Arturo Baz

Ranking protected areas in the Azores using standardised sampling of soil epigean arthropods

Nineteen areas in seven of the nine Azorean islands were evaluated for species diversity and rarity based on soil epigean arthropods. Fifteen out of the 19 study areas are managed as Natural Forest Reserves and the remaining four were included due to their importance as indigenous forest cover. Four of the 19 areas are not included in the European Conservation network, NATURA 2000. Two sampling replicates were run per study area, and a total of 191 species were collected; 43 of those species (23%) are endemic to the archipelago and 12 have yet to be described. To produce an unbiased multiple-criteria index (importance value for conservation, IV-C) incorporating diversity and rarity based indices, an iterative partial multiple regression analysis was performed. In addition, an irreplaceability index and the complementarity method (using both optimisation and heuristic methods) were used for priority-reserves analyses. It was concluded that at least one well-managed reserve per island is absolutely necessary to have a good fraction of the endemic arthropods preserved. We found that for presence/absence data the suboptimal complementarity algorithm provides solutions as good as the optimal algorithm. For abundance data, optimal solutions indicate that most reserves are needed if we want that at least 50% of endemic arthropod populations are represented in a minimum set of reserves. Consistently, two of the four areas not included in the NATURA 2000 framework were considered of high priority, indicating that vascular plants and bird species used to determine NATURA 2000 sites are not good surrogates of arthropod diversity in the Azores. The most irreplaceable reserves are those located in older islands, which indicates that geological history plays an important role in explaining faunal diversity of arthropods in the Azores. Based both on the uniqueness of species composition and high species richness, conservation efforts should be focused on the unmanaged Pico Alto region in the archipelago’s oldest island, Santa Maria.

The effects of forest fragmentation on butterfly communities in central Spain

We studied butterfly communities of isolated wood- increases as patchiness of forest fragments increases. A mea- lots (3.6-2115 ha) in central Spain during 1991 to investigate sure of rare and interesting communities in an European the influence of area, shape, isolation and habitat on com- context, Kudrnas (1986) chorological index, decreases with munity structure. A total of eighty-one species was observed. area, presumably as a consequence of habitat changes (area Butterfly diversity, rather than species number, was affects habitat structure). These results may generate contra- significantly correlated with both woodland area and isolation dictory decisions in relation to butterfly species conversation. (area of woodland within 1 km of the study plots). Rounded

The distribution of adult blow-flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) along an altitudinal gradient in Central Spain

Abstract The distribution of Calliphoridae along an altitudinal gradient was investigated in Central Spain using carrion-baited traps. Significant differences were found between elevation and mean abundances of almost all species of blow-flies. Several species of flies could be grouped according to their altitudinal preferences so that samples at high elevations are defined by Calliphora vomitoria and Calliphora vicina while samples at low elevations are defined by two thermophilous species: Lucilia sericata and Chrysomya albiceps. The remaining species show preferences for mid-elevations where wooded areas are more characteristic along the altitudinal gradient. Calliphora vomitoria and Chrysomya albiceps are the most abundant species representing the 87.74 % of all captures. Both species are spatially segregated along the altitudinal gradient. The changing patterns of abundance are discussed in relation to differences in climate conditions along the altitudinal gradient concluding that the environmental variables that influence the seasonality of many species also play an important role to explain the spatial distribution.

Distribution of domestic Psocoptera in Madrid apartments

Domestic Psocoptera were sampled in Madrid throughout a complete year (1991–92) by means of sticky traps in bathrooms, kitchens and inside windows. A total of 409 individuals comprising ten species of psocids was caught from 4056 traps inspected fortnightly. The predominant species were Liposcelis decolor, Li. brunnea, Psyllipsocus ramburi, Li. bostrychophila, Li. pearmani, Dorypteryx domestica and Lachesilla pedicularia, in descending order of abundance. Apartments were classified according to eight quantitative variables: age and area of building, level of apartment (i.e. storey), numbers of windows, inhabitants, their pets (birds and mammals), ornamental plants indoors; and two qualitative factors: floor material and presence or absence of trees adjacent to the house. Psocid communities in human habitations were assessed by the island biogeography theory: diversity increased with apartment size and the number of species decreased with building date. Psocid populations were most abundant in bathrooms, which presumably act as sources for dispersal to other parts of the premises. No other significant correlations were found with the other housing factors investigated. Whereas psocids were active indoors during all months of the year, the peak prevalence was in summer, July and August, one or two months ahead of the local seasonal pattern for non‐domestic psocids. Although psocids are usually not seriously unhygienic, causing only minor problems of contamination and allergies, this information should help towards their environmental control.

Sarcosaprophagous Diptera assemblages in natural habitats in central Spain: spatial and seasonal changes in composition.

The composition and spatial distribution of sarcosaprophagous Diptera assemblages were studied using carrion‐baited traps along a bioclimatic gradient of natural habitats in central Spain throughout the different seasons during 1 year. Calliphoridae and Muscidae were the most abundant families, accounting for, respectively, 41.9% and 35.1% of all Diptera specimens collected. Other abundant families were Heleomyzidae (8.4%), Sarcophagidae (6.9%) and Piophilidae (5.1%). Fly assemblage compositions differed among bioclimatic levels, with Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) being the dominant species in mesomediterranean habitats, Muscina levida (Harris) (Diptera: Muscidae) the dominant species in supramediterranean habitats, and Prochyliza nigrimana (Meigen) (Diptera: Piophilidae) the dominant species in oromediterranean habitats. Differences in assemblage composition were also found among seasons. Thermophobic species such as Calliphora vicina Robineau‐Desvoidy (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and some species of Heleomyzidae were well represented during autumn, winter and spring in the three bioclimatic levels sampled. By contrast, thermophilic species such as Ch. albiceps and Lucilia sericata (Meigen) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) and most Muscidae and Sarcophagidae species were more abundant during summer and in mesomediterranean habitats located at lower elevations. Knowledge of the preferences of some species for certain habitats may be of ecological and forensic value and may establish a starting point for further research.

The SLOSS dilemma: a butterfly case study

Butterfly species richness is examined on simulated archipelagoes of 2, 3, 4 and 5 holm oak forest fragments in the Guadalajara Province (central Spain). It is shown that there are more species on several small ‘islands’ than on a single island. Also, species number increases with the number of fragments that form the archipelago, and with the average distance between islands within the archipelago. Thus, we conclude, at least for butterflies in a system of fragmented holm oak forests in central Iberia, that the best strategy in order to maximize the conservation of species richness is the creation of a net of some small and scattered reserves.

Archaeatropidae, a New Family of Psocoptera from the Cretaceous Amber of Alava, Northern Spain

Abstract A new family, genus, and species (Archaeatropidae, n. fam., Archaeatropos alavensis, n. gen., n. sp.) of Psocoptera from Alava Province, Spain, is described and illustrated from Late Cretaceous amber (114 m.y.a.). This new family belongs to the family group Atropetae. The relationships with the family group Atropetae and within Psocatropetae are discussed. We conclude that the Archaeatropidae represents an archaic, extinct lineage of Atropetae and possess some features shared with the Psocatropetae. This reinforces previous hypotheses about the relationships among Atropetae and Psocatropetae. These family groups represent 2 divergent branches arising from a common ancestor. A brief comment on the origin of the hypogean fauna in relation with our findings is made.

New piophilid in town: the first Palaearctic record of Piophila megastigmata and its coexistence with Piophila casei in central Spain

The genus Piophila Fallén (Diptera: Piophilidae) is known from only two species: Piophila casei (L.) is a major pest, a cosmopolitan species and is commonly used as a forensic indicator, whereas Piophila megastigmata McAlpine has until now only been recorded in a natural environment in South Africa. The present work reports the first occurrence of P. megastigmata in the Palaearctic region from specimens collected by carrion‐baited traps throughout different natural habitats of central Spain. Furthermore, the species was also collected with P. casei on corpses of domestic pigs used in a carrion succession study in a periurban habitat in central Spain. Both species occurred on carrion in different seasons, but P. megastigmata was more abundant than P. casei in autumn, arriving earlier at the carcasses and persisting for a longer period. The contrary pattern was observed in spring. The presence of P. megastigmata in different localities in central Spain and its coexistence with P. casei in a periurban habitat make it a potentially useful new tool for legal medicine in Europe; thus this species must be considered in forensic entomology studies.

The “Coffin Fly”Conicera tibialis (Diptera: Phoridae) Breeding on Buried Human Remains After a Postmortem Interval of 18 Years*

Abstract:  The “coffin fly,”Conicera tibialis Schmitz (Order: Diptera, Family: Phoridae), is well known for its frequent occurrence on buried corpses, in some cases after postmortem intervals of even 3–5 years. The present report describes the presence of a large amount of individuals of C. tibialis inside the coffin of a buried human corpse exhumed 18 years after death in central Spain. Adults, some of them newly emerged, and empty puparia were found in connection with the remains. Such postmortem interval is significantly longer than previously known for this species and raises the question on the current state of knowledge about the use of insects for estimating the postmortem interval in old, buried remains.

Spatiotemporal Distribution of Necrophagous Beetles (Coleoptera: Dermestidae, Silphidae) Assemblages in Natural Habitats of Central Spain

ABSTRACT The composition, spatial distribution, and seasonal fluctuations of necrophagous Coleoptera assemblages of families Dermestidae and Silphidae are studied along a bioclimatical level gradient of natural habitats in central Spain. Both families were collected with carrion-baited traps throughout a year. The main part of the individuals occurred in spring and summer, but silphids showed different seasonal patterns depending on the bioclimatical level. The assemblage composition also differs depending on the bioclimatical level with two distinguishable groups: one corresponding to mesomediterranean habitats and the other to supramediterranean and oromediterranean habitats. The most abundant species of Dermestidae are well represented at every bioclimatical level, whereas some species of Silphidae appear to have a preference for some habitats. Such differences in spatial and temporal patterns between both families could be because of their different food and carcass size preferences.