Sonia Ferreira

• PhD
• Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources

Water mites of the genus Teutonia Koenike, 1889 are often common in cold montane lakes and pools of shaded streams and include the fastest swimmers among the water mites. This study provides the first-time calibrated phylogeny of this genus in Europe. Fossil-calibrated modelling reveals that the most recent common ancestor of the European Teutonia...

The use of flagship species in conservation, such as the European Stag Beetle (Lucanus cervus), can positively affect the conservation of other taxonomic or functionally related species. This is especially true for taxonomic groups where the knowledge regarding their distribution and ecology is generally limited, as is the case of insects. This wor...

Mangrove swamp rice is vital for food security in Guinea-Bissau, yet insect infestations cause significant post-harvest losses worldwide. This study identified insect pests affecting stored rice seeds using both morphological identification and DNA barcoding. In 2022, 64 rice samples were collected from 13 villages across 3 coastal regions yielding...

In this paper, three species of the water mite family Aturidae collected in Portugal were identified using an integrative approach that combines morphology and DNA barcodes. Parabrachypoda lusitanica sp. nov. is described as new for science. Two species, Hexaxonopsis romijni (K. Viets, 1923) and Woolastookia rotundifrons (K. Viets, 1922) are report...

This report identifies a set of priority actions needed to reverse the declines of thirty threatened dragonfly species in the European Union. It is based on data from the latest European Red List of Dragonflies and Damselflies (2024) and employs the “Assessment to Plan” methodology of the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) with a specific focus...

This study presents the first results from the analysis of water mites collected in Portugal as part of the Biodiversity Genomics Europe project. 307 COI DNA barcodes clustered into 75 BINs are provided, with 38 BINs being unique and deposited for the first time in the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD). 65 species have been identified, of which 3...

Political responses to the COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in city soundscapes around the globe.From March to October 2020, a consortium of 261 contributors from 35 countries brought togetherby the Silent Cities project built a unique soundscape recordings collection to report on local acousticchanges in urban areas. We present this collection her...

Rice cultivation is one of the most important agro-economic activities in many countries, and the correct seed storage between production cycles is essential for crop success. In Guinea-Bissau, mangrove swamp rice (MSR) is a highly productive rice cropping system, thus providing surplus for sale. Depending on storage conditions, rice grains may pre...

The Corubal (Guinea-Bissau) is a wild but underexplored river in West Africa. This study underscores the potential of environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys to fill biodiversity knowledge gaps in the region. We filtered large water volumes at 11 sites along the watershed, amplified multiple molecular markers, and performed high PCR (polymerase chain reac...

Background The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Dataset - DS-IBILP08 contains records of 2350 specimens of moths (Lepidoptera species that do not belong to the superfamily Papilionoidea). All specimens have been morphologically identified to species or subspecies level and represent 1158 species in total. The species of this dataset correspond to a...

Background The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Orthoptera dataset contains records of 420 specimens covering all the eleven Orthoptera families occurring in Portugal. Specimens were collected in continental Portugal from 2005 to 2021 and were morphologically identified to species level by taxonomists. A total of 119 species were identified corresp...

Water mites belong to the Acari class Hydrachnidiae. Characterised by their aquatic life, these organisms are one of the most diverse and abundant freshwater arthropod groups, yet they are still globally understudied. In continental Portugal, there are currently 75 known species of water mites, a number that is unlikely to represent their true dive...

Bees are important actors in terrestrial ecosystems and are recognised for their prominent role as pollinators. In the Iberian Peninsula, approximately 1,100 bee species are known, with nearly 100 of these species being endemic to the Peninsula. A reference collection of DNA barcodes, based on morphologically identified bee specimens, representing...

The BioSTP: DNA Barcoding of endemic birds from oceanic islands of the Gulf of Guinea dataset contains records of 155 bird specimens belonging to 56 species in 23 families, representing over 80% of the diversity of the breeding landbird community. All specimens were collected on Príncipe, São Tomé and Annobón Islands between 2002 and 2021 and morph...

A new species of pantaloon bee, Dasypoda (Heterodasypoda) radchenkoi Ghisbain & Wood sp. nov., is described from both males and females collected in the limestone mountains of south-western Spain. COI barcodes show an important differentiation from D.morotei Quilis, 1928 of approximately 9.6% but the morphological divergence between the two species...

Aim: Identify and characterize the main pests and diseases that affect the production of mangrove rice fields of Guinea Bissau using morphological and molecular approaches (DNA barcoding) in different rice fields of the 3 study regions.

The herpetofauna of São Tomé and Príncipe consists of nine species of amphibians, all endemic, and 21 species of terrestrial reptiles, of which 17 are endemic. Our current knowledge regarding its natural history, ecology, and distribution is limited. Here two important tools are provided to support researchers, conservationists, and local authoriti...

Background DNA barcoding technologies have provided a powerful tool for the fields of ecology and systematics. Here, we present a part of the InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: contribution to the knowledge on DNA barcodes of cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae) dataset representing 144 specimens and 103 species, covering approximately 44% of...

The resin bee Anthidiellum troodicum (Mavromoustakis, 1949) was originally described from Cyprus as a subspecies of the West Mediterranean Anthidiellum breviusculum (Pérez, 1890). Although the distinctiveness of these two taxa at the species level was recognised by Andreas Müller in 1996, this finding has not found its way into the literature. Exam...

Background The Trichoptera are an important component of freshwater ecosystems. In the Iberian Peninsula, 380 taxa of caddisflies are known, with nearly 1/3 of the total species being endemic in the region. A reference collection of morphologically identified Trichoptera specimens, representing 142 Iberian taxa, was constructed. The InBIO Barcoding...

First record of the alien freshwater leech Helobdella europaea Kutschera 1987 in Portugal (Hirudinea, Glossiphoniidae). Recent spread of alien leech species has been reported throughout Europe, but a severe knowledge gap concerning their impact, distribution and ecology remains. Here, we document the occurrence of Helobdella europaea in a freshwate...

Arthropod declines have been linked to agricultural intensification. However, information about the impacts of intensification is still limited for many crops, as is our understanding of the responses of different arthropod taxa and trophic groups, thus hindering the development of effective mitigation measures. We investigated the impacts of olive...

Eucalyptus L'Hér. plantations are among the most widespread forest plantations and can be damaged by several insect pests. Birds are known to play key roles in top-down control of insect pests. However, virtually nothing is known regarding the interaction of birds and eucalypt associated insects. We developed a molecular assay to detect predation o...

O cultivo de arroz é umas das atividades económicas mais importantes, alimentando diariamente quase metade da população mundial. A população da Guiné-Bissau não é exceção, sendo o arroz a base de subsistência de todo o país. Como tal, o sucesso do seu cultivo é de máxima relevância. A característica presença de mangal ao longo da costa ocidental d...

Rice cultivation is one of the most important economic activities, feeding almost half of the world's population daily. The population of Guinea-Bissau is no exception, being rice the staple crop. As such, the success of rice cultivation is of utmost importance to ensure food security. The presence of mangroves in Guinea-Bissau provides a complex...

The dataset contains eight records of moth specimens (Lepidoptera, Ypsolophidae) collected in 2019 in continental Portugal. Specimens were detected and captured by direct search of the environment during the day, with adults’ hand-netted and larvae reared to adulthood, and by night using mercury-vapor lamps or UV light traps to attract the insects....

The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Diptera 02 dataset contains records of 412 crane fly specimens belonging to the Diptera families: Limoniidae, Pediciidae and Tipulidae. This dataset is the second release by IBI on Diptera and it greatly increases the knowledge on the DNA barcodes and distribution of crane flies from Portugal. All specimens were...

Theidentification of key biodiversity areas (KBA) was initiated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in 2004 to overcome taxonomic biases in the selection of important areas for conservation, including freshwater ecosystems. Since then, several KBAs have been identified mainly based on the presence of trigger species (i.e., species...

The orders Neuroptera and Raphidioptera include the species of insects known as lacewings and snake-flies, respectively. In Portugal, these groups account for over 100 species, some of which are very difficult to identify by morphological analysis. This work is the first to sample and DNA sequence lacewings and snakeflies of Portugal. A reference c...

The dataset contains 135 records of Hemiptera species collected from 2015 to 2019 in continental Portugal (Sousa et al., 2021). The species represented in the dataset, 90 in total, correspond to about 7.5% of the known true bugs diversity of continental Portugal, and contribute to the knowledge on the DNA barcodes and distribution of Portuguese Hem...

The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Hemiptera 01 dataset contains records of 131 specimens of Hemiptera. Most specimens have been morphologically identified to species or subspecies level and represent 88 species in total. The species of this dataset correspond to about 7.3% of continental Portuguese hemipteran species diversity. All specimens wer...

Ypsolopha milfontensis Corley & Ferreira, sp. n. is described from the coast of southwest Portugal where its hostplant is Ephedra fragilis Desf. It is closely related to Ypsolopha instabilella (Mann, 1866), but with some differences externally, in male and female genitalia and a significant difference in DNA barcode.

Fourteen species are added to the Portuguese Lepidoptera fauna, of which three are new for the Iberian Peninsula, and two species deleted, mainly as a result of fieldwork undertaken by the authors and others in 2019. In addition, second and third records for the country, new province records and new food-plant data for a number of species are inclu...

The dataset contains 38 records of Blattodea collected from 2005 to 2019 in continental Portugal. Specimens were identified to species level, except for a single record identified to genus level. Of the eight species in the dataset, seven are cockroaches and one is a termite. Specimens were detected during fieldwork by direct search and stored in 9...

All species from continental Portugal of the dipterous families Limoniidae, Pediciidae and Tipulidae are presented including their distribution in Portugal and beyond. New records are added for the large majority of the species. In total 123 species are registered. Of these, 17 species of Limoniidae and 11 species of Tipulidae are recorded here for...

A participatory monitoring programme of an exceptional modification of urban soundscapes during Covid-19 containment.

Oedemera (Oncomera) femoralis Olivier, 1803 (Coleoptera, Oedemeridae) is reported for the second time from Portugal nineteen years after the first record, considerably extending its known distribution in the country and in the Iberian Peninsula.

Stenolemus novaki Horváth, 1888 (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) is recorded from mainland Portugal for the second time, following a recent photographic record. A map synthesizing the knowledge about the species distribution in the Iberian Peninsula is included.

The dataset contains one record of the species Borkhausenia crimnodes (Lepidoptera, Oecophoridae) collected in continental Portugal in 2014. This species, a southern hemisphere moth, had not been recorded in Europe before. The specimen was detected and captured by direct search of the environment and preserved in 96% ethanol. A tissue sample, one l...

The dataset contains 11 records of moth specimens (Lepidoptera, Depressariidae) collected from 1988 to 2016 in seven South European and North African countries. Captured specimens were identified to species level. Captured specimens were preserved in 96% ethanol, with one exception kept in dry storage. A tissue sample, one leg, was collected from e...

The dataset contains one record of the species Cochylimorpha punctiferana (Ragonot, 1881) (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae) collected in continental Portugal in 2016. A tissue sample, one leg, was removed to be used for DNA extraction. Sequencing of the 658 bp COI DNA barcode was conducted within the InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) and the DNA sequence w...

The dataset contains two records of moth specimens (Lepidoptera, Depressariidae) collected in 2011 and 2015 in continental Portugal. Captured specimens were identified to species level. Specimens were detected and captured using a mercury-vapor lamp to attract the insects. Captured specimens were preserved in 96% ethanol or in dry storage. From eac...

The dataset contains five records of moth specimens of the genus Isotrias collected from 2012 to 2016 in continental Portugal. Specimens were detected and captured by direct search of the environment during the day, with adults’ hand-netted, and by night using mercury-vapor lamps to attract the insects. Captured specimens were identified to species...

The dataset contains three records of moth specimens of the family Gelechiidae collected from 2015 to 2018 in continental Portugal. Specimens were detected and captured using mercury-vapor lamps to attract the insects. Captured specimens were identified to species level and preserved in 96% ethanol. A tissue sample, a leg, was collected from each i...

The dataset contains five records of the alderfly genus Sialis Latreille, 1803 (Megaloptera, Sialidae) collected in 2011 and 2015 in northern continental Portugal. Specimens were detected by direct search on vegetation and rocks around river streams and captured with a hand-net. Captured specimens were identified to species level and preserved in 9...

The dataset contains eight records of moth specimens of the genus Ypsolopha collected from 2015 to 2017 in continental Portugal. Specimens were detected and captured by direct search of the environment during the day, with adults hand-netted and larvae reared to adulthood, and by night using mercury-vapor lamps to attract the insects. Captured spec...

The dataset contains one record of the species Wesmaelius subnebulosus (Stephens, 1836) (Neuroptera, Hemerobiidae), a brown lacewing species, collected in continental Portugal in 2017. The specimens was detected and captured using a light-trap setup. A tissue sample, one leg, was removed to be used for DNA extraction. Sequencing of the 658 bp COI D...

Increasing evidence for global insect declines is prompting a renewed interest in the survey of whole insect communities. DNA metabarcoding can contribute to assessing diverse insect communities over a range of spatial and temporal scales, but efforts are still needed to optimize and standardize procedures. Here, we describe and test a methodologic...

The dataset contains six records of Solifugae specimens collected from 2016 to 2018 in continental Portugal. All specimens were identified as Gluvia dorsalis (Latreille, 1817) that belongs to the Daesiidae family, and is the only Solifugae species known to occur in Portugal. Specimens were captured during fieldwork directed specifically for the sam...

The use of DNA barcoding allows unprecedented advances in biodiversity assessments and monitoring schemes of freshwater ecosystems; nevertheless, it requires the construction of comprehensive reference collections of DNA sequences that represent the existing biodiversity. Plecoptera are considered particularly good ecological indicators and one of...

The advent and boom of DNA barcoding technologies have provided a powerful tool for the fields of ecology and systematics. Here, we present the InBIO Barcoding Initiative Database: Portuguese Bats (Chiroptera) dataset containing DNA sequences of 63 specimens representing the 25 bat species currently known for continental Portugal. For that, we sequ...

The dataset contains 71 records of Plecoptera species collected from 2004 to 2018 in the Iberian Peninsula. All specimens have been morphologically identified to species level, and belong to 29 species in total. Specimens were captured during fieldwork directed specifically for the sampling of Plecoptera using different methodologies and stored in...

The dataset contains 63 records of Chiroptera species collected in continental Portugal. All specimens were identified to species level, for a total of 26 species belonging to three different families. Bat samples were collected under the scope of several projects spanning from 2005 to 2018. All bats were captured during mist-netting sessions or us...

The dataset contains 13 records of Scorpionflies (Panorpidae) species collected from 2008 to 2019 in continental Portugal. All captured specimens were identified as Panorpa meridionalis, so far the only species of Mecoptera known to exist in Portugal Specimens were detected and captured by direct search of the environment. Captured specimens were p...

The dataset contains 56 records of Earwigs (Dermaptera) species collected from 2006 to 2019 in continental Portugal. All captured specimens were identified to species level, belonging to ten of the fourteen species of Dermaptera present in Portugal. Specimens were detected and captured by direct search of the environment. Captured specimens were pr...

The dataset contains 18 records of Stick insects (Phasmatodea) species collected from 2006 to 2019 in continental Portugal. All captured specimens were identified to species level, belonging to the two species of Phasmatodea present in Portugal. Specimens were detected and captured by direct search of the environment. Captured specimens were preser...

The dataset contains 13 records of Scorpionflies (Panorpidae) species collected from 2008 to 2019 in continental Portugal. All captured specimens were identified as Panorpa meridionalis, so far the only species of Mecoptera known to exist in Portugal Specimens were detected and captured by direct search of the environment. Captured specimens were p...

This study describes the fauna of odonates of nine localities in the Zapata peninsula in the Southwest of Cuba,. We failed to find Enallagma truncatum, an endemic species of the area, even though we visited the type locality, Zarabanda, in June and January. We found 37 species in 25 genera and five families, including the first records of 11 taxa f...

Following the discovery of a new species on the western coast of Portugal which is closely related to Apatetris mediterranella Nel & Varenne, 2012, the generic placement of both species is considered in relation to other genera within the Apatetris complex resulting in the description of a new genus, Mondeguina.

Increasing evidence for global insect declines is prompting a renewed interest in the survey of whole insect communities. DNA metabarcoding can contribute to assessing diverse insect communities over a range of spatial and temporal scales, but efforts are still needed to optimise and standardise procedures, from field sampling, through laboratory a...

The endemic Portuguese Cochylimorpha punctiferana (Ragonot, 1881) is resurrected from synonymy with C. discopunctana (Eversmann, 1844) based on clear differences in female genitalia and DNA barcode. A neotype is designated. Notas taxonómicas sobre Microlepidoptera de Portugal II. Cochylimorpha punctiferana (Ragonot, 1881) stat. rev., uma espécie ne...

A new species of brown lacewing for the Portuguese fauna

Background The InBIO Barcoding Initiative (IBI) Diptera 01 dataset contains records of 203 specimens of Diptera. All specimens have been morphologically identified to species level, and belong to 154 species in total. The species represented in this dataset correspond to about 10% of continental Portugal dipteran species diversity. All specimens we...

The dataset contains 203 records of Diptera species collected from 2014 to 2018 in continental Portugal. All specimens were identified to species level, belonging to 154 species belonging to 41 different fly families. Specimens were captured during fieldwork directed specifically for the sampling of Diptera using different methodologies and stored...

14 species are added to the Portuguese Lepidoptera fauna and three species deleted, mainly as a result of fieldwork undertaken by the authors and others in 2018. In addition, second and third records for the country, new province records and new food-plant data for a number of species are included. A summary of recent papers affecting the Portugues...

The dataset contains 11 records of Stag beetle (Lucanidae) species collected from 2015 to 2019 in continental Portugal. All specimens were identified to species level, and belong to 3 species of the Lucanidae (Coleoptera). Specimens were detected during fieldwork by direct search and stored in 96% ethanol. A tissue sample (a leg), was collected fro...

Sphodromantis viridis (Forskål, 1775) is recorded from two new localities, representing an expansion both to the north and to the south of the known distribution of the species in Portugal. Ampliación de la distribución conocida de Sphodromantis viridis (Forskål, 1775) en Portugal (Mantodea: Mantidae) Resumen: Se registra Sphodromantis viridis (For...

Data related to the 41 species of the dragonfly fauna of central and southwestern Republic of North Macedonia and nearby Albania, gathered during the post European Congress on Odonatology 2012 fieldtrip on July 6-13th, 2012 are presented. The Ohrid-Prespa region was particularly investigated. The majority of previous data available for this area is...

Following the description of Cacochroa rosetella Corley, 2018 it soon became clear that there was considerable confusion regarding the identity of Cacochroa permixtella (Herrich-Schäffer, 1854). In this paper the genus Cacochroa is revised and this confusion is resolved, a neotype is chosen for C. permixtella and nearly all records verified. Male a...

Several species of biting midges of the genus Forcipomyia are frequently found attached to the wings of adult odonates, acting as parasites by sucking haemolymph from the wing veins. Here we report the first finding of F. incubans on odonates in the peninsula of Zapata, Cuba. We found the midge on the wings of Erythrodiplax simplicicollis, E. umbra...

Depressaria infernella, a new species most similar to D. cinderella Corley, 2002 is described from the mountains of northeast Portugal and Sierra de Gredos in Spain. Photos of adults and male and female genitalia of the new species and D. cinderella are given. Morphological and genetic characteristics that demonstrate the distinctiveness of D. infe...

A new species Ypsolopha rhinolophi Corley is described from northern Portugal and south-east France. It resembles Y. alpella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) and Y. lucella (Fabricius, 1775) but shows clear differences from both species in DNA barcode and in male and female genitalia. Male genitalia of Y. lucella are illustrated for the first time. T...

Effective identification of species using short DNA fragments (DNA barcoding and DNA metabarcoding)requires reliable sequence reference libraries of known taxa. Both taxonomically comprehensive coverage and content quality are important for sufficient accuracy. For aquatic ecosystems in Europe, reliable barcode reference libraries are particularly...

We have examined divergence times of the Antillean damselfly genus Hypolestes, to elucidate which mechanism of allopatric speciation, vicariance or long-distance dispersal, could better explain the currently observed disjunct distributions of this genus. Samples of the three extant species of the genus, Hypolestes clara (Jamaica), H. hatuey (Hispan...

Effective identification of species using short DNA fragments (DNA barcoding and DNA metabarcoding) requires reliable sequence reference libraries of known taxa. Both taxonomically comprehensive coverage and content quality are important for sufficient accuracy. For aquatic ecosystems in Europe, reliable barcode reference libraries are particularly...

DNA barcoding is increasingly used to identify species in a rapid and automated way, and may be particularly useful for morphologically similar larvae of aquatic insects. Identification of aquatic larvae of the alderfly genus Sialis Latreille, 1803 is troublesome due to limited morphological characters, though terrestrial adults are readily identif...

24 species are added to the Portuguese Lepidoptera fauna and two species deleted, mainly as a result of fieldwork undertaken by the authors and others in 2017. In addition, second and third records for the country, new province records and new food-plant data for a number of species are included. A summary of recent papers affecting the Portuguese...

The overall goal of ERA Chair/EnvMetaGen project No 668981 is to expand the research and innovation potential of InBIO – Research network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, through the creation of an ERA Chair in Environmental Metagenomics. This field was selected as the focus of the ERA Chair, because Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is in...

The overall goal of ERA Chair/EnvMetaGen project No 668981 is to expand the research and innovation potential of InBIO – Research network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, through the creation of an ERA Chair in Environmental Metagenomics. This field was selected as the focus of the ERA Chair, because Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is in...

The overall goal of the EnvMetaGen project No 668981 is to expand the research and innovation potential of InBIO – Research network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology - through the creation of an ERA Chair in Environmental Metagenomics. This field was selected as the focus of the ERA Chair, because Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is increas...

The overall goal of the EnvMetaGen project No 668981 is to expand the research and innovation potential of InBIO – Research network in Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, through the creation of an ERA Chair in Environmental Metagenomics. This field was selected as the focus of the ERA Chair, because Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is increasi...

With the increasing awareness of the need for Orthoptera conservation, greater efforts must be gathered to implement specific monitoring schemes. Despite recent surveys, little is known about Portuguese Orthoptera populations. This study was performed in 2014 and 2015 mainly in Castro Verde Special Protection Area (SPA), southern Portugal, and is t...

Table S1. Species frequency of occurrence per habitat

Species classification may not reflect the underlying/cryptic genetic diversity which should otherwise be conserved as it represents the potential of populations to evolve and adapt. The identification of evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) allows cryptic genetic diversity to be taken into account when designating conservation priorities. Here,...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) and metabarcoding are potentially useful tools for monitoring water ecological status and detect rare species, including recently introduced and threatened species. While it is now clear these tools have the ability to generate important data to inform managers, moving to an approach at the landscape scale has been hindered...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) and metabarcoding are potentially useful tools for monitoring water ecological status and detect rare species, including recently introduced and threatened species. While it is now clear these tools have the ability to generate important data to inform managers, its widespread application has been hindered because the lack...

Isotrias penedana Trematerra, 2013 was described from north Portugal based on males alone. Unidentified females were associated with the males using DNA barcoding, revealing sexual dimorphism in the species. Males and females differ in forewing shape, markings, and size, with females significantly smaller than males. The female is described and ill...

Borkhausenia crimnodes Meyrick, 1912, a species described from Argentina, has been found resident in Beira Litoral, Portugal, constituting its first records in Europe. Borkhausenia intumescens Meyrick, 1921, described from South Africa, is shown to be synonymous with B. crimnodes, described from Argentina. COI barcode sequencing has shown that a Po...