PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New endemic beetles discovered in Iberian Peninsula

New endemic beetles discovered in Iberian Peninsula
2011-06-01
(Press-News.org) A European research team, with Spanish participation, has described two new beetle species measuring two millimetres in length. The coleoptera (beetles) were found in streams in the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees mountains (from Gipuzkoa to Girona) and in the Sierra de la Demanda mountains (Burgos). Experts had previously thought that they belonged to another European species.

"These species, which have a restricted range, had been confused with another European species with a more extensive distribution (Hydraena saga) and so their independent evolutionary history was unknown", Ignacio Ribera, one of the authors of the study and a researcher at the Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-UPF) in Barcelona, tells SINC.

Hydraena diazi, one of the two new beetle species, was found in the Montseny Natural Park in Barcelona. Measuring between 2.2 and 2.4 millimetres in length, the insect also inhabits the Pyrenees and Pre-Pyrenees, from Gipuzkoa to Girona.

The study, which has been published recently in the journal Zootaxa, also confirms the existence of another new species, Hydraena fosterorum, discovered in another mountain chain, the Sierra de la Demanda (Burgos).

Individuals of this species, which are also found in the north of the Sistema Ibérico mountains (Sierra del Moncayo), measure between 2.15 and 2.30 millimetres. According to Ribera, the two species "are exclusive to well-conserved streams", and are similar to the insects in the Pyrenees.

The most characteristic feature of these insects is the males' genital organs and their molecular data, as well as the fact they are endemic to the Iberian Peninsula. "Most probably they originated in the same geographical regions that they are now found in, meaning we can use them to reconstruct their history and biogeography", the expert explains.

An ancestor half a million years ago

In order to classify the species, the researchers used a combination of morphological and genetic studies. The results show that the small genetic variations between the new species and the proximity of their geographic distribution agree with the model put forward by Ribera.

The research also suggests that all the species in the Hydraena emarginata-saga group, including the two new ones, result from the splitting of a common ancestor, which spread throughout the north of the Iberian Peninsula half a million years ago. Today, the insects remain in their original distribution areas.



INFORMATION:

Reference:

Marco Trizzino; Manfred A. Jäch; Paolo Audisio; Ignacio Ribera. "Molecular and morphological analyses confirm two new species of the Hydraena emarginata–saga clade (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae) from Spain and France". Zootaxa 2760, February 2011. ISSN 1175-5326.


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
New endemic beetles discovered in Iberian Peninsula

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

MadCap Software Increases Q1 2011 Revenues by 41% Year-Over-Year

MadCap Software Increases Q1 2011 Revenues by 41% Year-Over-Year
2011-06-01
MadCap Software, Inc. (http://www.madcapsoftware.com), the leader in multi-channel content authoring and a showcase company for Microsoft Visual Studio and Microsoft XPS, today announced that revenues for Q1 2011 have grown 41% over Q1 2010, continuing the profitability that the company has enjoyed since launching its flagship product Flare in 2006. In the wake of strong growth, MadCap has increased its cash and accounts receivable by 30% over the same period ending 2010. At the same time, MadCap continues to invest in resources by expanding headcount by 21% over the previous ...

Study: Biodegradable products may be bad for the environment

2011-06-01
Research from North Carolina State University shows that so-called biodegradable products are likely doing more harm than good in landfills, because they are releasing a powerful greenhouse gas as they break down. "Biodegradable materials, such as disposable cups and utensils, are broken down in landfills by microorganisms that then produce methane," says Dr. Morton Barlaz, co-author of a paper describing the research and professor and head of NC State's Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering. "Methane can be a valuable energy source when captured, ...

California scientists discover how vitamins and minerals may prevent age-related diseases

2011-06-01
Bethesda, MD—Severe deficiency of the vitamins and minerals required for life is relatively uncommon in developed nations, but modest deficiency is very common and often not taken seriously. A new research published online in the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org), however, may change this thinking as it examines moderate selenium and vitamin K deficiency to show how damage accumulates over time as a result of vitamin and mineral loss, leading to age-related diseases. "Understanding how best to define and measure optimum nutrition will make the application of new technologies ...

Higher return to prison for women without drug abuse programs

2011-06-01
TORONTO, Ont., May 31—Female prisoners who did not participate in a drug treatment program after their release were 10 times more likely to return to prison within one year than other prisoners, a new study has found. More than one-third of those women were sent back to prison within six months, according to the national study led by Flora Matheson, a medical sociologist at St. Michael's Hospital. The findings, published in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health, underline the importance of post-release treatment programs for prisoners with substance ...

The real space saver: NC State students look to support manned mission to Mars

2011-06-01
What would it take to make a manned mission to Mars a reality? A team of aeronautical and textile engineering students from North Carolina State University believe part of the solution may lie in advanced textile materials. The students joined forces to tackle life-support challenges that the aerospace industry has been grappling with for decades. "One of the big issues, in terms of a manned mission to Mars, is creating living quarters that would protect astronauts from the elements – from radiation to meteorites," says textile engineering student Brent Carter. "Currently, ...

Antibodies successful in the treatment of the hemolytic-uremic syndrome from EHEC

Antibodies successful in the treatment of the hemolytic-uremic syndrome from EHEC
2011-06-01
In the online version of the New England Journal of Medicine, physicians and scientists in Heidelberg, Montreal, and Paris reported on the successful treatment of three young children who were suffering from a severe hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) after an infection with enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC). The infections occurred in 2010. EHEC are the bacteria that cause the current wave of infections that have already claimed ten lives in Germany. The number of suspected and confirmed cases of EHEC has now reached 700. Eculizumab has been approved in Germany ...

Farin Innovations Launches June Logo Giveaway

Farin Innovations Launches June Logo Giveaway
2011-06-01
Farin Innovations, Inc. a Miami, FL-based company, is giving away 1 free logo every 2 weeks until June 30, 2011! If you are interested in a free custom logo for your business, enter before it's too late. It's 100% free! If you don't have a website, this is a great opportunity for you to get off to the right start. Your logo is the key to the castle, responsible for creating a lasting first impression on your visitors. Visit the link below, click on the promotion, and proceed to enter to win a free custom logo every 2 weeks until June 30, 2011: http://www.farininnovations.com/news/press-releases/farin-innovations ...

HbA1C test for glucose monitoring poorly predictive in dialysis patients

2011-06-01
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – May 31, 2011 – The gold standard long-term glucose monitoring test for patients with diabetes proved to be of limited value in dialysis patients, according to a new study at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The study appears online in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and is scheduled for the July print issue. Blood sugar monitoring is a vital part of diabetes management. Patients and physicians rely on the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test to measure an individual's average blood sugar level over the prior three months. ...

Harvard scientists 'see' the early cellular cause of dry eye disease for the first time

2011-06-01
Bethesda, MD—If you are one of the millions of people around the world who struggle with dry eye disease, good news is on the way. A new research discovery published in the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (https://www.jleukbio.org) offers hope for new drugs that treat the cellular cause of the disease rather than its symptoms. That's because the research is the first to identify natural killer (NK) cells, a type of cell that provides innate immunity to the eyes, as promoting the inflammation that plays a critical role in the development of dry eye disease. "Dry eye disease ...

Long-term study data supports association between childhood ADHD and substance abuse risk

2011-06-01
Analysis of data from two long-term studies of the impact of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on the development of psychiatric disorders in young adults confirms that ADHD alone significantly increases the risk of cigarette smoking and substance abuse in both boys and girls. The report from a team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators will appear in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and has been released online. "Our study, which is one of the largest set of longitudinal studies of this issue to date, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Einstein Probe releases its Science White Paper

Music-based therapy may improve depressive symptoms in people with dementia

No evidence that substituting NHS doctors with physician associates is necessarily safe

At-home brain speed tests bridge cognitive data gaps

CRF appoints Josep Rodés-Cabau, M.D., Ph.D., as editor-in-chief of structural heart: the journal of the heart team

Violent crime is indeed a root cause of migration, according to new study

Customized smartphone app shows promise in preventing further cognitive decline among older adults diagnosed with mild impairment

Impact of COVID-19 on education not going away, UM study finds

School of Public Health researchers receive National Academies grant to assess environmental conditions in two Houston neighborhoods

Three Speculum articles recognized with prizes

ACM A.M. Turing Award honors two researchers who led the development of cornerstone AI technology

Incarcerated people are disproportionately impacted by climate change, CU doctors say

ESA 2025 Graduate Student Policy Award Cohort Named

Insomnia, lack of sleep linked to high blood pressure in teens

Heart & stroke risks vary among Asian American, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander adults

Levels of select vitamins & minerals in pregnancy may be linked to lower midlife BP risk

Large study of dietary habits suggests more plant oils, less butter could lead to better health

Butter and plant-based oils intake and mortality

20% of butterflies in the U.S. have disappeared since 2000

Bacterial ‘jumping genes’ can target and control chromosome ends

Scientists identify genes that make humans and Labradors more likely to become obese

Early-life gut microbes may protect against diabetes, research in mice suggests

Study raises the possibility of a country without butterflies

Study reveals obesity gene in dogs that is relevant to human obesity studies

A rapid decline in US butterfly populations

Indigenous farming practices have shaped manioc’s genetic diversity for millennia

Controlling electrons in molecules at ultrafast timescales

Tropical forests in the Americas are struggling to keep pace with climate change

Brain mapping unlocks key Alzheimer’s insights

Clinical trial tests novel stem-cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease

[Press-News.org] New endemic beetles discovered in Iberian Peninsula