierzo,León,Spain) during pre-Roman and Roman times

Abstract

This article focuses on the analysis of plant remains (seeds/fruits, charcoal, pollen, spores, and non-pollen palynomorphs) from two archaeological sites (pre-Roman and Roman) located in Las Médulas, a cultural landscape, in the northwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The article explores the way the communities living in the area managed their environment and the impact of productive activities on the landscape. This research has shown the multiplicity of needs this landscape satisfied and the various ways these communities managed the surrounding environment through different productive activities (agriculture, animal husbandry, and mining amongst others).     

A study of Sarcocornia A.J. Scott (Chenopodiaceae) from Western Mediterranean Europe

The latest publications on Sarcocornia taxonomy and phylogeny recognize six taxa in this genus on the Iberian Peninsula: S. perennis, S. fruticosa, S. alpini, S. alpini subsp. carinata, S. hispanica, and S. pruinosa. The present study represents a comprehensive revision of the different taxa in the Sarcocornia genus present in Western Mediterranean Europe by means of morphological, micromorphological and phylogenetic internal transcribed spacer (ITS) analysis. Morphological and micromorphological data were studied from Sarcocornia samples from 113 populations in coastal salt marshes and inland salt pans in Portugal, France, Spain and Italy. Sixteen new ITS sequences were obtained from Mediterranean Sarcocornia species and analysed together with previous reported data. Published karyological, ecological and biogeographical data from Western Mediterranean Europe were also reviewed. The results indicate the presence of a new species, S. lagascae, found growing in coastal Mediterranean areas of the Iberian Peninsula. The species S. fruticosa was found to be absent from the Iberian territories.     

Assessing the risk of freshwater fish introductions into the Iberian Peninsula

1. Preventing the introduction of species likely to become invaders is the best management option to deal with biological invasions. A data set consisting of native, introduced and species not currently present in Iberian Peninsula (n = 167 species) was used to identify freshwater fish species that are likely to be introduced and become successful invaders in the near future. 2. Principal component analysis (PCA) of species traits was used to determine species likely to be introduced, assuming that the traits of species introduced in the future will resemble those of previously introduced species. The likelihood of introduction was calculated as the proportion of neighbour species (in the space defined by the PCA) that have been introduced to the Iberian Peninsula and, together with metrics related to different stages of invasion, was used to construct a region‐specific risk index (Iberian risk index). 3. Introduced species had higher index values compared with native species or species currently absent from the region. The Iberian risk index was positively related to the results of an independent risk analysis for freshwater fish as well as to the geographical spread of species previously introduced to the Iberian Peninsula. 4. Iberian risk index values were used to establish a cut‐off value for estimating the probability of a successful invasion. This threshold value was used to construct a list of 20 species to be included in a ‘watch list’ to prevent freshwater fish invasions in the Iberian Peninsula.     

Distribution of Bactrocera oleae (Rossi, 1790) throughout the Iberian Peninsula based on a maximum entropy modelling approach

The Iberian Peninsula (Portugal and Spain) is a great production area of olives. The fruit production can be severely affected by the olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi, 1790) (Diptera). Detailed geographical distribution maps of key pests, such as B. oleae, are essential for their integrated management. Although different sources reporting the occurrence of B. oleae are available for sub-regions of Portugal and Spain, the data available are dispersed and centralisation of this information considering the Iberian Peninsula as a faunistic geographical unit is currently lacking. In this work, we built two distribution maps of B. oleae throughout the Iberian Peninsula, one based on occurrence sites and another based on its bioclimatic habitat suitability. After modelling the bioclimatic suitability of B. oleae using a maximum entropy model, three potential distribution areas beyond the previously known occurrence range of the olive fruit fly were identified corresponding to the autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), the Spanish and Portuguese sides of the International Douro Natural Park, and the autonomous community of Castilla y León (Spain). Interestingly, each region houses nowadays autochthonous olive cultivars. The drivers that most contributed to the model were the precipitation of the coldest quarter and the precipitation of driest month which agrees with the B. oleae bioecology. Although our approach is not fully-comprehensive in terms of occurrence sites, we show how a maxent modelling approach can be useful to identify potential risk areas of B. oleae occurrence throughout a target geographical extent such as the Iberian Peninsula.     

Syntaxonomic analysis of theAndropogon-rich grasslands (Hyparrhenietalia hirtae) in the western Mediterranean region

Using the Braun-Blanquet approach, a syntaxonomical revision of the orderHyparrhenietalia hirtae in the western Mediterranean region was made. Various syntaxa were studied with relevés from the Iberian Peninsula, southern France, Sardinia, Sicily and adjacent islands, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and Morocco. One alliance (Hyparrhenion hirtae), 8 associations (one of them new:Lotononido lupinifoliae-Hyparrhenietum sinaicae) and several subassociations and variants were distinguished. A complete classification of theHyparrhenietalia hirtae in the studied area with ecological and biogeographical diagnoses is given.     

Perennial nitrophilous vegetation of the northern Iberian Peninsula

Abstract. The syntaxonomy of the perennial nitrophilous vegetation assigned to the Artemisietea vulgaris of the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula (Basque Country and surrounding areas) was revised. The study area is of biogeographic importance due to its transitional character - here, the ruderal vegetation of the Mediterranean and that of temperate Europe meet. Numerical ordination of the communities was performed in order to reveal systematic relations between the syntaxa. Two subclasses, Artemisienea vulgaris and Onopordenea, encompassing five orders, Convolvuletalia, Galio-Alliarietalia, Artemisietalia, Onopordetalia, Carthametalia lanati, and seven alliances with 12 associations and two rankless communities were distinguished.     

Variation among common-bean accessions (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from the Iberian Peninsula for N2-dependent growth and phosphorus requirement

The common-bean often faces phosphorus deficiency in soils where it is grown. Such a deficiency is a major limitation to yield improvement, especially as the common-bean depends upon nitrogen fixation. Screening for symbiotic nitrogen fixation under phosphorus deficiency was performed with 33 common-bean accessions representing the diversity of 15 European market classes from the Iberian Peninsula. These accessions were inoculated withRhizobium tropici CIAT899 and grown in an aerated nitrogen-free nutrient solution at deficientversus sufficient phosphorous supplies (75 vs. 250 μmol plan⁻¹ week⁻¹) in a glasshouse. A large variability in N₂-dependent growth under P deficiency was found with most tolerance to P deficiency among late type IV Andean landraces, with the exception of 3 early type I Andean landraces. From this screening four contrasting landraces were selected for their high efficiency in the use of P for their symbiotic N nutrition, and compared with the cultivar Linex in fields of a reference production area over 3 years. The landraces from the Iberian Peninsula expressed a higher growth than the cultivar Linex, although they showed a lower nodulation. We hypothesize that the identified P tolerance among Iberian Peninsula accessions may be useful for improving symbiotic nitrogen fixation in the common-bean when growth is limited by available soil-P and could contribute to sustainable farming systems by reducing farmers’ dependence on fertilizers.     

Hybrid Zones Between Two European Oaks: a Plant Community Approach

Phenomena of hybridization can affect the ecology and evolution of the species involved in the process, as well as their communities. Although numerous papers focus upon the problem of taxonomy, few of these have attempted to study hybrid zones in relation to the analysis of their communities. On the Iberian Peninsula, hybridization phenomena among different oak species are frequent. It is, however, between Quercus faginea Lam. and Quercus pubescens Willd. where the most noteworthy hybridization phenomenon occurs. In this respect, we are familiar with the existence of different introgression levels but we are unaware of whether these hybrids are the transitory result of the interspecific genetic flow or whether these are maintained by means of extrinsic selection processes. Study of plant communities’ flora and environment might shed light upon this issue. Comparison between plant communities dominated by one of the parental species and those dominated by individuals of hybrid origin might enable us to establish the presence or absence of an environment that is potentially selective in favour of the hybrids. Thus the possible existence of extrinsic selection. Furthermore, this information will help us to understand plant community distribution in an area␣that is difficult to interpret. To this purpose, we used multivariate ordination techniques (DCA and CCA) based upon a total of 395 floristic releves covering the whole range of the parental species on the Iberian Peninsula and upon climatic and edaphic variables for each of these releves. We also compared the groups obtained in relation to floristic similarity (Jaccard index), richness and diversity (Shannon–Weaver index). Forests associated with Quercus pubescens are related to heavy summer precipitation, whereas Quercus faginea forests correspond to lower values of this variable and higher ones for continentality. Between both formations, there is a broad hybrid zone, with diffused borders that are related to an environmental gradient of Mediterranean influence. In this region, two types of forest communities were distinguished, which enabled us to divide the hybrid zones into two territories. Our results allowed us to locate the hybrid zone in an ecotone. The differentiation between habitats appears to indicate models of ecological selection. These models require, by definition, the presence of an environmental gradient between the parental zones. We are, however, aware of the need for future experiments in order to establish whether the hybrids are better adapted than the parental species. Only with availability of all this information can intrinsic selection be rejected.     

Seasonal dispersal of water beetles (Coleoptera) in an agricultural landscape: a study using Moericke traps in northwest Spain

Information on flight dispersal in water beetles in the Iberian Peninsula is scarce. This study provides new data on the dispersion flight phenology of 21 species captured using Moericke traps in an agricultural system in León province (NW Spain) during two annual cycles (1992 and 1993). The species captured form part of the assemblage of aquatic Coleoptera commonly found in stagnant environments in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Most of them are good flyers and colonisers. These flights are related to two environmental variables: mean atmospheric temperature and rainfall. The results show a clear relation between temperature and the flight period as most of the specimens dispersed during peaks of high mean daily temperatures, and a negative relation with rainfall. With regard to phenology, two types of dispersion strategy were identified: flights in the middle of summer to escape from drought and flights in spring and autumn for colonising new habitats. The first group includes Hydroglyphus geminus (Fabricius) and, in particular, Helophorus brevipalpis Bedel, whose great abundance in the dispersal stage is related to parthenogenetic reproduction and the rapid production of a large number of colonising females. The second strategy corresponds to univoltine species with overwintering adults such as Helophorus alternans Gené or species from the genus Hydroporus Clairville.