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The new species of millipedeCylindroiulusvillumiis described from a cave in the Estremenho karst massif in central Portugal. It is the first cave-adapted species of its genus with a strict subterranean life-style in continental Europe, and is the fifth blind species of the genus. The new species is illustrated with photographs and diagrammatic drawings. It is tentatively placed in the purely IberianCylindroiulusperforatus-group. The differences between the new species and its relatives are discussed, as well as its adaptations to a subterranean life-style.

The cave biodiversity of continental Portugal faces tremendous conservation challenges, mostly linked to their direct destruction and contamination infiltrating from the surface. Beetles are the most diverse insects and one of the most diverse arthropod groups in caves of Portugal. We present the IUCN Red List profiles for the cave-adapted beetles from continental Portugal, all endemic to their respective geological units and massifs. Ground beetles (Carabidae) are the most diverse family of cave-adapted beetles in continental Portugal, followed by rove beetles (Staphylinidae). Beetles in caves of Portugal are mostly terrestrial and only one species is known to have evolved to live in groundwater. Trechus is the most diverse genus with four species, followed by Domene with three species and by Speonemadus and Iberoporus, both with one cave-adapted species. The aim of this contribution is to assess all endemic cave-adapted species of beetles from continental Portugal and to support their specific protection, to promote adequate management of surface habitats and the establishment of priority areas for conservation. The main biodiversity erosion drivers that are impacting the conservation of the studied species are pollution infiltrating from the surface, urbaniation, modifications of the natural habitat for touristic purposes and mining, quarrying and energy production infrastructures. This document can be used in spatial planning and territory management in karst, based on the current scientific knowledge.

Iberoporus pluto sp. n., the first stygobiont beetle from Portugal (Dytiscidae, Hydroporinae), is described from a single female from the cave Soprador do Carvalho (Coimbra). The species is highly troglomorphic, depigmented, blind, and with elongated appendages not adapted for swimming. A molecular phylogeny based on a combination of three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes showed the new species to be sister to I. cermenius Castro & Delgado, 2001 from Córdoba (south of Spain), within the subtribe Siettitiina of the tribe Hydroporini. Both species are included in a clade with Siettitia avenionensis Guignot, 1925 (south of France) and Rhithrodytes agnus Foster, 1992 and R. argaensis Fery & Bilton, 1996 (north of Portugal), in turn sister to the rest of species of genus Rhithrodytes Bameul, 1989, in what is here considered the Siettitia group of genera. We resolve the paraphyly of Rhithrodytes by transferring the two Portuguese species to Iberoporus Castro & Delgado, 2001, I. agnus (Foster, 1992), comb. n. and I. argaensis (Fery & Bilton, 1996), comb. n., Molecular work was partly funded by projects CGL2013-48950-C2-1-P and CGL2016-76705-P (AEI/FEDER, UE) to IR. ASR is supported by a research grant (15471) from VILLUM FONDEN.

Recently, there has been an increasing demand for new molecules with bioactivity as a result of the increasing number of multi drug resistant bacteria and also of the need to find treatment for various diseases. Thus, to fill this urging need there has been a great investment in developing new techniques to speed up and increase the possibility of finding new molecules with therapeutic potential. Typically, the first stage of drug discovery process relies on in vitro assays and conventional high-throughput LC-MS-MS approaches. This combined with unique extreme environments, as a source of new molecules, has proved to be a good approach to enlarge natural product drug discovery. Considering the present demand for new bioactive molecules, together with the fact that cave microorganisms are already considered an important, yet largely unexplored source, our study aimed at assessing the bioactive potential of cave bacterial extracts, namely its antimicrobial and antitumoral potential. From six soil samples collected in the Cerâmica cave, at the Sicó karst massif, centre of Portugal, a total of 409 isolates were obtained. After a primary screening with the cross-streak method, 91 isolates showed antagonistic activity against four pathogenic agents (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas salmonicida and Bacillus aquimaris). Afterwards the secondary screening was carried out with the three isolates that presented higher antimicrobial activity. For the secondary screening, cell-free supernatants (CFS) were tested against eight pathogenic agents (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Aeromonas salmonicida, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, Klebesiella pneumoniae, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus). The chemical analysis of the CFS is discussed, as well as the results from the in vitro tests with human cell lines to evaluate its effects on cell morphology, viability and proliferation (Suppl. material 1).

Amphibians in Portugal are commonly found in karst ecosystems. Nonetheless, these ecosystems are threatened by activities such as agricultural and industrial activities and mining, which contaminate both surface water and groundwater. Due to the high permeability of the karst systems, the existence of water on the surface is scarce, with sinkhole ponds and springs representing essential water sources for amphibians, especially for their reproduction. Furthermore, water from springs may reflect the effects of surface contamination on groundwater. Considering the relevance of these water sources, specially to amphibians, which are considered highly sensitive to a widerange of contaminants, our study aimed at assessing the suitability of water from springs and sinkholes from two Portuguese karst massifs, for the development of the early lifestages of Hyla arborea. To achieve this, eggs from H. arborea were exposed to water from seven springs and four sinkholes, from the Estremenho and Sicó karst massifs, anda control (FETAX). The exposure was carried out with five replicates per condition, each with 20 tadpoles, and ended once the 25th Gosner stage was reached. The parameters evaluated were growth, antioxidant enzyme activity (Glutathione STransferases, Glutathione Peroxidase Se-dependent, total-Glutathione Peroxidase and Glutathione Reductase) and lipid peroxidation (LPO). Also, water samples were screened for the presence of six commonly used pesticides (Terbuthylazine, Tebuconazole, Deltamethrin, Dimethomorph, Chlorpyrifos and Glyphosate). The results revealed the presence of glyphosate in three of the sampled water bodies. Concurrently, in one of the sites presenting detectable glyphosate concentrations, tadpoles presented smaller body lengths, and mortality was also observed. In the remaining sites, despite the absence of the screened pesticides, there were some alterations of the biochemical parameters assessed, namely LPO. These results raised some concerns regarding the impact of human activities in surface and groundwater in the Sicó and Estremenho karst massifs.

A bibliographic analysis of the hypogean biological studies in Portugal is made, compiling 138 publications related to the subterranean invertebrate fauna, since its begining in 1870 until November 2012.A catalogue of hypogean endemic taxa is provided, listing 27 troglobionts and 63 stygobionts, described to be obligate hypogean and endemic from mainland Portugal (Macaronesian archipelagos excluded).The first impetus on troglobiont studies was provided by the prospections of Barros Machado during 1940’s and by an expedition of Lindberg in the spring of 1961; and the major information about stygobiont species was provided by the former Instituto de Zoologia “Dr. Augusto Nobre” from Porto University.

The biogeographical position of the Iberian Peninsula, located in the extreme west of Europe, associated with the great diversity of subterranean habitats, has fascinated generations of biologists. Its richness in endemic elements and surprising subterranean biodiversity, has been constantly increasing with new discoveries and approaches. Organized under the auspices of the International Society for Subterranean Biology, the Iberian Meetings have biennial periodicity, unsynchronized from the International Conference. It constitutes a regional initiative to assemble the subterranean biologists community working in the Iberian Peninsula and the contiguous archipelagos of Balears, Canaries, Azores and Madeira. The Iberian Meeting of Subterranean Biology, started in 2009, in the Museu Valencia d’Historia Natural (Spain). Invited speakers and round-tables composed the first edition. More than 120 participants, among experts and students of the University of Valencia, attended to the 23 oral communications presented. This meeting included three round-tables about Biodiversity and Conservation in the Ibero-Macarronesian scope, providing a global view on the current knowledge in this geographic area, later synthesized in the meeting proceedings published in the volume 49 of the Boletin de la Sociedad Entomologica Aragonesa. Subterranean Biology 12: 1–2 (2013)