Cave-adapted beetles from continental Portugal

Background The cave biodiversity of continental Portugal faces tremendous conservation challenges, mostly linked to their direct destruction and contamination infiltrating from the surface. Beetles are the most diverse insects and one of the most diverse arthropod groups in caves of Portugal. New information We present the IUCN Red List profiles for the cave-adapted beetles from continental Portugal, all endemic to their respective geological units and massifs. Ground beetles (Carabidae) are the most diverse family of cave-adapted beetles in continental Portugal, followed by rove beetles (Staphylinidae). Beetles in caves of Portugal are mostly terrestrial and only one species is known to have evolved to live in groundwater. Trechus is the most diverse genus with four species, followed by Domene with three species and by Speonemadus and Iberoporus, both with one cave-adapted species. The aim of this contribution is to assess all endemic cave-adapted species of beetles from continental Portugal and to support their specific protection, to promote adequate management of surface habitats and the establishment of priority areas for conservation. The main biodiversity erosion drivers that are impacting the conservation of the studied species are pollution infiltrating from the surface, urbaniation, modifications of the natural habitat for touristic purposes and mining, quarrying and energy production infrastructures. This document can be used in spatial planning and territory management in karst, based on the current scientific knowledge.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Euro-Mediterranean fauna of Campodeinae (Campodeidae, Diplura)

Campodeinae is the most diverse subfamily of Campodeidae diplurans and inhabits soils and subsurface ecosystems. These are distributed in the Palearctic area, clearly rarifying towards northern latitudes. The major taxonomic characters are chaetotaxy, shape and complexity of pretarsal structures, and secondary sexual characters. This monograph provides a taxonomic revision of the subfamily Campodeinae in the Euro-Mediterrnean region, based on extensive literature review and new material studied. It comprises detailed morphological descriptions and illustrations together with habitat and distribution data of 161 species and 14 subspecies from 10 genera: Campodea Westwood, 1842, Edriocampa Silvestri, 1933, Eutrichocampa Silvestri, 1902, Helladocampa Condé, 1984, Libanocampa Condé, 1955, Litocampa Silvestri, 1933, Oreocampa Condé, 1950, Podocampa Silvestri, 1932, Remycampa Condé 1952, and Spaniocampa Silvestri, 1933. With 116 species Campodea is the most diverse and widely distributed genus in the studied area.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mediterranean Speleobiology

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The genus Jeekelosoma Mauriès, 1985 – Moroccan cave millipedes (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Paradoxosomatidae)

Jeekelosoma Mauriès, 1985, is upgraded from subgenus status under Eviulisoma Silvestri, 1910 to full genus status. The type species, Jeekelosoma abadi (Mauriès, 1985) is redescribed based on topotypical material from a cave in Morocco. Jeekelosoma heptarachne sp. nov. and J. viginti sp. nov. are described from two further Moroccan caves

Cave-adapted millipedes from Portugal: species conservation profiles

Background Amongst the cave-dwelling millipedes (Diplopoda), there are several endemic species in Portugal with a very small geographical distribution. These species play an important role in the decomposition of organic matter in subterranean ecosystems and are vulnerable to disturbance from human activities, such as habitat destruction, pollution infiltrating from the surface and cave tourism. New information We present the IUCN Red List profiles for cave-adapted millipedes (Diplopoda) from Portugal and propose conservation measures to prevent extinction. Overall, cave-adapted millipedes from Portugal represent an endemic part of the country's biodiversity and conservation efforts will help maintain the delicate ecological balance of subterranean ecosystems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Thermal acclimation and metabolic scaling of a groundwater asellid in the climate change scenario

Metabolic rate has long been used in animal adaptation and performance studies, and individual oxygen consumption is used as proxy of metabolic rate. Stygofauna are organisms adapted to groundwater with presumably lower metabolic rates than their surface relatives. How stygofauna will cope with global temperature increase remains unpredictable. We studied the thermal acclimation and metabolic scaling with body mass of a stygobitic crustacean, Proasellus lusitanicus, in the climate change scenario. We measured oxygen consumption rates in a thermal ramp-up experiment over four assay temperatures and tested two hypotheses: (i) P. lusitanicus exhibits narrow thermal plasticity, inadequate for coping with a fast-increasing thermal regime; and (ii) oxygen consumption rates scale with the body mass by a factor close to 0.75, as commonly observed in other animals. Our results show that P. lusitanicus has low thermal plasticity in a fast-increasing thermal regime. Our data also suggest that oxygen consumption rates of this species do not follow mass-dependent scaling, potentially representing a new trait of metabolic optimization in groundwater habitats, which are often limited in food and oxygen. Species with limited dispersal capacities and rigid metabolic guilds face extinction risk due to climate change and omitting groundwater ecosystems from climate change agendas emphasizes the unprotected status of stygofauna.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Species conservation profiles of cave-adapted terrestrial isopods from Portugal

Background Terrestrial isopods (Oniscidea) are the most diverse group of troglobionts in caves of continental Portugal. They occur in all karst regions of Portugal, play a major role in decomposition of organic matter in caves and may act as umbrella species for the conservation of all other cave-adapted invertebrates. New information We present the IUCN Red List profiles for the cave-adapted terrestrial isopods from continental Portugal, based on recent distribution data from caves.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The world’s deepest subterranean community - Krubera-Voronja Cave (Western Caucasus)

Subsurface biota extends over a wide variety of habitats that can be spatially interconnected. The largest communities of this subsurface biota inhabit cavities and are well known mainly in caves where biologists are able to have access. Data about deep subterranean communities and arthropods living under one thousand meters was unknown. An expedition to world’s deepest cave, Krubera-Voronja in Western Caucasus, revealed an interesting subterranean community, living below 2000 meters and represented by more than 12 species of arthropods, including several new species for science. This deep cave biota is composed of troglobionts and also epigean species, that can penetrate until -2140 m. Deep subterranean ecosystems should not be seen only as an evolu- tionary dead end towards the troglomorphic syndrome, but also as a shelter for epigean species populations, especially during long periods of time when surface conditions are severe for their survival. Most of the subsurface biota depends on allochthonous sources of organic carbon coming from: water percolating from the surface, sinking streams that enter caves, and activities of animals mov- ing in and out of caves. The biocoenosis and the vertical distribution of invertebrate fauna of Krubera-Voronja are provided, from its entrance to the remarkable depth of 2140 meters, including the discovery of world’s deepest dwelling arthropod

Novelty upon novelty visualized by rotational scanning electron micrographs (rSEM): Laboulbeniales on the millipede order Chordeumatida

<div><p>Laboulbeniales are highly specific ectoparasitic fungi of arthropods (insects, millipedes, and arachnids). The first Laboulbeniales parasitizing the millipede order Chordeumatida (Diplopoda) were discovered and described as a new dioecious genus of Laboulbeniales, <i>Thaxterimyces</i>, to accommodate the new species <i>T</i>. <i>baliensis</i>. Also the millipede host is a new species and is described as <i>Metopidiothrix sheari</i>. This is the first time Laboulbeniales fungus and its millipede host are described as new together. Males of <i>Metopidiothrix</i> have the most extensive secondary sexual modifications in the entire class Diplopoda. Although nothing is known about the function of these modifications, the unique pattern of Laboulbeniales infection in the new millipede species is obviously related to host sexual behavior. Rotational Scanning Electron Micrographs (rSEM) are used to create a 3D comprehensive model to examine the fungal-host interaction, a more advanced visualization of the ectoparasitic fungus on its host. Laboulbeniales diversity on millipedes is still understudied, and a consistent effort is needed to unveil and understand the extent and diversity of this biological interaction. Due to their minute size and apparently non-detrimental effect on their hosts, Laboulbeniales in general have been largely ignored by mycologists and neglected by generations of entomologists. As a result a significant component of global biodiversity has been strongly underestimated, and a wealth of new discoveries is still to be made both in the field and in existing museum collections.</p></div