Eden Arthropod Azores Database

This study intended to contribute to the current international directives concerning biodiversity, aiming to document and safeguard biological resources of the globe. Our objective was to present the most widely distributed and diverse taxa recorded during the sampling phase of the EDEN project (2008-2014), specifically all arthropod fauna, at all strata, within eight representative habitats of five islands of the Azores archipelago (Santa Maria, São Miguel, Terceira, Flores and Pico)FUNDING: This study was finance by FLAD – Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento and by the Direção Regional Ciência, Tecnologia e Comércio (DRCTC) & PROEMPREGO, of the Azores This study was financed by FEDER in 85% and by Azorean Public funds by 15% through Operational Program Azores 2020, under the following projects AZORESBIOPORTAL –PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072), and under the project ECO2-TUTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000081).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Two loops calculation in chiral perturbation theory and the unitarization program of current algebra

In this paper we compare two loop Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) calculation of pion-pion scattering with the unitarity second order correction to the current algebra soft-pion theorem. It is shown that both methods lead to the same analytic structure for the scattering amplitude.Comment: 13 pages, Revtex 3.0, no figures, submitted to Phys. Lett.

An updated checklist to the biodiversity data of ladybeetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Azores Archipelago (Portugal)

BACKGROUND: A recently-published review from 2021 presents a comprehensive checklist of ladybeetles of Portugal, including the Azores and Madeira Archipelagos. Until then, the available information was very scattered and based on a single revision dating back to 1986, a few international catalogues and databases, individual records and studies on communities of agroecosystems. However, no information was available on faunal composition across the Azorean islands and their habitats, using standardised inventories. Here, we present data about the biodiversity of ladybeetles and their distribution and abundance in five Islands of the Azores (Faial, Graciosa, Pico, São Jorge and São Miguel). Surveys included herbaceous and arboreal habitats from native to anthropogenic-managed habitats: ruderal road vegetation, vegetable garden, mixed forest of endemic and non-native host plants, coastal prairies, coastal mixed vegetation, cornfields and urban areas. We aimed to contribute to the ongoing effort to document the terrestrial biodiversity of Portugal, including the Archipelago of the Azores, within the research project AZORESBIOPORTAL–PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072). NEW INFORMATION: In this study, a total of 1,487 specimens of Coccinellidae belonging to 19 species are reported for several habitats. The listed species are from one single sub-familiy (Coccinellinae) and six tribes; Chilocorini (one species), Coccidulini (three species), Coccinellini (six species), Noviini (one species), Scymnini (seven species), Stethorini (one species). The number of species collected per island differed; Faial (10 species), Graciosa (four species), Pico (seven species), São Jorge (seven species) and São Miguel (12 species). For six species, new island records are given. Currently, the number of species known to occur in the Azores are 32, including two doubtful records. The majority of species are Scymnini, being Scymnus (Scymnus) interruptus (Goeze, 1777) and Scymnus (Scymnus) nubilus Mulsant, 1850, the most abundant species (relative abundance 71.1%). This database will be the baseline of a long-term monitoring project allowing assessment of the impact of ongoing global changes in the distribution and abundance of ladybeetles.This study was financed by FEDER in 85% and by Azorean Public funds by 15% through the Operational Programme Azores 2020, under the following projects AZORESBIOPORTAL–PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072) and under the project ECO -TUTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000081) and by the Official Forestry Services from the Regional Government of the Azores, through the research projects PICA (Utilização de agentes de controlo biológico para o combate a populações de afídeos em plantas endémicas produzidas em viveiro) and PICONIA (Controlo biológico de populações de pragas de plantas endémicas produzidas em viveiro). Isabel Borges was funded by a PhD grant from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) (POCI 2010).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Harmonia axyridis: what will stop the invader?

Copyright © International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) 2007.In recent years Harmonia axyridis (Pallas, 1773) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has become a very popular insect among biological control practitioners and scientists, not only for its potential to be an efficient biological control agent but also because it is considered invasive. Individuals of this species were deliberately introduced into several countries for biological control of different arthropods pests. However the predator itself became an invasive species, affecting the dynamics and composition of several guilds through direct or indirect interactions with established species, including intraguild predation. In this paper we discuss the reasons why the species has a high invasiveness and what are the limits to invasion by this species. It is not clear if the invasiveness of the beetle is linked to its biological, ecological and behavioural abilities, or to other factors such as invasibility and interactions between the invaders, the noninvaders, and the habitat, which may in part explain the reasons of its success and help us to answer the question “what will stop the invader?” We also discuss the reason for the absence of the predator in the Azores islands. Despite the intentional introduction of H. axyridis in the Azores and the high number of individuals released, there are no records of this species in the wild, despite recent extensive sampling effort. In this paper we discuss the reasons for the apparent failure or the delay in establishment of the predator. One factor which may hamper the establishment of H. axyridis in some of the Azores islands is the absence of winter environmental conditions, mainly the temperature which is seldom lower than 12°C, essential for the induction of diapause. The lack of success in the establishment could be also related to functional diversity saturation, that is species saturation and competitive exclusion of H. axyridis by other previously established species may be operating

Distribution and genetic variability of Staphylinidae across a gradient of anthropogenically influenced insular landscapes

This paper describes the distribution and genetic variability of rove beetles (Coleoptera Staphylinidae) in anthropogenically influenced insular landscapes. The study was conducted in the Azores archipelago, characterized by high anthropogenic influence and landscape fragmentation. Collections were made in five islands, from eight habitats, along a gradient of anthropogenic influence. The species of Staphylinidae from the Azores collected for this study were widely distributed and showed low habitat fidelity. Rove beetle richness was associated with anthropogenic influence and habitat type, increasing from less to more anthropogenic impacted habitats. However, genetic diversity of profiled species (i.e. with three or more specimens per species/habitat) does not seem affected by anthropogenic influence in the different habitat types, isolation or landscape fragmentation. COI haplotypes were, as a rule, not exclusive to a given island or habitat. High level of genetic divergence and nucleotide saturation was found in closely related morphological designated species, demonstrating possible disparities between currently defined taxonomic units based on morphology and molecular phylogenies of Staphylinidae. This study found evidence of cryptic speciation in the Atheta fungi (Gravenhorst) species complex which had thus far remained undetected. Similar trends were found for Oligota parva Kraatz, Oxytelus sculptus Gravenhorst, Oligota pumilio Kiesenwetter. Previous studies with lower taxonomical resolution may have underestimated the biotic diversity reported in the Azores in comparison to other Macaronesian archipelagos.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diversity of Lepidoptera recorded in a forest nursery of Nordeste county on São Miguel Island (Azores)

The diversity of moth species (Insecta, Lepidoptera) recorded in the forest nursery of Nordeste county on São Miguel island (Azores) is given. Adults were sampled between March and December 2019 using three methods: (i) light trap to caught Noctuidae species, (ii) open-sided delta trap baited with a synthetic female sex pheromone lure to attract Epiphyas postvittana males and (iii) entomological net to identify microlepidopteran moths. A total of 10160 adults belonging to 33 lepidopteran species were recorded and listed by families, including: Argyresthiidae 1 (3%), Crambidae 4 (12%), Erebidae 1 (3%), Geometridae 5 (15%), Noctuidae 18 (55%), Sphingidae 1 (3%), Tineidae 1 (3%), and Tortricidae 2 (6%). The families Noctuidae, Geometridae and Crambidae were the most diverse. Those with the highest abundance of adults was the Noctuidae family followed by the Crambidae, Trotricidae and Tineidae. The number of caught adults was consistently higher during spring and summer, decreasing sharply in late fall. For 14 species caught in the light trap the adult sex ratio was favorable to females, except for Xestia c-nigrum which was favorable to males. An analysis of the colonization status, feeding and primary hosts of these endemic, native or exotic moth species suggests that plants reared in forest nurseries, being attacked by such insects, facilitates our understanding of the diversity of lepidopterans that establish in Laurel Forest environments and to what extent there is a need to monitor and control them mainly with biological control agents.Regional Founds, through Official Forestry Services from Regional Government of the Azores, within the research project MoCIL “Monitorização e Controlo Integrado de Lepidópteros em Viveiros Florestais (Nordeste e Furnas) na ilha de São Miguel - Açores” FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the project UIDP/05292/2020 and UIDB/05292/2020. AZORESBIOPORTAL–PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072) (2019-2022).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Diversity of Lepidoptera (Insecta) recorded in a forest nursery of Nordeste County on São Miguel Island (Azores)

BACKGROUND: The diversity of moth species (Insecta, Lepidoptera) recorded in the forest nursery of Nordeste County on São Miguel Island (Azores) is given. Adults were sampled between March and December 2019 using three methods: (i) light trap to catch Noctuidae species, (ii) open-sided delta trap baited with a synthetic female sex pheromone lure to attract Epiphyas postvittana (Walker) males and (iii) entomological net to collect microlepidopteran moths. This contribution focuses mainly on the diversity of moths present in one forest nursery of Nordeste County of São Miguel Island (Azores), especially on the species associated with endemic and native plant species. It also contributes to better plan strategies for integrated protection and conservation measures, since nurseries host a great diversity of plants from the Laurel Forest, which may attract many lepidopteran species. NEW INFORMATION: A total of 10160 adults belonging to 33 lepidopteran species were recorded and listed by families, including: Argyresthiidae, one species (3%), Crambidae, four species (12%), Erebidae, one species (3%), Geometridae, five species (15%), Noctuidae, 18 species (55%), Sphingidae, one species (3%), Tineidae, one species (3%) and Tortricidae, two species (6%). The families Noctuidae, Geometridae and Crambidae were the most diverse. Those with the highest abundance of adults were the Noctuidae family, followed by the Geometridae, Crambidae, Tortricidae and Tineidae. The number of caught adults was consistently higher during spring and summer, decreasing sharply in late autumn. For 13 species caught in the light trap, the adult sex ratio was favourable to females. An analysis of the colonisation status, feeding and primary hosts of these endemic, native or exotic moth species contributes to our understanding of the factors that may lead to their establishment in Laurel Forest environments and to what extent there is a need to monitor and control them mainly with biological control agents.This research was supported by the Official Forestry Services from the Regional Government of the Azores, through the research project MoCIL "Monitorizacao e Controlo Integrado de Lepidopteros em Viveiros Florestais (Nordeste e Furnas) na ilha de Sao Miguel - Acores", in direct collaboration with the Forestry Engineers Carina Nobrega and Catarina Quintela, by FCT - Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the project UIDP/05292/2020 and UIDB/05292/2020 and by AZORESBIOPORTAL PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072) (2019-2022).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Bioprospection of antibiotics and biofilm inhibitors from under-exploited filamentous fungi

In the past century, millions of lives were saved by antibiotics, which treat some of the historically more deadly diseases. However, bacteria may quickly develop antibiotic resistance and the speed of development of new drugs has decreased significantly in the last decades. Filamentous fungi have a great potential for novel antibiotic discovery, given their vast, largely unexplored metabolome. The One Strain MAny Compounds (OSMAC) approach serves as a tool to obtain a wide range of metabolites by varying various culture conditions. In this study, eight under-explored fungal species from Micoteca da Universidade do Minho (MUM) were used, aiming to identify compounds with antibiotic or antibiofilm properties produced by them: Coprinopsis spilospora, Penicillium tunisiense, Trichoderma aestuarinum, Colletotrichum coccodes, Talaromyces saxoxalicus, Diaporthe phillipsii, Cladosporium rubrum, and Neopestalotiopsis scalabiensis. They grew in different culture media, under submerged fermentation for 7 and 14 days under varying conditions of agitation and aeration, and the resulting supernatants were tested for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using the disk diffusion method. Almost all fungi grew on the different media and under the diverse process conditions. It was found that Coprinopsis spilospora metabolites inhibited S. aureus growth and demonstrated antibiofilm properties. They reduced the biofilm by 74% in crystal violet staining, metabolic activity by 100% in Alamar blue test, and viable cell counts by 98% in CFU counting. The effect against E. coli was more modest, although still reduced CFU counts by 96%. High-pressure liquid chromatography/high-resolution mass spectrometry (HPLC/HRMS) showed that these results are likely due to the presence of compounds in the illudin family. The pioneer results obtained in the present study highlight the potential of filamentous fungi for bioprospection for antibiotic discovery.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Costs and Benefits of Wax Production in the Larvae of the Ladybeetle Scymnus nubilus

BACKGROUND: Larvae of the minute aphidophagous Scymnus nubilus Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) are common predators in apple orchards, covered by a wax layer that might act as a defense mechanism against natural enemies. However, the costs and benefits of protection conferred by wax remain to be assessed. We tested the following hypothesis: there is a trade-off in wax producing ladybeetles between the protection conferred by wax cover and the physiological or behavioral costs associated with its production. We predict that: (1) wax production is an efficient defensive mechanism (against intraguild predation), (2) wax production is associated with detrimental physiological (growth, reproduction) or behavioral effects (behavioral compensation: increased biomass consumption). RESULTS: Tests were carried out in the laboratory with wax and waxless larvae of S. nubilus, with and without lacewing larvae of Chrysoperla agilis (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) being used as a potential intraguild predator of the coccinellid. Waxless individuals were more susceptible to intraguild predation by lacewing larvae. Adults originating from waxless larvae were lighter than the ones originating from wax larvae, suggesting a metabolic cost resulting from a constant need of wax production. Body-weight gain and conversion efficiency were lower in waxless larvae. Biomass consumption was similar, showing that waxless larvae did not compensate for the physiological cost by eating more aphid biomass. CONCLUSION: The results indicate the potential existence of a trade-off between growth and protection associated with wax production.This work was financed by the research project "PRO-BIO: Profiling Reliable Organisms as Bioindicators: an integrated approach for island systems" financed by the FLAD (Fundação Luso-Americana para o Desenvolvimento) and partially funded by a grant from the Direção Regional dos Recursos Florestais of Secretaria Regional dos Recursos Naturais, Governo Regional dos Açores, Portugal to the research project: PICONIA: Controlo biológico de populações de pragas de plantas endémicas produzidas em viveiro.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Coffee Diterpene Derivatives as Anti-angiogenesis Agent

Among the several compounds present in coffee, the coffee-specific diterpenes have been identified as important chemoprotective agents which possess anti-carcinogenic properties.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio