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Osmia caerulescens is a solitary bee species commonly found in the Iberian Peninsula that seems well-adapted to altered anthropogenic habitats. Using the post-emergence residues present in 965 brood cells coming from 453 nests (reed stems) from 36 cherry orchards in western Spain, we identified the collected pollen, and studied the diet of the species. We evaluated whether there are differences in the diet over the nest construction and between the developmental stages reached by the offspring, and we tested whether the offspring's body size is influenced by the pollen diet. The pollen from Fabaceae species predominated in the samples, followed by Jasione (Campanulaceae) and Echium (Boraginaceae). We did not find differences in pollen richness and diversity between inner and outer cells nor among the developmental stages reached. However different proportions of Echium and Jasione pollen in individuals at different developmental stages and a positive relationship between pollen diversity and female body size were detected. The results suggest that the availability of flower resources, together with different morphological and chemical pollen traits, play a key role in diet composition and offspring development. Pollen analysis, which provides knowledge about diet breadth, is a useful tool in the study of species adapted to human-altered habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Agricultural abandonment is a very relevant process in Europe and its consequences on biodiversity are not yet clear. Moreover, abandonment is focused on marginal areas, characterized by traditional agricultural landscapes, with high cultural and biodiversity values, which are particularly vulnerable to this process. Although increasing attention has been paid to agricultural abandonment in recent years, studies focused on traditional orchards are scarce. In our study, we analyzed how abandonment and landscape complexity (measured as the percentage of semi-natural habitats) affected three groups of beneficial arthropods (spiders, bees and hymenopteran parasitoids) in almond orchards established on the border between Spain and Portugal. Our results showed that traditional and abandoned orchards harbor different arthropod communities, with the latter favoring these beneficial arthropods in simple landscapes (with a low percentage of semi-natural habitats). However, abandoned orchards lose relevance as the percentage of semi-natural habitat in the landscape increases, highlighting the important role that these habitats play in traditional agricultural landscapes. While abandoned orchards provide valuable habitats and alternative resources, they do not substitute semi-habitats nor traditional orchards. From a conservation management perspective, both traditional almond orchards and semi-natural habitats should be conserved to protect the rich biodiversity associated with these traditional cultural landscapes. Agricultural abandonment is one of the main land-use changes in Europe, and its consequences on biodiversity are context- and taxa-dependent. While several studies have worked on this topic, few have focused on traditional orchards, especially in different landscapes and under a Mediterranean climate. In this context, we aimed to determine the effects of almond orchard abandonment on the communities of three groups of beneficial arthropods and the role of the landscape context in modulating these effects. Between February and September 2019, four samplings were carried out in twelve almond orchards (three abandoned and three traditional (active orchards under traditional agricultural management) located in simple landscapes as well as three abandoned and three traditional in complex landscapes). Abandoned and traditional almond orchards harbor different arthropod communities and diversity metrics that are strongly conditioned by seasonality. Abandoned orchards can favor pollinators and natural enemies, providing alternative resources in simple landscapes. However, the role that abandoned orchards play in simple landscapes disappears as the percentage of semi-natural habitats in the landscape increases. Our results show that landscape simplification, through the loss of semi-natural habitats, has negative consequences on arthropod biodiversity, even in traditional farming landscapes with small fields and high crop diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater ecosystems are exceptionally threatened habitats and suffer biodiversity losses that exceed those in any other ecosystem. Small waterbodies have been typically neglected and excluded from conservation strategies, even though they are essential for maintaining freshwater biodiversity. Dragonflies are considered effective surrogates of the diversity of other taxa and bioindicators of the state of aquatic environments. This study compares, in an intensified farmland landscape of western Spain, the capacity of farm ponds to maintain dragonfly diversity by comparing the Odonata communities of the four type of aquatic systems (river, stream, reservoir and farm pond) present in this region, in which the extant of permanent water bodies is scarce. The results showed higher diversity and abundance values in farm ponds than in any other aquatic system, agreeing with previous studies. Also, farm ponds harbour species from every other aquatic system, thereby occupying an intermediate position in the MDS, which demonstrated their potential value to act as stepping stones. Nevertheless, investigation of the dragonfly community composition revealed a generally low degree of ecological integrity of the studied systems, which are negatively impacted by agricultural and livestock farming intensification. These findings support the role of farm ponds in the maintenance of dragonfly diversity in the study area and emphasise the need of a specific legislation to regulate and protect them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of traditional land-use systems into more intensive agriculture forms plays a main role in biodiversity loss. Within this framework, organic management has received widespread attention since it is assumed to enhance multiple taxa, including different groups of insects and plants. However, its contribution to the promotion of organism diversity is still controversial. We developed a study in traditional cherry orchards from the Jerte Valley (western Spain) to examine how coleopteran and plant assemblages are driven by farming system (organic vs. conventional), topographic features, and seasonality. The coleopteran community was examined on the basis of its taxonomic and trophic guild response. Organic orchards supported a higher number of beetle families and a greater plant species richness. Additionally, beetle and plant communities were highly correlated; conventional orchards were more homogeneous in terms of both plant and beetle composition, while organic orchards were more heterogeneous, their composition being also shaped by the hillside aspect. From a more functional approach, the different coleopteran trophic guilds exhibited varying responses to the factors analyzed. The benefits of organic farming were notable even when working in traditional systems: highly valuable habitats for overall biodiversity. Therefore, we highlight the potential of organic orchards for conservation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Olive cultivation has been extremely relevant in the Mediterranean area for centuries, creating traditional landscapes with high cultural and biodiversity values. However, in recent decades, these landscapes have been affected by two processes. On the one hand, the most productive areas have undergone significant intensification, with greater input of agrochemicals and a much higher tree density; on the other hand, marginal areas, with lower production, are being progressively abandoned. While more attention has been paid to intensification effects, few studies have considered the consequences of olive grove abandonment. In our study, we analyzed how abandonment and management regimes (organic or traditional) affected the main olive pest (Bactrocera oleae) and different groups of natural enemies in olive groves established near the border between Spain and Portugal. Our results showed that abandoned and managed olive groves had different, but similarly rich and diverse, communities of natural enemies, highlighting the complementary role that these two habitats play at the landscape scale. Moreover, abandoned groves may not be acting as a reservoir for the olive fly. To prevent land abandonment from continuing, measures such as organic farming or agritourism, which have been implemented in the studied area, could be effective. Agricultural abandonment and intensification are among the main land-use changes in Europe. Along with these processes, different proposals have been developed to counteract the negative effects derived from agricultural intensification, including organic management. In this context, we aimed to determine how organic management and farmland abandonment affect Bactrocera oleae and its main groups of natural enemies: hymenopteran parasitoids, spiders, ants, carabids, and staphylinids. Between May and October 2018, four samplings were carried out in nine olive groves (three under organic management, three under traditional management, and three abandoned) in a rural area on the border between Spain and Portugal (Salamanca, Western Spain). Our results suggested differences between the natural enemy community composition of abandoned and organic groves, with slightly higher levels of richness and abundance in abandoned groves. We found no differences between organic and traditional groves. The managed olive groves sustained a different natural enemy community but were similarly rich and diverse compared with the more complex abandoned groves, with the latter not acting as a reservoir of B. oleae in our study area. Both systems may provide complementary habitats; however, further abandonment could cause a reduction in heterogeneity at the landscape scale and, consequently, a biodiversity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within agricultural landscapes, ecological infrastructures like hedges, grass strips or wildflower strips, can be essential for the provision of ecosystem services, and their role in maintaining and promoting functional biodiversity has been widely demonstrated in temperate zones. However, although the Mediterranean basin is considered to be a biodiversity hotspot, there is a lack of information about the role played there by these elements in biodiversity conservation. Spiders are generalist predators that are considered important components of biodiversity in vineyard ecosystems, where they can play a prominent role in the natural control of pest populations. Nevertheless, the influence that ecological infrastructures have on driving spider assemblages in Mediterranean vineyard agroecosystems is practically unknown. In a study conducted in an area exclusively devoted to traditional vineyard crops (La Rioja, northern Spain), we analyzed spider assemblages across four types of linear ecological infrastructures differing in their structural diversity: woodland hedges, rosaceous hedges, grass strips and flower strips. Spider assemblages were examined across three levels of organization (taxon, guild and body-size group). Taxonomic composition was different among infrastructures, as was guild composition and the distribution of body sizes. Abundance and richness of spiders were higher in more structurally diverse infrastructures. The response to habitat type differed among guilds but, overall, higher densities of spiders from different guilds were found in hedges. Body-size groups had a more balanced distribution in strips and hedges with higher levels of structural diversity. Our results suggest that it is crucial to preserve varied typologies of ecological infrastructures, with an optimal level of complexity and heterogeneity, to maintain diversified assemblages of these important biocontrol agents within Mediterranean vineyard agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aneurysmal bone cysts are rare benign lesions of bone tissue, infrequent in craneofacial skeleton with regard to other structures like long bones or the spine. They are composed of sinusoidal and vascular spaces blood-filled and surrounded by fibrous tissue septa. We present a case of a 29-year-old Caucasian male with a big swelling in the left mandible associated to pain and rapid growth. He referred previous extraction of the left inferior third molar. On the X-ray study, an expansive multilocular and high vascularized bony lesion within the mandibular angle was observed. It produced expansion and destruction of lingual and buccal cortex. An incisional biopsy was performed showing a fibrous tissue with blood-filled spaces lesion suggestive of an aneurysmal bone cyst. After selective embolization of the tumour, surgical resection was done with curettage and immediate reconstruction of the defect with an anterior iliac crest graft. Aneurysmal bone cysts are non-neoplastic but locally aggressive tumours with occasional rapid growth that may be differentiated from other multilocular process like ameloblastoma, ossifying fibroma, epithelial cyst, giant cell granuloma and sarcomas. Treatment of choice consists on conservative surgical excision of the mass with curettage or enucleation. When resection creates a big defect, primary surgical reconstruction is recommended.