Biodiversity at IgMin Research | Biology Group

The plant-pollinator relationship is one of the most investigated biological processes, not only because of its ecological importance (natural and farming ecosystems) but also its economic profitability (farming and biological products). Current losses of bee populations urge the need to assess the state of wild bee biodiversity in environments such as the Sierra de Guadarrama. Two characteristic sites with different plant diversities were compared by collecting bees using net trapping, a thicket, and a grassland. In this way, not only the poss...ible influence of floral wealth on bee abundance was studied, but also the preference of these Hymenoptera towards any type of flower. Phenological patterns and predominant sex were also studied. 331 bee individuals, belonging to 6 families, 19 genera, and 46 species, were recorded in this study. Our results showed that bee diversity depends not only on environmental factors (temperature or plant composition and abundance) but biological as well (plant-pollinators matches or co-occurring species). Moreover, our study sets a starting point for debating the influence of managed bees (Apis mellifera) on wild bee communities. A preference for a small number of plant species (Cistus ladanifer, Echium vulgare, and Lavandula stoechas) was observed. In addition, there was a relationship between the type of corolla and the tongue length. Our study highlights the importance of this area of the Sierra de Guadarrama for wild bee biodiversity. All things considered, it falls on preserving those ecosystems with high floral wealth to favor the wild bee´s presence and its habitat in the foresight of climate change future scenarios.Read more

The proper geometry of belt splices influences their subsequent performance and durability during operation. Despite being such a critical aspect, evaluating the geometry of splices can be challenging, especially after their fabrication and vulcanization. This article presents an approach to diagnosing the geometry of belt splices based on the examination of belts using the DiagBelt+ magnetic system. Through the analysis of practical applications and the benefits derived from monitoring splice geometry, the article emphasizes the importance of ...diagnosing the geometry of belt splices to improve their quality and performance.Read more

Several national and international frameworks have been developed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030 and help address the ongoing climate and biodiversity crises. These frameworks provide the targets against which locally applicable action plans can be created. The Royal Commission for AlUla and the IUCN have developed Comprehensive Regeneration as the framework of nature-positive initiatives and as a model for the responsible development of AlUla County in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Many snakes live close to water, with several groups displaying morphological, physiological, or behavioral adaptions to aquatic environments. Although marine snakes have been found at depths beyond 200 m, freshwater snakes are rarely reported at depths larger than a few meters. Here we report freshwater depth records for the dice snake Natrix tessellata, an aquatic snake belonging to the family Natricidae. Dice snake was observed at depths down to 17 m, including in habitats below the thermocline, in Lake Orta (Northern Italy). These observati...ons open new perspectives related to the biology and physiology of Palearctic freshwater snakes belonging to the family Natricidae.Read more

The present study is based on the examination of specimens housed in different museums and collections, including those of Lianghong Bin (China), Bernd Jaeger (Germany), Saeed Azadbakhsh (Iran), Alexander Anichtchenko (Latvia), Martin Hackel (Czech Republic), Ron Felix (Germany), and the first author (ZACP). A preliminary survey was randomly conducted in various areas of Pakistan from 2016 to 2023. A precise investigation revealed 17 subspecies and 36 species within 31 genera, distributed across 12 subfamilies in the family Carabidae. This surv...ey also documented twenty-three new records for the country, expanding our understanding of their distribution. All determinations presented here are confirmed and validated by Löbl & Löbl (2017). Subfamily Harpalinae tribe Anthiini with 02 species Anthia (Anthia) sexguttata mannerheimii, A. (A.) sexguttata sexguttata Brachininae with 03 species Brachinus (Aploa) nobilis Pheropsophus (Stenaptinus) catoirei, P. (S.) lissoderus, P. stenoderus. Subfamily Broscinae with 01 species Broscus punctatus. Subfamily Carabinae with 07 species Carabus (Imaibius) caschmirensis fortetuberculatus, C. (I.) wittmerorum, Calosoma (Caminara) imbricatum andrewesi, C. (C.) maderae indicum, C. (C.) imbricatum imbricatum, C. Calosoma (Compalita) Olivieri, C. (Calosoma) scabrosum roeschkei. Subfamily Dryptinae, Dryptini with 01 species Drypta (Drypta) lineola virgata, tribe Galeritini with 04 species records Planetes bimaculatus, Zuphium (Zuphium) olens olens, Galerita indica, Ophionea (Ophionea) indica. Subfamily Harpalinae with 03 species Idiomelas fulvipes indus, Metacolopodes buchanani, Microlestes discoidalis, tribe Chlaeniini with 12 species Chlaenius (Amblygenius) atripes, C. (A.) bengalensis, C. (A.) cookie, C. (A.) Chlaenius (Amblygenius) quadricolor orientalis, C. (Pachydinodes) hamifer, C. (P.) pictus, C. (P.) posticus, C. pretiosus, C. (Chlaenites) spoliatus spoliatus, Harpaglossus opacus, H. (Cryptophonus) tenebrosus, H. (Pseudophanus) meridianus, tribe Cyclosomini with 03 species records, Masoreus (Masoreus) orientalis orientalis, Caphora afghani, Tetragonoderus (Tetragonoderus) lindemannae, tribe Licinini with 06 species record, Diplochiela (Diplocheila) laevigata, Glycia spencei, Eucolliuris fuscipennis, Platytarus faminii faminii, Syntomus lateralis lateralis,     Trichis maculata. Subfamily Melaeninae with 03 spies, Cymbionotum (Cymbionotum) striatum, C. Cymbionotum candidum, C. semelederi, tribe Panagaeini with 03 species Microschemus flavopilosus, M. arabicus, Craspedophorus elegans. Subfamily Harpalinae with 01 species Sphodrus leucopthalmus. Subfamily Scaritinae, Scaritini with 02 species Scarites (Scallophorites) guineensis, S. (Scarites) procerus eurytus, subfamily Siagoninae with 01 species Siagona dilutipes and subfamily Trechinae, Bembidiini with 01 species Bembidion (Notaphocampa) niloticum niloticum.Read more