IberArthro: the most complete database on Ibero-Balearic arthropods
Arthropods —such as beetles, butterflies, bees or dragonflies— represent the majority of global biodiversity. However, knowledge about their distribution is still very limited.
A multidisciplinary team of 25 researchers from all over Spain, led by David Sánchez-Fernández (University of Murcia) and with the participation of the researcher Núria Bonada, member of the FEHM-Lab research group and the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona, has published in the scientific journal Ecosistemas the most detailed and extensive database on the distribution of arthropods in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands.
IberArthro: Key tool for biodiversity conservation
IberArthro, a free and online database that compiles more than 1 million register on the distribution and classification of arthropods in the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands. This IberArthro database fills this gap with expert-validated data covering 10 taxonomic groups, 4612 species and subspecies, and 110 families, compiled from the 18th century to February 2024.
The database, available through the GBIF portal (https://doi.org/10.15470/pqq9oc), allows access to detail geographic information (in 10x10 km grids) being a key tool for advancing knowledge about distribution patterns, conservation studies and ecology of Iberian biodiversity.
“This project is an example of open and collaborative science, which makes available to the scientific community and society a fundamental tool for research and conservation of biodiversity”, highlights Dr. Bonada.
IberArthro is a fundamental tool to better understand the distribution of arthropod biodiversity and to guide more efficient conservation policies.
Digit_Artro Project
The database has been developed within the framework of the Digit_Artro project, funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Union (NextGenerationEU). Its objective is to facilitate access to reliable data on groups of organisms often forgotten in conservation policies, such as arthropods, despite their essential role in ecosystems.
With a geographical coverage that includes Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Gibraltar, IberArthro allows the identification of distribution patterns, areas of high biological richness and possible effects of climate change, and can contribute to improving the effectiveness of protected areas.
Ref. Article: MAÑAS-JORDÁ, S.; ACOSTA, R.; ARIÑO, A.; BAQUERO, E.; BARTOMEUS, I.; BONADA, N.; GALICIA, D.; GARCÍA-BARROS, E.; GARCÍA-MESEGUER, A.J.; GARCÍA-ROSELLÓ, E.; GONZÁLEZ, M.; LOBO, J.M.; LÓPEZ-RODRÍGUEZ, M.J.; MARTÍNEZ, J.; MILLÁN, A.; MONSERRAT, V.J.; MUNGUIRA, M.L.; PRIETO, C.E.; ROMO, H.; SÁNCHEZ-CAMPAÑA, C.; TIERNO DE FIGUEROA, J.M.; YELA, J.L. & SÁNCHEZ FERNÁNDEZ, D. 2025. IberArthro: A free online database compiling taxonomic and distributional data on Ibero-Balearic Arthropods. Ecosistemas 34(2): 2955. https://doi.org/10.7818/ECOS.2955