Bark beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytinae) are known to be associated with fungi, especially species of Ophiostoma sensu lato and Ceratocystis . However, very little is known about these fungi in Spain. In this study, we examined the fungi associated with 13 bark beetle species and one weevil (Coleoptera: Entiminae) infesting Pinus radiata in the Basque Country of northern Spain. This study included an examination of 1323 bark beetles or their galleries in P. radiata. Isolations yielded a total of 920 cultures, which included 16 species of Ophiostoma sensu lato or their asexual states. These 16 species included 69 associations between fungi and bark beetles and weevils that have not previously been recorded. The most commonly encountered fungal associates of the bark beetles were Ophiostoma ips , Leptographium guttulatum , Ophiostoma stenoceras , and Ophiostoma piceae . In most cases, the niche of colonization had a significant effect on the abundance and composition of colonizing fungi. This confirms that resource overlap between species is reduced by partial spatial segregation. Interaction between niche and time seldom had a significant effect, which suggests that spatial colonization patterns are rarely flexible throughout timber degradation. The differences in common associates among the bark beetle species could be linked to the different niches that these beetles occupy.

Association of phloeophagous insects colonizing Pinus radiata in northern Spain with Hypocreales fungi was determined by selective isolation and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and histone H3 gene sequencing. The general microbiota consisted of 11 species and was dominated by Fusarium circinatum. Among isolated fungi, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium proliferatum, and Fusarium oxysporum can cause seedling damping-off, whereas Fusarium lateritium is not pathogenic and, thus, was selected together with Penicillium chrysogenum, the second dominant species in aerial wood, for studying their biocontrol capabilities. Replacement series and primary resource capture assays indicated that P. chrysogenum outcompeted F. circinatum. In contrast, in secondary resource capture when F. circinatum appeared later in succession, both P. chrysogenum and F. lateritium completely inhibited its growth; there were no differences between the substrate occupied by both saprophytes. Testing these in vitro generated results in nursery controlled conditions, neither P. chrysogenum nor F. lateritium seed treatments with 450 000 conidia reduced the disease incidence on germination or seedling growth in soil simultaneously infested with the same pathogen inoculum. However, both treatments increased germination percentage in soil with 4500, 45, and 0 F. circinatum conidia inoculum: the respective P. chrysogenum/F. lateritium efficacy ratios were 2.01, 1.75, and 1.40. Both treatments increased seedling height in soil with 4500 and 45 pathogen conidia and reduced necrotic lesions on 1-month-old seedlings infected with 18 000, 180, and 1.8 pitch canker fungus conidia on basal needles. Once promising biocontrol taxa have been identified, further studies about intraspecific variability and efficacy with seed complex natural microbiotas will be essential for developing integrated pest management programs against pitch canker fungus in pine nurseries.

In theVespinae, morphological differences of castes are generally well-marked, except for some Vespa species, where it is difficult to distinguish between future queens and workers in autumn-winter colonies. Individual weights have widely been used as a distinguishing factor but recently cuticular hydrocarbon profiles seems to be the definitive tool, although much more expensive and time-consuming. Parameters such as size (mesoscutum width), wet and dry weight were analysed, throughout several colonies, to differentiate female castes (workers and gynes) in the hornet Vespa velutina in Europe. These parameters were compared to cuticular hydrocarbon profiles. The results showed that in late autumn, but not earlier, populations are divided into two size groups, which, based on their CHC profiles, can be hypothesized to correspond to workers and gynes. This differentiation mirrored a good separation by size that proves to be more accurate than weight (wet and dry). The size limit between workers and gynes is established at a mesoscutum width of 4.5 mm

The ontogeny of morphological traits in three members of the oribatid mite family Galumnidae – Acrogalumna longipluma (Berlese, 1904), Allogalumna alamellae (Jacot, 1935) and Galumna alata (Hermann, 1804) – is described and illustrated for the first time and compared with the literature. The juveniles of all species have macrosclerites, microsclerites and a humeral organ, but particular species differ in body size, the length of c-series setae, pattern of integument in anterior part of gastronotum and shape of solenidion ω₁ on tarsus I. Their larvae additionally differ by the shape of setae in and dp, presence of transverse furrow on the gastronotum and the length of prodorsal seta in, whereas the nymphs differ by the size of circumgenital macrosclerite and presence of adanal macrosclerite. The adults of these species differ mainly by the presence of lamellar ridge L on the prodorsum and location of seta le, shape of porose area Aa, presence of median pore mp on the notogaster and shape of sensillus. The morphology of juveniles of three species of Pilogalumna Grandjean, 1956 Grandjean, F . 1956. Galumnidae sans carenes lamellaires (Acariens, Oribates), lre serie. Bulletin de la Société zoologique de France, 81: 134–150. [Google Scholar] suggests that the presence of transverse furrow in larva and absence of circumgenital macrosclerite in nymphs have probably generic value.

This work is a study of the communities of oribatid mites in steppic areas of Burgos Province, central northern Spain, in relation to different habitat types belonging to natural or disturbed ecosystems. The primary objective was to find the relationship between anthropogenic use of land and several diversity indices. Parameters such as abundance, species richness, real diversity (H′) and equitability (J′) of the mite communities were calculated in 20 soil plots, sampled in spring and autumn 2000, belonging to the predominant habitat types of this area: (1) cultivated lands, (2) abandoned crop lands, (3) grasslands/pastures, and (4) natural oak forests or a pine plantation. The most widespread species in the area as well as the most abundant taxa overall are documented, together with the faunistic checklist of oribatid mites identified in the study. The results show a general decline in the composition of the oribatid community, in terms of species diversity and abundance, from non‐disturbed soils to cultivated lands. The number of species (richness) was usually higher in forest soils than in disturbed ecosystems, in which the most degraded soils showed the lowest number of species. The community analysis shows the differences due to habitat type and ubiquitous bioindicator species.