Digital Commons Network^™

Notes On Some Species Of Myzomorphus Sallé, 1850 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Prioninae, Anacolini), Amoret Spooner, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

Notes on the type of Myzomorphus quadripunctatus (Gray, 1831) are provided, and a lectotype is designated for the species. The holotype male of M. poultoni Lameere, 1912, along with a second male, are figured for the first time, and compared with M. gounellei Lameere, 1912. Notes on Myzomorphus amabilis (Tippmann, 1960) and a key to known males of Myzomorphus are also provided.

Nuevo Género Y Especie De Rutelini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae) De Los Andes Peruanos, José Mondaca, Gorky Valencia

Insecta Mundi

Peruquime nov. gen., is established for P. arequipensis nov. sp., a peculiar Scarabaeidae species discovered at high altitude in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru. The new genus and species is externally similar to some representatives of the subfamily Melolonthinae; however, important morphological characters place it within Rutelinae. Diagnostic characters, observations on the habitat, natural history and distribution of the new species are given. A distribution map, adult photographs and illustrations of some diagnostic features are included.

Nuevos Registros De Escarabajos Longicornios (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) Para Venezuela, Carlos Taboada-Verona, Renato Mattei, Roberto Mattei, Carlos Aguilar Julio, Alfredo Lanuza-Garay

Insecta Mundi

Se reportan quince especies de escarabajos longicornios (Coleoptera; Cerambycidae) por primera vez

para Venezuela: Ambonus electus (Gaham, 1903), Eusapia guyanensis Huedepohl, 1988, Acyphoderes abdominalis

(Olivier, 1795), Isthmiade ichneumoniformis Bates, 1870, Drychateres bilineatus (Olivier, 1795), Polyschisis

rufi tarsalis Waterhouse, 1880, Carphina petulans (Kirsch, 1875), Lepturges zonula Monné, 1976, Oreodera albata

Villiers, 1971, Psapharochrus chrysopus (Bates, 1861), Estola fratercula Galileo y Martins, 1999, Oncideres cephalotes

Bates, 1865, Polyrhaphis spinosa (Drury, 1773), Nicias alurnoides (Thomson, 1857) y Ialyssus tuberculatus

(Olivier, 1795). Se da la distribución previa conocida para cada especie, así como los métodos de colecta e información

adicional sobre los sitios de …

A Revision Of The Genus Eremoleon Banks (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Nemoleontini), Robert B. Miller, Lionel A. Stange

Insecta Mundi

Descriptions or diagnoses are given for 36 species of New World Eremoleon including 12 new species:

Eremoleon attenuatus, E. durangoensis, E. jacumba, E. jamaica, E. inca, E. monagas, E. morazani, E. pygmaeus, E.

samne, E. tanya, E. tepuyiensis and E. venezolanus. A neotype is designated for Hesperoleon atomarius Navás 1933.

The larvae of 25 species are described and keyed. Keys to the adults and larvae are given, and biological notes are

provided. Twenty-five species were reared from larvae found in cave mouths, rock overhangs, or other less common

habitats; for example, E. nigribasis were found in deep recesses of …

A New Species Of Cave Inhabiting Scotoleon Banks From Baja California (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Brachynemurini), Robert B. Miller

Insecta Mundi

A new species, Scotoleon stangei (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Brachynemurini), is described; it represents the first known species of Scotoleon Banks in which the larva inhabits the dark zone of caves. Descriptions are given of the adult, larva, and larval habitat.

Se describe una nueva especie, Scotoleon stangei (Neuroptera: Myrmeleontidae: Brachynemurini), que representa la primera especie de Scotoleon Banks que vive en la oscuridad de las cuevas. También, se describe el adulto y la larva además detalles sobre el ambiente larval.

Fidelity And Survival Of Breeding Mallards In The Nebraska Sandhills, Zachary J. Cunningham, Larkin Powell, Mark P. Vrtiska

The Prairie Naturalist

Assessment of demographic parameters of a population allows managers to better understand factors affecting populations and increase efficiency of conservation efforts. Few data on demographics exist for mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) breeding in the Nebraska Sandhills. Thus, we used banding data to estimate probabilities of fidelity, survival, band recovery, and recapture of mallards banded in the eastern Sandhills, 2005–2008. Our recapture probability estimate for mallards was 0.074 (95% CI: 0.033–0.158), and the recovery probability estimate was 0.300 (95% CI: 0.156–0.497). Mallard annual survival was 0.795 (95% CI: 0.609–0.906) with a fidelity probability of 0.618 (95% CI: 0.283–0.868). High annual …

Differential Wolf-Pack-Size Persistence And The Role Of Risk When Hunting Dangerous Prey, Shannon M. Barber-Meyer, L. David Mech, Wesley E. Newton, Bridget L. Borg

United States Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center: Publications

Risk to predators hunting dangerous prey is an emerging area of research and could account for possible persistent differences in gray wolf (Canis lupus) pack sizes. We documented significant differences in long-term wolf-pack-size averages and variation in the Superior National Forest (SNF), Denali National Park and Preserve, Yellowstone National Park, and Yukon, Canada (p < 0.01). The SNF differences could be related to the wolves’ risk when hunting primary prey, for those packs (N = 3) hunting moose (Alces americanus) were significantly larger than those (N = 10) hunting white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (F_1,8 = 16.50, p = 0.004). Our data support the hypothesis that differential pack-size persistence may be …

Success Stories And Emerging Themes In Conservation Physiology, Christine L. Madliger, Steven J. Cooke, Erica J. Crespi, Jennifer L. Funk, Kevin R. Hultine, Kathleen E. Hunt, Jason R. Rohr, Brent J. Sinclair, Cory D. Suski, Craig K. R. Willis, Oliver P. Love

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The potential benefits of physiology for conservation are well established and include greater specificity of management techniques, determination of cause–effect relationships, increased sensitivity of health and disturbance monitoring and greater capacity for predicting future change. While descriptions of the specific avenues in which conservation and physiology can be integrated are readily available and important to the continuing expansion of the discipline of ‘conservation physiology’, to date there has been no assessment of how the field has specifically contributed to conservation success. However, the goal of conservation physiology is to foster conservation solutions and it is therefore important to assess whether …

Determining The Barriers To And Opportunities For Community Involvement In The Management Of The Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Uttarakhand, India, Trisha Singh

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Today’s global political environment places a high value on social equality and economic well- being. In this climate, emphasizing biodiversity conservation over socio-economic development through exclusionary methods of habitat protection has become ethically questioned and politically dangerous. The goal of this research was to understand the barriers and opportunities for local involvement in the management of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in Uttarakhand, India. We attempted to understand the feasibility of local community involvement in the management of the NDBR from the perspective of policy-making organizations and that of the local communities.

Key findings highlight barriers to community participation at …

Predicting The Impact Of Future Climate On Ecologically Important Macroalgae, Charlie Phelps

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Macroalgae play an important role in coastal reef systems and are often referred to as ecosystem engineers. They serve as primary producers, supporting a diverse range of organisms, and are a sink for atmospheric CO2. Water acidification and ocean warming caused by anthropogenic activities are affecting many marine flora and fauna, potentially impacting the physical and chemical performance of macroalgae and the consumption rates of associated herbivores. Many studies have focused on ocean acidification or ocean warming individually but there is an overall lack of research investigating the combined effects and the ensuing repercussions on consumer-prey relationships.

Three species of …

Identifying Plant Functional Traits To Assist Ecological Intervention In A Drying Landscape, Ana Luiza Muler

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTEs) are among the most vulnerable to land use and climate change and many attempts are in place to restore these ecosystems. Therefore, it is necessary to assess differences in plants’ ability to withstand water-stress, including biotic interactions. Such knowledge helps us understand community assembly, which is crucial for ecological intervention. This study involved: (1) reviewing the literature on traits that can differentiate functional types; (2) adapting the methodology to measure leaf water potential at turgor loss point (πtlp) for small-leaved species; (3) using these traits to quickly identify water-use strategies of adult …

Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Micro-Uavs, Drones) In Plant Ecology, Mitchell B. Cruzan, Ben G. Weinstein, Monica R. Grasty, Brendan F. Kohrn, Elizabeth C. Hendrickson, Tina M. Arredondo, Pamela G. Thompson

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Premise of the study: Low-elevation surveys with small aerial drones (micro–unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs]) may be used for a wide variety of applications in plant ecology, including mapping vegetation over small- to medium-sized regions. We provide an overview of methods and procedures for conducting surveys and illustrate some of these applications.

Methods: Aerial images were obtained by flying a small drone along transects over the area of interest. Images were used to create a composite image (orthomosaic) and a digital surface model (DSM). Vegetation classification was conducted manually and using an automated routine. Coverage of an individual species …

Performance Measures Of Road Crossing Structures From Relative Movement Rates Of Large Mammals, Adam Andis

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

In recent decades, there has been an increase of engineering projects that seek to mitigate the barrier effect roads impose on wildlife by installing wildlife crossing structures that promote permeability of the road corridor. The 41 fish and wildlife crossing structures installed along a 90km stretch of US Highway 93 on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana, represent one of the most extensive of such projects in North America. As mitigation efforts are increasingly considered and implemented in road construction projects, the need to assess these structures’ effectiveness grows. This study is the first to compare observations of animal …

Baseline Study Of Recovering Headwater Streams In The Sapphire Mountains, Western Montana, Morgan Vinyard

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Many riparian areas in the western United States have been degraded by grazing and logging. In the year 2000, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) re-initiated an effort to identify and characterize reference streams, or least impacted streams in each region of the state. In Montana’s Bitterroot Valley, most streams have been impacted by grazing, irrigation, and timber production. The Montana DEQ has not been able to identify reference streams in the Sapphire Mountains on the east side of this valley. MPG Ranch, located on the west-facing slopes of the Sapphire Mountains and purchased in 2009 by a conservation-minded …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Ungulate Browsing On Willow (Salix Spp.) Communities Within The Northern Range Of Yellowstone, Donald L. Belile Jr.

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Variation in ungulate browsing intensity on willow (Salix spp.) communities across Yellowstone’s northern range has been attributed to various biophysical factors including climate, topography, and predators. These studies were conducted without a long-term browsing dataset; they lacked a spatially extensive sampling design, and did not include dynamic snow characteristics known to affect ungulate mobility, habitat selection, and foraging strategies. We therefore focused on snow, an extreme landscape level disturbance that places nutritional stress on ungulates during the winter when most browsing on shrubs occurs. We applied a non-destructive sampling method by consecutively recording whether stem leaders were browsed between …

Conservation Genetics On The Frontline, Kenneth W. Rand

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Conservation genetics stands out as an effective tool for discovering and monitoring rare, endangered or invasive populations of plants and animals. Particularly when compared to traditional search and capture methods, it provides more holistic studies to preserve the disappearing biodiversity of the American West and the world.

Three stories highlight the work done to preserve biodiversity through the use of conservation genetics:

1. Trout Rescue: A new hope for westslope cutthroat in Montana How to save a disappearing westslope cutthroat trout through genetic rescue by adding genetic diversity to ensuring future survival in increasingly warming waters more harm than good. …

Evaluating Brandt’S Cormorant (Phalacrocorax Penicillatus) Reproductive Success: Effects Of Parental Care Behaviors And Estimating Individual Chick Survival, Shannon Murphy

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Variation in reproductive success is widely measured in seabird biology in an effort to indicate changes in the marine environment, or understand basic questions about ecology or conservation of seabirds. When variation in seabird reproductive success is suggested to indicate changes in the marine environment without identifying the proximate causes of such variation, inference is limited to association, and the proximate causes themselves could prove more effective as indicators. My study informs this problem by examining and quantifying proximate causes of variation in reproductive success, at the level of nests and individual chicks.

I used video of Brandt’s Cormorant ( …

Juvenile Survival And Adult Return As A Function Of Freshwater Rearing Life History For Coho Salmon In The Klamath River Basin, Molly Gorman

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

The Scott and Shasta rivers, Klamath River tributaries, experience spatial disparity in habitat quality in spring and summer as a result of historical and current land-use. Juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) born in the upper tributary reaches often rear in natal streams before migrating to sea. However, those born in the lower reaches often encounter unsuitable habitat and emigrate during their first spring to seek non-natal rearing habitats. It is assumed that these early outmigrants are population losses. This study evaluated first-summer survival, and contribution to the adult population, of non-natal rearing juveniles in the Klamath River Basin. …

Molt In Individuals: A Description Of Prealternate Molt Phenology In A Population Of Snowy Plovers In Humboldt County, California, Alexa Dejoannis

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Molt in birds is an essential physiological process. Intrinsic and extrinsic conditions, such as age, sex, location, or food stress, may cause individual variation in molt phenology. This study describes the timing of prealternate molt in western snowy plovers (Charadrius nivosus nivosus) wintering in Humboldt County, California, USA. Between July 2014 and April 2015, I photographed uniquely marked plovers twice a month and assigned dates of initiation and completion. I modeled sex, age, hatch date, and breeding location as predictors of molt phenology. I observed prealternate molt from October to April, which is earlier than previously described. Males …

The Interrelationships Of Placental Mammals And The Limits Of Phylogenetic Inference, James E. Tarver, Mario Dos Reis, Siavash Mirarab, Raymond J. J. Moran, Sean Parker, Joseph E. O'Reilly, Benjamin L. King, Mary J. O'Connell, Robert J. Asher, Tandy Warnow, Kevin J. Peterson, Philip C.J. Donoghue, Davide Pisani

Dartmouth Scholarship

Placental mammals comprise three principal clades: Afrotheria (e.g., elephants and tenrecs), Xenarthra (e.g., armadillos and sloths), and Boreoeutheria (all other placental mammals), the relationships among which are the subject of controversy and a touchstone for debate on the limits of phylogenetic inference. Previous analyses have found support for all three hypotheses, leading some to conclude that this phylogenetic problem might be impossible to resolve due to the compounded effects of incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and a rapid radiation. Here we show, using a genome scale nucleotide data set, microRNAs, and the reanalysis of the three largest previously published amino acid …

Vestigial Serrula In Scorpion Genera Paravaejovis, , Smeringurus And Vejovoidus (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad, Michael S. Brewer, David P. A. Neff, Michael L. Norton

Euscorpius

The presence of vestigial serrula on the ventral edge of the cheliceral movable finger is established for vaejovid genera Paravaejovis, Paruroctonus, Smeringurus, and Vejovoidus. Detailed descriptions and SEM images illustrating the various manifestations of this interesting cheliceral structure are provided for many species of these four genera. A brief systematic overview of this structure as it exists in Recent scorpions is also presented.

Serrula In Retrospect: A Historical Look At Scorpion Literature (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Matthew R. Graham, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

Serrula, a small comb-like structure on the ventral aspect of cheliceral movable finger in scorpions, has often been overlooked or ignored. Scorpion genera that are currently known to possess serrula belong to six families: Chactidae, Euscorpiidae, Iuridae, Pseudochactidae, Superstitioniidae, and Vaejovidae. All relevant literature on scorpion serrula is reviewed, and serrula of representative scorpion taxa is illustrated by SEM images. We suggest that the inconsistency in reporting serrula is based on several factors (or combination thereof): (a) serrula tines can quite often be broken off partially or completely, especially in adults; (b) serrula can be vestigial and hardly visible under …

On The Poorly Known Genus Mesotityus González-Sponga, 1981 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Luis F. De Armas, Fernando J. M. Rojas-Runjaic

Euscorpius

Examination of new available material (18 females and six males) of the rare Venezuelan scorpion Mesotityus vondangeli González-Sponga, 1981 (Buthidae) demonstrated that there are consistent taxonomic characters to consider it as a genus different from Tityus C. L. Koch, 1836 sensu stricto. Nevertheless, it shares important characters with species of the Tityus clathratus group (=subgenus Archaeotityus Lourenço, 2006). An emended diagnosis of Mesotityus is given, as well as data on natural history, meristic and morphometric variation.

Taxonomic Position Of The Genus Sassanidotus Farzanpay, 1987 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

Sassanidotus Farzanpay, 1987 is a valid genus closely related to Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949, with which it shares most characters including the shape of carinae on the carapace and mesosoma. The main difference is that Sassanidotus has only three granules located proximally to the terminal granule on the movable finger of pedipalp, whereas Compsobuthus and also Mesobuthus Vachon, 1950 have four such granules. Sassanidotus Farzanpay, 1987 includes two species, Sassanidotus zarudnyi (Birula, 1900) (type species) from Iran and Sassanidotus gracilis thus zarudnyi sarghadensis Birula, 1903, syn. n.) from Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan. The neotype is designated for S. zarudnyi.

Mechanisms Of Adaptation In The Newly Invasive Species Brachypodium Sylvaticum (Hudson) Beauv., Gina Lola Marchini

Dissertations and Theses

It is common knowledge that invasive species cause worldwide ecological and economic damage, and are nearly impossible to eradicate. However, upon introduction to a novel environment, alien species should be the underdogs: They are present in small numbers, possess low genetic diversity, and have not adapted to the climate and competitors present in the new habitat. So, how are alien species able to invade an environment occupied by native species that have already adapted to the local environment? To discover some answers to this apparent paradox I conducted four ecological genetic studies that utilized the invasive species Brachypodium sylvaticum (Hudson) …

Redescription And Lectotype Designation Of Vaejovis Lapidicola Stahnke, 1940 (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Matthew R. Graham

Euscorpius

The original description of the Arizona scorpion species Vaejovis lapidicola Stahnke, 1940 consists of a single paragraph. Furthermore, a holotype for this species was never designated. To remedy this, two syntypes of V. lapidicola were obtained for study. A male syntype is redescribed and designated the lectotype, and a female is assigned as a paralectotype. The taxonomic status of V. lapidicola is also confirmed.

Laterobasal Aculear Serrations (Las) In Scorpion Family Vaejovidae (Scorpiones: Chactoidea), Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad, Michael S. Brewer

Euscorpius

The discovery of a new structure on the laterobasal aspect of the telson aculeus is described here for the first time. This structure, termed the laterobasal aculear serrations (LAS), is a row of minute denticles located on each side of the aculeus base, found exclusively in scorpion family Vaejovidae, thus potentially providing a new synapomorphy for this New World family. The LAS structure of major representative vaejovid genera and Vaejovis groups is illustrated with SEM micrographs. Also provided is a comprehensive list of non-vaejovid Recent scorpion genera examined where the LAS structure was found to be absent.

The Effect Of Insularity On The Seasonal Population Structure Of Mesobuthus Gibbosus (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Dimitris Kaltsas, Iasmi Stathi, Moysis Mylonas

Euscorpius

We compared the population structure of Mesobuthus gibbosus from autumn to mid-summer at two similar phryganic ecosystems, one in continental Greece (Thessalia, near Volos city) and one in insular Greece (eastern Crete). Data were collected monthly using the capture-recapture method. At both sites, density was low during the cold period and increased towards summer. During the samplings, only a small percentage of each population was present. Population density and co-occurrence of scorpions with scorpions or other animals was higher in Crete than in Volos, probably due to the higher inter- and intraspecific competition in Volos. The population structure of the …

Duplication Of Pedipalp Segments In The Scorpion Androctonus Crassicauda (Olivier, 1807), Ayşegül Karataş, Mustafa Kürtüllü

Euscorpius

An unusual duplication of pedipalp segments is reported from the buthid scorpion Androctonus crassicauda. While the right pedipalp is normal, the anomaly described here occurred on the left pedipalp. This abnormally developed pedipalp included nine segments instead of normal six. It has two trochanters, two femurs and two patellae; the segments are arranged in the following order: coxa, trochanter I, femur I, patella I, trochanter II, femur II, patella II, chela hand, and movable finger. Morphometric measurements, photographs, and general features of the specimen are given.

Constellation Array In Scorpion Genera Paruroctonus, Smeringurus, Vejovoidus, And Paravaejovis (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad, Michael Brewer, David P. A. Neff, Michael L. Norton

Euscorpius

The constellation array (a recently discovered sensory structure on the fixed finger of pedipalp; Fet et al., 2006) is analyzed for a large set of species belonging to four genera in the family Vaejovidae: Paruroctonus, Smeringurus, Vejovoidus, and Paravaejovis. It is shown that this structure is an important taxonomic character. Two distinct configurations are identified, a two-sensilla array for Paruroctonus + Smeringurus + Vejovoidus and a three-sensilla array for genus Paravejovis, both differing from other vaejovid configurations so far investigated. The topology of these two array configurations are analyzed using landmark setae identified in this study.