THE SURPRISING BIODIVERSITY OF AVILA

This exhibition was created with the aim of showing part of the great wealth of the natural heritage of the province of Ávila to visitors who come to see this exhibition, convinced that by knowing this biodiversity we will be able to value and protect it.

It is becoming increasingly easier to access information, and thanks to the members of the group "Citas de Biodiversidad Abulense" we will be able to see the photographs that they have generously donated for this exhibition. The group Abulense Biodiversity Quotes was born on Facebook at the end of 2018, and since then it hasn't stopped growing, being today composed by more than 400 memberswho are nature enthusiasts, some biologists and environmentalists, who generously share their photographs of biodiversity. The functioning of the group consists of uploading to this Facebook group the photographs of their field trips, previously identified, providing location data at the level of municipality, date and scientific name as well as the name of the person who uploads it.

For this exhibition, an intense photographic selection has been made from more than 7000 photographs, many of them of great quality, having left out many photographs that are worthwhile, but which for reasons of space will not be exhibited on this occasion. This exhibition consists of 2 parts, on the one hand a series of 35 photographs printed in a format of 50 x 70 cm, and on the other hand a digital presentation with about 150 photographs of the various themes of the biodiversity of Avila.

Many of these photographs tell stories, and to obtain some of them has been the result of a long time searching for a certain species or a special moment of it, even many months of waiting to obtain one of these photographs. The interest of these selected photographs lies sometimes in their rarity, or also in the moment they reflect, sometimes it is the reproduction of the species, or on other occasions we see photographs in which some species are preying on others and also in their natural state or moments of calm.

Someone may wonder if the province of Avila has important species that are worth conserving and we can definitely say yes, that this heritage is very important and that we have species that are unique in the world. Pseudomisopates rivas-martineziiwhose worldwide distribution is restricted to only two small populations in the province of Avila, and Astragalus devesae. We also have emblematic species such as the mountain goat or the imperial eagle, whose figure attracts tourists from far away to try to observe this bird or to take back to other regions or countries the photo they took in Avila of our fauna and flora.

Our province, due to its landscape characteristics, contains an important variety of habitats, all of them with a lot of life and a multitude of interesting species. The region of La Moraña, in the north of the province, is the ideal habitat for species such as the Great Bustard and the Little Bustard, among others. The entire Adaja river corridor is an inexhaustible source of biodiversity, as are the valleys of the Tormes and Corneja rivers, while in the Alberche river valley we have the ethnobotanical jewel of the Hoyocasero pine forest. The high mountain ecosystems of the Sierra de Gredos and the warm Tiétar Valley, so different from everything else, are also worth mentioning.

With the thousands of photographs that have already been posted in our group, we know that there is so much more to see and photograph, so it is never too late to get out in the field and enjoy watching and taking pictures. Nowadays, with digital equipment, almost everyone has access to a mobile phone or small digital camera. Obviously quality equipment offers better results, but that can always come later.

Sometimes the identification of species takes extra time searching for information to determine which species we have in our hands, if it is very rare or common. For this, when we do not get there easily, we rely on a multitude of forums and specialised applications so that the determination of the species is as accurate as possible. It should also be noted that all the photographs are taken in the natural environment and always trying to respect the habitat of the different species of flora and fauna that appear in the exhibition.

GUIDE TO THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS ON DISPLAY:

1. Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) - Juan Pablo Fuentes Serrano. A colourful migratory bird with a great visual and hunting capacity for various insects, including bees, wasps, dragonflies and butterflies.
2. Agapanthia dahli - Luis A. Trujillo Pardo. Longhorn beetle, which develops its larvae in the stem of some herbaceous plants. There are 8 species of the genus Agapanthia in Spain.
3. Imperial Eagle (Aquila adalberti) - Enrique Fernández Villamor. One of the most emblematic birds in our country and which has an acceptable population in Avila. Endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and a motor of ornithological tourism that should be valued.
4. Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) - Juan Pablo Fuentes Serrano. This is the most powerful eagle to be found in our country, with a wingspan of up to 2.2 metres. It is not easy to photograph.
5. Common redshank (Tringa totanus) - Nacho Sevilla. Migratory and rather elusive wader. It can be found on the banks of some reservoirs in Avila.
6. Argynnis aglaja - Juan López García. Also called "silver spots", it is a showy butterfly. It has one generation of flight per year, usually between June and August. This photograph shows the moment of copulation.
7. Common barbel (Luciobarbus bocagei) - Carlos Rodríguez Villafañe. At the time of this magnificent underwater photograph, the "nuptial tubercles" can be seen on the snout of these fish, indicating that this is their breeding season and that they are also at the time of pre-fresh migration.
8. Combatant (Calidris pugnax) - Jorge Leonor. A large wader named after the long fights they have with other males to win the favours of the females.
9. Coprinopsis picacea - Cris Gago. Also called "Magpie mushroom". Occasionally grows on woody remains of mainly chestnut and oak trees. It is of no gastronomic interest.
10. Cryptocephalus octoguttatus - Víctor J. Marugán. Insect of the family Chrysomelidae with a size of about 4.5mm. The photograph represents the copulation of this insect.
11. Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) - Maria del Carmen Prieto Estévez. It has a characteristic black "hood" that makes it easy to distinguish it from other warblers. Very melodious song.
12. Empusa pennata and Zerynthia rumina - Juan Carlos Rico. Mantises are great hunters and within them the Empusa pennata is a master of camouflage, which allows it to go unnoticed and successfully hunt all kinds of insects, as in this case it has managed to catch a "Harlequin" butterfly.
13. Eriophorum latifolium - Vicente Hernández Hernández. It is the "cotton grass". In Ávila it can be found in some damp mountain meadows at a fairly high altitude.
14. Skull Sphinx (Acherontia atropos) - Santiago Santero. Nocturnal butterfly named for its resemblance to a human skull. It is large, up to 13 cm, and increasingly difficult to find.
15. Fritillaria pyrenaica supsp. Falcata - Santiago José González Carrera. A beautiful plant whose bulbs grow in only a few places in our province, coinciding with rocky landings where there is little soil and on mountain slopes.
16. Gallipato (Pleurodeles waltl) - Paz Luna. The largest of the European amphibian urodeles, reaching up to 30 cm. Its worldwide distribution is limited to part of the Iberian Peninsula and the Moroccan coastal strip.
17. Hericium coralloides - Israel Álvarez Padilla. A coral-shaped fungus, very difficult to locate. It grows on the wood of some hardwoods, mainly oaks.
18. Blue Tit (Lophophanes cristatus) - Luis Gutiérrez Molina. Small insectivorous bird frequent in coniferous forests. Recognisable in pine forests by its marked crest.
19. Barn Owl (Tyto alba) - Juan Parra Cáceres. A medium-sized nocturnal raptor recognisable by its white plumage and heart-shaped face. Quite difficult to observe.
20. Limenitis reducta - Cris Gago. Also known as the "Nymph of the streams". A beautiful butterfly that is difficult to find in Avila, whose nourishing plant is the honeysuckle. In warm areas it can have up to 3 generations of flight per year.
21. Lysimachia monelli - Luis José Martín. It was described in 1753 by Charles Linnaeus under the name of Anagallis monelli. "Anagallis" derives from the Greek "Ana" = new and "agallein" = to delight, as the flowers open every time the sun shines on them and we can enjoy them anew every day.
22. Harlequin Butterfly (Zerynthia rumina) - Paz Luna. It was named "Butterfly of the Year" in 2020. Affected by climate change and habitat destruction due to fires. Its worldwide distribution is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula and southern France.
23. Misopates rivas-martinezii - Juan López García. Endemic and endangered plant. The only known populations worldwide are found in the province of Ávila. Protected and listed in the Libro Rojo de la Flora Vascular Amenazada de España (Red Book of Threatened Vascular Flora of Spain).
24. Bonelli's warbler (Phylloscopus bonelli) - Jorge Leono Small trans-Saharan migrant bird, preferentially occupying oak woodlands. It is distinguished from other gnatcatchers by its generally lighter plumage.
25. Narcissus rupicola - Santiago José González Carrera. This beautiful daffodil can be found between March and June on rock ledges and crevices, in clearings, etc. Endemic (Exclusive) to the Iberian Peninsula.
26. Natrix astreptophora - Juan Luis Menéndez. This snake has a preference for damp areas, always with an abundance of amphibians and fish, which are its favourite prey, although it can be found in meadows. It is not dangerous to humans.
27. Nezara viridulafifth nymphal stage - Agapito Montoya. The "green bug" is a hemipteran insect of the Pentatomidae family. It gives off a strong unpleasant odour when disturbed. It goes through 5 stages before becoming an adult insect.
28. Otter (Lutra lutra) - Juan Parra Cáceres. Present in Avila's rivers provided they have food, consisting mainly of amphibians and fish. It contributes to the ecological balance of the riverbeds.
29. Ophrys tenthredinifera - Francisco Javier Gómez. Also called "Bee orchid". Like other orchids of this genus it is pollinated by "pseudocopulation", a curious strategy in which the males are seduced by the appearance of the flower which imitates the female of a species of wasp or bee.
30. Papilio machaon - Víctor J. Marugán. One of the largest and most colourful butterflies in our environment. Its favourite food plant is fennel, although it also finds its habitat in parsley and carrots, among other plants. This butterfly can be found between May and September, although it is scarce.
31. European robin (Erithacus rubecula) - Alfonso Guío. It is the joy of the nature photographer during the winter. Quite common in forests and gardens, we could not make this exhibition without having it with us.
32. Iberian green woodpecker (Picus sharpei) - María Carmen Prieto Estévez. It is the most abundant of the "woodpeckers". A very active insect hunter, it has a wingspan of up to 42 cm, although it easily goes unnoticed in riparian forests.
33. Red Rock Thrush (Monticola saxatilis) - Enrique Fernández Villamor. Spectacular small bird that rarely appears in the rocky areas of medium and high mountains in our province.
34. Lone rockcatchers (Monticola solitarius) - Enrique Fernández Villamor. It likes bare rocky areas with little vegetation, where it hunts all kinds of insects in rock crevices.
35. Fox (Vulpes vulpes) - Luis A. Trujillo Pardo. The common fox or red fox is found in Europe and North America. It has sometimes been used to control pests on fruit farms, leaving fruit intact.