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European Earwig, Forficula Auricularia L. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), At The Hanford Reach National Monument, Washington State, Richard S. Zack, Dennis Strenge, Peter J. Landolt, Chris Looney
European Earwig, Forficula Auricularia L. (Dermaptera: Forficulidae), At The Hanford Reach National Monument, Washington State, Richard S. Zack, Dennis Strenge, Peter J. Landolt, Chris Looney
Western North American Naturalist
The European earwig, Forficula auricularia L., was surveyed using pitfall traps at 3 sites at the Hanford Reach National Monument in south central Washington State. Pitfall traps were collected weekly from April 2002 through April 2003. The earwig was consistently taken during all months of the year at a disturbed, weedy site along the Columbia River (White Bluffs Ferry site) but was rare or not collected in 2 less-disturbed shrubsteppe habitats. Highest numbers occurred during April–May, when immatures accounted for the majority of the catch; immatures reached the adult stage during mid-July, and the species is univoltine at the site. …
Mate Sampling In A Natural Population Of Pecos Gambusia, Gambusia Nobilis, John K. Leiser, Kimberly Little, Murray Itzkowitz
Mate Sampling In A Natural Population Of Pecos Gambusia, Gambusia Nobilis, John K. Leiser, Kimberly Little, Murray Itzkowitz
Western North American Naturalist
Much research has been conducted on the mating systems of poeciliid fish in aquaria; however, there are fewer studies that examine mate sampling of these fish in the wild. In general, male poeciliids are characterized as being unselective in their mate choices and will attempt to copulate with seemingly all available females. Females are selective, copulate infrequently, and are often pursued by “ardent” males who may force copulations. To avoid male harassment, females in aquaria will often shelter from males among other females in shoals. Here, we examined the mate-sampling behaviors of male and female Pecos gambusia Gambusia nobilis by …
Desiccation Sensitivity And Heat Tolerance Of Prunus Ilicifolia Seeds Dispersed By American Black Bears (Ursus Americanus), Mark Borchert, Claudia M. Tyler
Desiccation Sensitivity And Heat Tolerance Of Prunus Ilicifolia Seeds Dispersed By American Black Bears (Ursus Americanus), Mark Borchert, Claudia M. Tyler
Western North American Naturalist
Carnivore consumption of fruit is a principle means by which many fleshy-fruited plant species achieve long-distance seed dispersal. We examined carnivore dispersal of hollyleaf cherry (Prunus ilicifolia) seeds, specifically assessing the survival, desiccation sensitivity, and germination of seeds found in bear scats. Studies were conducted both in the laboratory and in 2 burn areas in Los Padres National Forest, California. Bear scats containing P. ilicifolia seeds were collected in burned and unburned chaparral. We counted seeds in each scat and noted whether endocarps had tooth punctures or rattled audibly when shaken. For comparative germination trials, we also collected …
Distribution Of A Unique Limpet (Gastropoda: Ancylidae) In The Colorado River Drainage Basin, Western North America, Peter Hovingh
Distribution Of A Unique Limpet (Gastropoda: Ancylidae) In The Colorado River Drainage Basin, Western North America, Peter Hovingh
Western North American Naturalist
I determined the distribution of limpets (Gastropoda: Ancylidae: Ferrissia) in the Colorado River and Rio Grande basins by handpicking specimens from the undersides of rocks and vegetation at 16 sites from a total of 495 surveyed sites in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. Shell morphology, including morphometrics, was compared to species holotype descriptions and museum lots. Ferrissia rivularis occurred in the upper Colorado, Gunnison, and San Juan rivers, and in the upper Rio Grande basin.Ferrissia walkeri, hereafter called the Walker morph, occurred only in the Gila River basin of Arizona and New Mexico. I reviewed the problems …
Nonnative Phragmites Australis Invasion Into Utah Wetlands, Andrew Kulmatiski, Karen H. Beard, Laura A. Meyerson, Jacob R. Gibson, Karen E. Mock
Nonnative Phragmites Australis Invasion Into Utah Wetlands, Andrew Kulmatiski, Karen H. Beard, Laura A. Meyerson, Jacob R. Gibson, Karen E. Mock
Western North American Naturalist
Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud. (common reed), already one of the world’s most widespread plant species, has realized rapid range expansion in coastal wetlands of North America in the past century, but little is known about P. australis range expansion in inland wetland systems. We used genetic analyses, aerial photographs, field surveys, and a greenhouse experiment to study the extent and mechanism of nonnative P. australis invasion of Utah wetlands. We collected and genetically analyzed 39 herbarium samples across the state and 225 present-day samples from northern Utah’s major wetland complexes. All samples collected before 1993 and all samples …
The Stream–Lake Ecotone: Potential Habitat For Juvenile Endangered June Suckers (Chasmistes Liorus), Russell B. Rader, Mark C. Belk, Rollin Hotchkiss, Jaron Brown
The Stream–Lake Ecotone: Potential Habitat For Juvenile Endangered June Suckers (Chasmistes Liorus), Russell B. Rader, Mark C. Belk, Rollin Hotchkiss, Jaron Brown
Western North American Naturalist
Potamodromous fish are poorly studied even though they are threatened often by human activities. The June sucker (Chasmistes liorus) is an endangered potamodromous species endemic to Utah Lake. Larval June suckers have not been collected from Utah Lake for at least 3 decades. Recruitment appears to be limited by low temperatures and scarce food, resulting in mass starvation of larval June suckers in the stream environment. We compared water temperature, zooplankton food availability, and small fish abundance in the stream and in 3 habitats along the stream–lake ecotone (dense emergent vegetation, sparse emergent vegetation, and open lake) to …
Trapping Mammals In A Cautious World: The Effect Of Disinfectants On Trap Success, J. A. Wilson, K. E. Mabry
Trapping Mammals In A Cautious World: The Effect Of Disinfectants On Trap Success, J. A. Wilson, K. E. Mabry
Western North American Naturalist
Disinfecting traps that have captured small mammals is one recommendation for preventing occurrence of hantavirus infection; however, the potential effects of disinfection on small mammal trappability have not been investigated thoroughly. We conducted an experiment to compare the effects of 2 disinfectants (Lysol® and household bleach) on the trappability of 4 small mammal species (Peromyscus maniculatus, Neotamias spp., and Spermophilus lateralis). We established triplicate trap grids in 2 forest types (red fir and mixed conifer), each consisting of a 6 × 6 array of Sherman live-traps placed at 10-m intervals. Traps were given 1 of 3 treatments: …
Note On Occurrence Of Mymaromella Pala Huber And Gibson (Hymenoptera: Mymarommatidae) In Montana: A New State Record, Timothy D. Hatten, Norm Merz, James B. 'Ding' Johnson, Chris Looney, Travis Ulrich, Scott Soults, Roland Capilo, Dwight Bergerone, Paul Anders, Philip Tanimoto, Bahman Shafii
Note On Occurrence Of Mymaromella Pala Huber And Gibson (Hymenoptera: Mymarommatidae) In Montana: A New State Record, Timothy D. Hatten, Norm Merz, James B. 'Ding' Johnson, Chris Looney, Travis Ulrich, Scott Soults, Roland Capilo, Dwight Bergerone, Paul Anders, Philip Tanimoto, Bahman Shafii
Western North American Naturalist
The parasitic wasp Mymaromella pala Huber and Gibson (Hymenoptera: Mymarommatidae) was collected at 4 sites within a canyon reach of the Kootenai River in Lincoln County, Montana. This minute species has only recently been described, but it appears to have a large distribution throughout the United States and to be associated with upland and riparian forests.
La avispa parasitaria Mymaromella pala Huber y Gibson (Hymenoptera: Mymarommatidae) se recolectó en cuatro sitios a lo largo de un cañón del Río Kootenai en Lincoln Co., MT. Hace poco que se describió esta especie diminuta, pero parece tener una distribución extensa en los …
Antipredatory Defense Of Neonatal Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) By Yearling Male Pronghorn In Southwestern South Dakota, Christopher N. Jacques, Jonathan A. Jenks
Antipredatory Defense Of Neonatal Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) By Yearling Male Pronghorn In Southwestern South Dakota, Christopher N. Jacques, Jonathan A. Jenks
Western North American Naturalist
Antipredatory defense of pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) neonates (≤1 month old) by adult females (>18 months old) is well documented throughout the geographic range of this species. However, reports of male pronghorn defending neonates against predators are limited to a single study in northwestern Wyoming where occurrences were documented of adult males assisting female pronghorn in defending neonates against coyotes (Canis latrans). To our knowledge, defense of neonatal pronghorn by yearling males (12–18 months old) has not been reported previously for this species. We report occurrences of antipredatory defense of neonatal pronghorn by yearling males in …
The Banner-Tailed Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys Spectabilis (Rodentia: Heteromyidae), In Utah, George V. Oliver, Anthony L. Wright
The Banner-Tailed Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys Spectabilis (Rodentia: Heteromyidae), In Utah, George V. Oliver, Anthony L. Wright
Western North American Naturalist
We report the discovery in Utah of Dipodomys spectabilis, a species previously unknown to occur in the state. We searched for D. spectabilis in extreme southeastern Utah, south of the San Juan River, and were successful in finding mounds and burrows characteristic of the species and in capturing one individual. This is the northernmost record for D. spectabilis and extends its known range ~84 km northwest of the nearest previously reported locality (Fruitland, San Juan County, New Mexico). A flea, Meringis rectus, collected from D. spectabilis, is also the first record of its species in Utah.
Reportamos el descubrimiento en …
Pathology Of An Unusual Lumbar Condition In A Young Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) From The Big Bend Region Of Trans-Pecos Texas, Frederick B. Stangl Jr., Dana R. Mills, Michael W. Haiduk
Pathology Of An Unusual Lumbar Condition In A Young Black Bear (Ursus Americanus) From The Big Bend Region Of Trans-Pecos Texas, Frederick B. Stangl Jr., Dana R. Mills, Michael W. Haiduk
Western North American Naturalist
The skeleton of a young American black bear (Ursus americanus) possessing asymmetrical distortions of the 5 caudalmost lumbar neural spines was recovered from west Texas. We attribute this abnormality, presumed to be congenital, to the absence or atrophy of the right multifidus muscle straddling L3 and to the series of compensatory muscle adjustments required to maintain spinal alignment. This finding may have important management implications for black bears in Texas, given the possibility that our specimen originates from a partially isolated population.
El esqueleto de un oso negro juvenil (Ursus americanus) con distorsiones asimétricas de las …
Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, And Conservation By S.D. Gehrt, S.P.D. Riley, And B.L. Cypher [Editors], Howard O. Clark Jr.
Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, And Conservation By S.D. Gehrt, S.P.D. Riley, And B.L. Cypher [Editors], Howard O. Clark Jr.
Western North American Naturalist
No abstract provided.
Outstanding Natural History Paper Of 2008
Outstanding Natural History Paper Of 2008
Western North American Naturalist
No abstract provided.
Outstanding Natural History Paper Of 2009
Outstanding Natural History Paper Of 2009
Western North American Naturalist
No abstract provided.
Retrospective Evaluation Of The Effects Of Human Disturbance And Goldfish Introduction On Endangered Pahrump Poolfish, James E. Deacon, Joshua E. Williams
Retrospective Evaluation Of The Effects Of Human Disturbance And Goldfish Introduction On Endangered Pahrump Poolfish, James E. Deacon, Joshua E. Williams
Western North American Naturalist
Life history data for Pahrump poolfish (Empetrichthys latos latos) collected from 1937 to 1975 were organized and analyzed to improve our understanding of changes caused by human habitat disruption and introduced goldfish (Carassius auratus) at Manse Spring, Nevada. Pahrump poolfish twice demonstrated their ability to recover numerically from a population crash. The first crash followed a November 1961 introduction of a few goldfish and subsequent removal of vegetation by local ranch children intent on turning Manse Spring into a swimming hole. The second crash followed another major habitat disturbance resulting from an unsuccessful attempt to eradicate …
Considerations For Wood River Sculpin Conservation: Historical Occurrence And Sampling Efficiency, Donald W. Zaroban
Considerations For Wood River Sculpin Conservation: Historical Occurrence And Sampling Efficiency, Donald W. Zaroban
Western North American Naturalist
Records of Wood River sculpin (Cottus leiopomus) from 1893 to 2003 were examined and new data were gathered in 2004 and 2006 to estimate the species’ historical range and to search for evidence of changes in its occurrence. Detections of Wood River sculpin were reported in 49 subwatersheds, primarily in the Idaho Batholith ecoregion. The remainder of the Wood River basin was classified as either potential historic range or unknown. Mark-recapture sampling was conducted to estimate the efficiency of electrofishing as a method to detect this sculpin. Sampling efficiency was calculated for 1 upstream pass and 1, 2, …
Rabbit Abundance Relative To Rainfall And Plant Production In Northern Chihuahuan Desert Grassland And Shrubland Habitats, David C. Lightfoot, Ana D. Davidson, Christopher M. Mcglone, Dara G. Parker
Rabbit Abundance Relative To Rainfall And Plant Production In Northern Chihuahuan Desert Grassland And Shrubland Habitats, David C. Lightfoot, Ana D. Davidson, Christopher M. Mcglone, Dara G. Parker
Western North American Naturalist
No abstract provided.
Rediscovery Of The Neotoma Population On Datil [Turner] Island, Sonora, México, Sergio Ticul Álvarez-Castañeda, Anahid Gutierrez, Mayra De La Paz
Rediscovery Of The Neotoma Population On Datil [Turner] Island, Sonora, México, Sergio Ticul Álvarez-Castañeda, Anahid Gutierrez, Mayra De La Paz
Western North American Naturalist
On Datil [Turner] Island in the Gulf of California, we rediscovered a population ofNeotoma varia, previously thought to be extinct. We captured 5 specimens: 1 was kept as a voucher, and 4 were examined and released. Analysis of previous surveys indicates that N. varia is not common on the island and occupies a very restricted range.
Recolectamos especímenes de Neotoma varia de la Isla Dátil en el Golfo de California, una población anteriormente considerada ya extinta. De los cinco especímenes que recolectamos, cuatro se pusieron en libertad. El análisis de muestreos previos indica que N. varia no es común …
Brown-Headed Cowbird Parasitism On Endangered Species: Relationships With Neighboring Avian Species, Shannon L. Farrell, Michael L. Morrison, R. Neal Wilkins, R. Douglas Slack, Andrew J. Campomizzi
Brown-Headed Cowbird Parasitism On Endangered Species: Relationships With Neighboring Avian Species, Shannon L. Farrell, Michael L. Morrison, R. Neal Wilkins, R. Douglas Slack, Andrew J. Campomizzi
Western North American Naturalist
Loss of reproductive productivity in hosts of the Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), a nest parasite, may limit the success of conservation and recovery efforts that focus on restoring avian habitat. We investigated the relationships between parasitism frequency of 2 vireos—the endangered Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapillus) and the White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)—and characteristics of the neighboring avian assemblage. Our objective was to identify assemblage characteristics that are useful for predicting parasitism frequency. We hypothesized that parasitism frequency of the vireos would decrease with increasing alternate host abundance and increase with increasing abundance of cowbirds. All …
Fecal Pellets Of American Pikas (Ochotona Princeps) Provide A Crude Chronometer For Dating Patch Occupancy, Lyle B. Nichols
Fecal Pellets Of American Pikas (Ochotona Princeps) Provide A Crude Chronometer For Dating Patch Occupancy, Lyle B. Nichols
Western North American Naturalist
American pikas (Ochotona princeps) seem to be especially vulnerable to climate change, with recent extinctions of pika populations being attributed to global warming. Incomplete historical location records are currently used to examine changes in pika distributions. A method of determining recent pika distributions in the absence of historical records is needed. Here I report on changes over time of known-age pika fecal pellets up to 36 years old. Predictable changes in diameter, internal consistency, and color of pellets provide a method to approximate the dates of last occupation in patches where pikas have been extirpated.
La pika Americana …
Rock Outcrops Harbor Native Perennials In Type-Converted Coastal Scrub, Robert J. Steers
Rock Outcrops Harbor Native Perennials In Type-Converted Coastal Scrub, Robert J. Steers
Western North American Naturalist
Type-conversion of coastal scrub to exotic annual grassland has been extensive in certain parts of southern California, especially in drier inland locales. Field observations suggest that rock outcrops harbor native perennials associated with coastal scrub vegetation after conversion to exotic annual grassland has occurred. Surveys were conducted to test this observation. In addition, measures of fossorial mammal disturbance, soil depth, exotic annual plant abundance, and soil moisture were collected and used to infer potential mechanisms that may influence patterns of native and exotic vegetation. Results showed that larger outcrops are associated with more native perennial species than smaller outcrops, consistent …
Diversity, Phenology, And Elevational Distribution Of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, And Trichoptera In American Fork Canyon, Utah, Sarah Walker Judson, C. Riley Nelson
Diversity, Phenology, And Elevational Distribution Of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, And Trichoptera In American Fork Canyon, Utah, Sarah Walker Judson, C. Riley Nelson
Western North American Naturalist
Although the aquatic insect fauna of Utah and their associated adult forms are well documented taxonomically and biogeographically, little is known about seasonal and elevational patterns of aquatic insect diversity in individual Wasatch streams. We selected the American Fork River, a relatively pristine stream with little anthropogenic disturbance, as our target stream to investigate elevational distribution and seasonal phenology of adult forms of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT). From April to October in 2003 through 2005, a total of 71 adult forms of EPT species were documented along the American Fork River. No single sampling period captured more than 30 …
Impacts Of Nonnative Plant Species On Production And Diversity In The Front Range Of Colorado, Kerry M. Byrne, William K. Lauenroth, Lindsay Mcmanus
Impacts Of Nonnative Plant Species On Production And Diversity In The Front Range Of Colorado, Kerry M. Byrne, William K. Lauenroth, Lindsay Mcmanus
Western North American Naturalist
Nonnative plant species are considered one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, yet we still are unable to predict how production and diversity of a community will change once a species has invaded. Ponderosa pine woodlands in the Front Range of Colorado are ideal for studying the impacts of nonnative plants on production and species richness. We selected 5 sites along the northern Front Range with varying proportions of nonnative and native species and compared understory production and species richness along the gradient of nonnative species dominance. Total species production was positively and significantly related to total species richness, and …
High Levels Of Gene Flow In The California Vole (Microtus Californicus) Are Consistent Across Spatial Scales, Rachel I. Adams, Elizabeth A. Hadly
High Levels Of Gene Flow In The California Vole (Microtus Californicus) Are Consistent Across Spatial Scales, Rachel I. Adams, Elizabeth A. Hadly
Western North American Naturalist
Gene flow links the genetic and demographic structures of species. Despite the fact that similar genetic and demographic patterns shape both local population structure and regional phylogeography, the 2 levels of population connectivity are rarely studied simultaneously. Here, we studied gene flow in the California vole (Microtus californicus), a small-bodied rodent with limited vagility but high local abundance. Within a 4.86-km2 preserve in central California, genetic diversity in 6 microsatellites was high, and Bayesian methods indicated a single genetic cluster. However, individual-based genetic analysis detected a clear signal for isolation-by-distance (IBD) and fine-scale population structure. Mitochondrial cytochrome …
Estimation Procedures For Understory Biomass And Fuel Loads In Sagebrush Steppe Invaded By Woodlands, Alicia L. Reiner, Robin J. Tausch, Roger F. Walker
Estimation Procedures For Understory Biomass And Fuel Loads In Sagebrush Steppe Invaded By Woodlands, Alicia L. Reiner, Robin J. Tausch, Roger F. Walker
Western North American Naturalist
Regression equations were developed to predict biomass for 9 shrubs, 9 grasses, and 10 forbs that generally dominate sagebrush ecosystems in central Nevada. Independent variables included percent cover, average height, and plant volume. We explored 2 ellipsoid volumes: one with maximum plant height and 2 crown diameters and another with live crown height and 2 crown diameters. Dependent variables were total, live, leaf, and dead biomass. Simple, multiple, linear, and power equations were investigated. Models were chosen based on scatter plots, residual plots, and R2 and SEE values. In general, simple power equations provided the best-fit regressions. For shrubs, …
Reproductive Biology, Hybridization, And Flower Visitors Of Rare Sclerocactus Taxa In Utah's Uintah Basin, Vincent J. Tepedino, Terry L. Griswold, William R. Bowlin
Reproductive Biology, Hybridization, And Flower Visitors Of Rare Sclerocactus Taxa In Utah's Uintah Basin, Vincent J. Tepedino, Terry L. Griswold, William R. Bowlin
Western North American Naturalist
We studied the mating system and flower visitors of 2 threatened species of Sclerocactus (Cactaceae) in the Uintah Basin of eastern Utah—an area undergoing rapid energy development. We found that both S. wetlandicus and S. brevispinus are predominantly outcrossed and are essentially self-incompatible. A third presumptive taxon (undescribed; here called S. wetlandicus-var1) is fully self-compatible but cannot produce seeds unless the flowers are visited by pollinators. We found tentative evidence for pollinator limitation of fruit set in S. brevispinus but not in the other taxa. Pollinators are largely species of native ground-nesting bees in the subfamily Halictinae. These bees …
Bottom-Up Factors Influencing Riparian Willow Recovery In Yellowstone National Park, Michael T. Tercek, Robert Stottlemyer, Roy Renkin
Bottom-Up Factors Influencing Riparian Willow Recovery In Yellowstone National Park, Michael T. Tercek, Robert Stottlemyer, Roy Renkin
Western North American Naturalist
After the elimination of wolves (Canis lupis L.) in the 1920s, woody riparian plant communities on the northern range of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) declined an estimated 50%. After the reintroduction of wolves in 1995–1996, riparian willows (Salix spp.) on YNP's northern range showed significant growth for the first time since the 1920s. However, the pace of willow recovery has not been uniform. Some communities have exceeded 400 cm, while others are still at pre-1995 levels of <80 cm mean height. We took intensive, repeated measurements of abiotic factors, including soil and water-table characteristics, to determine whether these factors might be contributing to the varying pace of willow recovery. Willows at all of our study sites were "short" (<250 cm max. height) prior to 1995 and have recovered to varying degrees since. We contrasted "tall" (>250 cm max. height) willow sites where willows had escaped elk (Cervus elaphus L.) browsing with "short" willow sites that …
A New Species Of Frasera (Gentianaceae) From Uinta Basin, Utah, Clayton Newberry, Sherel Goodrich
A New Species Of Frasera (Gentianaceae) From Uinta Basin, Utah, Clayton Newberry, Sherel Goodrich
Western North American Naturalist
Frasera ackermanae, sp. nov. is described based on specimens collected from the Brush Creek drainage, Uinta Basin in Uintah County, Utah. The short stem, compact inflorescence, and longer calyx lobes separate this species from the similar Frasera pahutensis Reveal.