Developing documents for practical sessions in Zoology

La implantación del sistema unificado de créditos (E.C.T.S.) implica nuevos planteamientos por parte del profesorado al elaborar la programación teórico-práctica de las diferentes asignaturas. Con la elaboración de los protocolos prácticos de zoología pretendemos alcanzar los objetivos siguientes: 1. Proveer a los alumnos de material didáctico básico y complementario a la información impartida en las sesiones prácticas. 2. Proporcionar una perspectiva amplia de diferentes aspectos prácticos de la zoología. 3. Familiarizar a los alumnos con las fuentes (complementarias) de información y los procedimientos de acceso a diferentes tipos de material biológico. 4. Favorecer el trabajo personal y de grupo, enfatizando diferentes aspectos biológicos necesarios para la asimilación de los contenidos prácticos de la asignatura. 5. Facilitar la preparación de las pruebas prácticas que los alumnos han de realizar. En el curso académico 2003/2004 nos fue concedido un primer proyecto docente que nos permitió preparar contenidos correspondientes a la práctica “Introducción a las técnicas de campo y de laboratorio en Zoología”. A partir de esta primera experiencia hemos desarrollado varios proyectos docentes que nos han permitido preparar materiales y contenidos prácticos de los principales taxones de animales invertebrados: Poríferos y Cnidarios. Platelmintos, Nematodos y Anélidos. Artrópodos. Moluscos. Equinodermos. La preparación de estos contenidos nos ha obligado a realizar desplazamientos así como a solicitar colaboraciones de diversas instituciones, por ejemplo, al Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales de Madrid. Los protocolos están diseñados de forma que fomentan la labor individual y auto-formativa del alumnado, así como el estudio en grupo. Todo está encaminado hacia una completa preparación y correcta adecuación al nuevo sistema educativo. Las presentaciones multimedia están a disposición del alumnado gracias a las posibilidades que ofrece la web de la Universidad de Córdoba.The implementation of the unified credit system (ECTS) involves new approaches by teachers in the development of both theoretical and practical curricula of different subjects. With the development of practical zoology documents we aim to achieve the following objectives: 1. To provide the students with basic educational materials, and complementary information to the practical sessions. 2. To provide a broad overview of different practical aspects of zoology. 3. To familiarize students with additional sources of information and procedures for access to different types of biological material. 4. To encourage personal and group work, emphasizing different biological aspects, which are necessary for the understanding of the practical contents of the subjects. 5. To assist in the preparation of exams that students must perform. In the academic course 2003/2004 we were awarded with a first educational project that allowed us to prepare content for the practice "Introduction to field and lab techniques in Zoology". From this first experience we have developed several educational projects that have allowed us to prepare materials and practical content of the main taxa of invertebrates: Sponges and Cnidarians. Flatworms, Nematodes and Annelids. Arthropods. Molluscs. Echinoderms. The preparation of these materials has lead us to make trips and to request contributions from various institutions, for example, the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid. The protocols are designed in ways that encourage individual work and selftraining of students, and study groups. Everything is aimed to the complete preparation and fair adaptation to the new educational system. Multimedia presentations are available to students thanks to the possibilities offered by the website of the University of Cordoba

Identificación de suelos supresivos a Meloidogyne spp. en parcelas de producción comercial de hortalizas bajo plástico

Dos invernaderos de producción ecológica localizados en Tarragona (A) y Amposta (B) fueron  monitorizados desde 10/2010 hasta 7/2013 para determinar la fluctuación de la población de Meloidogyne spp., el porcentaje de huevos parasitados por hongos y las especies fúngicas implicadas. Al inicio del estudio el porcentaje de parasitismo era del 14 y 60% en A y B, respectivamente; y las raíces mostraban niveles bajos de agallamiento para el tipo de cultivo y densidad de población en pretrasplante, sugiriendo que podrían ser suelos supresivos a la enfermedad.Postprint (published version

Chemical and behavioural strategies along the spectrum of host specificity in ant-associated silverfish

Background Host range is a fundamental trait to understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of symbionts. Increasing host specificity is expected to be accompanied with specialization in different symbiont traits. We tested this specificity-specialization association in a large group of 16 ant-associated silverfish species by linking their level of host specificity to their degree of behavioural integration into the colony and to their accuracy of chemically imitating the host’s recognition system, i.e. the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile. Results As expected, facultative associates and host generalists (targeting multiple unrelated ants) tend to avoid the host, whereas host-specialists (typically restricted to Messor ants) were bolder, approached the host and allowed inspection. Generalists and host specialists regularly followed a host worker, unlike the other silverfish. Host aggression was extremely high toward non-ant-associated silverfish and modest to low in ant-associated groups. Surprisingly, the degree of chemical deception was not linked to host specificity as most silverfish, including facultative ant associates, imitated the host’s CHC profile. Messor specialists retained the same CHC profile as the host after moulting, in contrast to a host generalist, suggesting an active production of the cues (chemical mimicry). Host generalist and facultative associates flexibly copied the highly different CHC profiles of alternative host species, pointing at passive acquisition (chemical camouflage) of the host’s odour. Conclusions Overall, we found that behaviour that seems to facilitate the integration in the host colony was more pronounced in host specialist silverfish. Chemical deception, however, was employed by all ant-associated species, irrespective of their degree of host specificity

Descripción de Lepismachilis (Berlesilis) affinis sp.n. de las islas Baleares (Microcoryphia, Machilidae)

[EN] A new species of Microcoryphia from the Balearic Islands (Escorca: Torrent de Pareis) is described: Lepismachilis (Berlesilis) affinis sp.n. The main differences between this species and the only known one of this subgenus are the different chaetotaxy of maxillary palp and the small sensory field in the fore femur.[ES] Se describe Lepismachilis (Berlesilis) affinis sp.n. de las islas Baleares (Escorca: Torrent de Pareis). Esta nueva especie se separa de la única conocida del subgénero Berlesilis, por la distinta quetotaxia de palpo maxilar y el pequeño tamaño del campo sensorial del fémur del primer par de patas.Peer reviewe

A description of a new species of the genus Promesomachilis from Spain (Insecta: Microcoryphia).

A new Microcoryphian species is described from southern Spain. The new species belongs to the genus Promesomachilis and is named P. intermedia n. sp. because of the presence of intermediate characteristics in comparison with the other two species of the genus. The main features of the new species are: male maxillary palp with a field of spiralized setae on the ventral side of articles II-V, some setae also on article VI; second article of the male labial palp without a process on its distal part, though a little protuberant; labial palp also lacks a field of specialized setae, which are present in the two other species; each female gonapophysis with only 14-16 annuli, the lowest number ever found in the genus. The main feature that allow us to distinguish the three species is the presence of a sensorial field on femur II and III. In P. intermedia it is on the outer part of the femur, whereas in the other two species it is different

Trichotriuroides boneti gen. n., sp. n. (Zygentoma, Nicoletiidae) and new data on Zygentoma in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid (Spain)

[EN] In this paper we study several samples of Zygentoma (families Ateluridae, Lepismatidae and Nicoletiidae) deposited in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales in Madrid (Spain). The studied specimens were collected in Spain, Morocco, Syria and Equatorial Guinea. Several faunistic novelties are emphasized: the male of Grassiella modesta (Silvestri, 1908) is redescribed on the basis of material from Bioko Island (Fernando Poo) and Trichotriuroides boneti gen. n., sp. n., also from Bioko is described and compared with the closest genera of Nicoletiidae.[ES] Se estudian diversas muestras de Zygentoma, pertenecientes a las familias Ateluridae, Lepismatidae y Nicoletiidae. El material estudiado pertenece a la colección del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (Madrid). Los ejemplares provienen de España, Marruecos, Siria y Guinea Ecuatorial. Se amplía el conocimiento de muchas de las especies. Se redescribe el macho de Grassiella modesta (Silvestri, 1908) con material procedente de la isla de Bioko (Fernando Poo). Se describe Trichotriuroides boneti gen. n., sp. n., también de Bioko, y se compara con los géneros de Nicoletiidae más próximos.Peer reviewe

Description of a new genus and a new species of Machilidae (Insecta: Microcoryphia) from Turkey.

A new species and a new genus of Microcoryphia from Turkey are described. The new genus, named Turquimachilis has, as its most important distinctive feature, the presence in the male of unique parameres on the IXth urostemite, with proximal protuberances and chaetotaxy. They are different from all the other genera of the order. This alone is sufficient to allow the creation of a new genus. We add other anatomical characteristics that allow us to differentiate the new genus from the closest known genera. The type species is described

Identificación de suelos supresivos a Meloidogyne spp. en parcelas de producción comercial de hortalizas bajo plástico

Dos invernaderos de producción ecológica localizados en Tarragona (A) y Amposta (B) fueron  monitorizados desde 10/2010 hasta 7/2013 para determinar la fluctuación de la población de Meloidogyne spp., el porcentaje de huevos parasitados por hongos y las especies fúngicas implicadas. Al inicio del estudio el porcentaje de parasitismo era del 14 y 60% en A y B, respectivamente; y las raíces mostraban niveles bajos de agallamiento para el tipo de cultivo y densidad de población en pretrasplante, sugiriendo que podrían ser suelos supresivos a la enfermedad