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Proceedings Of The 3rd Scorpiology Symposium (American Arachnological Society, 28th Annual Meeting), Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad

Euscorpius

Table of Contents

Victor Fet and Douglas D. Gaffin. Preface p. i

Karen C. Bost and Douglas D. Gaffin. Sand scorpion home burrow navigation in the laboratory p. 1

Douglas D. Gaffin and Mark E. Walvoord. Scorpion peg sensilla: are they the same or are they different? p. 7

J. Zachary Porterfield, Douglas D. Gaffin, Caitlin Porterfield and Curtis Johnston. Screening for scorpions: A non-invasive approach to tracking the movements of arachnids in sand p. 17

Tsunemi Yamashita. Surface activity, biomass, and phenology of the striped scorpion, Centruroides vittatus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Arkansas, USA p. 25

C. Neal McReynolds. Temporal …

Prey Capture Behavior In The East African Scorpions Parabuthus Leiosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828) And P. Pallidus Pocock, 1895 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Jan O. Rein

Euscorpius

Prey capture behavior in Parabuthus leiosoma (Ehrenberg, 1828) and P. pallidus Pocock, 1895 was studied in the laboratory. The behavioral components involved in prey capture were identified and an ethogram is presented. The occurrence of the different prey capture components are analyzed and discussed.

A Review Of The Genus Isometrus Ehrenberg, 1828 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) With Descriptions Of Four New Species From Asia And Australia, František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Four new species of the genus Isometrus are described: Isometrus (Reddyanus) bilyi from Australia, I. (R.) petrzelkai from Vietnam and Thailand, I. (R.) problematicus from India and I. (R.) khammamensis from India. Keys are presented to all species of both subgenera of Isometrus. Lectotypes are designated for I. (I.) thurstoni Pocock, 1893 and I. (R.) assamensis Oates, 1888. I. (I.) sankariensis Tikader & Bastawade, 1983 is synonymized with I. (I.) thurstoni Pocock, 1893. First time records include I. (I.) thurstoni Pocock, …

High-Level Systematics And Phylogeny Of The Extant Scorpions (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

A number of authors (e. g. Birula, 1917a, 1917b; Mello-Leitão, 1945; Stockwell, 1989) addressed above-level systematics of extant scorpions, and accepted the grouping of scorpion families in several superfamilies. At the same time, Kjellesvig-Waering (1986) classified all extant scorpions under the same superfamily, Scorpionoidea. Sissom (1990) and Fet et al. (2000) did not list any superfamilies, considering the systematic situation above family (and often at the family level as well) unresolved. Most recently, Lourenço (2000a) listed six superfamilies, largely following the unpublished but important study of Stockwell (1989). The goal of this paper is to address scorpion systematics and phylogeny …

The Scorpion Sternum: Structure And Phylogeny (Scorpiones: Orthosterni), Michael E. Soleglad, Victor Fet

Euscorpius

The structure of the sternum of all major Recent scorpion groups is analyzed in detail. Based on this analysis, two fundamental sternum types are identified, described and illustrated, type 1 and type 2. These sternum types are distinguished by criteria based on external and internal structural features. The sternum types described herein are offered as a replacement for the various characterizations used throughout the last 140 years which emphasize only gross overall shape and proportions. Phylogenetic and taxonomic ramifications of these new sternal types are discussed. The Carboniferous fossil scorpion Palaeopisthacanthus schucherti Petrunkevitch is assigned to sternum type 1 …

Feeding Ecology Of The Invasive Lionfish (Pterois Spp.) And Comparison With Two Native Species: Schoolmaster Lutjanus Apodus (Walbaum, 1792) And Graysby Cephalopholis Cruentata (Lacepède, 1802), Jesse J. Secord

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Predator satiation and prey-size preference were determined for locally caught lionfish, schoolmaster, and graysby, all co-occurring predatory fishes in the Florida coral reef ecosystem. Individuals were evaluated by exposing them to wild-caught killifish over a gradient of four size classes (20 mm to 60 mm, in 10 mm increments). Preference trials extended over a 2 hr time period and were filmed to determine the order in which each prey item was consumed. Satiation was evaluated by exposing the predators to an equal number of excess prey items for 24 hrs and evaluating consumed prey weight. Lionfish and schoolmaster showed a …

Spatial And Dietary Overlap Creates Potential For Competition Between Red Snapper (Lutjanus Campechanus) And Vermilion Snapper (Rhomboplites Aurorubens), William T. Davis, J. Marcus Drymon, Sean P. Powers

University Faculty and Staff Publications

Understanding the complex nature of direct and indirect species interactions is a critical precursor to successful resource management. In the northern Gulf of Mexico fisheries ecosystem, red snapper (Lutjanus campechanus) and vermilion snapper (Rhomboplites aurorubens) are two commercially harvested species within a larger reef fish complex. These two species share similar habitats and diets; however, little is known about how these species partition habitat and dietary resources. In this study we examined the extent of spatial and dietary overlap between red snapper and vermilion snapper, and experimentally compared their feeding behavior. Field data from multiple gear …

The Biology Of Eastern Kingbirds At Malheur National Wildlife Refuge: Survival, Reproduction, And Testosterone Secretion, Lucas J. Redmond

Dissertations and Theses

This dissertation presents the results of a study that I undertook to better understand the breeding biology of Eastern Kingbirds (hereafter, kingbirds) at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon from 2003 to 2009. Kingbirds are long-distance migratory songbirds that breed across much of North America. This species is socially monogamous but, via frequent extra-pair copulations, is genetically polygamous. Kingbirds exhibit relatively high breeding site fidelity, often returning to the same tree to nest in subsequent years. Both members of a pair provide parental care, but there are often specific duties performed by both male and female kingbirds. For example, …

Influence Of Rock-Pool Characteristics On The Distribution And Abundance Of Inter-Tidal Fishes, Gemma E. White, Grant C. Hose, Culum Brown

Ecology Collection

Rock pools can be found in inter-tidal marine environments worldwide; however, there have been few studies exploring what drives their, fish species composition, especially in Australia. The rock-pool environment is highly dynamic and offers a unique natural laboratory to study the habitat choices, physiological limitations and adaptations of inter-tidal fish species. In this study rock pools of the Sydney region were sampled to determine how the physical (volume, depth, rock cover and vertical position) and biological (algal cover and predator presence) parameters of pools influence fish distribution and abundance. A total of 27 fish species representing 14 families was observed …

Plant Toxins Influence Diet Selection And Intestinal Parasites In A Specialist Herbivore, Marcella Rene Fremgen

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

Herbivores select plants and patches that generally maximize nutrient intake and minimize intake of plant secondary metabolites (PSMs). Protein is important for growth, reproduction and maintenance, but maximizing intake of protein is often limited by concentrations of PSMs that are potentially toxic to herbivores and energetically expensive to process. However, the consequences of ingesting PSM are often dose-dependent. At high doses, PSMs generally have negative physiological effects and are avoided, but some PSMs can be therapeutic against parasites at low doses and could therefore be selected. We used Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus, hereafter, sage-grouse) to test how PSMs influence …

Dietary Carotenoids And The Complex Role Of Redness In The Behavior Of The Firemouth Cichlid Thorichthys Meeki., Sarah Anne Fauque

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation takes a comprehensive approach to the role of dietary carotenoids on redness and the subsequent behaviors in the firemouth cichlid, Thorichthys meeki. I start with a brief introduction into signaling, the importance of carotenoids, and mate choice. The dissertation is then divided into three data chapters which are designed to stand as independent manuscripts. Chapter II documents how altering the availability of dietary carotenoids affects redness in the integument of male and female T. meeki. I tracked how redness changed in color and distribution in individuals over the course of 12 weeks. I confirm that a dichotomy …

Impact Of Urban Factors And Invasive Species On White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus Leucopus) Habitat Use And Foraging Behavior In An Urban Forest Park., William Persons

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

White-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) select for areas of greater canopy cover at the macro scale, and for areas with more CWD at the micro-scale. White-footed mice potentially avoid habitats with higher invasive species richness. White-footed mice preferentially foraged under the honeysuckle canopy in response to changes in temperature and humidity. This study suggests that the interaction between P. leucopus and ground layer invasive species is complex, and that the effect of moonlight may be diminished in this urban park. Urban ecosystems demonstrate high levels of anthropogenic land-use change, modification of abiotic inputs, and altered disturbance regimes. These changes result …

Plant Community Responses To Invasive Shrub And Vine Removal In An Urban Park Woodland., Eric Richard Moore

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Counter to what some people think, urban areas can be biodiversity hotspots. Maintaining this biodiversity can be challenging, since exotic shrubs and vines block sunlight and threaten native plant regeneration. Since 2007, the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy (LOPC) has spent $2 million on invasive plant management in Cherokee Park. Before the project began, long-term transects were established by the LOPC to collect baseline presence/absence data on 11 invasive plant species. In 2014, I revisited these transects and documented presence/absence data on the entire plant community. I found that four species (garlic mustard, winter creeper, Japanese honeysuckle, and English ivy) have …

Variability In The Selection Patterns Of Pronghorn: Are They Really Native Prairie Obligates?, Paul F. Jones, Mike Grue, Mike Suitor, Darren J. Bender, Cormack Gates, Dale Eslinger, Julie Landry-Deboer

The Prairie Naturalist

In Canada, pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) are primarily considered a native prairie obligate because of their reliance on open grassland vegetation communities, although an assessment of local ecological knowledge suggests that pronghorn in Alberta select a variety of habitat from native prairie to cultivated lands. The primary objective of our study was to assess whether pronghorn in Alberta and Saskatchewan are native prairie obligates. Specifically, we addressed the following questions: 1) do individual pronghorn show similar selection patterns for native prairie and, therefore, support the notion that they are prairie obligates; 2) do pronghorn show consistent resource selection patterns …

Native Deer Mice (Peromyscus Maniculatus) Use Of Invasive Grass Seed (Ehrharta Calycina) In Coastal California, Megan Wong

Biological Sciences

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Wind Turbine Noise On Male Greater Prairie-Chicken Vocalizations And Chorus, Cara E. Whalen

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Wind energy facilities are constructed without full knowledge of their effects on birds, and the noise generated by wind turbines is a particular concern. I investigated the effects of wind turbine noise on male Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) vocalizations and chorus near Ainsworth, NE, USA in 2013 and 2014. I studied 14 leks located in the area surrounding a 36-turbine wind energy facility. I used two main approaches in this study. First, I recorded Greater Prairie-Chicken boom, cackle, whine, and whoop vocalizations at each of the study leks and measured the duration, sound pressure level, peak frequency, …

Occupancy Analysis And Density Estimation Of Kori Bustards (Ardeotis Kori) And Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida Meleagris) For Use In Landscape Conservation Planning In The Northern Tuli Game Reserve, Botswana, Kathryn R. Mccollum

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

For understudied species, more informed conservation planning and decision-making on both the local and landscape levels may be attained through the use of occupancy and abundance estimations. Here, we focus on two iconic bird species in eastern Botswana, kori bustards (Ardeotis kori) and helmeted guineafowl (Numida meleagris). The overall goal of this project was to better understand the hierarchy of factors that influence occupancy (ψ) and density of kori bustard and helmeted guineafowl populations within the Northern Tuli Game Reserve and how these factors may interact to affect landscape conservation and usage. We performed distance sampling …

Sage-Grouse Nests In An Active Conifer Mastication Site, Charles P. Sandford, David K. Dahlgren, Terry A. Messmer

The Prairie Naturalist

Greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; sage-grouse) have experienced long-term range-wide population declines and now may occupy less than 50% of their historic range (Schroeder et al. 2004). Conifer encroachment into sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat was identified as a major conservation threat by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as the agency reviewed the listing status of the species for possible protection under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (USFWS 2013).

Conifer encroachment into sagebrush habitats negatively impacts sage-grouse at landscape scales (Doherty et al. 2008, Casazza et al. 2011, Baruch-Mordo et al. 2013). Sage-grouse will utilize …

Environmental Impacts And Carry-Over Effects In Complex Life Cycles: The Role Of Different Life History Stages, Nnaemeka F. Ezeakacha

Dissertations

A challenge faced by organisms with complex life cycles is how environmental factors experienced at an earlier life stage affect the fitness at that stage or are carried over to subsequent life stages. I used container-inhabiting mosquitoes: Aedes albopictus, Aedes aegypti, Aedes triseriatus and Culex quinquefasciatus to study the interactions and performance of life history stages under specific environmental factors. I investigated the effects of egg-desiccation tolerance on egg viability and larval performance in the Aedes mosquitoes. I found increase in egg hatch rate with relative humidity and interaction between relative humidity and egg storage period. Larval performance …

Expansion Of The Chlorovirus Genus By Studies On Virus Natural History And Chlorella Host Metabolism, Cristian F. Quispe

School of Biological Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Inland waters cover about 2.5 percent of our planet and harbor huge numbers of known and unknown microorganisms including viruses. Viruses likely play dynamic, albeit largely undocumented roles in regulating microbial communities and in recycling nutrients in the ecosystem. Phycodnaviruses are a genetically diverse, yet morphologically similar, group of large dsDNA-containing viruses (160- to 560-kb) that inhabit aquatic environments. Members of the genus Chlorovirus are common in freshwater. They replicate in eukaryotic, single-celled, chlorella-like green algae that normally exist as endosymbionts of protists in nature. Very little is known about the natural history of the chloroviruses and how they achieve …

Territorial Defense Strategies In The Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis Cardinalis): Who Is The Bigger Threat?, Kaylee M. Gentry

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the use of defensive strategies in relation to territories year round in the northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). Responses to recorded neighbor song and stranger song playback from the middle of a focal male’s territory were measured. This allowed for an estimation of aggression in both the winter and spring seasons. Each focal male was subjected to both treatments (stranger song and neighbor song). Males were more responsive over-all to neighbor song playback, however in the winter months, persistence of response to neighbor song playback increased. It was also shown that southeastern United States cardinals show …

Distribution And Occurrence Of Bat Species In North Dakota, Josiah J. Nelson, Paul R. Barnhart, Erin H. Gillam

The Prairie Naturalist

Prior to 2009, a detailed survey of occurrence and distribution of bats in North Dakota had not been conducted. Localized surveys, occurrence reports, and museum specimens provided the only records of bats in the state. Ongoing habitat loss, exploitation of natural resources, and the impending spread of white-nose syndrome to the western United States are major threats to bat populations of the region. The objective of this study was to document presence and distributions of bat species resident in North Dakota. From 2009 to 2012, multiple mist-netting and acoustic surveys were conducted to document species presence across North Dakota. A …

Macrobenthic Communities In The Northern Gulf Of Mexico Hypoxic Zone: Testing The Pearson-Rosenberg Model, Shivakumar Shivarudrappa

Dissertations

The Pearson and Rosenberg (P-R) conceptual model of macrobenthic succession was used to assess the impact of hypoxia (dissolved oxygen [DO] ≤ 2 mg/L) on the macrobenthic community on the continental shelf of northern Gulf of Mexico for the first time. The model uses a stress-response relationship between environmental parameters and the macrobenthic community to determine the ecological condition of the benthic habitat. The ecological significance of dissolved oxygen in a benthic habitat is well understood. In addition, the annual recurrence of bottom-water hypoxia on the Louisiana/Texas shelf during summer months is well documented.

The P-R model illustrates the decreasing …

Same-Sex Socio-Sexual Interactions Among A Group Of Captive Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus), Natalia Botero Acosta

Master's Theses

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) frequently engage in non-reproductive sexual behavior, including homosexual encounters. In order to better understand the nature and function of these interactions, a longitudinal study of the patterns of association and the dynamics of initiator/recipient role exchange was conducted. Underwater video footage of a colony of bottlenose dolphins housed at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS), collected between March of 2010 and May of 2013, was analyzed. Associations occurring during homosexual interactions were transitory for most individuals. Nonetheless, subsequent analyses allowed the rejection of the null hypothesis of random association, suggesting the existence of …

Spring Migration Ecology Of American Woodcock (Scolopax Minor) In The Central Management Region Of The United States, Cari Elizabeth Sebright

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

American woodcock (Scolopax minor) is a migratory game bird in population decline since the start of monitoring in 1968. Researchers are interested in gaining knowledge of spring migration ecology to improve migration habitat and mitigate population decline. I captured six woodcock with mist and hand nets on nocturnal habitat and marked them with VHF (very high frequency) transmitters in northern Arkansas. I documented the distance they traveled between nocturnal and diurnal habitats (n=27), and documented diurnal vegetation characteristics at sites used (n=25). I found that woodcock moved an average of 370 m (SE 25.31 m) with the longest movement being …

The Abundance And Distribution Of Mallards In The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley Of Arkansas, John Andrew Herbert

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The management of wintering waterfowl in North America requires flexibility because of constantly changing landscapes and conditions. Many mallards use the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley (MAV) for wintering habitat, making this an area of emphasis for improving management strategies. In this study, I used mallard observation data from 2009-2014 aerial surveys collected in the Arkansas portion of the lower MAV to explain the abundance and distribution and of mallards. Using spatial hierarchical models and breaking covariate data to 2x2 km grid cells, I analyzed how covariates relate to the changes of abundance and distributions within and among surveys. Mallard abundance …

Genetic Analyses Determine Connectivity Among Cave And Surface Populations Of The Jamaican Endemic Freshwater Crab Sesarma Fossarum In The Cockpit Country, Manuel Stemmer, Christoph D. Schubart

International Journal of Speleology

The Jamaican freshwater crab Sesarma fossarum (Decapoda: Brachyura: Sesarmidae) is endemic to western central Jamaica where it occurs in cave and surface streams of karst regions. In the present study, we examine the population genetic structure of the species, providing evidence for intraspecific differentiation and genetic substructure among twelve sampled populations. Interestingly, crabs from caves appear genetically undistinguishable from representatives of nearby surface waters, despite previously observed and described morphometric differentiation. In contrast, genetic isolation takes place among populations from rivers and caves belonging to different watersheds. In one case, even populations from different tributaries of the same river were …

Roe Deer Summer Habitat Selection At Multiple Spatio-Temporal Scales In An Alpine Environment, Sara Mancinelli, Wibke Peters, Luigi Boitani, Mark Hebblewhite, Francesca Cagnacci

Wildlife Biology Faculty Publications

Habitat selection is a hierarchical process that may involve different patterns depending on the spatial and temporal scales of investigation. We studied habitat selection by European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) in a very diverse environment in the Italian eastern Alps, during summer. We sampled both coarse-grained habitat variables (topographic variables, habitat types and cover) and fine-grained habitat variables (forage components of habitat) in used and available locations along the movement trajectories of 14 adult roe deer equipped with GPS telemetry collars. We used conventional logistic regression to assess roe deer habitat selection at the seasonal home range scale, …

Estudios En Biodiversidad, Volumen I, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott Monks, Maritza López-Herrera

Zea E-Books Collection

Este libro es el producto del trabajo colegiado que han desarrollado los profesores, investigadores, y estudiantes que conforman la Red Temática de Calidad Ambiental y Desarrollo Sustentable, a través del macroproyecto “Evaluación del impacto ambiental por actividades antropogénicas: Alternativas de mitigación”. El cual fue apoyado con recursos financieros por parte del Programa para el Desarrollo Profesional Docente (PRODEP), de la Secretaria de Educación Pública (SEP) en México. Las instituciones de educación superior y cuerpos participantes en la red temática son la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo (Uso, Manejo y Conservación de la Biodiversidad UAEHCA- 10; Ciencias Ambientales UAEH-CA-59); Universidad …

The Impeccable Timing Of The Apple Maggot Fly, Rhagoletis Pomonella (Dipetera: Tephritidae), And Its Implications For Ecological Speciation, Monte Arthur Mattsson

Dissertations and Theses

Speciation is the process by which life diversifies into discrete forms, and understanding its underlying mechanisms remains a primary focus for biologists. Increasingly, empirical studies are helping explain the role of ecology in generating biodiversity. Adaptive radiations are often propelled by selective fitness tradeoffs experienced by individuals that invade new habitats, resulting in reproductive isolation from ancestral conspecifics and potentially cladogenesis. Host specialist insects are among the most speciose organisms known and serve as highly useful models for studying adaptive radiations. We are just beginning to understand the pace and degree with which these insects diversify. The apple maggot, Rhagoletis …