Se describe Porcellio wadianae sp. nov. (Crustacea: Oniscidea: Porcellionidae) de la región de Extremadura, España, Península Ibérica. La nueva especie puede clasificarse dentro del llamado “grupo Atlántico” del género Porcellio, definido por Vandel. Se caracteriza por tener un sistema glandular tegumentario poco común en este género y por otras características que lo diferencian del resto de especies del mismo grupo presentes en la región ibero-macaronésica y norteafricana. Además, presentamos observaciones adicionales sobre otras especies recolectadas en Extremadura, una de las regiones menos conocidas de España en lo que se refiere a su fauna de isópodos terrestres.

The knowledge of the diversity and geographic distribution of parasite species is the first step towards understanding processes of global epidemiology and species conservation. Despite recent increases in research on haemosporidian and haemogregarine parasites of reptiles and amphibians, we still know little about their diversity and parasite-host interactions, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, where a few studies have been conducted. In this study, the haemosporidian and haemogregarine diversity and phylogenetic relationships of the parasites in southwestern Iberian amphibians and reptiles were assessed using PCR approaches on blood samples of 145 individuals from five amphibian and 13 reptile species. The amphibians did not present any of both groups of parasites studied. Regarding reptiles, five Hepatozoon, one Haemogregarina, and one Haemocystidum haplotypes were found infecting four different species, revealing new host records for these parasites. Among them, we found one new Haemocystidium haplotype and three new and a previously reported Hepatozoon haplotype from a north African snake. The latter finding suggests that some Hepatozoon parasites may not be host-specific and have large geographic ranges even crossing geographical barriers. These results increased the knowledge about the geographic distribution and the number of known host species of some reptile apicomplexan parasites, highlighting the great unexplored diversity of them in this region.

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The knowledge of the diversity and geographic distribution of parasite species is the first step towards understanding processes of global epidemiology and species conservation. Despite recent increases in research on reptiles and amphibians haemosporidian and haemogregarine parasites, we still know little about their diversity and parasite-host interactions, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, where a few studies have been conducted. In this study, the haemosporidian and hemogregarine diversity and phylogenetic relationships of southwestern Iberian amphibians and reptiles were assessed using PCR approaches on 145 blood samples. The amphibians did not present any of both groups of parasites studied. Regarding the reptile species, six Hepatozoon and one Haemocystidum haplotypes were found infecting four different species, revealing new host records for these parasites. Among them, we found one new isolate Haemocystidium haplotype and three new isolates and a previously reported Hepatozoon haplotype from a north African snake. This finding suggests that some Hepatozoon parasites may not be host-specific and have large geographic ranges even crossing geographical barriers. These results increased the geographic distribution and the number of known host species of some reptile apicomplexan parasites, highlighting the great unexplored diversity of them in this region.

Parent–offspring conflict over food allocation can be modeled using two theoretical frameworks: passive (scramble competition) and active choice (signaling) resolution models. However, differentiating between these models empirically can be challenging. One possibility involves investigating details of decision-making by feeding parents. Different nestling traits, related to competitive prowess or signaling cryptic condition, may interact additively or non-additively as predictors of parental feeding responses. To explore this, we experimentally created even-sized, small broods of pied flycatchers and manipulated nestling cryptic quality, independently of size, by vitamin E supplementation. We explored how interactions between nestling cryptic condition, size, signals, and spatial location predicted food allocation and prey-testing by parents. Parents created the potential for spatial scramble competition between nestlings by feeding from and to a narrow range of nest locations. Heavier supplemented nestlings grew faster and were more likely to access profitable nest locations. However, the most profitable locations were not more contested, and nestling turnover did not vary in relation to spatial predictability or food supply. Postural begging was only predicted by nestling hunger and body mass, but parents did not favor heavier nestlings. This suggests that size-mediated and spatial competition in experimental broods was mild. Pied flycatcher fathers allocated food in response to nestling position and begging order, while mothers seemingly followed an active choice mechanism involving assessment of more complex traits, including postural intensity interacting with order, position, and treatment, and perhaps other stimuli when performing prey-testings. Differences in time constraints may underlie sex differences in food allocation rules.