Managing Invasive Plants On Great Plains Grasslands: A Discussion Of Current Challenges, John Gaskin, Erin Espeland, Casey D. Johnson, Jane M. Mangold, Rachel A. Mcgee, Chuck Milner, Shishir Paudel, Dean E. Pearson, Lora B. Perkins, Chadley W. Prosser, Justin B. Runyon, Sharlene E. Sing, Zachary A. Sylvain, Amy J. Symstad, Daniel R. Tekiela

Native Plant Focused Publications

The Great Plains of North America encompass approximately 1,300,000 km² of land from Texas to Saskatchewan. The integrity of these lands is under continual assault by long-established and newly-arrived invasive plant species, which can threaten native species and diminish land values and ecological goods and services by degrading desired grassland resources. The Great Plains are a mixture of privately and publicly owned lands, which leads to a patchwork of varying management goals and strategies for controlling invasive plants. Continually updated knowledge is required for efficient and effective management of threats posed by changing environments and invasive plants. Here we …

The First Global Deep-Sea Stable Isotope Assessment Reveals The Unique Trophic Ecology Of Vampire Squid Vampyroteuthis Infernalis (Cephalopoda), A. V. Golikov, F. R. Ceia, R. M. Sabirov, J. D. Ablett, Ian G. Gleadall, Gudmundur Gudmundsson, Henk-Jan T. Hoving, Heather L. Judkins

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

Vampyroteuthis infernalis Chun, 1903, is a widely distributed deepwater cephalopod with unique morphology and phylogenetic position. We assessed its habitat and trophic ecology on a global scale via stable isotope analyses of a unique collection of beaks from 104 specimens from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Cephalopods typically are active predators occupying a high trophic level (TL) and exhibit an ontogenetic increase in δ15N and TL. Our results, presenting the first global comparison for a deep-sea invertebrate, demonstrate that V. infernalis has an ontogenetic decrease in δ15N and TL, coupled with niche broadening. Juveniles are mobile zooplanktivores, while larger …

Temporal Variability Of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons In Deep-Sea Cephalopods Of The Northern Gulf Of Mexico, Isabel C. Romero, Heather L. Judkins, Michael Vecchione

USF St. Petersburg Campus Faculty Publications

As part of the effort to understand the effects of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (DWHOS), we analyzed tissue from five species of midwater oceanic cephalopods in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) during three time periods, including one period sampled fortuitously just before the spill (2010), and two periods sampled after the spill (2011 and 2015–2016). The species, Japetella diaphana, Abralia redfieldi, Histioteuthis corona, Leachia atlantica, and Onychoteuthis banksii were collected in three geographic areas in the GoM (east, south and southeast of the Macondo wellhead). Results indicate a shift in the composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in …

A Synergism Between Dimethyl Trisulfide And Methyl Thiolacetate In Attracting Carrion-Frequenting Beetles Demonstrated By Use Of A Chemically-Supplemented Minimal Trap, Stephen T. Trumbo, John Dicapua Iii

EEB Articles

Volatile organic compounds derived from microbes recruit insects to carrion, shaping community assembly and ecological succession. The importance of individual volatiles and interactions between volatiles are difficult to assess in the field because of (1) the myriad compounds from decomposing animals, and (2) the likelihood that complex component blends are important for the final approach to carrion. On the assumption that searching insects may use simpler volatile cues to orient at a distance, we employed a chemically-supplemented minimal trap that uses test chemicals to attract from a distance and a minimal carrion bait to induce trap entry. Traps supplemented with …

Using Harvest Slot Limits To Promote Stock Recovery And Broaden Age Structure In Marine Recreational Fisheries: A Case Study, Jacob M. Kasper, Jeffrey Brust, Amanda Caskenette, Jason Mcnamee, Jason C. Vokoun, Eric T. Schultz

EEB Articles

Fish populations with broad age distributions are expected to have higher reproductive capacity than age-truncated populations because of the disproportionate contributions of older fish. Harvest slot limits, an expected means of ameliorating age truncation, are modeled for Tautog Tautoga onitis in an overfished population subunit that is experiencing overfishing. Tautog, currently managed by a 40 cm minimum size limit (MSL), is a candidate species for slots because it is relatively long-lived, slow-growing, with low discard mortality. We evaluated changes in biomass and abundance-at-age relative to management with the current MSL regulations using a forward population simulation model for four slots: …

Bio-Economic Outcomes Under Alternative Management Strategies With Human Choice And Behavior: Modeling Tautog And Anglers' Preferences, Eric T. Schultz, Zhenshan Chen, Pengfei Liu, Stephen Swallow, Jacob M. Kasper

EEB Articles

Key findings

• There was relatively strong support for slot limits, and roughly comparable support for status quo management, among anglers fishing for Tautog in Long Island Sound.
• Respondents were not in favor of a total moratorium on fishing for Tautog.
• Providing survey respondents information on how different management scenarios will affect fishing in the future had little detectable impact on fishing preferences.
• Respondents expected to fish less in the future if a wide slot limit is imposed or if status quo management is maintained, but expected no change in effort if a narrow slot limit is imposed.
• Changes in regulations …

Using Northern Pike And Yellow Perch To Attempt A Trophic Cascade, Bryan Sea

Journal of Earth and Life Science

In the midwestern USA, water clarity has decreased in shallow lakes as a result of large populations of Fathead Minnow Pimephales promelas and agriculture that impact the life that depend on shallow habitats, such as waterfowl, fish, and aquatic plants. Northern Pike Esox lucius and Yellow Perch Perca flavescens were stocked in a few lakes in attempt to create a tropic cascade and reduce populations of nuisance Fathead Minnows. Northern Pike were stocked as fry and Yellow Perch were stocked as adults either pre-spawn or post-spawn. Lake managers hypothesized adult Yellow Perch would spawn and the age-0 Perch would feed …

Invertebrates Should Be Given Ethical Consideration, Marie-Claire Cammaerts

Animal Sentience

Invertebrates are far more numerous than vertebrates. Most of them are essential to the survival of humanity. Their physiology, behavior, know-how, and cognitive abilities are often as complex as those of vertebrates. Invertebrates should be considered and studied as are vertebrates, i.e., ethically, and cautiously.

Problems With Basing Insect Ethics On Individuals’ Welfare, Susana Monsó, Antonio J. Osuna-Mascaró

Animal Sentience

In their target article, Mikhalevich & Powell (M&P) argue that we should extend moral protection to arthropods. In this commentary, we show that there are some unforeseen obstacles to applying the sort of individualistic welfare-based ethics that M&P have in mind to certain arthropods, namely, insects. These obstacles have to do with the fact that there are often many more individuals involved in our dealings with insects than our ethical theories anticipate, and also with the fact that, in some sense, some insects count as more than an individual and, in another sense, they sometimes count as less than an …

Lessons From Miniature Brains: Cognition Cheap, Memory Expensive (Sentience Linked To Active Movement?), Giorgio Vallortigara

Animal Sentience

Studies on invertebrate minds suggest that the neural machinery for basic cognition is cheap, and that bigger brains are probably associated with greater memory storage rather than more advanced cognition. Sentience may be linked to feedforward mechanisms (Reafferenzprinzip) that allow organisms with active movement to distinguish active and passive sensing. Invertebrates may offer special opportunities for testing these hypotheses.

In Memoriam: Ignacio Ribera (1963–2020), Emmanuel D. Delocado, Michael Balke, Hendrik Freitag

Biology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Genetic Analysis Of The Endangered Gray Bat Species (Myotis Grisescens), Emma Fitzgerald

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

This study attempts to analyze the genetics using specific haplotype sequences of the endangered gray bat to determine genetic events that have happened in the past as well as determining how the species population has changed over time. We were able to conduct a Tajima’s D test to investigate whether a potential bottleneck has occurred. A linear regression of the genetic vs. geographical distance was produced to investigate the patterns of haplotype distribution. The species past distribution was compared to the current distribution using known collected specimens. A map of future predictions was constructed using present and future climate layers …

Spring Field Report, March-May 2020, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

Although there were numerous early arrival dates, most were in the range of historically earliest expected dates; notable, however, was a lone record-early Whiterumped Sandpiper, nicely photographed. Record late by a month was a juvenile Redtailed (Harlan’s) Hawk, also confirmed by photo. Perhaps most prominent this spring were the large numbers of several species. Most eye-popping were record spring totals of 22 Glossy Ibises, 11 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, 14 Veeries, including five in the Panhandle, 48 Gray-cheeked Thrushes, 20 Bay-breasted Warblers, not long ago a rare bird in spring, 45 Golden-winged Warblers and 27 Canada Warblers, both of which were about …

Factors Associated With Larval Freshwater Drum Annual Peak Density In A Nebraska Irrigation Reservoir, Brett T. Miller, Brian C. Peterson, Keith D. Koupal, Casey W. Schoenebeck

The Prairie Naturalist

Freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) represent one of the most widely distributed fish species in North America. Identifying biotic and abiotic factors that influence larval freshwater drum densities can improve understanding of early life history. Our objective was to investigate correlations between annual peak density of larval freshwater drum and combinations of five variables (chlorophyll a, growing degree days [GDD], reservoir discharge, turbidity, and cladoceran density) from a longterm (2003–2017) monitoring program in a Nebraska irrigation reservoir. Twenty-eight a priori candidate models were assessed to determine the relative support of explanatory variables associated with annual peak density of larval freshwater drum …

Revision Of New World Cosmorrhyncha Meyrick, 1913 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae), With Descriptions Of Five New Species, John W. Brown, Jozef Razowski, Alicia E. Timm

Insecta Mundi

Although well studied in the Afrotropical Region, the genus Cosmorrhyncha Meyrick, 1913 (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Olethreutinae), has received little attention in the New World, where it apparently is restricted to the Neotropics from Guatemala south to Paraguay. Seven species are recognized, five of which are described as new: C. tonsana (Walker, 1863) (Type locality: Brazil); C. ocelliferana (Walker, 1863) (TL: Brazil); C. landryi Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: French Guiana); C. parintina Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: Brazil); C. macrospina Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: Brazil); C. albistrigulana Brown and Razowski, sp. n. (TL: Costa Rica); and C. …

New State Records Of Lady Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) From Missouri And Mississippi, Usa, Louis S. Hesler

Insecta Mundi

New state records for three species of lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae) are reported from two states in the south-central USA. Hyperaspis bolteri LeConte and Exochomus childreni guexi LeConte are newly reported for the state of Missouri, and Hyperaspis connectens (Thunberg) is newly reported for the state of Mississippi.

Taxonomic Notes On Western Hemisphere Cyrtinini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) Including Description Of Two New Cyrtinus Leconte Species, James E. Wappes, Antonio Santos-Silva, Francisco E. De L. Nascimento

Insecta Mundi

Cyrtinus pygmaeus (Haldeman, 1847) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) is redescribed and newly recorded from Mexico. The female of Decarthria stephensii Hope, 1834 is also redescribed, the number of specimens in the type series is corrected, as is the depository of the types, and the species is newly recorded from Dominica. Two new species of Cyrtinus LeConte, 1852 are described from Mexico: C. fisheri Wappes, Santos-Silva and Nascimento; and C. howdeni Wappes, Santos-Silva and Nascimento. A key to species of Decarthria Hope, 1834 (adapted from an earlier key to Cyrtinini) is provided.

The Trichoptera Of Panama Xiii. Further New Country Records For Caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) From The Republic Of Panama, Brian J. Armitage, Steven C. Harris, Roger J. Blahnik, Robin E. Thomson, Tomas A. Rios Gonzalez, Yusseff Aguirre

Insecta Mundi

The Republic of Panama currently includes 414 recorded species of Trichoptera. Herein we add two new genera (Hydroptilidae: Angrisanoia Ozdikmen, 2008 and Mayatrichia Mosely, 1937) and 17 new country records (Philopotamidae: Chimarra (C.) tapanti Blahnik, Wormaldia bolivari Muñoz-Quesada and Holzenthal, and Wormaldia zunigae Muñoz-Quesada and Holzenthal; Hydropsychidae: Centromacronema pygmaeum Botosaneanu; Hydroptilidae: Brysopteryx esparta Harris and Holzenthal, Byrsopteryx solisi Harris and Holzenthal, Costatrichia falsa Santos, Takiya, and Nessimian, Mayatrichia illobia Harris and Holzenthal, Metrichia amplitudinis Bueno-Soria and Holzenthal, Ochrotrichia boquillas Moulton and Harris, O. conformalis Bueno-Soria and Holzenthal, O. quinealensis Bueno-Soria and Holzenthal, and O. unica Bueno-Soria and Santiago; …

The Identity Of The Adventive Gryllotalpa Latreille Species (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) In Hawaii, With Illustration Of Male Genitalia Of G. Orientalis Burmeister, J. H. Frank

Insecta Mundi

The adventive mole cricket species (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) in Hawaii is apparently Gryllotalpa krishnani Arun Prasanna et al., 2012. The adventive was long thought to be Gryllotalpa africana Palisot de Beauvois, 1805. From 1983 until 2008 it seemed that Gryllotalpa orientalis Burmeister, 1839 might be the adventive’s correct name. However, male genitalia and tegmental characters of Hawaiian specimens match features of G. krishnani and not G. orientalis.

A New Species Of Uvarus Guignot, 1939 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini) From Florida, Usa, J. H. Epler

Insecta Mundi

A new species of Uvarus Guignot, 1939 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini), is described from Florida, USA. It is most similar to U. suburbanus (Fall), but differs in the shape of the much stouter and broader median lobe of the male genitalia.

New Records Of Woodboring Beetles (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) For The Eastern United States, Lawrence Barringer

Insecta Mundi

An abundance-based checklist of eastern Buprestidae (Coleoptera) was compiled from collection records from invasive insect surveys conducted during 2010–2018. Reported are 111 species in 17 genera based on 33,047 specimens examined from 10 states. Sixty-three new state records in nine states are reported. Collection date ranges by month for each state are provided.

Jumping Bristletail (Insecta: Apterygota: Microcoryphia) Records In The Southeastern United States, Grant D. De Jong

Insecta Mundi

Few records of Microcoryphia exist for the southeastern United States, with named species being reported only from Arkansas, Tennessee, and the mid-Atlantic states, and with an unnamed species being reported from Georgia. Records are here provided from 291 specimens housed in the Mississippi Entomological Museum, including ten new species-level state records. This is also the first published report of the order Microcoryphia from Alabama and Mississippi. Species include the machilids Pedetontoides atlanticus Mendes in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, and North Carolina; Pedetontus cf. atlanticus in Kentucky; Pedetontus (Verhoeffilis) gershneri Allen in Arkansas; and Pedetontus (Pedetontus) saltator …

Captive Ring-Necked Pheasant Response To Very High Experimental Doses Of Lead, Travis J. Runia, Alex J. Solem

The Prairie Naturalist

Ingestion of spent lead pellets is a well-documented source of lead exposure in free-ranging birds, although the consequence of lead ingestion varies widely among avian guilds. Ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) appear to be less susceptible to lead poisoning than other game birds. Our objectives were to determine survival, liver lead accumulation, and body mass change of 129 captive-raised pheasants in response to being gavage-fed 5, 10, 20, or 40 lead pellets. All pheasants survived the 21-day experiment. Liver-lead levels were positively correlated with the number of lead pellets retained and negatively correlated with beginning body mass. Change in percent body …

Evaluation Of Four Larval Fish Sampling Methods In A Large Midwestern River, Nathan J. Lederman, Anthony R. Sindt, Douglas J. Dieterman, John D. Krenz, Shannon J. Fisher

The Prairie Naturalist

Understanding limitations of larval fish capture gears is critical for developing appropriate sampling protocols and interpreting catch data. We evaluated genera richness, genera diversity, assemblage similarities, abundance indices (i.e., density or catch per unit effort [CPUE]), and sample size requirements between a surface slednet and glow-stick light traps used in 2014 and 2015 and a benthic slednet and light-emitting diode light (LED) traps used in 2015 in the Minnesota River. The surface slednet captured the greatest number of larval fish genera (15) while the LED light trap captured the fewest (1). Similarities of assemblages sampled was highest between surface and …

Comparing Native Bee Communities On Reconstructed And Remnant Prairie In Missouri, Joseph Larose, Elisabeth B. Webb, Deborah Finke

The Prairie Naturalist

The tallgrass prairie of North America is an imperiled ecosystem that has been the subject of considerable restoration effort and research in the past two decades. While native prairie plant species are purposely introduced during restoration, prairie invertebrates, including native bees (Anthophila), are not and must colonize from surrounding remnants. Prairie restorations may not support the same bee communities as remnant prairies because of habitat differences and dispersal limitations. We sampled native bees on reconstructed and remnant prairies in Missouri in the summers of 2016 and 2017 and compared the communities by evaluating species richness, diversity, and community composition. We …

Greater Prairie-Chickens And Sharp-Tailed Grouse Have Similarly High Nest Survival In The Nebraska Sandhills, Larkin Powell, Walter Schacht, Julia P. Ewald, Kathryn R. Mccollum

The Prairie Naturalist

The ranges of two native galliform species overlap in the Nebraska Sandhills, the largest contiguous grassland in North America. We monitored nests of greater prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus cupido) and sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus) in Cherry County, Nebraska, in 2015 and 2016. Our objectives were to 1) compare daily probability of nest survival between species, 2) evaluate vegetation structure at nests for potential effects on nest survival, 3) compare nest site topography between species, and 4) use a simple model of breeding season success to evaluate the potential for stable populations at our study sites. We captured and …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Volume 88 March 2020 Number 1

Nebraska Bird Review

Winter Field Report, Dec. 2019 - Feb. 2020, by W. Ross Silcock …2

2019-2020 Christmas Bird Counts …18, 27-41

Annual Color Photo Section …19-26

Annual Treasurer's Report for 2019, by Jan Johnson …42

Subscription and Organization Information …43

Primer Registro De Asiothrixus Antidesmae (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) En La República Dominicana, José Francisco García Ochaeta

Insecta Mundi

Asiothrixus antidesmae (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), una especie de mosca blanca asiática, fue encontrada sobre Ixora sp. en la República Dominicana, lo cual representa un nuevo registro en el país. Se presenta información básica sobre la especie, una diagnosis e ilustraciones para ayudar en su identificación.

Asiothrixus antidesmae (Takahashi) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), an Asian whitefly species, was found on Ixora sp. in the Dominican Republic and represents the first record of this species in the country. Basic information on this whitefly species, including a diagnosis and illustrations to aid in its identification, are provided.

El Género Aleuroparadoxus Quaintance Y Baker 1914, Con Descripción De Tres Nuevas Especies, Nuevos Registros Y Clave Para Las Especies (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), José Francisco García Ochaeta, Gregory A. Evans

Insecta Mundi

Se revisa el género Aleuroparadoxus Quaintance y Baker (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae: Aleyrodinae) y se describen e ilustran A. gabrieli García-Ochaeta y Evans, sp. nov., de Guatemala y México, A. elmarrojasi García- Ochaeta y Evans, sp. nov., de Guatemala y A. carapiai García-Ochaeta y Evans, sp. nov., de México. Se registran A. sapotae Russell y A. gardeniae Russell por primera vez para Guatemala. Se proporciona una clave ilustrada para la identificación de los grupos y especies del género.

The genus Aleuroparadoxus Quaintance and Baker (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae: Aleyrodinae) is revised and A. gabrieli García-Ochaeta and Evans, sp. nov., from …

Nomenclatural Notes On Some Currently Known Species Of Eupogonius Leconte, 1852 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) And Description Of Seven New Species, James E. Wappes, Antonio Santos-Silva

Insecta Mundi

The following new species of Eupogonius LeConte, 1852 (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) are described: E. tlanchinolensis Wappes and Santos-Silva (Mexico, Hidalgo); E. albofasciatus Wappes and Santos- Silva (Mexico, Puebla); E. sonorensis Wappes and Santos-Silva (Mexico, Sonora); E. guerrerensis Wappes and Santos-Silva (Mexico, Guerrero); E. boteroi Wappes and Santos-Silva (Mexico, Guerrero); E. nascimentoi Wappes and Santo-Silva (Mexico, Jalisco and Colima); and E. monzoni Wappes and Santos-Silva (Guatemala, Alta Verapaz). Additionally, a detailed description of the female of Eupogonius fulvovestitus Schaeffer, 1905 is provided for the first time, along with notes on the likely host of the species. New state records in Mexico …