Biometric data of the exuviae of female larvae of the dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii collected in Portugal, Spain and Morocco were analysed to determine whether the size of three exuvial structures measured differed depending on the geographic localities of the populations. Based on the results recorded for the 16 populations studied, head width was negatively correlated with latitude and the greatest length of the gonapophysis was recorded for the Iberian populations at the centre of this peninsula. Multivariate cluster analysis revealed a clear separation of the Moroccan population. A second cluster separated the southernmost population (Sierra Nevada) from the remaining Iberian populations. Four population groups were distinguished: those located in watercourses in the north and central area of the Iberian Peninsula, those in Iberian watercourses in the East and Middle South, the Sierra Nevada and North Morocco. Some of these results coincide with the results of genetic studies of other authors.

We report a new analysis of haemosporidian occurrence in 392 Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis nestlings previously reported in Hernandez et al. (2017. Haemosporidian prevalence in Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis nestlings: impact on body condition and geographic distribution in the Iberian Peninsula. Bird Study 64: 362-373). The previous findings have since been suspected of suffering from contamination by DNA samples from another species. The new analysis showed a prevalence of 1% with a single Leucocytozoon lineage (ENCIR02), distributed in two of the three populations studied.

The degree of darkening of the gonopophyses in females final instar (F-0) larvae of Cordulogaster boltonii (Donovan) (Golden-ringed Dragonfly) is compared with the four stages (here referred to as 1 - 4) of metamorphosis described by Ferreras-Romero & Corbet (1999) in this species. There is a reasonable degree of correlation, with larvae showing no darkening of the gonopophyses falling mainly stages 1 and 2, whereas those with no more tan 25% of darkening fall almost exclusively into stages 3 and 4. The method described in the current study is a simple method for determining the stage of metamorphosis but it is suggested that, for maxium accuracy, both methods should be used.

This study provides the first biometrics analysis of exuviae from Moroccan populations of the Ibero-Maghrebian endemic dragonfly Cordulegaster boltonii algirica Morton, 1916 collected in the Rif Mountains. Among the biometric variables that were measured, tibia length was highly correlated with the exuviae body length (BL), and can, therefore, be used to calculate the BL of partially broken exuviae. The head width exhibited the smallest coefficient of variation for both males and females and, therefore, is a valuable measurement that can be used for biometric comparison of different populations. The data presented herein will be used for future comparison with other North African and European populations of C. boltonii algirica.

Recovery of ringed birds provides only a partial view of bird movements and may be complemented by using techniques such as molecular analyses. The White-throated Dipper Cinclus cinclus is a passerine restricted to mountain rivers, and considered sedentary in the Iberian Peninsula. The objective of this paper is to establish whether the displacement data found by molecular techniques match those obtained by ringing or not, and to infer if these displacements follow a defined route. 236 Dippers from 13 populations in the Iberian Peninsula were ringed and genotyped using microsatellite markers. The percentage of ringed Dippers that was subsequently recorded outside the sampling area was less than 3%, with most of the birds confined to the same river stretch. However, according to the genetic information presented here, 14.4% of the individuals had moved from their natal localities to other river basins, where they were subsequently trapped. Moreover, migrant Dippers travelled an average distance of 218 km (range 79¿484), which is about ten times the distance estimated through ringing recoveries occurring in additional ringing data. The results of the genetic analysis revealed that Iberian Dippers move frequently between mountain ranges and suggest four potential routes for Dipper movements in the Iberian Peninsula. Molecular techniques thus complement the data obtained by ringing and provide new insights into the dispersion of this species.

En este estudio se analiza la riqueza (número de especies) y abundancia de aves paseriformes en la laguna de Cardete (Tudela, Navarra) en diferentes momentos del año. La labor de campo se desarrolló en el contexto de campañas de anillamiento de carácter exploratorio, entre los meses de enero y marzo de 2003, abril-junio y agosto-diciembre de 2004. Se detectaron en conjunto 28 especies, siendo el patrón de dominancia variable. Así, entre los meses de noviembre y febrero domina Emberiza schoeniclus, siendo Carduelis cannabina segunda especie en importancia. En octubre y marzo domina C. cannabina, siendo E. schoeniclus la segunda especie en importancia en octubre y Phylloscopus collybita la segunda especie en importancia en marzo. Por otro lado, de mayo a septiembre es Acrocephalus scirpaceus la primera especie en importancia. En cuanto a la abundancia, en conjunto se capturaron 939 aves (considerando cada ejemplar sólo una vez por mes), destacando la existencia de máximos durante el paso posnupcial y el invierno (70-100 aves/100 m) y mínimos durante el periodo de cría (< 10 aves/100 m).

The area and length of the right fore and hind wings and the abdomen length were analysed in specimens from two Iberian populations of Libellula quadrimaculata Linnaeus, 1758, one on a plateau (782 m a.s.l.) and another in the mountains (1909 m a.s.l.), with a view to ascertaining whether their morphometric characteristics vary with altitude. Allometric relationships in terms of length and area of the fore and hind wings of both populations were found. The wings are longer and have a greater area in plateau specimens whereas the length of the abdomen did not vary between populations. Between the populations there was an overlap in the wing length measurements. The significance of these parameters in aiding the dragonflies' flight capacity and hence the effects on their lifestyle under different environmental conditions is discussed.

Se presentan datos sobre emergencia de Cordulegaster boltonii y Boyeria irene en un río de montaña del centro de España (altitud 1200 m s.n.m.) donde coexisten ambas especies, basados en la recogida semanal de exuvias. Boyeria irene comenzó a emerger 28 días más tarde que C. boltonii. Los sustratos usados por las larvas de ambas especies para emerger se solaparon ampliamente, aunque C. boltonii utilizó significativamente más árboles. Con respecto a otras zonas geográficas, las dos especies han modificado su estrategia, retrasando el inicio del periodo de emergencia. Se discute la importancia de las condiciones ambientales (sobre todo temperatura) en este hecho.

Capsule: Nestling Southern Grey Shrikes Lanius meridionalis show a high prevalence of haemosporidian parasites including five lineages described here for the first time. Aims: To examine the prevalence of various haemosporidian lineages in nestlings of three separated Iberian populations of the Southern Grey Shrike. Methods: Blood samples were taken from nestling Southern Grey Shrikes from three agroecosystem areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Parasites were detected from blood samples using polymerase chain reaction screening. Resusts: Nestlings were parasitized by 11 different lineages belonging to the genera Haemoproteus (3.8%), Plasmodium (0.5%) and Leucocytozoon (1.8%), including five new undescribed lineages. These are among the highest prevalence levels of haemosporidians parasites (7.4%) for nestlings of passerine birds. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the distribution of avian haemosporidians is determined by complex effects including climate and biogeography. Most parasite lineages were not universally spread across shrike populations, despite being otherwise widespread both geographically and taxonomically.

Poco se conoce sobre la biometría de las exuvias de Anax imperator Leach, 1815 en la península ibérica y sus posibles variaciones geográficas. En este sentido se han muestreado cuatro lagunas próximas entre sí, todas en la provincia de Salamanca, centro-oeste de España: se recolectaron 217 exuvias en las que se midieron los siguientes parámetros: prementum (anchura máxima, mínima y longitud), anchura cefálica, longitud total incluyendo la pirámide caudal, relación entre la longitud de la espina del noveno segmento y la longitud del noveno segmento abdominal. Excepto la anchura mínima, los valores medios de todas las demás medidas varían significativamente entre las lagunas muestreadas. Se discute si las características ambientales (salinidad del agua, principalmente) influyen en estas variaciones.

En algunas especies de odonatos las larvas que emergen más pronto tienen mayor tamaño que las que emergen más tarde. En este trabajo analizamos si esto sucede en Cordulegaster boltonii (Donovan, 1807). Medidas de longitud de la tibia, anchura cefálica y longitud y anchura de la máscara de 165 exuvias recogidas en el río Eresma, centro de España, a 1200 m. de altitud s.n.m., mostraron diferencias para el sexo (hembras mayores que machos), pero no para la semana de emergencia ni para sus interacciones. En cada sexo no había un patrón definido en la variación del tamaño de las variables medid

Despite major advances in sex ratio theory, how offspring sex should vary with hatching order remains unclear. We examine nestling sex ratio in the Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis according to hatching order and clutch size. Southern Grey Shrike nestlings present a different sex ratio with body-mass rank order depending on clutch size. When the clutch size was five eggs (with a very low risk of brood reduction; 13%) the less costly sex (male) was found at the end of the body mass hierarchy. However, when clutch size was six eggs (with a high risk of brood reduction; 42%) the larger sex (female) was found at intermediate positions in the hatching order, possibly to decrease competitive asymmetries.

Population fragmentation in animals, by influencing dispersion between regions, may cause so-called isolation by distance (IBD). The genetic structure of the white-throated dipper Cinclus cinclus populations in the Iberian Peninsula was analysed using microsatellites. Birds (n = 226) were sampled during 2000-2012 from 12 major populations of the dipper' distribution range in the Iberian Peninsula. At the eight loci studied, 113 alleles were found. Three population groups were identified: the first comprises Sierra Cazorla and Sierra Nevada, both in the south; the second, Pyrenees and Cantabrian Mountains in the north and the third includes Central System, Galician Mountains and North Iberian System. Gene flow was high across all populations except with Sierra Cazorla and Sierra Nevada. Firstgeneration migration was identified between the northern and central populations, suggesting recent genetic flow across them. However, migrants from southern populations were not detected elsewhere. Genetic distances were significantly correlated with geographical distances in all populations. The genetic isolation of the southern populations may be related to the lack of suitable dipper's habitats in the lowlands of the Iberian Meseta, limiting bird dispersion and installation outside the core areas and thus the spread of their genetic characteristics. The study shows that IBD is influencing the genetic structure of Iberian dippers. Furthermore, the significant biometrical divergence iden

In the last decades, afforestation with no native species has been a common practice in Europe. In the particular case of Spain, the effects of plantations, using exotic tree species as larch or non-native pine in native oak and beech forests on the communities of oribatid mites, springtails, and nematodes have been studied, however little is known of their influence on Mesostigmata mites. In the current study we examined the mesostigmatid mite communities in two Japenese larch plantations (Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carr. and oak forest (Quercus pyrenaica Wild) to compare the mite assemblages and to determine if tree species replacements would affect soil Mesostigmata populations. A total of 2752 mites belonging to 56 species of 17 families were collected. There were differences in the diversity and species composition of the assemblages. A total of 13 species are new cites for the Iberian Peninsula: Gamasellodes bicolor, Geholaspis longispinosus, Geholaspis mandibularis, Pseudoparasitus dentatus, Pachyseius angustiventris, Holoparasitus obsoloni, Paragamasus disparinas, Paragamasus longisetosus, Amblyseius filixis, Veigaia bouvieri, Discourella baloghi, Trachytes eustructura, and Urodiaspis tecta.

Coastal wader species are sensitive to anthropogenic activity and habitat change along the coastal edge, which has been responsible for the decline in the populations of these birds. Correct management requires knowledge of the pattern and scale of genetic variation within and among populations as well as the relationships between population dynamics and genetic structure. We investigated these factors in the Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus from the Iberian coast to determine the degree of vulnerability of the endangered north-western population. We analysed the genetic structure and gene flow using a 631-bp fragment of the mitochondrial (mtDNA) control region and eight microsatellite markers in 113 unrelated individuals from 31 Iberian beaches. The results do not support the recent decline hypothesis because there was no evidence of a bottleneck, but they do support a population expansion along the Atlantic coast. We found no genetic structure or isolation-by-distance, in agreement with results recently observed on a continental scale. However, explanations for high continental gene flow, such as temporary breeding habitats and high breeding dispersal, do not seem to apply to the Galician population. Galician Kentish Plovers breed solely on beaches, a suitable and more predictable habitat during the breeding period than ephemeral inland wetlands, and female movements during the breeding period are uncommon, mainly due to the extremely low hatching success. This study suggests a demographic connectivity between Portuguese and Galician populations that is referred to as source-sink population dynamics, in which individuals dispersing from Portugal support the Galician coastal population. This dispersal pattern highlights the importance of supranational management plans to protect endangered species.

In North Africa, are living two subspecies for Southern Grey Shrike Lanius meridionalis: L. m. algeriensis and L. m. elegans. This paper attempts to find out whether there are biometric differences between the two subspecies and between the genders. Results show that there are no significant differences between sexes, or between subspecies, at least despite clear signal in plumage coloration.

Investigating the spatial distribution of avian blood parasites can shed light on the occurrence of host switching and expansion in new territories, two key factors for which to account when addressing future parasite impacts on vertebrates. We examined the mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages of haemosporidians infecting the white-throated dipper Cinclus cinclus in order to assess their distribution across five mountains in the Central Iberian Peninsula and the possible implications of lineage transmission in that geographical context. Of 71 host individuals, 79.6% were infected with Haemoproteus spp., 0.9% with Plasmodium spp. and 19.5% with Leucocytozoon spp. We identified seven lineages from genus Haemoproteus spp. (four were novel), one lineage of Plasmodium spp. and nine of Leucocytozoon spp. (five previously undescribed). Only two of the Haemoproteus lineages (RW1 and MW1) showed widespread distribution across the study sites whereas the novel lineages each corresponded to a single area. Given the non-migratory behaviour of the host species in the region, our results provide the first proof of Leucocytozoon WW6 lineage transmission within Europe. Furthermore, this study is the first to reveal the transmission in Europe of Haemoproteus payevskyi and Haemoproteus nucleocondensus, corresponding to the identified RW1 and GRW01 lineages respectively. Both findings support the idea that these lineages could be transmitted year-round transcontinentally.

Several non-mutually exclusive hypotheses predict adaptive variation in the offspring sex ratio. When conditions for breeding are adverse, parents are predicted to produce more offspring of the less costly sex to rear ('the costof-reproduction hypothesis'). Moreover, they also should produce the more dispersing sex in order to diminish future competition ('the local-resource-competition hypothesis'). Here, we analyse brood sex ratio according to rearing conditions in the southern shrike Lanius meridionalis, a species with moderately reversed sexual dimorphism. Our results suggest that females are more costly to rear than males in this species. Adult females proved heavier than males, and female nestling tended to be heavier than male nestlings. Moreover, the greater brood reduction, the more malebiased was the brood, suggesting that brood reduction implied higher mortality in female nestlings. Consistent with these findings, the brood sex ratio was biased to the less costly sex (males) when breeding conditions were adverse (bad years or low-quality male parents), supporting the cost-of-reproduction hypothesis. By contrast, these findings did not support the local-resource-competition hypothesis, which predicted female-biased brood sex ratio under adverse conditions. As a whole, our results support the idea that birds adaptively modulate sex ratio in order to minimize reproduction costs.

Haemosporidian infection (Plasmodium spp., Haemoproteus spp. and Leucocytozoon spp.) was analysed in 101 bluethroats Luscinia svecica captured in the Iberian Central Range during the 2007 and 2008 breeding seasons. Of them, 58.4% were infected with single infections of haemosporidians distributed between Plasrnodiurn. spp. (42.9%), Haemoproteus spp. (30.3%) and Leucocytozoon spp. (14.3%). A smaller percentage harboured double infections (12.5%): in these double infections, three birds were found to be infected with Haemoproteus spp.-Haemoproteus spp., two with Haemoproteus spp.-Plasmodium spp. and two with Leucocytozoon spp.-Plasrnodium spp. Twentyseven different mitochondrial DNA haplotypes of malaria parasites were found: a) eight belonging to Plasrnodium spp., two of which (P-SGS 1 and P-WW3) have previously been recorded in bluethroats in Sweden, and one which has been identified in this study for the first time (P-LSVI0); b) thirteen belonging to Haemoproteus spp., four of which (WW2, EMSPO03, RWl and ARWI) have previously been recorded in birds with migratory habits and nine which are described for the first time in this study (H-LSV01 - H-LSV09); and c) six haplotypes of Leucocytozoon spp., of which one (Leucocytozoon IBT2) has previously been recorded in bluethroats in Sweden and another is described for the first time in this study (L-LSV11). Our results show that body condition did not differ between infected and uninfected birds.

Se ha analizado la muda de las plumas de vuelo (primarias, secundarias y terciarias) en 326 alcaudones reales (166 adultos y 160 jóvenes). Los adultos comenzaron la muda en julio y la prolongaron hasta noviembre. Aunque se encontraron jóvenes en muda activa durante todo el ciclo anual, la mayoría la realizó entre julio y septiembre. Los adultos siguieron la estrategia de muda progresiva. Los alcaudones jóvenes no mudaron las primarias antes de la primera muda completa, pero sí un porcentaje variable de secundarias y terciarias.

CapsuleWhite-throated Dippers from southern Europe were found to be infected by three haemosporidians. AimsTo examine the occurrence of blood parasites in dippers in the Iberian Peninsula and to investigate the relationship between prevalence levels, environmental factors and bird fitness. MethodsWhite-throated Dippers were trapped with mist-nets from five montane areas in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Parasites were detected from blood samples by polymerase chain reaction screening. ResultsAbout half (51.3%) of 152 dippers showed some kind of infection. The genusHaemoproteuswas recorded in 49.3% of the birds, and the genusLeucocytozoonin 19.1%, whilePlasmodiumwas present only in 0.7%. Among the infected birds, 34.6% carried a double infection (Haemoproteus¿+¿Leucocytozoon). Prevalence did not differ between gender or age-classes, but it varied between study sites, being significantly higher in mountains with higher precipitation. There was a reduction in body mass owing to double infection in yearling males only. ConclusionThis is the first work assessing parasite prevalence in dippers from southern Europe. Infection of dippers by haemosporidians is likely to be related to a study site's climatic envelope.

Although widespread in Europe, the white-throated dipper Cinclus cinclus has a fragmented distribution in the Iberian Peninsula. We investigated whether Iberian dipper populations are genetically differentiable by assessing a fragment of the cytochrome b gene in birds from 11 geographical areas encompassing 48 Iberian rivers. Four population groups North, Centre, East and South were differentiated a priori on the basis of geographical criteria. Genetic differences between these groups explained 35.9% of the total variation. Eight new haplotypes have been recorded for this species. The most abundant haplotype (H3) was shared by 75.8% of the birds and was found in all areas. The second most abundant haplotype (H10, 17.6% of individuals) was present in three areas: two in the southern mountains and one in central Iberia. The third most abundant (H5, 4.8% of birds) occurred only in central Iberia. Southern populations are genetically distinct from the others.

Apicomplexan blood parasites (genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon) prevalence in two related species (Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus and Sedge Warbler A. schoenobaenus) was studied in 2006 at the Natural Reserve of Castronuo-Vega del Duero, Western Spain, a stopover area during the autumn migration. A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of the parasites was amplified, using a nested PCR assay, from avian blood samples. High prevalence of malaria parasites was found in both species, 84.6% in Reed Warbler and 71.8% in Sedge Warbler, and the degree of infection reach 100% of the population that breed at the Reserve, suggesting good conditions for the development of dipteran vectors in this area. By sequencing 464 nucleotides of the obtained fragments, we found four different mitochondrial haplotypes of Haemoproteus or Plasmodium in the two species analysed. Leucocytozoon infection was not detected, in contrast to the high prevalence of this parasite in other avian species in Spain, probably because the water course studied is not an adequate habitat for its vectors.

The endemic subspecies of the southern grey shrike Lanius meridionalis koenigi in the Canary Islands is restricted to four islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) and two islets (Alegranza and La Graciosa). A total of 174 shrikes was captured from these areas. In the Control Region of the mtDNA, 56.3% of the birds presented two tandem repeats, 31.6% three, 10.4% 2+3 repeats and finally 1.7% 2+3+4 tandem repeats. The frequency of tandem repeats was significantly different among the shrike populations analysed. The greatest genetic diversity, in relation to the tandem repeats, appeared on Fuerteventura. The proportion of tandem repeats in L. m. koenigi from the Canary Islands was clearly different in relation to the L. m. meridionalis from the Iberian Peninsula.

The article discusses a study that determines whether plumage coloration is a valid criterion for defining and identifying White-throated Dipper types and its distribution in Spain. It refers to two types of White-throated Dipper existing in Spain, the Cincluse cinclus (C.c.) in the northwestern and central regions and C.c. aquaticus in the eastern and southern regions. Dippers were captured with mist-nets in ten representative zones within the Dippers' range in Spain. It suggests that plumage features alone cannot determine these birds.