Animal Sciences Commons^™

The Naiads (Mollusca: Unionidae) From Two Prehistoric Sites Along The Ohio River, Mason County, West Virginia, Beverly Dawn Spurlock

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Archeological naiad valves representing 29 species were recovered from two Late Prehistoric Indian villages along the Ohio River, Mason County, West Virginia. Surface collections and limited excavation provided a total of 1,599 identifiable valves and valve fragments. Dif­ferences in species compositions and relative abundances between the two middens were noted. Samples from the Rolf Lee Farm Site (46MS51) contained 28 species while the Lewis-Old Town Farm Site (46MS57) produced only 23 species. Comparisons were made with other nearby prehistoric shell deposits and also with more recent twentieth century collections from this reach of the river. Nine of the archeological species …

Food Habits Of Largemouth Bass, Micropterus Salmoides (Lacepede) And Spotted Bass, Micropterus Punctulatus (Rafinesque), From Beech Fork Reservoir, A New Impoundment In Wayne And Cabell Counties, West Virginia, Michael A. Arcuri

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A study was undertaken to determine the food habits of two game fishes, the largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacepede) and the spotted bass M. punctulatus (Rafinesque) in Beech Fork Reservoir shortly after its impoundment. A total of 171 largemouth bass and 95 spotted bass were collected from July 1978, through June 1979, and their stomach contents analyzed.

Largemouth bass fed primarily on fishes, particularly young-of-the-year bluegill. Aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates were also important food items, especially during the spring and fall . The dominant aquatic forms were chironomid larvae and pupae while the dominant terrestrial forms were adult dipterans.

Spotted …

A Taxonomic Study Of The Symphitopsyche Pictet And Hydropsyche Ulmer Larvae Of West Virginia (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae), Charlene Kay Nugen

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

A survey of the larval Symphitopsyche and Hydropsyche of West Virginia revealed fifteen species (S. morosa, S. walkeri, S. bronta, S. slossonae, S. macleodi, S. sparna, S. ventura, H. orris, H. phalerata, H. hoffmani, H. scalaris, H. leonardi, H. hageni, H. dicantha, H. simulans) eleven of which were state records (Table 1). Two species groups (S. bifida group, H. depravata group) were also found in the state possibly adding four more species (S. bifida, S.cheilonis, H. depravata,H. betteni) (Table 1). Hydropsyche phalerata, S. walkeri, and H. leonardi were the most scarce in the state and the H. depravata group had …

A Post-Impoundment Investigation Of The Beech Fork Drainage Basin, Twelvepole Creek, Wayne And Cabell Counties, West Virginia, Donald Borda

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Fish populations were collected at six stations by means of electrofishing to determine the composition after impoundment. A total of 748 fishes weighing about 9 pounds (4 kg) were collected. Seven families representing 31 species were collected and categorized as game, forage and rough fishes. Game fishes made up 9.1 percent of the total number and 22.3 percent of the total weight; forage fishes 83.0 percent by number and 29.7 percent by weight. The average standing crop was 15 pounds per acre.

Benthic invertebrates were collected at six stations by means of a bottom dredge. A total of 1535 specimens …

The Life History And Ecology Of Ptilostomis Postica (Walker) (Trichoptera: Phryganeidae) In Greenbottom Swamp, Cabell County, West Virginia, Mary Beth Roush

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The life histoy and ecology of Ptilostomis postica (Walker) from Greenbottom swamp in Cabell County, West Virginia were investigated from December 1977 to December 1978, Length-frequency histograms indicate the life cycle is uriivoltine. Larvae achieved their greatest growth rate (75%) from fall to winter. Case length showed its greatest increase (70.3%) for this same period. There was high correlation between case length and body length in fall (r=0.72) and winter (r=0.87), however, a low correlation (r=0.18) was found in spring. The diet of the larvae changed from carnivorous in fall and winter to omnivorous in spring. Pupation began at the …

Proposed Environmental Impacts Of The Gallipolis Locks And Dam Replacement, Ohio River Mile 279.2, On The Benthic Macroinvertebrates And Fishes Of Flatfoot Creek, Mason County, West Virginia, William L. Cremeans Jr.

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The Gallipolis Locks and Dam at Ohio River Mile 279.2 is soon to be modified or replaced. Construction in the area will effect the lower portion of the small drainage basin (14.61 km) of Flatfoot Creek. Depending on the action taken, a large proportion of Flatfoot Creek and/or a tributary of Mud Run will have severe ecological alterations. For this reason, Flatfoot Creek was investigated for water quality, benthic macroinvertebrates, fish populations and the feeding requirements of the fishes.

A physio-chemical analysis was made of Flatfoot creek. With the exception of five parameters, the creek met guidelines set by state …

A Taxonomic And Distributional Study Of The Crayfishes (Decapoda: Cambaridea) Of West Virginia With Diagnostic Keys To Species Of The Genera Cambarus And Orconectes, Steven M. Lawton

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis is the first extensive investigation of West Virginia's crayfishes since Newcombe (1929) surveyed the state's fauna 50 years ago. Records, collections, and specimens were obtained from the 7 drainage areas of the state. Crayfish were collected from early spring through the fall of 1978. Both aquatic species and burrowers were included in the study. Presently, seventeen species and subspecies are known to exist in West Virginia. The genus Cambarus contains 10 of the total species of which three are primary burrowers. Cambarus nerterius, from the cavernous Greenbrier and Pocahontas counties of the Greenbrier River drainage, is the state's …

The Intestinal Platyhelminths Of Southwestern And Central West Virginia Amphibia And Relationships Between The Degree Of Infestation And Habitat Of Amphibians And Sex Of Host, Stanley B. Mills

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

In April and May, 1977, 397 (14 species) amphibians were collected from southwestern and central West Virginia and examined for parasites. Five species of trematodes and two species of cestodes were found from 93 hosts. The total of 397 amphibians was subdivided, for convenience, into six categories of amphibians; aquatic male and female, terrestro-aquatic male and female, and terrestrial male and female. Nine of 24 (37.5%). female aquatic amphibians was the highest incidence found, while terrestro-aquatic females contained the highest mean number (6.0) worms per incidence, and parasite loads of host. Hosts, each platyhelminth specimen are given.

Mayflies, Or Ephemeroptera, Of West Virginia With Emphasis On The Nymphal Stage, Gerald M. Faulkner

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This thesis presents the first detailed study of the Ephemeroptera of West Virginia. Eight hundred twelve cites were collected with five hundred eight yielding mayfly specimens. Twelve families are represented including twenty-seven genera and one hundred fifteen species. Four new species are reported along with seventy-seven state records and five hundred twelve county records. Distributional trends of species collected from four or more counties are proposed along with distributional maps on all species reported.

Comparative Ecological, Morphological, And Behavioral Studies Of The Southern Blacknose Dace, Rhinichthys Atratulus Obtustjs Agassiz, And The Eastern Blacknose Dace, Bhinichtbis Atbatulus Atra'fulus (Hermann), In High And Low Altitude Streams In West Virginia And Virginia, Michael L. Little

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Comparative ecological, aorphological, and behavioral studies of the southern blaeknose dace, Rhiniohthys atratulus obtusus Agassiz, and the eastern blaokaose dace, B.hiniohtpys atratulus atratulus (Heraann), were made in high and low altitude streaas in West Virginia and Virginia. Statistical comparisons of the morphology of a. a.atratulus and R-.a.-obtusus showed no reliable body character that differentiated the two subspecies. Statistical tests indicated an intergrading population in Gandy Creek, a tributary of the Cheat River, in West Virginia. This was further substantiated by collecting males of the atratulus phenotype along with males of the native obtusus phenotype in adjacent sections of Gandy Creek. …

Meteorological Factors Controlling The Emergence Of The Eastern Spadefoot Toad, Scaphiopus Holbrooki Holbrookii Harlan, Larry Judy

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Scaphiopus holbrooki holbrookii, the Eastern Spadefoot, can exist in an area for many years before it is detected. Its apparent scarcity can be explained by its secretive, fossorial habitat, protective coloration, and nocturnal behavior. Spadefoots are present at the surface locally in small numbers on any one night. They emerge only when conditions are optimum. One authority has suggested that temperature, moisture, and barometric pressure exert control over emergence.

It was the purpose of this research to discover the most important meterorological parameters and investigate how they control the behavior of Scaphiopus.

Initially the response, emergence to breed was distinguished …

Three Physical Measurements Of Male White-Tailed Deer In West Virginia Correlated With Soil Fertility And Population Density, Charles C. Coffman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Differences in the physical size of male white-tailed deer from varying parts of West Virginia were known to exist a considerable number of years before any sophisticated attempts were made to explain them. Prior to 1940, the state's deer herd had been making a slow, but increasingly steady, comeback from a period of extreme scarcity around the turn of the century. To supplement the original remaining stock, shown in Figure 1, page 2, a deer restocking program was initiated in 1923. In 1937, federal legislation, in the form of the Federal Aid to Wildlife Restoration Act, gave added support to …