Macaronesian Muscidae (Diptera). II. The genus Limnophora Robineau-Desvoidy with description of a new Canarian endemic species

The Macaronesian species of the muscid genus Limnophora are reviewed with special emphasis on the fauna of the western Canary Islands. The genus is represented by 14 species in the Macaronesian archipelagos, with 10 species in the Canary Islands, 4 species in the Cape Verde Islands, and 3 species in Madeira. Limnophora obsignatula sp. nov. is endemic to the western Canary Islands, where it replaces the widespread continental L. obsignata (Rondani). It is further shown that L. paneliusi Emden, a species so far considered endemic to the Cape Verde Islands, is widespread in the Canary Islands. Two species, L. obsignata (Rondani) and L. tigrina Am Stein, are removed from the list of Canarian Muscidae as based on misidentifications of other species with a mesonotal “Anthomyia-pattern”. Limnophora (Calliophrys) riparia capoverdica Emden, a taxon described from the Cape Verde Islands, is synonymized with L. riparia (Fallén), syn. nov. Distribution data and illustrated diagnoses are given for each species. The species account is finalized with an identification key to males and females. An assessment of the ovipositor as a characters source in phylogeny and species recognition is made for 12 species of Limnophora. Finally, it is pointed out that several species are acutely threatened due to habitat disturbance.

Modeling COVID-19 in Cape Verde Islands - An application of SIR model

The rapid and surprised emergence of COVID-19, having infected three million and killed two hundred thousand people worldwide in less than five months, has led many experts to focus on simulating its propagation dynamics in order to have an estimated outlook for the not too distante future and so supporting the local and national governments in making decisions. In this paper, we apply the SIR model to simulating the propagation dynamics of COVID-19 on the Cape Verde Islands. It will be done firstly for Santiago and Boavista Islands, and then for Cape Verde in general. The choice of Santiago rests on the fact that it is the largest island, with more than 50% of the Population of the country, whereas Boavista was chosen because it is the island where the first case of COVID-19 in Cape Verde was diagnosed. Observations made after the date of the simulations were carried out corroborate our projections.

Molecular analysis reveals a cryptic species of Chthamalus (Crustacea: Cirripedia) in the Cape Verde Islands

The intertidal barnacle Chthamalus stellatus has a broad distribution, occurring in the Mediterranean, the east Atlantic shores and east Atlantic Macaronesian Islands (Madeira, the Canaries and the Azores). Traditionally, based on morphological characters, Chthamalus of the Cape Verde Islands were also regarded as C. stellatus. However, using a mitochondrial gene and two nuclear genes, we found that although Chthamalus from Cape Verde is morphologically similar to C. stellatus, there are genetic differences between the two that are larger than those found between different species of Chthamalus. We thus claim that these genetic differences justify the assignment of the Cape Verde populations as an evolutionarily significant unit and a sister clade to C. stellatus. We also show that the connection between taxonomic units that are close to each other lies not only in the resemblance between DNA sequences. We have found that numerous point mutations characterizing the Cape Verde Chthamalus are present as infrequent alleles in C. stellatus, indicating that two close taxonomic units can also share polymorphisms present in their common ancestor.

The Whale in the Cape Verde Islands: Seascapes as a Cultural Construction from the Viewpoint of History, Literature, Local Art and Heritage

Cultural constructions of landscapes, space and environments, and of people’s relationship with nature, have in the Cape Verde Islands a perspective of their own and might have been mediated by the whale. To address perceptions about these marine mammals, historical sources, literature, art, memory and heritage were considered. Whaling influenced history and diaspora and is reflected in literary productions. Remains of whales are found in museums and used as decorative pieces and local art. We found the Cape Verdean seascapes as being culturally and naturally constructed and the whale occupies a true ‘place’ of convergence.