Life Sciences Commons^™

1986: A Nebraska Big Year, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

In January of 1986 my brother, Ed M. Brogie, and I were tallying our lists for Nebraska when the question arose: "How many species of birds do you think one could see in Nebraska in one year?" The previous year (1985) had been the first year we had made a serious attempt at seeing western Nebraska species and chasing rarities in the state. Our efforts had yielded such birds as Bean Goose, Green-tailed Towhee, Black-necked Stilt, Red Phalarope, Lewis' Woodpecker, Sprague's Pipit, Cassin's Finch, Cassin's Kingbird, and King Eider. When 1985 ended, my Nebraska life list stood at 290 and …

Cassin’S Sparrow In Dundy And Chase Counties, Nebraska, W. Ross Silcock, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

On 3 and 4 June 1989 Tanya Bray, Doug Rose, and I [W. Ross Silcock] traveled to Dundy Co. to look for two species: Chihuahuan Raven and Cassin's Sparrow. While we found no Ravens, we did find several Cassin's Sparrows.

All of the Cassin's Sparrows were found in sandy sage prairie habitat. At least six were found, in four different locations. The birds were located most easily by their skylarking behavior, although the song, once heard, is also useful for locating birds. Indeed, Doug Rose found the first Cassin's Sparrow by song. Once located, we were able to study individuals …

Notes [September 1989]

Nebraska Bird Review

“Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Nest in Cass County”: On 2 July 1989 Greg Hertel, Murray, Cass Co., reported an adult Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in his yard. He thought it had left the area, but Betty Allen and Ruth Green went down on 8 July to look for it, and they finally found it (a male) in Young Memorial Park. The next morning Betty took others down to see it and found a female on a nest on a 40-foot light pole used to floodlight the ball field.

“National Wildlife Federation Eagle Survey” (by Greg Wingfield, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission): The 1989 NWF …

Nebraska Bird Review (September 1989) 57(3), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Changes in the A.O.U. Check-list ... 58

1989 (Sixty-fourth) Spring Occurrence Report ... 59

Cassin's Sparrow in Dundy and Chase Counties, Nebraska ... 67

1986: A Nebraska Big Year ... 71

Notes [Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Nest in Cass County, National Wildlife Federation Eagle Survey, and Whooping Crane Report] ... 81

Book Reviews ... 83

1989 (Sixty-Fourth) Spring Occurrence Report

Nebraska Bird Review

Two hundred and eighty-nine species (plus the possibility that the Empidonax sp. was one not listed) are listed in this report, from 13 locations, plus 36 counties reported in 7 "spot check" columns or as notes in regular columns. In 1988 there were 306 species from 15 locations plus 13 "spot check" columns involving 34 counties; in 1987 288 species from 13 locations and 6 "spot check" columns involving 9 counties; 1986 304 from 13 locations and 9 "spot check" columns involving 24 counties; and 1985 296 from 13 locations and 9 "spot check" columns (plus additions on NBR 53:70) …

Book Reviews [September 1989]

Nebraska Bird Review

Reviews of several books and calendars: The Collins Field Guide to the Birds of the Galapagos; A Birdsong Tutor for Visually Handicapped Individuals; The Bird Identification Calendar (1990); The Flyfisher's 1990 Calendar; Birds, a 1990 Equinox Nature Calendar; and Eric Hosking's Birds of Prey of the World.

Changes In The A.O.U. Check-List

Nebraska Bird Review

CHANGES IN THE A.O.U. CHECK-LIST

The Thirty-seventh Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-list of North American Birds (Auk, 106:532-538) made these changes in species which may be found in Nebraska:

Common Barn-Owl (Tyto alba) to Barn Owl; Barn-Owl is no longer used for another species, so the hyphen is no longer needed, nor is a modifier.

Northern Hawk-Owl (Surnia ulula) to Northern Hawk Owl; this species does not belong in the Hawk-Owl group and so the hyphen is removed.

Western Flycatcher (Empidonax diffieilis) is replaced by Pacific-slope Flycatcher (E. diffieilis) …

Use Of Trpe/Gag Fusion Proteins To Characterize Immunoreactive Domains On The Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Core Protein, Michael Windheuser, Gary Tegtmeier, Charles Wood

Nebraska Center for Virology: Faculty Publications

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) p24 core protein is one of the most immunogenic of HIV structural proteins. Infected individuals develop high titers of antibodies against p24 early in infection, which makes anti-p24 antibodies important serological markers. However, despite the clinical importance of the anti-p24 response, no systematic study to characterize the antigenic domains on the p24 protein has been reported. We report here on the use of 12 overlapping fragments of the HIV type 1 p24 protein, synthesized in bacteria as TrpE/Gag fusion proteins, to identify at least two and possibly three antigenic domains on the p24 protein. In …

The Prairie Naturalist Volume 21, No.3 September 1989

The Prairie Naturalist

SEED DISPERSAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PLAINS SILVER SAGEBRUSH ▪ C. L. Wambolt, T. Walton, and R. S. White

ON THE TRAIL OF THE ANT, VEROMESSOR LOBOGNATHUS . ▪ G. C. Wheeler and J. Wheeler

LAND USE RELATIONSHIPS TO AVIAN CHOLERA OUTBREAKS IN THE NEBRASKA RAINWATER BASIN AREA ▪ B. J. Smith, K. F. Higgins, and C. F. Gritzner

INCIDENCE OF LEAD SHOT IN THE RAINWATER BASINS OF SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA ▪ . D. W. Oates

REPRODUCTION, RECRUITMENT, AND SURVIVAL OF BROWN AND RAINBOW TROUT IN A PRAIRIE COTEAU STREAM ▪ C. L. Milewski and D. W. Willis

SIZE STRUCTURE AND CATCH …

New Country And State Records, And Other Notes For Mexican Buprestidae (Coleoptera), Richard L. Westcott, Thomas H. Atkinson, Henry A. Hespenheide, G. H. Nelson

Insecta Mundi

Treatment is provided for 224 species and subspecies in the genera Acherusia, Acmaeodera, Actenodes, Agaeocera, Agrilus, Anthaxia, Brachys, Buprestis, Chalcangium, Chrysobothris, Colobogaster, Cyphothorax, Dicerca, Dismorpha, Euchroma, Hiperantha, Hylaeogena, Leiopleura, Lius, Mixochlorus, Omochyseus, Pachyschelus, Polycesta, Psiloptera, Spectralia, Taphrocerus, Tetragonoschema, Thrincopyge, Trypantius and Tyndaris. Of these, 44 are recorded for the first time from Mexico and 175 represent new state records. Adult host and/or habitat information is provided, usually from the label data, for 93 of the taxa. Larval host records are indicated for Chrysobothris analis LeConte, C. capitata Gory and Laporte, C. multistigmosa (Mannerheim) and C. sallei Waterhouse. Acmaeodera sinaloensis …

The Hairstreak Butterfly Genus Noreena (Lycaenidae, Theclinae) And A New Species From Western Peru, Kurt Johnson

Insecta Mundi

Noreena fracta is described from xeric habitat near Callao, Peru. Its divergent wing and genitalic characters further indicate high diversity in this seldom-collected thecline group.

Taxonomy And Diagnosis Of Conomyrma Insana (Buckley) And C. Flava (Mccook) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Clifford Johnson

Insecta Mundi

Documentation is developed for Conomyrma insana (Buckley) and C. flava (McCook) as valid names for two abundant species of ants in the United States. Taxonomic history, synonymies, diagnostic criteria, distribution and natural history for both species are reviewed. The intraspecific variability, particularly important for C. flava, is summarized. Neotype and lectotype specimens are designated for C. insana and C. flava respectively, and a key provided for all known Conomyrma species in the United States.

A Revision Of The South American Hairstreak Butterfly Genera Tergissima And Femniterga (Lycaenidae: Theclinae), Kurt Johnson

Insecta Mundi

Tergissima Johnson and Femniterga Johnson, originally described from four sympatric south-central Andean species, are revised to include, respectively, four and nine South American species (of which six are previously undescribed). New combinations include Femniterga cissusa (Hewitson), F. cinniana (Hewitson) and F. plumans (Druce), all transferred from Thecla; new species include Tergissima montanensis and T. shargeli, and Femniterga itaituba, F. megana, F. splendida and F. strobilata. A lectotype is designated for Thecla cissusa. Femniterga and Tergissima are part of a largely undescribed eumaeine assemblage also including Calycopis Scudder and Calystryma Field.

The Anthribidae Of The Seychelles And Mascarene Islands: Taxonomy, Keys, And A Bibliographic Catalogue (Coleoptera), Barry D. Valentine

Insecta Mundi

All Seychelles and Mascarene taxa are discussed. Two subfamilies, eight tribes, and 28 genera are keyed. Xenoderes, new genus, is proposed for Homoeodera snelli Jordan, 1924. New generic synonyms are: Achoragus Jordan, 1914 (=Gomphides Jordan, 1936); Corynaecia Jordan, 1914 (=Megatermis Jordan, 1937). New specific synonym is: Phloeobius longicornis (Fabricius) (=Anthribus cervinus Klug). Additional keys are provided for six genera.

State Farmland: Preferential Assessment Statutes, J. David Aiken

Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station: Historical Research Bulletins

This report is intended to be a guide for persons interested in state statutes regarding preferential tax assessment of farmland. Previous USDA reports on this topic were published in 1961, 1963, 1967, 1974, and 1987. This report updates the 1987 USDA report. The report summarizes state farmland preferential assessment statutes through December 31, 1988. The report does not evaluate possible ambiguities within the statutes or include an analysis of relevant court decisions. Although these summaries provide a comprehensive survey of state statutory laws, they are not a substitute for copies of the state law. Taxpayers wanting to know how the …

Endangered And Threatened Wildlife And Plants; Proposed Rule To Determine The Pallid Sturgeon To Be An Endangered Species

Endangered Species Bulletin

The Service proposes to determine the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) to be an endangered species under the authority of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended. The pallid sturgeon is a large fish known only to occur in the Missouri River, the Mississippi River downstream of the Missouri River, and the lower Yellowstone River. The species is threatened through habitat modification and apparent lack of reproduction. Numbers of fish reported have declined dramatically in the last two decades. Past commercial utilization likely exceeded biological recruitment. Pollution may be a problem over much of its range, and …

The Phylogeny Of The Cercomeria (Platyhelminthes: Rhabdocoela) And General Evolutionary Principles, Daniel R. Brooks

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

The unified theory of evolution is an expansion of Darwinian theory that asserts that evolution is driven by entropic accumulation of genetic information that is constrained and organized primarily by the genealogical effects of phylogenetic history and developmental integration, and secondarily by ecological effects, or natural selection in its classical mode. Phylogenetic systematic analysis of the 8 major groups of parasitic rhabdocoelous platyhelminths permits empirical macroevolutionary evaluation of these postulates. Of the 131 characters considered, 127 are phylogenetically constrained, and 4 show evidence of 1 case of convergence each. Data from different developmental stages are phylogenetically congruent, despite differences in …

Coccidian Parasites (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From Insectivores. Vii. Six New Species From The Hairy-Tailed Mole, Parascalops Breweri, Paulette L. Ford, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Sixteen hairy-tailed moles, Parascalops breweri, collected from the northeastern U.S.A. were examined for coccidian oocysts; all were infected with multiple species of coccidia and 3 genera were represented. Two cyclosporans, 2 eimerians, and 2 isosporans are described as new species. Sporulated oocysts of Cyclospora ashtabulensis n. sp. are subspheroid to ellipsoid, 18 x 14 (14-23 x 11-19) μm, and sporocysts are ovoid, 12 x 7 (8-14 x 5-9) μm; C. ashtabulensis was found in 7 of 16 (44%) moles. Sporulated oocysts of Cyclospora parascalopi n. sp. are spheroid, 17 x 14 (13-20 x 11-20) μm, and sporocysts are ovoid, …

Phylogenetic Relationships Among Genera Of The Tetrabothriidae (Eucestoda), Eric P. Hoberg

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

Cladistic analysis of the generic-level relationships within the family Tetrabothriidae was conducted. A single cladogram resulted from evaluation of 28 homologous transformation series representing 41 character states. The genus Tetrabothrius was recognized as plesiomorphic followed by Chaetophallus and Trigonocotyle. The latter was considered as the sister group for the remaining tetrabothriid genera of marine mammals. Anophryocephalus, Strobilocephalus, and Priapocephalus are among the most highly derived genera and are postulated as having close evolutionary affinities. Comparisons to previous explicit hypotheses for relationships among the genera indicated the present analysis was the most efficient phylogenetic statement (consistency index = …

Endangered And Threatened Wildlife And Plants; Determination Of Endangered Status For The American Burying Beetle

Endangered Species Bulletin

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) to be an endangered species under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, Once widely distributed throughout eastern North America, thi8 species has disappeared from most of its former range. Two known populations currently exist, one In eastern Oklahoma and the other on an Island off the coast of New England. Despite extensive efforts to locate additional populations, only two specimens have been found elsewhere in more than ten years. The cause of the species’ decline is unknown. Critical habitat …

Prairie Paths, Mouse Highways And Night Time Traffic, Patricia W. Freeman, Cliff A. Lemen

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Not long ago we developed a convenient, inexpensive, non-harmful way to learn about the secret lives of small nocturnal mammals. The technique allows us to follow trails made by rodents and to find where they have foraged, what they have eaten, and where they have their burrows. This method involves the use of a fine, nontoxic powder that fluoresces under black light. After setting traps and capturing the animals alive, we gently dust them in the fluorescent powder. The powder, used to make fluorescent paint, comes in different colors. It is especially important that the powder is non-toxic because killing …

Reduction Of Soil Erosion On Forest Roads, Edward R. Burroughs, Jr., John G. King

United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Results of onsite erosion control work from across the United States provide estimates of the amount of erosion reduction on forest roads from various treatments. Supplementary information includes the effects of slope gradient, soil characteristics, and ground cover. Estimates of sediment travel below fillslopes can be made, together with the combined effect of erosion control treatments of the running surface, road cut, and ditch.

Testing Macroevolutionary Hypotheses With Cladistic Analysis: Evidence Against Rectangular Evolution, Cliff A. Lemen, Patricia W. Freeman

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

The properties of cladistic data sets from small monophyletic groups (6-1 2 species) are investigated using computer simulations of macroevolution. Two evolutionary models are simulated: gradualism and the punctuated-equilibrium hypothesis. Under the conditions of our simulations these two models of evolution make consistently different predictions about the distribution of autapomorphies among species. When strict stasis is enforced, the punctuated-equilibrium hypothesis predicts that the most expected number of autapomorphies per species will be zero, no matter how many characters are used in the analysis. As the number of characters used in the analysis increases, the distribution of the number of autapomorphies …

Agricultural Experiment Station News July 1989

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

CONTENTS:
BIOMETRY HEAD IS MARX
DAVID W. STANLEY-SAMUELSON
ARDC NEWS
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH DIVISION - CURRENT GRANTS AND AWARDS
GRANT AND CONTRACT INCOME DURING THE LAST THREE CALENDAR YEARS EXPRESSED ON DOLLARS PER RESEARCH FTE BASIS
RESEARCH GRANTS AND CONTRACTS RECEIVED APRIL & MAY 1989
NEW PROJECTS
COMMODITY BOARD FUNDING

Agricultural Research Division 103rd Annual Report, July 1, 1988, To June 30, 1989

Agricultural Research Division: News and Annual Reports

It is a pleasure to provide the 103rd Annual Report of the UNL Agricultural Research Division. This report contains lists of current faculty, active projects, refereed journal articles, books and book chapters, germ plasm releases, brief descriptions of research in selected areas, and the financial report for the period of July 1, 1988, through June 30, 1989. This report was compiled in compliance with the intent of the law of the State of Nebraska that established the Nebraska Agricultural Experiment Station on March 31, 1887.

Foreword ... v

Administrative Personnel ... vii

Administrative Units ... viii

Organizational Chart ... viii …

Notes On Black-Legged Kittiwakes In Cedar County, Nebraska, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The Black-legged Kittiwake is listed as accidental for Nebraska by both Johnsgard (1986) and Bray et al. (1986). Only a few documented records exist for this species for the state. Photographs of Black-legged Kittiwakes found in Cedar Co., 1988, are in possession of the author and others have been sent to the Nebraska Records Committee.

On 26 November 1988 Bill Huser found a first-winter plumaged Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) at the tailwaters of Gavin's Point Dam, Cedar Co. Nebraska. On 2 December David Stage visited the area and found a Kittiwake frequenting the same area. He observed it feeding in …

Colonization Of Immature Black Flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) On Artificial Substrates In A Nebraska Sandy River, K. P. Pruess

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

Colonization of Simulium bivittatum Malloch and S. luggeri Nicholson and Mickel on artificial substrates exposed for two consecutive time periods of 1, 2, or 4 d was contrasted with colonization after continuous exposures of 2, 4, or 8 d. Reduced colonization of early instars of both species during the second 4-d period was attributed to an aging population, whereas reductions in total black flies after 8 d seemed to be caused by substrate changes. Numbers of pupae increased as exposure time increased.

Effect Of Host Plant On The Level Of Virulence Of Nilaparvata Lugens (Homoptera: Delphacidae) On Rice Cultivars, A. H. Bahagiawati, E. A. Heinrichs, F. G. Medrano

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

The virulence of a planthopper, Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) biotype 3, reared on rice cultivar ASD7and of N. lugens colonies collected on Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines and reared on the widely grown commercial cultivars IR36 and IR42 was compared. Based on plant damage, insect weight, population growth, and feeding activity, the Mindanao N. lugens colonies reared on IR36 and IR42 were more virulent than biotype 3, although ASD7, IR36, and IR42 have the bph2 gene for N. lugens resistance. These results clearly indicate that in the screening of breeding lines for resistance to N. lugens, it is …

Coccidian Parasites (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) From Two Species Of Caimans, Caiman Yacare Daudin And Caiman Latirostris Daudin (Alligatoridae), From Paraguay, Aida Luz Aquino-Shuster, Donald W. Duszynski

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Faculty and Staff Publications

From October 1986 to January 1987, feces from 119 Caiman yacare and 12 Caiman latirostris were collected in Paraguay and later examined for coccidian oocysts; 69 of 119 (58%) samples from C. yacare and 3 of 12 (25%) samples from C. latirostris contained coccidian oocysts. Two eimerians infected C. yacare and both are described as new species. Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria paraguayensis n. sp., are ellipsoid, 34.0 x 23.6 (26-38 x 20-29) μm with sporocysts ovoid, 14.0 x 7.1 (10-19 x 6-10) μm. Sporulated oocysts of Eimeria caimani n. sp, are spheroid, 22.4 (19-29) μm with sporocysts ovoidal, 12.9 x …

Nebraska Natural Heritage Program Request For Help, Mary Kay Clausen

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Natural Heritage Program is a computer-assisted inventory of rare or uncommon plants, animals, and communities in Nebraska. This information is used to help establish protection priorities, land protection, species review, impact assessment, research, and for education. We are currently operating under a two-year contract between the Nature Conservancy and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Our office is in the Nebraska Game and Parks building in Lincoln. We have a full-time staff consisting of a Botanist, Zoologist, and Community Ecologist,

As the Zoologist for the Program, I would like to solicit the help of NOU members. Currently, I …