Research interest:

• Ecology and ecophysiology of aquatic insects
• Tolerance to multiple stressors in aquatic insect
• Conservation of aquatic biodiversity
• Tolerance to multiple stressors in aquatic insects
• Thermal tolerance and climate change vulnerability

Carreer:

• Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, School of Marine Science and Engineering, Plymouth University, Plymouth (UK). PhD stay. Supervisor: David T. Bilton. 2019 (3 months)

• Dept. Animal Physiology. Humboldt University. Berlin. Germany. PhD  stay. Supervisor: Stefan Hetz. 2017 (3 months)

Publications:

GARCÍA-MESEGUER AJ, ABELLÁN P, MIRÓN-GATÓN JM, BOTELLA-CRUZ M, GUARESCHI S, MILLÁN A, VELASCO J. (2024). Fine-scale niche differences allow the coexistence of congeneric aquatic beetles in supratidal rockpools. Hydrobiologia. 851: 471–485. 10.1007/s10750-023-05333-0


BOTELLA-CRUZ M, PALLARES, S.;VELASCO, J.; BILLINGTON, R, MILLAN, A. and BILTON, D.  (2022).The colonization of saline waters is associated with lowered immune responses in aquatic beetles. Freshwater Biology. 67(1):1-11. 10.1111/fwb.13993.

MIRÓN-GATÓN JM, BOTELLA-CRUZ M, GARCÍA-MESEGUER AJ, MILLÁN A, VELASCO J. (2022). Thermal tolerance differs between co-occurring congeneric beetle species in marine supratidal rockpools. Mar Ecol Prog Ser, 681:185-196. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13916


VELASCO J, GARCÍA-MESEGUER AJ, MIRÓN-GATÓN JM, BOTELLA-CRUZ M. Life cycle differences between two coexisting species of supratidal rockpools: Ochthebius quadricollis Mulsant, 1844 and Ochthebius lejolisii Mulsant & Rey, 1861 (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae). Suplementos del Boletín de la Asociación española de Entomología, 4: 131-136. pdf

MILLÁN A, BOTELLA-CRUZ M, GARCÍA-MESEGUER AJ, MIRÓN-GATÓN JM & VELASCO J. (2021). El hemíptero acuático invasor Trichocorixa verticalis verticalis (Fieber, 1851) (Hemiptera: Corixidae) llega a la costa de Murcia (España). Boletín de la Sociedad Entomológica Aragonesa (S.E.A.), 69: 241–242. 

COLADO R, GARCÍA-MESEGUER AJ, MIRÓN-GATÓN J, BOTELLA-CRUZ M, PALLARÉS S & SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ D. (2021). Thermal tolerance and vulnerability to climate change in subterranean species: a case study using an Iberian endemic pseudoscorpion. Insect Conservation and Diversity. https://doi.org/10.1111/icad.12541 

BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; PALLARES, S.; MILLAN, A.; VELASCO, J. (2021). Cuticle hydrocarbons show plastic variation under desiccation in saline aquatic beetles. Insects, 12(4), 285. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12040285

PALLARÉS S, COLADO R, BOTELLA-CRUZ M, MONTES A, BALART-GARCIA P, BILTON D. T, MILLÁN A, RIBERA I. and SÁNCHEZ-FERNÁNDEZ, D. (2020). Loss of heat acclimation capacity could leave subterranean specialists highly sensitive to climate change. Animal Conservation. DOI: 1111/acv.12654

PALLARES, S.; MILLAN, A.; MIRON, J.M; VELASCO, J.; SANCHEZ-FERNANDEZ, D.; BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; ABELLAN, P. (2020) Assessing the capacity of endemic alpine water beetles to face climate change. Insect Conservation and Diversity, 13: 271-282.

VELASCO, J.; GUTIERREZ-CANOVAS, C.; BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; SANCHEZ-FERNANDEZ, D.; ARRIBAS, P.; CARBONELL, J.A.; MILLAN, A.; PALLARES, S. (2019) Effects of salinity changes on aquatic organisms in a multiple stressor context. Philosophical Transactions B, 374: 20180011.

ARRIBAS, P.; GUTIERREZ-CANOVAS, C.; BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; CAÑEDO-ARGÜELLES, M.; CARBONELL, J.A.; MILLAN, A., PALLARES, S.; VELASCO, J.; SANCHEZ-FERNANDEZ, D. (2019) Insect communities in saline waters consist of realized but not fundamental niche specialists. Philosophical Transactions B, 374: 20180008.

BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; PALLARES, S.; MILLAN, A.; VELASCO, J. (2019)  Role of cuticle hydrocarbons composition in the salinity tolerance of aquatic beetles. Journal of Insect Physiology, 117: 103899.

BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; VILLASTRIGO, A.; PALLARÉS, S.; LÓPEZ, E.; MILLÁN, A.; VELASCO, J. (2017) Cuticle hidrocarbons in saline aquatic beetles. Peer J, 5:e3562.

PALLARÉS, S.; BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; ARRIBAS, P.; MILLÁN, A.; VELASCO, J. (2017) Aquatic insects in a multistress environment: cross-tolerance to salinity and desiccation. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220: 1277 - 1286.

BOTELLA-CRUZ, M.; CARBONELL, J.A.; PALLARÉS, S.; MILLÁN, A. & VELASCO, J. (2016) Plasticity of thermal limits in the aquatic saline beetle Enochrus politus (Küster 1849) under changing environmental conditions. Limnetica, 35: 131 - 142.