New data on the spatial distribution of endemic ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from Madeira Island

Based on standardised sampling methods covering a large fraction of native forest on Madeira Island, new distribution data is reported for 33 species of endemic ground beetles. Most of these species have been found in new localities and their distribution range is now better known. Dromius angustus alutaceus Wollaston, 1857 was "rediscovered" after more than fifty years since the last known record and two rare Philorhizus species (P. conicipennis (Fauvel, 1905) and P. vieirai Mateu, 1957) were also located. Furthermore, two other arboreal endemics (Olisthopus ericae Wollaston, 1854 and O. maderensis Wollaston, 1854) were recorded from many new localities. This work represents a considerable improvement of the knowledge on the distribution of ground beetle species endemic to Madeira, hence contributing to future management plans targeting the conservation of endemic biota

Foraging Behavior and Pollen Transport by Flower Visitors of the Madeira Island Endemic Echium candicans

The study of flower visitor behavior and pollen transport dynamics within and between plants can be of great importance, especially for threatened or rare plant species. In this work, we aim to assess the flower visitor assemblage of the Madeiran endemic Echium candicans and evaluate the performance of the most common visitors through the analysis of their foraging behavior and pollen loads. The flower visitor assemblage of E. candicans is diverse, including several insect groups and the endemic lizard Teira dugesii, but bees are the most common visitors. In general, large bees (Amegilla quadrifasciata, Apis mellifera, and Bombus spp.) had the highest average visitation rates (>18 flowers/min) and their pollen loads had higher percentages of homospecific pollen (>66%) when compared with butterflies and hoverflies. The honeybee (Apis mellifera) and two bumblebees (Bombus terrestris and B. ruderatus) were the most efficient flower visitors of E. candicans, but their foraging behavior seems to favor geitonogamy. Other visitors, such as butterflies and the small bee Lasioglossum wollastoni, may have a complementary role to the honeybee and bumblebee species, as their high mobility is associated with fewer flower visits on each plant and may promote xenogamy. Two non-native bees (A. mellifera and B. ruderatus) are important flower visitors of E. candicans and may contribute mostly to self-pollination rendering the endemic plant more vulnerable to inbreeding effects.The Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) provided financial support to field and laboratorial work through project PTDC/BIA-BIC/1013/2014. FE benefited from a grant by the Wallonia Brussels International (WBI) World Excellence Fellowships. Open access was funded by project FCT-UID/BIA/00329/2020-2024.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Proceratium melinum (Roger, 1860): the first record of Proceratiinae ants from Portugal (Hymenoptera, Formicidae).

ABSTRACT: The ant Proceratium melinum (Roger, 1860) is reported for the first time from Portugal. This is also the first record of Proceratiinae in this country, from which a total of 133 ant species are now known. The species was collected in a cork oak stand (montado) using pitfall traps.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Spatio-temporal variation in seed production in three Euphorbia species and the role of animals on seed fate

Comparative studies on the reproductive biology of co-occurring related plant species have provided valuable information for the interpretation of ecological and evolutionary phenomena, with direct application in conservation management of plant populations. The aims of this thesis were to identify the causes of pre-dispersal reproductive losses in three Euphorbia species (the Mediterranean E. characias and the narrow endemics E. pedroi and E. welwitschii) and evaluate the variation of their effects in time, space and between individuals and species. Furthermore, we intended to study elaiosomes’ fatty acid profiles for the three Euphorbia and assess the role played by the elaiosome in ant attraction. Finally, we aimed to identify the major seed dispersal agents for each Euphorbia species in each site and study differences in short term seed fate due to differences in ant behaviour. The results indicated that intact seed production differed significantly between the three Euphorbia, mostly due to differences in cyathia production. Losses to pre-dispersal seed predators were proportionately larger for the endemic species which also suffered higher losses resulting in flower, fruit (in E. welwitschii) and seed abortion (in E. pedroi). The elaiosomes of E. pedroi are poor in fatty acids and for this reason seeds of this species were removed in lower proportion by mutualistic dispersers than those of their congeners, being more prone to seed predation. Two larger ant species – Aphaenogaster senilis and Formica subrufa – were responsible for a larger percentage of removals with seeds being transported at larger distances and being discarded in the vicinity of their nests following elaiosome removal. Our results highlight the role of insect-plant interactions as major determinants of seed survival for the three study plants and call for the need to include more information on insect-plant interactions in plant conservation programmes.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

Asianidia Zachvatkin (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) associated with the laurisilva forest of Madeira island: species phenology and hostplant preferences

Im Rahmen einer Untersuchung zur Zikadenfauna von Lorbeerwäldern auf Madeira wurden fünf Arten der Gattung Asianidia Zachvatkin nachgewiesen: A. albula, A. decolor, A. insulana, A. chrysanthemi und A. melliferae. In Summe wurden 513 Individuen gesammelt. Die Häufigste Art war Asianidia decolor (47%), gefolgt von A. albula (36%) und A. insulana (16%). A. chrysanthemi und A. melliferae wurden nur in geringer Zahl gefangen. Die Hauptaktivität der Arten ist im Frühjahr und Sommer, A. albula und A. decolor zeigten ein weiteres Abundanzmaximum im November. Asianidia chrysanthemi und A. melliferae sind monophag, die anderen drei Arten oligo- bis polyphag. Im Rahmen dieser Studie konnten neue Nährpflanzenassoziationen zwischen Asianidia-Arten und Pflanzenarten der Lorbeerwälder Madeiras gefunden werden. Die Nährpflanzenspektren der nahe verwandten Arten A. albula und A. decolor zeigten große Ähnlichkeiten, während die systematisch weiter entferne Art A. insulana andere Nährpflanzen nützt. Möglicherweise spielte die unterschiedliche Nahrungspräferenz eine entscheidende Rolle inArtbildungsprozesen der Gattung Asianidia auf Madeira.Five Asianidia Zachvatkin species (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) - A. albula, A. decolor, A. insulana, A. chrysanthemi and A. melliferae - were found in a survey of the leafhoppers associated with a patch of the laurel forest in Madeira island. A total of 513 specimens were collected as a result of a twoyear study. Asianidia decolor was the most abundant species (47%), followed by A. albula (36%) and A. insulana (16%). A. chrysanthemi and A. melliferae were scarcely found. These leafhoppers proved to be active mostly during spring and summer, but A. albula and A. decolor also showed a peak of abundance during November. The Asianidia species showed considerable variation in host-plant preferences, being some of them monophagous (A. chrysanthemi and A. melliferae), while others are oligophagous or even have a wide range of hostplants (A. albula, A. decolor and A. insulana). During this study new associations were found between these leafhoppers and plants of the Madeiran laurisilva. The host-plant spectra of the closely related Asianidia albula and A. decolor showed considerable overlap. On the contrary, A. insulana, a species of a different lineage, had different host-plants. It is possible that differences in the preference for host-plants might have played a key role in the diversification of Asianidia in the Madeiran laurisilva

Pollen morphology of the endemic genera of the Madeira archipelago, Portugal

ABSTRACT: This study presents the first palynological characterisation of the five endemic plant genera of the Madeira archipelago: Chamaemeles Lindl, Melanoselinum Hoffm., Monizia Lowe, Musschia Dumort and Sinapidendron Lowe. Pollen grain morphology of ten endemic species was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The size and shape of pollen grains, the polar axis, the equatorial diameter, and the exine ornamentation were measured and described. We found that the pollen grains of the five endemic genera are all medium-size monads. The close relative apiaceous Melanoselinum and Monizia differ in polar (P) and equatorial (E) diameter size and exine ornamentation while Sinapidendron species show differences in P, E, and P/E ratios. The pollen grains of the two Musschia species are very similar to each other, but differ in morphology and ornamentation from the Macaronesian endemic bellflowers Azorina vidalii and Canarina canariensis. This study unveiled differences between the endemic taxa and with their close related species, thus providing support to previous taxonomic findings.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Inventory of tiger- and ground-beetles (Coleoptera Caraboidea: Cicindelidae, Carabidae) from the Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique)

The Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique) is one of the most emblematic protected areas in Africa, well known for its vertebrate biodiversity and restoration ecology efforts following the Mozambican civil war in 1992. The invertebrate biodiversity of Gorongosa National Park is still poorly studied, although the scarce information available indicates the existence of a rich number of species, particularly ground-beetles. The study of Caraboidea beetles is key for designing conservation practices since they are frequently used as biodiversity and ecological indicators and provide valuable information to help decision making. Therefore, the diversity assessment of Caraboidea beetles using standardized methodologies, can be used to quantify the effects of climate change in areas identified as vulnerable to climate change, such as the Gorongosa National Park. We report the occurrence of five tiger-beetles (Cicindelidae) and 93 ground-beetles (Carabidae) species/morphospecies in Gorongosa National Park from a field survey funded by the ECOASSESS project. Sampling was performed in the four main habitat types present in the park (miombo tropical forest, mixed dry forest, transition forest and grasslands) between October 25th and November 25th. In this sampling window, the turnover of Caraboidea species from the dry season to the wet season was recorded for the first time. Twenty-eight species of ground-beetles are new records to Mozambique, including 4 new subgenera and 2 new genera. Additional information on species phenology and habitat preferences is also provided.FUNDING: This study was supported by the Project ECOASSESS – A biodiveristy and ECOlogical ASSESSment of soil fauna of Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique) (PTDC/BIA-CBI/29672/2017) funded through national funds by FCT / MCTES (PIDDAC) under the Programme All Scientific Domains. Marie Bartz was contracted by the University of Coimbra (contract nr. IT057-19-7955) through financial support by the Project/R&D Instituition ECOASSESS. Sara Mendes was financially supported by FCiências – Associação para a investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências through research grants funded by the Project/R&D Institution ECOASSESS. Mário Boieiro and Sérgio Timóteo were supported by FCT under contracts DL57/2016/CP1375/CT0001 and CEECIND/00135/2017, respectively.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A pictorial key for identification of the hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of the Madeira Archipelago

BACKGROUND: Syrphid flies are important ecological indicators and provide crucial ecosystem services, being important pollinators and biological control agents of insect pests. These charismatic insects are conspicuous and, due to their size and colourful patterns, are relatively easy to identify. However, the lack of user-friendly literature (e.g. photographic guides) for most areas may hamper its wider selection as a study group in biodiversity and ecological studies. The syrphid fauna of Madeira Archipelago comprises 26 species, including four endemics (Eumerus hispidus Smit, Aguiar & Wakeham-Dawson, 2004; Melanostoma wollastoni Wakeham-Dawson, Aguiar, Smit, McCullough & Wyatt, 2004; Myathropa usta, Wollaston, 1858 and Xanthandrus babyssa, Walker, 1849), but, despite the current good taxonomic knowledge on this group, information on species distribution, ecology and conservation is still lacking. Here, we provide a pictorial key to the adult hoverflies of Madeira Archipelago highlighting diagnostic characteristics and present photographs of both males and females (in dorsal and lateral views) in colour plates. The key and plates will help researchers to differentiate these species, thus encouraging the use of this insect group in future bioindication studies. In addition, this study also aims to engage a broader audience of non-experts in improving the knowledge on the distribution and ecology of Madeira syrphids. NEW INFORMATION: We provide a checklist for the hoverflies of Madeira Archipelago and a pictorial key to help on species identification.We acknowledge the financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) through project PTDC/BIA-BIC/1013/2014, UIDB/00329/2020-2024 and contract DL57/2016/CP1375/CT0001 to MB. We also thank Instituto das Florestas e da Conservação da Natureza (IFCN) for allowing the collection of specimens in Madeira Archipelago.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Arthropods and other biota associated with the Azorean trees and shrubs : Laurus azorica (Seub) Franco (Magnoliophyta, Magnoliopsida, Laurales, Lauraceae)

This study explores the composition and structure of species communities associated with the native Azorean tree species Laurus azorica (Seub) Franco (Magnoliophyta, Magnoliopsida, Laurales, Lauraceae). Communities were sampled in six Islands covering the occidental (Flores), central (Faial, Pico, Terceira) and eastern (São Miguel, Santa Maria) groups of Azores Archipelago during the BALA project, using standardised sampling protocols for surveying canopy arthropod fauna. In addition, the study characterises the distribution of species regarding their colonisation status and feeding modes and, finally, compares communities of different Islands. Ninety-four arthropod species totalling 10,313 specimens were collected on L. azorica. The Arthropod community was dominated by Hemiptera species, most of them being herbivores. Endemic and native species showed a very high abundance representing about 94% of the total species abundance. However, despite introduced species being represented by few individuals (6% of the total abundance), their diversity was remarkable (28 species and no significant difference with diversity found in endemic and native species communities). Analysis of rarity patterns revealed a stable community of endemic species (alpha gambin SAD model approaching a log-normal shape), intermediate stable community of native species (alpha SAD gambin model approaching a poisson log-normal) and a less stable community of introduced species (alpha SAD gambin model approaching a log-series shape). A dissimilarity analysis revealed high similarity between communities of Terceira and Pico and high dissimilarity between Flores and Faial communities. We observed a clear individualisation of the different islands when considering endemic species, whereas we observed high overlap when considering native and introduced species groups. Canopy community distribution confirms the results obtained in a previous study which suggest the stability of native and endemic arthropods species communities over introduced species community in native forests fragments. Arthropod species were richer than bryophytes, lichens and vascular plants species. We found that L. azorica serve as the substrate for very few vascular plants species (four epiphytes species), which were present in all Islands, except Elaphoglossum semicylindricum, which does not occur in Santa Maria. L. azorica shelters a significant number of bryophytes and lichens species. Thirty-two lichens and 92 bryophyte species, including 57 liverworts and 35 mosses, are referred to this phorophyte. Five bryophyte species, all Azorean endemics, are considered Endangered by IUCN Criteria. L. azorica harbours a poor community of epiphyte vascular plant species and all of them were ferns, but the community of bryophytes and lichens are not negligible although very low compared to the community found on other previously studied Azorean trees, the Azorean cedar Juniperus brevifolia. The present study shows that most islands present particular species distribution patterns without geographical correlation and that conservation programmes should be adapted to each Island. The study, therefore, calls for a specialisation of conservation programmes for each of the Islands.NT and MTF are currently funded by the project LIFE BEETLES (LIFE 18 NAT/PT/000864) at "Secretaria Regional do Ambiente e Alterações Climáticas". PAVB, RE and RG are funded by the project AZORESBIOPORTAL-PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145FEDER-000072) (2019).info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio