Miguel Domenech Fernández is a young Spanish orthopterologist based in the province of Albacete. He has been very active since his final year thesis and has gradually incorporated bioacoustics into his research methods. He shares his reflections on his development with us.
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How did you discover your interest in insects?
From a very young age, practically from the age of 5 or 6, whenever I went to the countryside with my parents, I would carry a container in which I would collect all the insects I saw. Every summer, I would go with my family on vacation to the village (Siles, Jaén), deep in the Segura Mountains. There, I discovered a passion for insects and thoroughly enjoyed observing and searching for them.
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What were your formative stages and what especially attracted you to studying orthoptera?
I studied Biology at the University of Murcia, although professionally I work in the railway sector. From the beginning, I had a keen interest in zoology, geology, and botany, and I disliked laboratory subjects, which took up almost the entire degree (biochemistry, genetics, immunology, physiology, etc.). In recent years, and influenced by both Juan José Presa, who was my professor and tutor for my final project, and David Llucià, I decided to focus my interest on Orthoptera, as it’s a group easy to see on any field trip (not so easy to study) and about which we have little knowledge, generally speaking, in the Iberian Peninsula. Another great passion is mantises, to which I dedicated my final project before specializing in Orthoptera.
What geographic area is your investigation in?
Basically, on the Iberian Peninsula, and within it, in my area of influence, which we could define as the southeastern part of the peninsula. I am and live in Albacete, although I have moved to various parts of the country for work and studies. Given that the province of Albacete doesn’t have many faunal studies on Orthoptera, much less Castilla-La Mancha or nearby areas (such as Jaén), it was interesting to study this area in greater depth, close to me, to try to fill in those information gaps and, of course, enjoy the variety of landscapes that nature delights us with. Both Albacete and most of the neighboring provinces have a great diversity of habitats, making them very interesting for entomology.
Can you tell us about some of the most interesting species or discoveries?
Beyond having found unrecorded species for several of these provinces or having filled in some gaps in faunal information, I think the most interesting part of my journey has been describing new species. I remember the first, Antaxius oretanus, from Montes de Toledo, thanks to which I was able to strengthen ties with researchers from the MNCN, thus expanding my circle. I then fondly recall some taxa I dedicated to friends of mine, great lovers of entomology in particular and nature in general: Ephippigerida fernandezi, dedicated to Alonso, or the new subspecies I included in the revision of the genus Coracinotus: C. notarioi lluciapomaresi, dedicated to David Llucià, and C. notarioi garciasaucoi, dedicated to Guillermo García-Saúco. Last but not least, in my last published review of the subgenus Bradygaster, I describe Pycnogaster rosae from Cabo de Gata (Almería), dedicating it to my beloved mother, Rosa. I have also given several talks, one on basic bioacoustics at the SEACAM (Environmental Entomological Society of Castilla-La Mancha) conference, and one on Saga pedo, during a special trip to see this species in Albacete organized by the Iberozoa association. I am currently working on updating the information on some species in the Red Book of Endangered Invertebrates of Spain.
Tell us how you’ve incorporated bioacoustics into your research.
I became interested in bioacoustics after reading various works on Pamphagidae and Bradyporinae, which already covered this subject. I bought Ragge & Reynolds’ book, a great reference for anyone new to orthopteran bioacoustics, and from there I continued reading and reading, also becoming interested in other groups. Then I began making my own recordings, first in the field and then at home using captive specimens. We all associate song with orthopterans (quiet summer nights listening to crickets, for example), and when you begin to study it in depth, you discover many interesting things about their ways of communicating. In Gomphocerinae, for example, there are very specific types of song for each situation (courtship, proclamation, rivalry, etc.). You also discover how each song can vary depending on the ambient temperature, and you begin to learn the typical patterns of each species, with their corresponding intraspecific variability. It’s not a simple discipline, but with interest and enthusiasm, one learns and improves over time. I use a Zoom H4n recorder and subsequently analyze the recordings using editing software (frequently Avisoft), comparing the results with available data published by other authors, if they exist. In most cases, bioacoustics is a complementary tool, sometimes the primary one, with great value when characterizing Orthoptera taxa. There are many cases where taxa are difficult to separate morphologically, but the bioacoustic differences are clearly defining.
Being interested in the tiny, in things that can go unnoticed, going out into the countryside and hearing grasshoppers sing isn’t a coincidence; it serves a purpose. When you start to follow the thread and read, to investigate, to ask yourself questions like why, how, when, where… interest is born. A big problem I see is that there are hardly any people interested in these topics, and there must be continuity in the future. Going out into the countryside, beyond serving as a way to disconnect, can allow an amateur to specialize; we all started there. Then there are many hours of reading and studying, but when it’s done out of interest, and not forced upon us, it’s truly very pleasurable, even more so when you can see results you hadn’t imagined. And the advantage of this study is that it can, and should, be combined with the countryside; an outing to connect with nature fills us with peace and a desire to continue.