Scarabaeinae and Geotrupinae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea) species composition is analyzed along a 150 km long altitudinal transect that runs S-NE in the Mexican Transition zone. The transect is located in the state of Hidalgo in central-eastern Mexico. The spatial unit of analysis is the landscape. The transect crosses five different landscapes. As terms of reference for studying the geographic distribution of the species, the entomofauna distribution patterns for the Mexican Transition zone were used. The transect includes all the patterns established by Halffter for this zone. Only genera with northern origins were found in landscape of the Pachuca Sierra (mountain range). The two landscapes of the High Plateau (temperate and arid) have one genus with a northern origin (<em>Onthophagus</em>), along with species belonging to genera with Neotropical origins that evolved on the High Plateau. For the landscapes of the zacualtipán Sierra and the slope down to the Gulf–Las Huastecas region genera of Neotropical affinity dominate, and there are also some species with a tropical distribution and of northern-Old World origin. The relationship between the mountains and the phyletic lineages or genera of northern origin and of recent entry into the Mexican Transition zone is confirmed, as is that between the tropical lowlands and the Neotropical lines or genera, also recent arrivals. Taxa that arrived a long time ago, of either origin, do not exhibit this geographic-ecological dependence. The Hidalgo Transect is compared with two other, similar transects sampled in the Mexican Transition zone: the Cofre de Perote–Gulf Coast transect (Veracruz) and that of Manantlán (Jalisco). In the mountain landscapes, High Plateau and Tropical Lowlands, there were no important differences in the species composition of the groups studied. In contrast, in the Transition landscape (zacualtipán in the Hidalgo Transect) there were very notable differences. In the Cofre de Perote transect, an important functional group is missing from the treeless habitats: the roller Scarabaeinae. For the same landscape, in Manantlán, lineages with Neotropical affinities are represented by a single species which completely dominates the beetles of northern affinities. This contrasts markedly with the Hidalgo and Cofre de Perote transects where, in the Transition landscape, Neotropical taxa are well represented. It appears that, unlike the tropical lowlands where (geologically recent) penetration of Neotropical taxa is massive in all three transects, in the transition landscapes (originally covered by cloud forest) the penetration of Neotropical taxa is highly variable, and depends on the mountain range in which they are found. In the Conclusions section, we analyze how the beetle fauna with different distribution patterns have contributed to the composition of the fauna of the Hidalgo Transect and in general that of the Mexican Transition zone, resulting in a mixture (genera with northern-Old World affinity, and genera with Neotropical affinities) that give the Mexican Transition zone its unique character.

No abstract

La achira o sagú (Canna indica) es una planta originaria de la cordillera de los Andes y cultivada en Colombia para la obtención de almidón a partir de sus rizomas. El almidón es utilizado en su mayoría como materia prima en la fabricación de bizcochos y otros productos autóctonos de consumo local y regional. Sin embargo, los productores de achira han mostrado reciente preocupación por la aparición de plagas que pueden ser limitantes en la productividad. El objetivo de este estudio consistió en reconocer los principales insectos asociados al cultivo. Se visitaron zonas productoras en los departamentos de Cundinamarca, Huila y Nariño. Se identificaron varios insectos nocivos del orden Lepidoptera en su estado larval, como Glyphipterix sp. (Glyphipterigidae), Spodoptera sp. (Noctuidae), Calpodes ethlius y Cobalus cannae (Hesperiidae), y el chinche Ischnodemus sp. (Hemiptera: Blissidae). También, entre otros insectos benéficos, se observó la emergencia de adultos de una avispa parasitoide de la familia Ichneumonidae a partir de larvas del microlepidóptero Glyphipterix sp., y se identificaron dos enemigos naturales de la chinche Ischnodemus sp., una avispa parasitoide de huevos (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) y el hongo entomopatógeno Beauveria bassiana. Esta información puede servir como base de próximos estudios sobre aspectos de la biología y hábitos de los principales insectos nocivos de edible canna (Canna indica), así como de potenciales agentes de control biológico con el fin de generar recomendaciones de manejo en el cultivo de la achira.

RESUMENEl Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares (PRCAM) es un área protegida del norte de Madrid. En el se han elegido ocho puntos representativos de sus ecosistemas y del uso del territorio. En estos puntos se han estudiado las comunidades de cuatro grupos de insectos: Colémbolos, Crisomélidos, Curculiónidos y Mariposas.El objetivo del estudio es valorar el estado de conservación de los ecosistemas del parque, y el grado de paralelismo de la información suministrada por los cuatro grupos de insectos sobre unas mismas áreas.Los resultados indican que los ecosistemas del Parque están muy alterados. El grado de deterioro es mayor en las zonas de menor altitud.Por otro lado las comunidades de estos cuatro grupos de insectos responden de formas distintas ante situaciones idénticas. De ello se deduce la importancia de tener en cuenta varios grupos de organismos a la hora de manejar o valorar la diversidad bioló-gica de un zona. Palabras clave: diversidad de insectos, conservación, manejo de áreas protegidas, Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares. ABSTRACTThe insect communities in the Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares (Central Spain): conservation status.The Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares (PRCAM) is a protected area at the North of Madrid. Eight sampling sites were selected representing different ecosystems and land uses. In these sites we studied the communities of four insect groups: Collembolla, Chrysomelida, Curculionoidea and Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea.The objetive of the study was to assess the conservation status of the Park ecosystems and the paralelism of the results in these four insect groups.The results show that the Park ecosystems are heavily disturbed. The lowland areas being damaged to a greater extent.On the other hand the four groups have a different behaviour in similar conditions. This shows the importance of gathering information from different groups in order to assess or manage the biological diversity of an area.

Achira, Canna edulis Ker, a plant native to South America, is the source of a starch used for food and industrial purposes. Since 2016, Colombian growers of the main cropping regions, Cundinamarca (CU), Nariño (NA), and Huila (HU) are experiencing yield losses due to rhizome rots. Surveys of the affected areas evidenced wilting and collapsed plants, with oxidized rhizomes and affected root masses. Disease incidence per field was around 10%, but diseased plants were found in all 44 visited farms. To study this problem, wilting plants were collected, and symptomatic tissues, pseudo-stems, roots, and rhizomes, were cut and disinfested in 1.5% hypochlorite, rinsed in sterile water, and plated onto PDA amended with 0.01% tetracycline. A total of 121 isolates were recovered; of these, 77 Fusarium-like isolates stood out, given their recovery frequency (64.7%) and cross-region distribution. To morphologically study the isolates, carnation leaf agar cultures of NA01, NA16, NA48, CU08-1 and HU02, were made. Isolates had hyaline, mostly aseptated microconidia, oval in shape, developing in false heads with short monophialides. Macroconidia were hyaline and falcate, straight to slightly curved, 2 to 4 septate, with apical cells curved and basal cells foot shaped. For NA01 the average size and width of the microconidia was 4.3 x 3.2 μm (n=80), while macroconidia averaged 18.9 × 5.7 μm (n =80); NA16 was slightly bigger (6.5 x 3 and 22.9 x 5.5 um respectively). This morphology resembles Fusarium oxysporum (Fox) (Leslie et al. 2006). Identity confirmation was obtained by Sanger sequencing of the rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and the translation elongation factor 1α (TEF1α) loci using protocols of White et al. 1994, and O’Donnell et al. 1998. Blast comparisons against NCBI databases, showed a very high identity (>99.5%) to MN528565.1 (ITS), and KU985430.1 (TEF 1α), both, F. oxysporum sequences. The identity of NA01 and CU08 was further confirmed by sequencing the DNA-directed RNA polymerase II (RPB1) locus (O’Donnell et al. 2015), observing more than 99% identity to CP052885.1 (RPB1) a F. oxysporum strain. BLAST check against the Fusarium MLSD database confirmed the identity. The obtained sequences were deposited in NCBI as MN963788, MN963793, MN963801, MN963782, MN963786 (ITS); OK143597, OK141601, OK143596 MW594202, OK169575 (TEF1α); and ON297670 and MZ670431 RPB1). To confirm causality, pathogenicity assays were conducted using NA01, NA48 and CU08. To this end, 25, 35 day-olds sprouted rhizomes, from each of the “purple”, “green” and “white” varieties, were inoculated by drench with 30 ml of conidium suspension (1x106 conidia/ml) (Schmale 2003). Control rhizomes (25 per variety) were treated with sterile distilled water. Greenhouse conditions were 25 °C, 40% RH, and photoperiod 12h. Disease symptoms were detected 10 days after inoculation and evolved to resemble those from the field. While symptom and severity of infection varied with the isolate and host combination used, pathogen re-isolation and identification was successful fulfilling Koch´s postulates. Control plants remained healthy. The data shows that F. oxysporum species complex is the causal agent of this achira root and rhizome rot. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this problem in Colombia and clarifies local reports of Fusarium sp. causing disease in this crop (Caicedo et al. 2003). The disease affects the food security of local communities and strategies for control are being developed.