Publications by authors named "Victor Sarto I Monteys"

The invasive wasp-mimicking Tiger Longicorn Beetle, Xylotrechus chinensis, a potentially lethal pest of mulberry trees (Moraceae: Morus spp.), was first reported in Europe in 2018. In Catalonia its spread has been impressive: one district, four towns, 44 km in February 2018; four districts, 12 towns, 378 km in July 2020; seven districts, 65 towns, 1134 km in December 2023.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study focuses on Culicoides midges in western Andalusia, Spain, using innovative carbon dioxide-baited traps across various ecosystems, marking a shift from traditional suction light traps.
  • - Researchers collected over 3,000 midges from 23 species, including the newly identified Culicoides grandifovea and the first European record of Culicoides pseudolangeroni, revealing important data about their distribution and abundance.
  • - This research provides significant insights into the diversity and behavior of Culicoides species outside farmland, establishing it as a pioneering study in the area that may influence future vector control strategies.
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Dinosaur bonebeds with amber content, yet scarce, offer a superior wealth and quality of data on ancient terrestrial ecosystems. However, the preserved palaeodiversity and/or taphonomic characteristics of these exceptional localities had hitherto limited their palaeobiological potential. Here, we describe the amber from the Lower Cretaceous dinosaur bonebed of Ariño (Teruel, Spain) using a multidisciplinary approach.

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West Nile Virus (WNV) has recently emerged as a major public health concern in Europe; its recent expansion also coincided with some remarkable socio-economic and environmental changes, including an economic crisis and some of the warmest temperatures on record. Here we empirically investigate the drivers of this phenomenon at a European wide scale by constructing and analyzing a unique spatial-temporal data-set, that includes data on climate, land-use, the economy, and government spending on environmental related sectors. Drivers and risk factors of WNV were identified by building a conceptual framework, and relationships were tested using a Generalized Additive Model (GAM), which could capture complex non-linear relationships and also account for spatial and temporal auto-correlation.

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The invasive wasp-mimicking Tiger Longicorn Beetle, Xylotrechus chinensis, a potentially lethal pest of mulberry trees (Moraceae: Morus sp.), was first reported in Europe in 2018, although its colonization and establishment were estimated to have occurred during the year 2012 or earlier. In Catalonia the infestation spread from four towns and 44.

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Background: This study examines the impact of climate, socio-economic and demographic factors on the incidence of dengue in regions of the United States and Mexico. We select factors shown to predict dengue at a local level and test whether the association can be generalized to the regional or state level. In addition, we assess how different indicators perform compared to per capita gross domestic product (GDP), an indicator that is commonly used to predict the future distribution of dengue.

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In this paper, the invasion of a new alien beetle species to Europe, the longhorn (Chevrolat) (Cerambycidae), originating from East Asia, is revealed. It has settled in Catalonia (Spain), occupying at present an area of at least 44.1 km², where it has been shown to severely infest (ca.

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Castniid moths (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) display a butterfly-like reproductive behavior, i.e., they use visual stimuli for mate location and females have apparently lost their pheromone glands in an evolutionary context.

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Article Synopsis
  • Biting midges of the genus Culicoides are crucial vectors for important arboviruses, making accurate species identification essential in the western Palaearctic, where similar wing patterns complicate this task.
  • A study tested four PCR-based assays across 12 European and North African labs on various Culicoides samples to evaluate their effectiveness in distinguishing between the main suspected vector species.
  • The assays showed high specificity (95-99%) but variable sensitivity (59.6-100%), indicating that the method of DNA extraction and sample type significantly influenced results, paving the way for improved molecular diagnostics in the future.
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Background: In the course of evolution butterflies and moths developed two different reproductive behaviors. Whereas butterflies rely on visual stimuli for mate location, moths use the 'female calling plus male seduction' system, in which females release long-range sex pheromones to attract conspecific males. There are few exceptions from this pattern but in all cases known female moths possess sex pheromone glands which apparently have been lost in female butterflies.

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An enclosure trapping experiment compared numbers and engorgement of Culicoides spp. taken from treated sheep (7.5% deltamethrin) to Culicoides from untreated sheep.

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