Consideracions sobre l'origen de les poblacions de Spodoptera Littoralis Boisduval (Lep. Noctuidae) a Catalunya i Sud-Est de França

Es conclou que les poblacions adultes de Spodootera littoralis Boisduval (Lep.Noctuidae) que poden trobar-se a Catalunya i sud-est de França, en un període de temps comprès entre el 15-IX al 15- XI, són la generació descendent d'un front migratori d'adults que abandona el sud de la Península ibèrica cap a finals d'Agost. Aquestes poblacions catalanes i del sud-est de França no deixarien descendència capaç de suportar el rigor hivernal d'aquestes latituds més septentrionals‚ depenent per tant llur presència a l'any vinent a les esmentades regions d'un nou front migratori provinent del sud de la Península ibèrica.It is assumed that adult populations of Snodontera littoralis Boisduval (Lep. Noctuidae) which are to be found in Catalonia and southeast of France, between September 15th to November 15th, are the offspring generation of an adult migratory front which left southern Spain about the end of August. These catalan and southeast french populations wouldn't set a strong enough offspring to resist the rigour of these northener latitudes' winter, so their presence in these regions in the next vear relies upen a new migratory front coming from south Spain

Consideracions taxonòmiques sobre les espècies ibèriques del gènere Euchloe (Hübner [1819]) (Lepidoptera: Pieridae)

A la península Ibèrica habiten quatre espècies del gènere Euchloe Hübner [1819]: E crameri (Butler, 1869), E. Simplonia (Boisduval, 1828), E. Tagis (Hübner, [1804]) i E. Belemia (Esper, 1799) les tres primeres es troben també a Catalunya. E. ausonia (Hübner, [1804]), malgrat publicacions recents que la citen com a ibèrica, no es troba a la península, essent pròpia de la regió sudoriental d'Europa. Aquesta confusió entre els autors s'explica en bona part per l'enrevessada taxonomia del grup i la dificultat de separar les espècies del complex «ausonia» que inclou ausonia, crameri i simplonia.Remarks on (he taxonomy of (he lberian species of the genus Euchloe Hübner, [1819] (Lepidoptera, Pieridae). Four species belonging to the genus Euchloe Hübner (1819) occur in the lberian Peninsula: E. Crameri (Butler, 1869), E. Simplonia (Boisduval, 1828), E. Tagis (Hübner, [1804]) and E. Belemia (Esper, 1799), the first three also occuring in Catalonia. E. ausonia, despite recent publications that mention it as an iberian element, does not occur in the Peninsula, inhabiting in fact southeastern Europe. This confusion among authors is mostly explained by the puzzly taxonomy of the group as well as by the difficulty identifying the species belonging to the «ausonia» group: ausonia, crameri, and simplonia. Research by Back (1979) and Geiger & Scholl (1982) helped clarifying this complex issue. In Catalonia, E. Simplonia was recorded for the first time from the Pyrenees by Segarra (1912), quoting it as Euchloe bel ja var. simplonia. E. Crameri was first recorded as Pieris Belja by Salvatià (1870) from the Maresme area (NE Barcelona city). The first record for E.tagis, the rarest in Catalonia, was by the french author Bernardi (1945) from Juneda (Lleida)

Sexual communication in day-flying Lepidoptera with special reference to castniids or 'butterfly-moths'

Butterflies and moths are subject to different evolutionary pressures that affect several aspects of their behaviour and physiology, particularly sexual communication. Butterflies are day-flying insects (excluding hedylids) whose partner-finding strategy is mainly based on visual cues and female butterflies having apparently lost the typical sex pheromone glands. Moths, in contrast, are mostly night-flyers and use female-released long-range pheromones for partner-finding. However, some moth families are exclusively day-flyers, and therefore subject to evolutionary pressures similar to those endured by butterflies. Among them, the Castniidae, also called 'butterfly-moths' or 'sun-moths', behave like butterflies and, thus, castniid females appear to have also lost their pheromone glands, an unparallel attribute in the world of moths. In this paper, we review the sexual communication strategy in day-flying Lepidoptera, mainly butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea), Zygaenidae and Castniidae moths, and compare their mating behaviour with that of moth families of nocturnal habits, paying particular attention to the recently discovered butterfly-like partner-finding strategy of castniids and the fascinating facts and debates that led to its discovery

Moths Behaving like Butterflies. Evolutionary Loss of Long Range Attractant Pheromones in Castniid Moths: A Paysandisia archon Model

Background: In the course of evolution butterflies and moths developed two different reproductive behaviors. Whereas butterflies rely on visual stimuli for mate location, moths use the"female calling plus male seduction" system, in which females release long-range sex pheromones to attract conspecific males. There are few exceptions from this pattern but in all cases known female moths possess sex pheromone glands which apparently have been lost in female butterflies. In the day-flying moth family Castniidae ("butterfly-moths"), which includes some important crop pests, no pheromones have been found so far. Methodology/Principal Findings: Using a multidisciplinary approach we described the steps involved in the courtship of P. archon, showing that visual cues are the only ones used for mate location; showed that the morphology and fine structure of the antennae of this moth are strikingly similar to those of butterflies, with male sensilla apparently not suited to detect female-released long range pheromones; showed that its females lack pheromone-producing glands, and identified three compounds as putative male sex pheromone (MSP) components of P. archon, released from the proximal halves of male forewings and hindwings. Conclusions/Significance: This study provides evidence for the first time in Lepidoptera that females of a moth do not produce any pheromone to attract males, and that mate location is achieved only visually by patrolling males, which may release a pheromone at short distance, putatively a mixture of Z,E-farnesal, E,E-farnesal, and (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienol. The outlined behavior, long thought to be unique to butterflies, is likely to be widespread in Castniidae implying a novel, unparalleled butterfly-like reproductive behavior in moths. This will also have practical implications in applied entomology since it signifies that the monitoring/control of castniid pests should not be based on the use of female-produced pheromones, as it is usually done in many moths

Dinosaur bonebed amber from an original swamp forest soil

Dinosaur bonebeds with amber content, yet scarce, offer a superior wealth and quality of data on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. However, the preserved palaeodiversity and/or taphonomic characteristics of these exceptional localities had hitherto limited their palaeobiological potential. Here, we describe the amber from the Lower Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed of Ariño (Teruel, Spain) using a multidisciplinary approach. Amber is found in both a root layer with amber strictly in situ and a litter layer mainly composed of aerial pieces unusually rich in bioinclusions, encompassing 11 insect orders, arachnids, and a few plant and vertebrate remains, including a feather. Additional palaeontological data—charophytes, palynomorphs, ostracods— are provided. Ariño arguably represents the most prolific and palaeobiologically diverse locality in which fossiliferous amber and a dinosaur bonebed have been found in association, and the only one known where the vast majority of the palaeontological assemblage suffered no or low-grade pre-burial transport. This has unlocked unprecedentedly complete and reliable palaeoecological data out of two complementary windows of preservation—the bonebed and the amber—from the same site.European Regional Development Fund (FEDER)Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)/FEDERMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO)/FEDERGeneralitat de CatalunyaGeneralitat de Catalunya/FEDERMMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)Oxford UniversityAustrian Academy of SciencesUniversité de TunisGeneralitat ValencianaDepto. de Geodinámica, Estratigrafía y PaleontologíaFac. de Ciencias GeológicasTRUEpu

Proyecto AMBERIA (CGL2014-52163): avance de resultados

Bienal de la Real Sociedad de Historia Natural (22º. 2017. Coimbra)En la XXI Bienal de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural celebrada en Burgos en el año 2015, se expuso una presentación del proyecto AMBERIA: “El ámbar de Iberia: un excepcional registro de los bosques cretácicos en los albores de los ecosistemas terrestres modernos”, subvencionado por el MINECO, que acababa de ser concedido. El objetivo de ese trabajo fue exponer las líneas maestras de las investigaciones que se iban a realizar en un tema tan apasionante como son las resinas fósiles con inclusiones biológicas del Cretácico Inferior (Albiense superior, alrededor de 105 Ma). Ahora el objetivo del presente trabajo es dar a conocer algunos de los resultados más interesantes que hemos obtenido durante el desarrollo de este proyecto.Departamento de Biología, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, EspañaMuseo Geominero, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, EspañaDepartamento de Zoología y Antropología Física, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, EspañaDepartament de Dinàmica de la Terra i de l’Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat, Universitat de Barcelona, EspañaMuseo de Prehistoria y Arqueología de Cantabria, EspañaMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Estados UnidosDepartament Ciències Agràries i del Medi Natural, Universitat Jaume I, EspañaUniversidad Nebrija, EspañaInstitut de Ciència i Tecnologia ambientals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, EspañaPeer reviewe

Amber in Portugal: state of the art

XXXIV Jornadas de Paleontología y IV Congreso Ibérico de Paleontología (Villareal, Portugal. Sep 2018) p 279-287Portuguese amber has received very little attention from the paleontological and geological points of view. To our knowledge, only twelve amber outcrops or amber-bearing areas have been detected in Portugal. The first outcrops were cited in times as old as 1867 and 1910, and although some of them were considered Jurassic in age, most likely the amber came from Cretaceous deposits. The Portuguese outcrops are poor in amber and, thus far, only a dipteran (Nematocera) insect has been found as bioinclusion (Cascais amber); the area of Estoril-Cascais, near Lisbon, provides amber interesting from the paleoentomological standpoint. In contrast, prehistoric amber from Portugal, namely as diverse types of beads and pendants, has been researched in some detail during the last decades. The 25 archeological localities known occur from north to south, ranging in ages from the Neolithic through the Chalcolithic to the Late Bronze Age. Further research is required to prospect the known paleontological localities, and also to look for new ones, in order to obtain stratigraphically contextualized samples and to perform the first infrared and/or Raman spectroscopy analyses. This will allow comparing these with the infrared and/or Raman spectra of archeological pieces to shed light on the origin of the amber as a raw material during prehistoric times. The potential discovery of a paleontological locality yielding abundant bioinclusions would be of great interest, as it would allow taxonomic and paleoecological comparisons with the rich Cretaceous outcrops from the north and northeastern Iberian PeninsulaMuseo Geominero, Instituto Geológico y Minero de EspañaDepartament de Dinàmica de la Terra i del Oceà and Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio). Facultat de Ciències de laTerra. Universitat de BarcelonaDepartamento de Prehistoria, Historia Antigua y Arqueología. Universidad de SalamancaDepartamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Biología, Universidad ComplutenseMuseo de Ciencias Naturales de ÁlavaDepartamento de Prehistoria y Arqueología, Universidad de GranadaOxford University Museum of Natural HistoryInstitute of Environmental Science and Technology (ICTA)Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de MadridDepartamento de História, Estudos Europeus, Arqueologia e Artes, Faculdade de Letras, Universidade de Coimbra, Instituto de Arqueologi

Dinosaur bonebed amber from an original swamp forest soil

[EN] Dinosaur bonebeds with amber content, yet scarce, offer a superior wealth and quality of data on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. However, the preserved palaeodiversity and/or taphonomic characteristics of these exceptional localities had hitherto limited their palaeobiological potential. Here, we describe the amber from the Lower Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed of Ariño (Teruel, Spain) using a multidisciplinary approach. Amber is found in both a root layer with amber strictly in situ and a litter layer mainly composed of aerial pieces unusually rich in bioinclusions, encompassing 11 insect orders, arachnids, and a few plant and vertebrate remains, including a feather. Additional palaeontological data-charophytes, palynomorphs, ostracods- are provided. Ariño arguably represents the most prolific and palaeobiologically diverse locality in which fossiliferous amber and a dinosaur bonebed have been found in association, and the only one known where the vast majority of the palaeontological assemblage suffered no or low-grade pre-burial transport. This has unlocked unprecedentedly complete and reliable palaeoecological data out of two complementary windows of preservation-the bonebed and the amber-from the same site.Funding Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades: CGL2017-84419 (Eduardo Barrón, Xavier Delclòs); Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades: PGC2018-094034-B-C22 (Luis Alcalá) ; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad: CGL2015-69805-P (Carles Martín-Closas) ; Generalitat de Catalunya: 2017SGR-824 (Carles Martín-Closas, Xavier Delclòs) ; Generalitat de Catalunya: 2020FI_B1 00002 (Sergio Álvarez-Parra) ; Oxford University Museum: Research Fellowship (Ricardo Pérez-de la Fuente) ; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades: BES-2016-076469 (Jordi Pérez-Cano) ; Austrian Academy of Sciences: Project 661 (Khaled Trabelsi) ; Université de Tunis: LR18 ES07 (Khaled Trabelsi) ; Generalitat Valenciana: APOSTD2019 (Alba Sánchez-García) ; European Regional Development Fund: IGME13-4E-1518 (Rafael P Lozano)Peer reviewe

Sexual communication in castniid moths: Males mark their territories and appear to bear all chemical burden.

Castniid moths (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) display a butterfly-like reproductive behavior, i.e., they use visual stimuli for mate location and females have apparently lost their pheromone glands in an evolutionary context. In this paper we report for the first time the identification of three new compounds, namely n-octadecyl acetate, (Z)-9-octadecenyl acetate and (E,Z)- 2,13-octadecadienyl acetate, in males of the Castniid Palm Borer, Paysandisia archon, which could be involved in its short-range courtship behavior, and also shed light on recent controversies on the sexual behavior of the species. The compounds are produced in a ringshaped gland of the male terminalia and have occasionally been detected in very minor amounts (ng) in ovipositor extracts of females, but only while mating or just after copulation. We also report that males use the already known (E,Z)-2,13-octadecadienol to mark their territory by rubbing their midlegs against the upper side of nearby leaves, especially palm leaves. This compound, produced in large amounts, is mostly concentrated in the midleg basitarsi and its maximum production is detected on the sexually mature 1-day-old specimens. In addition, analysis of male wings extracts confirms the presence of Z,E and E,E-farnesals, which are mostly produced in the median band of hindwings of 48-53 h-old insects. The biological significance of farnesals in this species is unknown. Our results point out that the chemical communication of P. archon relies mostly on males, which appear to bear all chemical burden in this respect