Life Sciences Commons^™

Endangered And Threatened Wildlife And Plants; Proposal To Determine The Black-Capped Vireo To Be An Endangered Species

Endangered Species Bulletin

The Service proposes to list the black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapillus) as an endangered species under provisions of the Endangered Species Act of I973 as amended. This small bird formerly bred from Kansas through Oklahoma and Texas to central Coahuila in Mexico. The vireo population is declining. It no longer occurs in Kansas, is gravely endangered in Oklahoma where it was found in only three small areas in 1986, and is no longer found in several parts of its former range in Texas. The black-capped vireo is threatened by brown beaded cowbird (Molothrus ater) nest parasitism and …

Revised Checklist Of North American Mammals North Of Mexico, 1986, J. Knox Jones Jr., Dilford C. Carter, Hugh H. Genoways, Robert S. Hoffmann, Dale W. Rice, Clyde Jones

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

As in previous lists, orders, families, and genera are listed in conventional phylogenetic sequence mostly following Hall (1981) but, in a departure from previous lists, species are entered alphabetically within each genus. This will facilitate use of the checklist by those unfamiliar with intrageneric taxonomy. Some assemblages are not well enough understood to create a meaningful hierarchy at the specific level.

“Notes” From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1986) 54(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

CORRECTION TO 1986 SPRING OCCURRENCE REPORT. The q and r tor Dark-eyed Junco in Column l should be in Column 2, and the explanations in the text should likewise be moved.

THE DESOTO NWR EIDERS. The March 1986 issue (NBR 54:10) reported Eiders, probably King or Common, at DeSoto NWR, and that photographs were being circulated for confirmation of the species.

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION MIDWINTER EAGLE SURVEY. The 1986 survey total of 462 Bald Eagles is the second highest total reported for Nebraska, surpassed only by the 746 recorded during last year’s unusually mild winter.—Greg Wingfield, Nebraska Game and …

Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper And Ivory Gull Reported, Sandy Kovanda, Jim Kovanda, Bill Otto, Eldon Marsh, Barbara Marsh

Nebraska Bird Review

SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER. On 12 October 1986 we saw an unusual sandpiper, in company of three dowitchers, on the east side of Nebraska Highway 15, about half the distance between the Platte River and Octavia, Butler County. We thought the bird to be a juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Calidris acuminata).

IVORY GULL. On 12 October 1986 we were birding six miles east and half a mile south of Brunswick, Antelope County. . . . We were sitting in our vehicle at the edge of the road, facing south, when a white gull appeared. . . . [W]e identified this bird …

A Catalog Of The Mayflies (Ephemeroptera) Of Hong Kong, Michael D. Hubbard

Insecta Mundi

This paper is a catalog of the Ephemeroptera known from the British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. It includes all known references for each species, along wit an indication of the type localities and depositions of type specimens. For each reference the stage (male, female, or nymph) is indicated if relevant. Keys which include the species also are indicated. The recorded distribution for each species is listed. For each genus are given the reference to the original description, information on the type species, and any synonyms.

Instructions For Producing Camera Ready Copy (Crc), Ross H. Arnett Jr.

Insecta Mundi

Papers submitted for publication in INSECTA MUNDI must be ready for page make-up. If the author(s) cannot produce CRC, the publisher will have the manuscript computer composed using typewriter style type with right hand margin justification. Charges for typesetting will be given when the manuscript is submitted.

Bibliography Of The World Literature Of The Bethylidae (Hymenoptera: Bethyloidea), Bradford A. Hawkins, Gordon Gordh

Insecta Mundi

The Bethylidae are a primitive family of aculeate Hymenoptera which presently consists of about 2,200 nominal species. They are worldwide in distribution and all species are primary, external parasites of Lepidoptera and Coleoptera larvae. Due t o their host associations, bethylids are potentially useful for the biological control of various agricultural pests in the aforementioned groups. Unfortunately, the true potential of bethylids in applied biological control cannot be ascertained now because they have been used infrequently. Some species show strong promise, but t h e i r use is handicapped by a relative lack of basic taxonomic and biological knowledge. …

Rearing Blister Beetles (Coleoptera, Meloidae), Richard B. Selander

Insecta Mundi

The receipt, recently, of several requests for information and assistance in rearing blister beetles (Meloidae) has prompted me to prepare the following account of the rearing method used in my laboratory. In order to make the account as useful as possible to new students. I have included a considerable amount of information on meloid bionomics. Larval phases are designated as triungulin (TI, first grub (FG), coarctate (C), and second grub (SG). Where necessary, instar is indicated by a numerical subscript. The pupa and adult are symbolized by P and A, respectively. 1 assume that the reader has some knowledge of …

Diplocentrus Colwelli, A New Species Of Scorpion From Northern Mexico (Diplocentridae), W. David Sissom

Insecta Mundi

Presently, only a single species of the genus Diplocentrus is known from northeastern Mexico, D. whitei (Gervais) (Hoffman 1931 ). This species is dark brown to black and is quite large, with adults 65-75 mm long. Recent collecting in the mountains near Monterrey and El Potosi, Nuevo Leon, Mexico has revealed the presence of a much smaller, more lightly-colored species. The description of this new species is the subject of the present paper.

Nomenclature and mensuration essentially follows that of Stahnke (1970), with the following exceptions: carinal terminology and cheliceral measurements are after Francke (1975, 1977) and trichobothrial terminology is …

A North Florida Ant Fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), Clifford Johnson

Insecta Mundi

This paper updates and summarizes the ant fauna of Alachua County, Florida, with two basic objectives. The first objective is presentation of a current, documented check-list consistent with existing taxonomy and an insight on species groups where taxonomic changes are likely in subsequent revisions. The second objection objective seeks to identify changes in the fauna since Van Pelt’s pioneer survey of 1948, and provide a basis for similar comparisons in the future.

The county consists of 902 square miles in north-central Florida and embraces essentially all inland habitats of the northern peninsula. This rich habitat variability is reflected in its …

New Species Of The American Genus Adelphe Mocsary (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae), Lynn Siri Kimsey

Insecta Mundi

Fourteen new species of Adelphe are described, from several Caribbean islands, Central and South America.

Stings Of Ants Of The Tribe Pheidologetini (Myrmicinae), Charles Kugler

Insecta Mundi

The definition of the Tribe Pheidologetini in the ant subfamily Myrmicinae has always been problematic. Emery (1922) erected the tribe to contain the genera Pheidologeton, Oligomyrmex, Aneleus, Lophomyrmex, Trigonogaster, Ekebomyrma, Carebara and Paedalgus, but Wheeler (1922) put all these genera in the Solenopsidini. Neither Emery nor Wheeler satisfactorily defined either tribe. More recently, Ettershank (1966) proposed the “Pheidologeton genus group” composed of Pheidologeton, Oligomyrmex (including most Aneleus) , Lophomyrmex, Carebara, Paedalgus and Anisopheidole, but still uncertainty remains as to relationships of these genera and even the definitions of the genera themselves. New characters and new means of analysis are needed …

Supplement I To E. C. Zimmerman, “Insects Of Hawaii” Vol. 7 (1958) Macrolepidoptera, J. C. E. Riotte

Insecta Mundi

This supplement concerns species of the family Sphingidae (pages 425-444) introduced to Hawaii since 1958 and now firmly established. The introductions are connected with the rapid growth of air traffic between Hawaii and SE Asia since the mid-1970s. Of special interest is the fast interisland colonization as reported in the HAWAII COOPERATIVE ECONOMIC INSECT REPORT (HCEIR), published by the State Department of Agriculture, Honolulu, HI until 1980, subsequently called HAWAII PEST REPORT.

A Revision Of The Genus Brachycoryna (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Hispinae), C. L. Staines Jr.

Insecta Mundi

The generic name Brachycoryna was first published by Guerin-Meneville (1844) who at that time also described B. pumila which was the only included species (type species by monotypy). The locality data given by Guerin's material is "Carthagene" (Cartagena, Columbia). Guerin correctly receives authorship of Brachycoryna since a single .combined description of a new genus and new species published before 1930 is considered an "indication" for each name (Intern. Code 2001. Nomen., Article 12). Some authors (Weise, 1911 a,b; Papp, 1953) had assigned authorship to Baly (1885) who published the first generic description and reported B. pumila from Mexico, Guatemala, and …

Anzora And Dworena, Two New Genera Erected For Australian Species Formerly Placed In Paratella And Sephena. (Homoptera: Fulgoridae), John T. Medler

Insecta Mundi

The genera Paratella and Sephena were established by Melichar (1902) for complexes of species having distribution principally in New Guinea. However, three of Melichar’s new species of Paratella, i.e., fumaria, fusconigra and modesta, were known only from localities in Australia and/or New Zealand. Kirkaldy (1906) described Sephena argue, cinerea and rubida from specimens collected in Australia. He commented that they had the appearance of Paratella while having the characters of Sephena assigned by Melichar.

Melichar (1923) and Metcalf (1957) each retained the above named species in Paratella and Sephena The type specimens of the species named above were examined in …

A Preliminary Checklist Of The Hydrophiloidea (Coleoptera) Of Maryland, C. L. Staines Jr.

Insecta Mundi

The only lists of Hydrophiloidae (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae, Helophoridae, Hydrochidae, and Hydraenidae) from the mid-Atlantic region are Ulke (1902) who reported 46 species from the District of Columbia and Matta (1974) who presented keys and short descriptions for the 49 aquatic species of Hydrophilidae of Virginia.

The following checklist records 103 species (75 aquatic) from Maryland. Comparable lists of aquatic species for other states are as follows: 53 species recorded from Florida by Young (1954); 20 species recorded from Ithaca, New York by Swenson (1982); 67 species from North and South Carolina by Brigham (1982); and 47 species from Illinois by …

Nebraska Bird Review (December 1986) 54(4), Whole Issue

Nebraska Bird Review

Sharp-tailed Sandpiper and Ivory Gull Reported … 70

“. . . On Our Nebraska Records,” Revisited … 71

By-laws of the NOU Records Committee … 72

Writing a Documentation … 74

California Gull in Keith County, Nebraska … 77

Avian Cholera in the Panhandle, 1985–1986 … 78

1986 Fall Field Day … 79

Book Reviews … 80

Cassin’s Sparrow in Garden County … 80

Notes … 81

Proximity Nesting: The Great Horned Owl and Red-tailed Hawk … 84

Index to Volume 54 … 86

Index To Volume 54

Nebraska Bird Review

Accipiter sp. 4

Adcock, Dorothy 64

Albino 20

Alexander, George and Irene 6

Alfred, Norris 15, 17, 31, 43, 49, 64

Allen, Betty 3

Ani, Groove-billed 30

Ants 26

Avocet, American 9, 12, 30, 31, 50, 79

. . .

Yellowlegs, Greater 12, 50

Lesser 13, 30, 50

sp. 13, 15, 50

Yellowthroat, Common 21, 30, 31, 34, 60, 79

Ziewitz, Jerry W., Whooping Crane Roost Site Characteristics on the Platte River, Buffalo County, Nebraska 36

Zlonke, Jack 58

Proximity Nesting: The Great Horned Owl And Red-Tailed Hawk, Steve Shupe

Nebraska Bird Review

Introduction: Forty-two nests of the Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) and 78 nests of the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaieensis) were surveyed during a three-year ecological study (1982–84). In 11 instances nests of the two species overlapped the hunting areas of the other. Home ranges, in which most hunting takes place, have been defined by various authors (Miller, 1930; Baumgartner, 1939; Hagar, 1967). For this study Hawks and Owls nesting within one-half mile of each other were compared. The proximity nesting of these two species seemed likely to increase the possibility of predation upon the young of …

Cassin’S Sparrow In Garden County, Thomas E. Labedz

Nebraska Bird Review

On 21 May 1986, while searching for evidence of breeding birds in atlas block 2G04 near Lisco, Garden County, Nebraska, I discovered a Cassin’s Sparrow (Aimophila cassinii). This sighting was at 5:20 PM Mountain Daylight Time, along the county road in the northeast corner of Section 11. I was driving slowly down the road and stopped to observe an odd sparrow. I nearly drove past, thinking it was another Grasshopper Sparrow (Ammodramus savannarum), which I had heard and seen all day. The sparrow, which appeared larger than a Grasshopper Sparrow, was perched on the low wire …

“Book Reviews” From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1986) 54(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

Bears and Men: A Gathering, William Mills, 108 pp., 9¼ x 9¼, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, cloth $24. 95. The author’s pictures, mostly of polar bears, but with a few of seals, arctic fox, men and their machine, and two of Ptarmigan, are probably more important than the text, which describes a trip out from Churchill in a tundra buggy towing a dormitory accommodation, both supposedly (but not too) bear-proof. The trip was organized for those who were interested in photographing polar bears under relatively natural conditions. In the course of the narrative the author …

1986 Fall Field Day

Nebraska Bird Review

The 1986 Fall Field Day was held at the 4-H Camp at Halsey National Forest on 4 and 5 October. The cloudy, rainy weather, which had been rather general over the state the previous few days, cleared up (the last rain at Halsey was late Friday night), and Saturday and Sunday were clear, which pleased the 51 who attended. Of the rare bird reports submitted, the Lesser Goldfinch, by Jim Minyard, was ranked first, and the Laughing Gull, by Paul and Karla Kaufman, the Prairie-Chickens at Omaha, by Douglas Fritz, and the King Rail, by Wayne Mollhoff, were ranked next. …

Avian Cholera In The Panhandle, 1985–1986, Stephen M. Kerr

Nebraska Bird Review

Between 28 November 1985 and 14 February 1986, over 2,500 waterfowl, 48 Wild Turkeys, and at least one Bald Eagle died due to avian cholera in an area from 5 miles west of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to 5 miles west of Lingle, Wyoming.

On 28 November a severe snowstorm blanketed the North Platte River valley with 10 inches of snow and wind chills of –20°F. An estimated 50,000 Mallards were concentrated 5 miles west of Scottsbluff, at the headwaters of Spring Creek. The area consists of 2 small dredged channels, 10 feet wide and less than 3 feet deep, and surrounded …

California Gull In Keith County, Nebraska, Mark A. Brogie

Nebraska Bird Review

The status of the California Gull (Larus californicus) in Nebraska has undergone a series of changes in recent years. Rapp et al. (1958) makes no mention of this species for Nebraska, although one was collected 19 March 1933 in Lancaster County (Hudson 1933) and is now an axial skeleton #ZM11152 in the University of Nebraska State Museum (Bray et al. 1986). Johnsgard (1980) lists the species as an extremely rare migrant or vagrant in most of Nebraska, while Rasche (1982) designates it as casual in spring and summer and accidental in autumn in northwestern Nebraska and southwestern South …

Writing A Documentation, Barbara L. Wilson

Nebraska Bird Review

As the previous article makes clear, the written documentation helps birdwatchers communicate clearly about unusual sightings. Preparing the report can even add to the excitement of the event as one settles into a comfortable chair with the field notes and paper, chortling “Wait ‘til they read about this!” Then one relives the whole experience while organizing one’s thoughts for writing. Those field notes are an important part of the process, for they keep small but critical details accurate. Train yourself to take some kind of notebook or paper into the field, though in a pinch the margin of a field …

By-Laws Of The Nou Records Committee

Nebraska Bird Review

I. NAME. The name of the committee is the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union Records Committee, hereafter referred to as “the committee.”

II. STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY. This committee exists to serve the ornithological community in Nebraska, not vice versa. It exists to promote and help maintain a high degree of quality and integrity in Nebraska ornithology. All Nebraska ornithologists should understand this and realize that for the committee to achieve these goals, it needs the support of all interested persons. The committee should be regarded as a logical, convenient clearinghouse in regards to records of Nebraska birds. All ornithologists, professional and amateur, …

“On Our Nebraska Records," Revisited, Wayne J. Mollhoff

Nebraska Bird Review

At the second annual meeting of the NOU, Dr. Robert H. Wolcott, one of our founders, presented a paper titled “On Migration Records and On Our Nebraska Records” (Proc. NOU 2:69, 1901), which included a plea for better documentation. He said, in part, “These problems must be met and answered in a spirit of scientific accuracy, if our conclusions are to carry weight with those living outside our borders. We must know what we know and record only what we know we know. We must be open at all times to conviction, but at the same time we must …

Masthead From Nebraska Bird Review (December 1986) 54(4)

Nebraska Bird Review

Published quarterly in March, June, September, and December by the Nebraska Ornithologists' Union, Inc., as its official journal and sent to all members who are not in arrears for dues. Subscriptions (on calendar year basis only) are $10.00 per year in the United States, $12.00 per year in Canada and Mexico, and $12.50 per year in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $3.00 each, postpaid, in the United States; $3.50 elsewhere.

Memberships (on a calendar year basis only): Student, $3.00; Active, $7.00; Sustaining, $15.00; Family Active, $10.00; Family Sustaining, $20.00; Life, $100.00.

All dues and subscriptions should …

Temporal Constancy In Grasshopper Assemblies (Orthoptera: Acrididae), Anthony Joern, Kenneth P. Pruess

Department of Entomology: Faculty Publications

1. Temporal constancy in the structure of grasshopper assemblies (about forty-five species each) from two types of North American grasslands was assessed; one site was followed 25 years and the other 7 years.

2. Densities and relative abundances varied but composition of assemblies based on ranks suggested significant structure when three or more species were included in the analysis.

3. Results compared favorably with other insect herbivore assemblies which have been examined; variability in population change was intermediate along the spectrum of organisms which have been studied.

Crop Residue Effects On Soil Environment And Dryland Maize And Soya Bean Production, J. F. Power, Wallace Wilhelm, J. W. Doran

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

The research reported here provides data on the effects of crop residues on the surface of no-till soil upon the soil environment and resulting biological activity, including crop growth. For maize (Zea mays L.) and soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production in eastern Nebraska, U.S.A. (4 years of data), increasing crop residue rate decreased maximum soil temperatures at the soil surface by at least 5°C, and generally increased soil water storage by at least 50 mm. Availability and uptake of nitrogen from the soil organic matter and applied fertilizers (and for soya bean from decomposition of crop …