Ovoposición de la mariposa Iphiclides podalirius (Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) en plantas exóticas: ¿ampliación del rango de plantas nutricias utilizadas o errores de puesta?

Iphiclides podalirius is an oligophagous butterfly which feeds on plants of the Rosaceae family. In 2002 and 2005 in NE Spain, we recorded for the first time oviposition on two alien plant species, Cotoneaster franchetii and Spiraea cantoniensis. To ascertain if this unusual behaviour represents a broadening of host range or, alternatively, an oviposition mistake, larval performance on the new plants was investigated in the laboratory and compared with performance on the most common host plants used in the study area. Although larval performance on common hosts differed to some extent, the use of a wide range of plants of different quality at population level may in fact respond to the so-called "spreading of risk" strategy in variable environments. On the other hand, larval performance and survival to adulthood were so low on the two new hosts that our observations probably represent a case of maladaptive oviposition behaviour. This may be due to an evolutionary lag between the newly introduced plants and the insect, although other possible explanations are also taken into account.Iphiclides podalirius es una mariposa oligófaga que se alimenta de plantas de la familia Rosaceae. En 2002 y 2005 se observó, por primera vez en el noreste de España, la puesta sobre dos plantas exóticas, Cotoneaster franchetii y Spiraea cantoniensis. Para poder discernir si este comportamiento inusual representa una ampliación del rango de las plantas nutricias utilizado o, por el contrario, se explica como un error de ovoposición, se investigó el desarrollo larvario sobre estas nuevas plantas en el laboratorio y se comparó con el desarrollo sobre las plantas nutricias más ampliamente utilizadas en la zona de estudio. Aunque se observaron diferencias significativas en el tiempo de desarrollo y el peso pupal entre las plantas nutricias habituales, la utilización de todas ellas por parte de una misma población podría responder a una estrategia de "repartir el riesgo" en un ambiente heterogéneo. Por el contrario, la supervivencia larval, el tiempo de desarrollo y el peso pupal fueron tan bajos en las dos nuevas plantas estudiadas que nuestras observaciones constituyen muy probablemente un ejemplo de comportamiento mal adaptado. Ello podría responder a la existencia de un desajuste evolutivo entre las plantas introducidas y el insecto, si bien otras posibles explicaciones son también consideradas y discutidas

Las especies ibéricas del género Chlorissa Stephens, 1831, y algunos datos sobre su distribución en el NE ibérico (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

The iberian species of the genus Chlorissa Stephens, 1831, and some data on its distribution in the NE of the lberian Peninsula (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). In this paper a taxonomic study on the four lberian species of the genus Chlorissa is carried out. These species form two groups of difficult identification: C. viridata (L.) - C. cloraria (Hb.) and C. pulmentaria (Gn.) - C. Faustinata (Mill.). With the purpose of clarifying the uncertainty between them, morphological and genital characters, useful to a correct identification, are discussed. Keys and illustrations of these species are given, and, based on the samples examined, some bionomical aspects and the distribution of these species in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula are commented.En el presente trabajo se estudian, desde un punto de vista taxonómico, las cuatro especies ibéricas del género Chlorissa, que forman, entre sí, dos grupos de difícil separación: C. viridata (L.) - C. dorarla (Hb.) y C. pulmentaria (Gn.) - C. Faustinata (Mill.). Con el fin de esclarecer el confusionismo existente entre ellas, se comentan, con detalle, caracteres, tanto de la morfología externa como de la genitalia, que permiten su correcta identificación. Se acompañan claves dicotómica.s, con numerosas ilustraciones, se hacen diversos comentarios sobre cada una y, a partir del abundante material revisado, se precisa su distribución geográfica en el NE Ibérico

Long-distance wind-borne dispersal of the moth Cornifrons ulceratalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Evergestinae) into the northern Mediterranean

On October 2006, during an episode of abnormally warm weather, the African moth Cornifrons ulceratalis (Lederer, 1858) was captured simultaneously for the first time in several sites in north-eastern Spain, the Balearic Islands and southern France. A deep depression situated over the Atlantic at the time gave rise to warm south-westerly winds, accompanied by suspended dust, that blew towards the north-western Mediterranean Basin. Back trajectories of air masses at two different altitudinal levels indicate that the moths most probably originated from an area located in Morocco and northern Algeria, where C. ulceratalis can be extremely abundant. With winter approaching, this invasion of a typically non-migratory species into the north-western Mediterranean Basin provides a good example of the so-called "pied piper" phenomenon, by which wind-borne insects may be carried into areas unfavourable for survival or reproduction. However, because climate change may make the establishment of this and other African species more likely in the future, we suggest that monitoring of this process may become an essential issue in the coming years

Herbivores on native and exotic Senecio plants : is host switching related to plant novelty and insect diet breadth under field conditions?

1. Native herbivores can establish novel interactions with alien plants after invasion. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether these new associations are quantitatively significant compared to the assemblages with native flora under natural conditions. 2. Herbivores associated with two exotic plants, namely Senecio inaequidens and S. pterophorus, and two coexisting natives, namely S. vulgaris and S. lividus, were surveyed in a replicated long-term field study to ascertain whether the plant herbivore assemblages in mixed communities are related to plant novelty and insect diet breadth. 3. Native herbivores used exotic Senecio as their host plants. Of the 19 species of Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Hemiptera found in this survey, 14 were associated with the exotic Senecio plants. Most of these species were polyphagous, yet we found a higher number of individuals with a narrow diet breadth, which is contrary to the assumption that host switching mainly occurs in generalist herbivores. 4. The Senecio specialist Sphenella marginata (Diptera: Tephritidae) was the most abundant and widely distributed insect species (ca. 80% of the identified specimens). Sphenella was associated with S. lividus, S. vulgaris and S. inaequidens and was not found on S. pterophorus. The presence of native plant congeners in the invaded community did not ensure an instantaneous ecological fitting between insects and alien plants. 5. We conclude that novel associations between native herbivores and introduced Senecio plants are common under natural conditions. Plant novelty is, however, not the only predictor of herbivore abundance due to the complexity of natural conditions