José L. Ruiz

• Master of Science
• Researcher at Instituto de Estudios Ceutíes

This study presents a comprehensive inventory of the butterfly fauna (superfamily Papilionoidea) of the Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain, North Africa), a territory historically underexplored in lepidopterological research. Based on fieldwork conducted from 2019 to 2024, a total of 48 butterfly species have been recorded, encompassing all Papilionoi...

This study updates the distribution and conservation status of two poorly documented blister beetle species in Morocco: Eurymeloe (Bolognaia) pallidicolor (Martínez de la Escalera, 1909) and E. (B.) saharensis (Chobaut, 1898). A new locality for E. pallidicolor is added, which represents the southernmost known occurrence for the species, along with...

Obra de divulgación científica sobre la entomofauna de la comarca de la Mancha.

Widely distributed phoretic blister beetles usually display unstructured geographic patterns of genetic diversity within species, resulting from recurrent long-dispersal events across their range. To investigate the extent of this pattern in the phoretic genus Lampromeloe, and particularly in western Mediterranean and European populations of L. var...

To examine the relative phylogenetic position of Metoecus and Macrosiagon, we used a set of newly collected specimens of Ripiphoridae, including species not previously analysed as Ripiphorus subdipterus, R. diadasiae and Macrosiagon praeusta, along with additional Iberian specimens of Ptilophorus dufourii, Macrosiagon bimaculata and Metoecus parado...

Large-scale agricultural and tourism development are the main threats to biodiversity in south-eastern Spain. Species with low dispersal abilities, such as some endemic insects from this region, are particularly vulnerable to fragmentation and loss of genetic and morphological diversity. Here, we studied the current and future threat of climate and...

In recent decades, forest fires in the Mediterranean basin have been increasing in frequency, intensity, and the area burnt. Simultaneously, insects, a group with extraordinary biodiversity that provides vital ecosystem services such as pollination and decomposition, are undergoing a precipitous decline. Unfortunately, the impact of fire on arthrop...

The taxonomic status and subgeneric arrangement of the genus Eurymeloe have been debated for decades. In this work, the internal taxonomy of Eurymeloe is redefined by recognising three subgenera: Eurymeloe for the former Eurymeloe brevicollis species group, Coelomeloe for Eurymeloe tuccia, and Bolognaia Ruiz, García-París, Sánchez-Vialas & Recuero,...

The incomplete knowledge of the species distribution ranges represents a serious barrier for many areas of study in Biology that goes from Systematics to conservation of Biodiversity. One of the most important available resources to deal with the lack of geographic information are scientific collections. Epicauta with more than 366 species describe...

The geographic distribution of a species is shaped by its biology and by environmental and palaeogeographic factors that interact at different spatial-temporal scales, which leads to distributions and diversification patterns observed between and within lineages. The darkling beetle genus Pimelia has been diversifying for more than 31.2 Mya showing...

The geographic distribution of a species is shaped by its biology and by environmental and palaeogeographic factors that interact at different spatial-temporal scales, which leads to distributions and diversification patterns observed between and within lineages. The darkling beetle genus Pimelia has been diversifying for more than 31.2 Mya showing...

We report the presence of an established population of Nacerdes (Xanthochroa) raymondi in the Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain, northern tip of the Tingitanian Peninsula). This new record confirms the presence of N. (X.) raymondiin western Maghreb after more than half a century without data. The presence of N. (X.) raymondi in Ceuta extends its Nort...

A new species of the genus Mesomeloe (Meloidae) is described from Qatar on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Mesomeloe ottomerkli sp. nov., which is currently only known from the type locality, was previously identified as Meloe (Mesomeloe) coelatus. Both the morphological and molecular variability of M. coelatus across its wide dist...

The subgenus Amblypteraca Mas-Peinado, Buckley, Ruiz & García-París, 2018 of Pimelia Fabricius, 1775, is restricted to the southern Iberian Peninsula and western Maghreb (northern and western Morocco). The distribution of Amblypteraca throughout the African-European edges overlaps largely with the geographic range of the subgenus Amblyptera, which...

Flightless, phoretic insects of the tribe Meloini include several widespread species able to inhabit both mainland and oceanic and continental islands. Relationships between phoretic and non-phoretic species of Meloini are unclear, precluding broad evolutionary and biogeographic analyses within the group. We provide a robust molecular phylogenetic...

The first records of Coenonympha arcanioides, Spialia ali, Thymelicus hamza are reported in the Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain, North Africa). Aspects of their biology, habitat and conservation status are discussed. Common names are proposed for species recently included in the Spanish list.

The Mediterranean Red List assessment is a review of the regional conservation status of approximately 6,000 species (amphibians, mammals, reptiles, birds, fishes, butterflies, dragonflies, beetles, corals and plants) according to the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. It identifies those species that are threatened with extinction at the regio...

Hunchback darkling beetles of the Ibero-Maghrebian genus Misolampus Latreille, 1807 (Tenebrionidae, Stenochiinae) encompass six species: M. gibbulus (Herbst 1799), M. goudotii Guérin-Méneville, 1834, M. lusitanicus Brême, 1842, M. ramburii Brême, 1842, M. scabricollis Graells, 1849, and M. subglaber Rosenhauer, 1856. Previously known distribution r...

Resumen: Se presenta el primer registro del noctuido Panolis flammea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775) para el continente africano en la localidad de Ceuta (España, norte de África). Se aporta un mapa de distribución actualizado de su presencia en el ámbito íbero-balear y se discute el posible origen de la población ceutí. First record of the noctui...

Delimiting species boundaries is a complex challenge usually hindered by overlooked morphological diversification or misinterpretation of geographically structured phenotypic variability. Independent molecular data are extremely useful to characterize and understand such morphological diversity. Morphological and molecular variability of the non-ph...

A new species of blister beetle (Coleoptera, Meloidae, Mylabrini), Croscherichia armass Ruiz, François & García-París, sp. nov. , is described from the arid steppes of eastern Morocco (Missour, Boulemane Province). The new species presents traits shared with both Croscherichia and desert species of the genus Ammabris , making it morphologically sin...

Acorn burial and consumption by geotrupid dung beetles is an interesting trophic interaction recently reported for Iberian Thorectes and North American Mycotrupes species. In Iberian Thorectes species, this interaction provides not only ecophysiological and reproductive advantages to the beetles but also more effective dispersal for Quercus acorns....

Trox strandi is a rare species whose taxonomic status has been controversial and so far is only known from the type-locality, Sidi-bel-Abbes, in northwestern Algeria. However, it has been indicated generically from Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, but without providing precise locations or additional material. During surveys in southeastern Morocco in r...

The genus Pimelia Fabricius is the most speciose in the tribe Pimeliini (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). It consists of approximately 320 species distributed mainly in xeric environments in the western Palaearctic region and northern deserts in the Afrotropical region. Pimelia is a very heterogenous group despite its conserved morphology. Based on two...

Elaphocera sulcatula Fairmaire, 1884 was described from "Maroc" without further precision and, to date, is only known from an identified locality in northern Morocco (Axdir, Mediterranean coast of the Rif) and for only three specimens. The available information is minimal and limited to the original description of the species and to that of its syn...

Scarabaeus aegyptiacus is a species widely distributed from the Arabian Peninsula to Morocco, occupying mainly arid and desert regions. Despite its wide geographic range, the number of known localities is very low (ten locations) and its populations seem apparently fragmented and spaced. During a recent field survey in southwestern Morocco, we foun...

Scarabaeus aegyptiacus es una especie ampliamente distribuida desde la Península Arábiga hasta Marruecos, ocupando ambientes áridos y desérticos. A pesar de su amplio rango de distribución, el número de localidades precisas conocidas es muy escaso (diez localidades) y sus poblaciones se encuentran aparentemente fragmentadas y muy distanciadas entre...

El examen de ejemplares del género Epicauta de la colección del Museo del Instituto de Zoología Aplicada (MIZA, Venezuela) nos permitió detectar la presencia de ejemplares procedentes de los estados de Lara y Falcón, con características morfológicas singulares. Estos rasgos no permiten su asignación a ninguna de las especies conocidas del género po...

Resumen: Además del nombre científico en latín, es cada vez más frecuente asignar a las especies un nombre común. Con ello se intenta conseguir que los naturalistas y gestores ambientales se transmitan información entre ellos sin equívocos usando nom-bres fáciles de recordar y de pronunciar; es decir, en la práctica reemplazan directamente al nombr...

We found a population of the Moroccan endemic G. reymondi 3 km northeast of Aïn Ech Chair (province of Figuig, Oriental region, southeastern Morocco), near the border with Algeria. The population is located about 150 km of the closest locality known (head of the Guir river: Gourrama), outside the geographic range known for the species. The specimen...

This is a rare and little known species with in a small area of occupancy (AOO) of 24-32 km2. It is distributed in two subpopulations: one in Spain, which is isolated and not confirmed, and the second in a reduced area of northern Morocco. There is a continuing decline in habitat quality and area due to urbanisation, agriculture intensification and...

This species is listed as Least Concern based on a suspected stable population, wide distribution and the absence of severe threats.

The species is listed as Near Threatened under criterion B2 due to its narrow distribution (AOO: 400-600 km2) in sandy soils. There is a continuing decline of habitat quality and area in coastal and subcoastal habitats due to changes in agricultural practices (livestock abandonment and livestock and agricultural intensification), as well as urban a...

This species is distributed in a narrow range restricted to sandy soils along the Atlantic coast of Morocco. The area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be between 70-120 km2. A continuing decline in habitat quality and area is inferred from the current rates of urbanisation, tree plantation and agriculture intensification along its range. As conse...

This species is distributed in a restricted range with an area of occupancy (AOO) and extent of occurrence (EOO) both of 12 km2. There is an ongoing decline in suitable habitat due to limestone mining and related infrastructures. Based on this threat it is estimated that this species is distributed in four to five locations. Thus, this species is l...

Although rare and with a restricted distribution, this species is listed as Least Concern in view of its occurrence in protected areas and the lack of major threats.

This species is listed as Least Concern based on a suspected stable population, abundance in Morocco and the lack of ongoing major threats.

Se describe una especie nueva del género Tropinota Mulsant, 1842 a partir de ejemplares del noroeste de Marruecos (región de Tánger-Tetuán): T. iec sp. n. Esta nueva especie se adscribe al subgénero Epicometis Burmeister, 1842 por presentar los principales caracteres diagnósticos del mismo: pronoto sin áreas lisas y la 5ª interestría no fuertemente...

Las colecciones científicas del Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC, Madrid) albergan un extenso material entomológico recogido en Marruecos a principios del siglo XX por el insigne naturalista M. Martínez de la Escalera. El estudio morfológico del material del género Meloe Linnaeus, 1758 (Coleoptera: Meloidae) revela la existencia de p...

This species has very restricted distribution and shows a strong aggregation pattern at a local level which make it more prone to suffer local extinctions caused by fires or ploughing. Coastal subpopulations are seriously affected by urbanisation and agriculture intensification. In some provinces such as Alicante, up to 70% of known subpopulations...

Thorectes variolipennis. In he IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

This species is endemic to Morocco and has two subpopulations, which are restricted to a singular habitat (karstic sierra surrounded by silicicous lands). The extent of occurrence (EOO) is 97 km2 and the area of occupancy (AOO) is estimated to be 16 km2. The species occurs in four locations and the population is severely fragmented. Given the ongoi...

This species is known to occur in North Africa. In Morocco, the species is considered to have a good status. There is no information available for other countries. It is listed as Least Concern in view of the good population status in Morocco and the low probability that the species is declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threatened ca...

ENDANGERED SPECIES. This is a very localized Iberian endemic species. Its area of occupancy (AOO) is extremely reduced and in continuous decline. The apterous character of this species causes its subpopulations to be very localized due to the low dispersal ability. It is listed as Endangered B2ab(iii) because its habitat is very restricted and in d...

Extensive morphological variability in Nemognatinae has often led to proliferation of species descriptions. Most species of Nemognathinae are seldom encountered in nature and some species remain only known by the specimens used for the original descriptions. Two examples of this problem are represented by Sitaris lativentris Schaufuss, 1861 and Sit...

In this study we clarify the taxonomic status and geographic distribution of Apalus cinctus (Pic, 1896), a Mediterranean species included in the group of Apalus bimaculatus (Linnaeus, 1760). Apalus cinctus was only known from a few North African localities mentioned in the original description, and was considered of uncertain taxonomic status. The...

Hycleus duodecimmaculatus (Coleoptera, Meloidae, Mylabrini) is a poorly known species endemic to Morocco. Its geographic range extends along the coastal-subcoastal fringe of the Atlantic Coast, between Larache and Tiznit region (Arbaa Ait Ahmed). In this paper we study more than a hundred specimens, mostly preserved in the collection of the Museo N...

As part of the biodiversity surveys conducted by the Department of Biodiversity at the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), we can report the presence of Scaurus puncticollis Solier, 1838 in Qatar, and confirm the first record for the tribe Scaurini Billberg, 1820 in the country. We found two living specimens and remains of a th...

We describe a morphologically remarkable new species of the Epicauta cupraeola species group from the highlands of the State of Nayarit, Mexico. The external appearance of Epicauta cora sp. nov., is similar to that of Epicauta rufipennis and Epicauta diana, but it is distinct from both species based on male antennae structure, shape and pilosity of...

We report the discovery of the blister beetle, Meloe coelatus Reiche, 1957, in Qatar. According to the Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera there is no record for the genus Meloe in Qatar, although the genus is well represented in other areas of the Arabian Peninsula. M. coelatus is a rare species, that is present along a wide area of Northern Afric...

Blister beetles of the genus Meloe Linnaeus, 1758, are widely distributed in temperate areas. However, their presence in arid environments is often overlooked. This is certainly true for Qatar. According to the Catalogue of Palaearctic Coleoptera (Bologna in Löbl & Smetana, 2008) there is not a single record for the genus Meloe in Qatar, although t...

RESUMEN En esta comunicación se describe una especie nueva de Asida perteneciente al subgé-nero Planasida: Asida (Planasida) septemsis n. sp., localizada en el territorio español de Ceuta y distribuida igualmente por las zonas vecinas del extremo septentrional de Marruecos (zona nororiental de la Península Tingitana). Esta nueva especie se integra...

Thorectes coloni, a new species in the subgenus Thorectes Mulsant from Rif mountains (northwestern Morocco) is decribed. Two groups of North African species in the subgenus Thorectes are stablished for practical purposes based on external morphological traits: one group including T. laevigatus and T. trituberculatus and the other group containing T...

In this paper, Stenoria antoinei Pardo Alcaide, 1953 is recorded for the first time in the Iberian Peninsula and Europe. Its specific validity is confirmed and the main diagnostics traits are exposed, especially those related to the aedeagus. Likewise, a comparative study is made between the two species that constitute the S. apicalis (Latreille, 1...

En los capítulos que preceden se ha puesto de manifiesto el alcance, magnitud y, sobre todo, diversidad de la obra de Martínez de la Escalera en su conjunto. En verdad, Martínez de la Escalera fue un entomólogo extraordinariamente versátil: publicó trabajos taxonómicos de 21 familias distintas de coleópteros, en los que describió 862 nuevos taxones...

En este capítulo nos ocuparemos de la labor que desarrolló D. Manuel Martínez de la Escalera para el conocimiento de la familia Meloidae. Además de comentar los avatares taxonómicos y los cambios nomenclaturales de los 38 taxones que describió, se han localizado las diferentes series tipo aún existentes en el Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (M...

Manuel Martínez de la Escalera (1867-1949) se cuenta entre los personajes que acometieron el estudio de la Historia Natural en la España de finales del XIX y constituye una desconocida e interesante figura en la historia de la ciencia de nuestro país, solamente familiar para el colectivo de investigadores que se dedican hoy a su mismo tema de estud...

En este trabajo presentamos un listado sinonímico actualizado de la fauna de Meloidae (Coleoptera) de la Península Ibérica e Islas Baleares. En el listado actual se recogen las sinonimias correspondientes a 65 táxones de nivel especie. Se han revisado las publicaciones donde se incluyen las descripciones originales de la mayoría de los táxones y no...

Entre las especies más raras de la familia Meloidae en la cuenca mediterránea destaca un pequeño grupo de especies del género Meloe relacionadas con M. saharensis Chobaut, 1898. El estudio taxonómico de nueve ejemplares (incluido el material tipo de M. saharensis, M. otini Peyerimhoff, 1949 y M. vignai Bologna, 1990), permite concluir que las difer...

Se describe una especie nueva de Meloe (Coleoptera: Meloidae) del subgénero Eurymeloe, del grupo de M. rugosus, relacionada con especies del subgrupo de M. murinus. Los ejemplares estudiados de la especie nueva proceden del Rif occidental (Parque Nacional de Talassemtane, dorsal caliza rifeña), en el noroeste de Marruecos y se localizaron en hábita...

La revisión de los ejemplares de la familia Meloidae de la pequeña colección entomológica del ECOSUR en San Cristóbal de las Casas (Chiapas, México), acompañada del examen de material chiapaneco del género Epicauta de la Colección Nacional de Insectos (CNIN-IBUNAM, Instituto de Biología, UNAM, México), material de Meloidae del Museo Húngaro de Hist...

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Categoría de Amenaza: Vulnerable B2ab(iii), D2. No está presente en más de 10 localidades en todo Andalucía y su área de ocupación (5 localidades que conforman 3 núcleos poblacionales aparentemente aislados) se encuentra severamente fragmentada. Es posible inferir una disminución continua de la extensión y calidad de sus hábitats óptimos (zonas est...

Categoría de amenaza en Andalucía: En Peligro B2ab(i,ii iii,iv,v); C2a(ii). -Texto justificativo de la categoría de amenaza: Especie propia del Magreb centro-oriental (Argelia y Túnez), con sólo tres citas concretas en el sur de Europa, dos en España y una en el sur de Italia. El registro italiano y uno de los españoles (Valencia) son anteriores a...

Categoría de amenaza en Andalucía:Vulnerable A2c; B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) -Texto justificativo de la categoría de amenaza: La aceitera real es una especie endémica del sureste ibérico propia de los ecosistemas áridos y semiáridos. De manera más concreta, su distribución en Andalucía está restringida al piso termomediterráneo y puntualmente al mesomedit...

Categoría de amenaza en Andalucía: Vulnerable B2ab(i,ii,iii); D2 - Texto justificativo de la categoría de amenaza: Endemismo nevadense del que hasta la fecha sólo se conocen 5 localidades en 4 cuadrículas U.T.M. 10x10. Su restringida área de distribución se circunscribe a la zona de cumbres de Sierra Nevada (piso oromediterráneo y puntualmente crio...

Categoría de amenaza en Andalucía: En Peligro A4c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) -Texto justificativo de la categoría de amenaza: A. (B.) espanoli es un raro tenebriónido endémico de las singulares y reducidas formaciones forestales de Quercus alpestris Boiss., quercínea propia de las cotas altas de la Sierra de las Nieves (Málaga). Los r...

Categoría de amenaza en Andalucía: En Peligro A4c; B1ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v)+B2ab(i,ii,iii,iv,v) -Texto justificativo de la categoría de amenaza: Área de distribución muy restringida (un único núcleo poblacional conocido, localizado en una cuadrícula U.T.M. 10x10), reducida densidad poblacional, escasa capacidad de dispersión y asociación a un tipo de há...

Especies de Coleoptera Meloidae de Andalucía con categoría "DD" (Deficient Data)

A raíz del estudio del material tipo de Zonabris rosinae Escherich, 1899 y Zonabris pauper Escherich, 1899 se confirman los criterios adoptados por Pardo Alcaide (1948, 1950) con respecto a ambas especies. Para poder discutir adecuadamente los aspectos nomenclaturales y taxonómicos asociados con estos taxones, se designan lecto y paralectotipos de...

El subgénero Ammabris Kuzin, 1954 agrupa a un pequeño conjunto de especies del género Mylabris Fabricius, 1775, fenéticamente afines entre sí y asociadas a zonas semiáridas y desérticas del norte de África, Oriente Próximo y Asia Central. Una de las especies menos conocidas de este subgénero, al que fue atribuida con dudas, es Mylabris boghariensis...

Two new records of species of the genus Lytta Fabricius, 1775 (Coleoptera: Meloidae) from western North America (Mexico and the United States) Abstract: While studying the Mexican material of Meloidae held at the Hungarian Museum of Natural History in Budapest, we located one specimen of Lytta crotchii (Horn, 1874), from the State of Baja Californi...

The species Euzonitis haroldi (Heyden 1870) (Coleoptera: Meloidae; Nemognathinae) is an almost unknown taxon, sometimes treated as a variety of E. quadrimaculata (Pallas, 1773), originally described from Central Spain and only known from a few localities in Spain and Morocco. We found specimens of E. haroldi and E. quadrimaculata feeding together o...

Abstract: Chrysanthia reitteri Seidlitz, 1899 (Coleoptera, Oedemeridae) in Malaga province (south-eastern Iberian Peninsula) Abstract: A new record of Chrysanthia reitteri Seidlitz, 1899 from the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula is reported, on the basis of material from the Sierra Tejeda mountains. This record is the first from Malaga province (...

Abstract: First record of Macrosiagon ferruginea (Fabricius, 1775) both from Autonomous City of Ceuta (Spain, Northern Africa) and Tingis Peninsula is reported. Further more, chorological data gathered from publications for the three Macrosiagon Hentz, 1830 species recorded from Morocco (M. tricuspidata, M. ferruginea y M. fortieri) are provided.

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Especie sin protección legal, de la que sobreviven 274 individuos en la única localidad española (mogote de Benzú, Ceuta), amenazada por una cantera en activo. También vive en Marruecos (con menos de 5 localidades conocidas), donde se ha considerado como muy rara en el Catálogo de plantas vasculares raras, amenazadas o endémicas de Marruecos.

Nimbus richardi (Veiga, 1984) is here recorded for the first time from Morocco and northwestern Africa. This species , included in the tribe Aphodiini, was only known from five localities distributed over the Baetic limestone mountain chains of southern Spain (Andalusia). Nimbus richardi was found in a mountain region of the western Rif (Djebel Tis...

Recent literature on faunistics and taxonomy of Iberian Meloidae include records from authors of the XIX and early XX centuries, but in most cases the main reference is to the compilatory works of Górriz Muñoz (1882) and De la Fuente (1933). While the precise original localities recorded by earlier or coetaneous authors are generally ignored. We be...

Resumen: Se ofrece un nuevo registro de Onthophagus (Trichonthophagus) hirtus de la región oriental de la provincia de Málaga (término municipal de Alcaucín), con lo que se confirma su presencia en esta provincia. Se revisa la información corológica de O. (T.) hirtus en el territorio andaluz. Andalucía es la única comunidad autónoma española en la...

Se describe una especie nueva de Mylabris Fabricius, 1775 de las montañas de la región sudoriental de la Península Ibérica (Macizo de la Sagra y áreas adyacentes, provincia de Granada). Mylabris deferreri sp. nov. se integra en el subgénero Micrabris por presentar un pronoto campaniforme, regularmente convexo, sin depresión transversa anterior; los...

Abstract: New data are presented on the morphology and distribution of H. rungsi (Peyerimhoff, 1935), a poorly-known southern Moroccan endemism. A detailed description of the species is given, emphasizing the external morphological and genital characters, and the known variability is described. A discussion is included on the discriminating traits...

Resumen: En el presente trabajo se discute la composición específica ibérica del género Cheirodes Géné, 1839, habitualmente nominado como Anemia Laporte de Castelnau, 1840, y se ofrece una síntesis sobre la nomenclatura del género. Cheirodes está representado por tres especies en la Península Ibérica: Cheirodes (Cheirodes) sardous Géné, 1839, Cheir...