Morphological description and DNA-based association of the last instar larva of Erotesis schachti Malicky 1982 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), an endemic of the Iberian Peninsula.

In this paper we describe the main morphological characteristics that distinguish the full-grown larva of Erotesis schachti, an endemic of the Iberian Peninsula. The conspecificity of the larva and adult was confirmed by DNA analysis. Morphological features that easily discriminate it from the similar species Erotesis baltica are given.

Larval Taxonomy and Distribution of Genus Hydropsyche (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) in Northwestern Algeria.

The main purpose of our paper is to document genus Hydropsyche (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) in northwestern Algeria and to provide the larval descriptions of the species set. Larvae, pupae, and imagines were collected from 14 sampling sites over a five-year period (2014-2019). Eight Hydropsyche species have been identified, with Hydropsyche siltalai being a new record for Algeria and North Africa, and Hydropsyche pellucidula a new record for Algeria. A comparison of our checklist with those of the Moroccan Rif and Europe is provided, as well as the geographical distribution of each species. This Algerian Hydropsyche species revision provides precise and reliable taxonomic characters for distinguishing larvae of the species, and a taxonomic key is proposed for their identification. In addition, information regarding their distribution is included.

DISPERSE, a trait database to assess the dispersal potential of European aquatic macroinvertebrates.

Dispersal is an essential process in population and community dynamics, but is difficult to measure in the field. In freshwater ecosystems, information on biological traits related to organisms' morphology, life history and behaviour provides useful dispersal proxies, but information remains scattered or unpublished for many taxa. We compiled information on multiple dispersal-related biological traits of European aquatic macroinvertebrates in a unique resource, the DISPERSE database. DISPERSE includes nine dispersal-related traits subdivided into 39 trait categories for 480 taxa, including Annelida, Mollusca, Platyhelminthes, and Arthropoda such as Crustacea and Insecta, generally at the genus level. Information within DISPERSE can be used to address fundamental research questions in metapopulation ecology, metacommunity ecology, macroecology and evolutionary ecology. Information on dispersal proxies can be applied to improve predictions of ecological responses to global change, and to inform improvements to biomonitoring, conservation and management strategies. The diverse sources used in DISPERSE complement existing trait databases by providing new information on dispersal traits, most of which would not otherwise be accessible to the scientific community.

The gut microbiota of brood parasite and host nestlings reared within the same environment: disentangling genetic and environmental effects.

Gut microbiota are essential for host health and survival, but we are still far from understanding the processes involved in shaping their composition and evolution. Controlled experimental work under lab conditions as well as human studies pointed at environmental factors (i.e., diet) as the main determinant of the microbiota with little evidence of genetic effects, while comparative interspecific studies detected significant phylogenetic effects. Different species, however, also differ in diet, feeding behavior, and environmental characteristics of habitats, all of which also vary interspecifically, and, therefore, can potentially explain most of the detected phylogenetic patterns. Here, we take advantage of the reproductive strategy of avian brood parasites and investigate gut microbiotas (esophageal (food and saliva) and intestinal) of great spotted cuckoo (Clamator glandarius) and magpie (Pica pica) nestlings that grow in the same nests. We also estimated diet received by each nestling and explored its association with gut microbiota characteristics. Although esophageal microbiota of magpies and great spotted cuckoos raised within the same environment (nest) did not vary, the microbiota of cloacal samples showed clear interspecific differences. Moreover, diet of great spotted cuckoo and magpie nestlings explained the microbiota composition of esophageal samples, but not of cloaca samples. These results strongly suggest a genetic component determining the intestinal microbiota of host and parasitic bird species, indicating that interspecific differences in gut morphology and physiology are responsible for such interspecific differences.

Description of the last instar larva of Stenophylax espanioli Schmid 1957 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) from southern Iberian Peninsula with the barcode of the species and synoptic key for identification of the known Stenophylax larvae from the Iberian Peninsula.

The larva of Stenophylax espanioli Schmid 1957 is described, illustrated, and compared with morphologically similar Limnephilidae larvae from the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, the sequence of fragments of the mtCOI gene in the barcode region of two individuals are reported and registered in the GenBank Database. Finally, a synoptic key of the known larvae of Stenophylax species from the Iberian Peninsula is given.

Local environment rather than past climate determines community composition of mountain stream macroinvertebrates across Europe.

Community assembly is determined by a combination of historical events and contemporary processes that are difficult to disentangle, but eco-evolutionary mechanisms may be uncovered by the joint analysis of species and genetic diversity across multiple sites. Mountain streams across Europe harbour highly diverse macroinvertebrate communities whose composition and turnover (replacement of taxa) among sites and regions remain poorly known. We studied whole-community biodiversity within and among six mountain regions along a latitudinal transect from Morocco to Scandinavia at three levels of taxonomic hierarchy: genus, species and haplotypes. Using DNA barcoding of four insect families (>3100 individuals, 118 species) across 62 streams, we found that measures of local and regional diversity and intraregional turnover generally declined slightly towards northern latitudes. However, at all hierarchical levels we found complete (haplotype) or high (species, genus) turnover among regions (and even among sites within regions), which counters the expectations of Pleistocene postglacial northward expansion from southern refugia. Species distributions were mostly correlated with environmental conditions, suggesting a strong role of lineage- or species-specific traits in determining local and latitudinal community composition, lineage diversification and phylogenetic community structure (e.g., loss of Coleoptera, but not Ephemeroptera, at northern sites). High intraspecific genetic structure within regions, even in northernmost sites, reflects species-specific dispersal and demographic histories and indicates postglacial migration from geographically scattered refugia, rather than from only southern areas. Overall, patterns were not strongly concordant across hierarchical levels, but consistent with the overriding influence of environmental factors determining community composition at the species and genus levels.

Four new species and new records of Atopsyche Banks (Trichoptera: Hydrobiosidae) from Pantepui biogeographical region (Venezuela).

Four new species of the genus Atopsyche Banks (Hydrobiosidae) from Pantepui biogeographical region (Venezuela) are described and illustrated: Atopsyche (Atopsaura) inmae n. sp., Atopsyche (Atopsaura) cristinae n. sp., Atopsyche (Atopsaura) svitoki n. sp., and Atopsyche (Atopsaura) carmenae n. sp. Molecular analyses (cox1 sequences) allowed larva-adult associations and the morphological description of larvae of two of the new species (A. inmae and A. cristinae). A phylogenetic tree is performed to assess the molecular validity of the species, establish evolutionary relation among them and interpret historical biogeography of tepuis. Finally, two new distributional records for A. (Atopsaura) atahuallpa are included, which up to now was known only from the type locality.

The Trichoptera barcode initiative: a strategy for generating a species-level Tree of Life.

DNA barcoding was intended as a means to provide species-level identifications through associating DNA sequences from unknown specimens to those from curated reference specimens. Although barcodes were not designed for phylogenetics, they can be beneficial to the completion of the Tree of Life. The barcode database for Trichoptera is relatively comprehensive, with data from every family, approximately two-thirds of the genera, and one-third of the described species. Most Trichoptera, as with most of life's species, have never been subjected to any formal phylogenetic analysis. Here, we present a phylogeny with over 16 000 unique haplotypes as a working hypothesis that can be updated as our estimates improve. We suggest a strategy of implementing constrained tree searches, which allow larger datasets to dictate the backbone phylogeny, while the barcode data fill out the tips of the tree. We also discuss how this phylogeny could be used to focus taxonomic attention on ambiguous species boundaries and hidden biodiversity. We suggest that systematists continue to differentiate between 'Barcode Index Numbers' (BINs) and 'species' that have been formally described. Each has utility, but they are not synonyms. We highlight examples of integrative taxonomy, using both barcodes and morphology for species description.This article is part of the themed issue 'From DNA barcodes to biomes'.

Larval descriptions of Annitella esparraguera (Schmid 1952) and Annitella iglesiasi González & Malicky 1988 (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae), two endemic species from Southern Europe.

Descriptions of the previously unknown larvae of Annitella esparraguera and A. iglesiasi, two European endemic species from the southern Iberian Peninsula are presented. The most important diagnostic features are illustrated and some taxonomic, zoogeographical and ecological notes are given. In addition, a previous key is modified to include these two new Iberian Limnephilidae larvae.

Aquatic Empididae (Diptera: Hemerodromiinae and Clinocerinae) of the Sierra Nevada, Spain, with the description of five new species .

In total 24 species of aquatic Empididae (Clinocerinae and Hemerodromiinae) are known from the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Spain, including five new species (Hemerodromia planti Ivkovic & Sinclair sp. nov., Kowarzia nevadensis Sinclair & Ivkovic sp. nov., Wiedemannia darioi Sinclair & Ivkovic sp. nov., W. horvati Ivkovic & Sinclair sp. nov. and W. vedranae Ivkovic & Sinclair sp. nov.). The new species are described, illustrated and distribution of all species listed. Wiedemannia (Philolutra) angelieri Vaillant and W. (Roederella) ouedorum Vaillant are newly recorded in Sierra Nevada and nine species are endemic to this region. A key to all 24 species of aquatic empidids is presented.

Armed rollers: does nestling's vomit function as a defence against predators?

Chemical defences against predators are widespread in the animal kingdom although have been seldom reported in birds. Here, we investigate the possibility that the orange liquid that nestlings of an insectivorous bird, the Eurasian roller (Coracias garrulus), expel when scared at their nests acts as a chemical defence against predators. We studied the diet of nestling rollers and vomit origin, its chemical composition and deterrent effect on a mammal generalist predator. We also hypothesized that nestling rollers, as their main prey (i.e. grasshoppers) do from plants, could sequester chemicals from their prey for their use. Grasshoppers, that also regurgitate when facing to a threat, store the harmful substances used by plants to defend themselves against herbivores. We found that nestling rollers only vomit after being grasped and moved. The production of vomit depended on food consumption and the vomit contained two deterrent chemicals (hydroxycinnamic and hydroxybenzoic acids) stored by grasshoppers and used by plants to diminish herbivory, suggesting that they originate from the rollers' prey. Finally, we showed for the first time that the oral secretion of a vertebrate had a deterrent effect on a model predator because vomit of nestling rollers made meat distasteful to dogs. These results support the idea that the vomit of nestling rollers is a chemical defence against predators.

Notalina roraima Holzenthal 1986 (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae), male genitalia variability and larval description.

Notalina roraima Holzenthal 1986 was described on the basis of a single holotype specimen from the Pantepui Region. The species is a member of the endemic Neotropical long-horned caddisfly (Trichoptera: Leptoceridae) subgenus Notalina (Neonotalina) Holzenthal 1986. We present new records of this species and describe some morphological variation in the male genitalia. Moreover, we describe and illustrate the larva of this species and include information of its habitat. We also differentiate it from N. morsei, the only larva of the subgenus Neonotalina described until now.

Ecological and historical filters constraining spatial caddisfly distribution in Mediterranean rivers.

1. Contemporary species distributions are determined by a mixture of ecological and historical filters acting on several spatial and temporal scales. Mediterranean climate areas are one of the world's biodiversity hotspots with a high level of endemicity, which is linked to complex ecological and historical factors. 2. This paper explores the ecological and historical factors constraining the distribution of caddisfly species on a large regional scale. A total of 69 taxa were collected from 140 sampling sites in 10 Iberian Mediterranean river basins. Approximately 74% of taxa can be considered rare, with the southern basins (the Baetic-Riffian region) having greater endemicity. The greatest richness, involving a mixture of northern and southern species, was found in the transitional area between the Baetic-Riffian region and the Hesperic Massif. 3. The historical processes occurring during the Tertiary (i.e. the junction of the Eurasian and African plates) explained 3.1% of species distribution, whereas ecological factors accounted for 20.7%. Only 0.3% was explained by the interaction of history and ecology. A set of multi-scale ecological variables (i.e. basin, reach and bedform characteristics) defined five river types with specific caddisfly assemblages. The commonest caddisfly species accounted for the regional distribution pattern, while rare taxa contributed to the explanation of subtle patterns not shown by common species. 4. Despite the importance of historical factors for biogeography and the large scale used in our study, ecological variables better explained caddisfly distribution. This may be explained by the length of time since the historical process we are considering, the high dispersion and colonisation capacity of many caddisfly species, and the strong environmental gradient in the area. Because of the historical and environmental complexity of Mediterranean areas, rare taxa should be included in ecological studies so that the singularity of these ecosystems is not missed.