Biodiversity Commons^™

Exploring Biosignatures And Biogeochemical Processes In Lanzarote Lava Tubes: Implications For Martian Analog Research, Vera Palma, Ana Z. Miller, Francesco Sauro, Bogdan P. Onac, José M. De La Rosa, Sara Gutiérrez-Patricio, Beatriz Cubero, José A. Gonzalez-Perez, Jesus Martínez-Frías, A Teresa Caldeira

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Deciphering Above-Treeline Vegetation Greenness Trends: Insights From The Carpathian Mountains, Pavel Dan Turtureanu, Arthur Bayle, Nicoud Baptiste, Olimpiu Traian Pop, Mihai Pușcaș, Philippe Choler

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Exploring Pristine Microbial Ecosystems From The Uninhabited Volcanic Selvagens Islands, Pedro N. Jiménez-Morillo, Sara Gutiérrez-Patricio, Vera Palma, Ana Teresa Caldeira, Nicasio Tomás Jiménez-Morillo, Ana Z. Miller

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Two New Species Of Anthrenus Geoffroy (S. Str.) (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Megatominae) From Egypt And Eritrea, Graham J. Holloway, Andreas Herrmann

Insecta Mundi

Two new species, Anthrenus kushangaza Holloway and Herrmann and Anthrenus kittenbergeri Holloway and Herrmann (Coleoptera: Dermestidae: Megatominae) from northeast Africa are described. Images of internal and external features are presented and compared with A. crustaceus Reitter and A. rauterbergi Reitter, both of which are found in the same geographical region as the new species.

A New Genus Of Horn-Like Tetrigids (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tetrigidae) From South America, Daniela Santos Martins Silva, Marcelo Ribeiro Pereira

Insecta Mundi

A new pygmy unicorn genus, Brazitettix Silva, new genus, and two new species, Brazitettix roraimae Silva, new species and Brazitettix paulista Silva, new species (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Tetrigidae) are described in Brazil. This new genus is a unique tetrigid taxon in the American continent due a notched-long and elevated head projection. The morphology of this taxon resembles Rostella Hancock, 1913 and Dravidacris Bhaskar and Kasalo, 2022 that are currently comprised into Cleostratini, an artificial group that contains biogeographic distant taxa with distinct morphological head projection.

Resumen

Un nuevo género de tetrígidos, Brazitettix Silva, nuevo género, y dos nuevas especies, …

Microbial Colonization Of New Lava Tubes Formed By The Fagradalsfjall Volcano’S Eruption (Iceland), Ettore Lopo, Francesco Sauro, Ana Zelia Miller, Bogdan Petroniu Onac, Martina Cappelletti

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Temperature And Humidity On The Transcriptome Of Symbiochloris Reticulata In Relation To Lobaria Pulmonaria’S Genepools, Ioana Violeta Ardelean, Christoph Scheidegger, Mihai Miclaus

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Onsite Microbial Analyses In One Of The Most Remote Quartzite Subterranean Environment On Earth: Imawarì Yeuta On Venezuelan Tepuis, Martina Cappelletti

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

First Record Of The Diamond-Backed Watersnake (Nerodia Rhombifer) In Nebraska, Joseph W. Paysen, Keith Geluso, Daniel D. Fogell

Transactions of the Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies

The diamond-backed Watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer) is a fairly large-bodied (≤2100g), semi-aquatic snake associated with wetlands throughout the south-central United States. Distribution of this species closely aligns with river floodplains in parts of its distribution, including the Missouri River floodplain as far north as Holt County, Missouri. Herein, we report on the first record of the Diamond-backed Watersnake in Nebraska. On May 21, 2011, Daniel D. Fogell collected a juvenile Diamond-backed Watersnake in southeastern Richardson County representing the first occurrence of the species in the state, which is adjacent to Holt County, Missouri. In extreme southeastern Nebraska, the distribution of this …

Using Airborne Edna To Assess Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelges Tsugae) Infestations And Their Impact On Michigan Coastal Forests, Keely C. Dunham

Masters Theses

Invasive species colonization degrades ecosystem structure and function, creating a cascade of ecological consequences. Hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA, Adelges tsugae) is an invasive insect that has killed millions of eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis), a foundation species in North America. HWA feed on eastern hemlocks, resulting in tree mortality within several years. In Michigan, land managers depend on early detection to contain infestations and respond through forest-level management. Environmental DNA (eDNA) applications have recently become a powerful biomonitoring tool for invasive species detection. This thesis had two main objectives: we investigated whether molecular analyses could assess HWA infestation level and we …

A Revision Of Hong Kong Harvestmen : Biodiversity, Ecological Preferences And Geographical Distribution, Kai Teck Desmond Tan

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

Opiliones, or harvestmen, is a common animal found throughout the world, there are currently over 6,650 species worldwide but the actual number is estimated to exceed 10,000, making it the third largest order in the class Arachnida. Despite its diversity, it is a rather understudied group. In Hong Kong, there are four described species, but the most recent relevant literature dates back to the at least the early 20th century. This thesis focuses on two common species found in Hong Kong: one previously described species (Heterobiantes geniculatus) and one new species (Pseudoleiobunum lutulentum sp. nov.). I …

From Turf To Turf: Fungal Invasion Of Ascocoryne Turficola In A Northern Michigan Bog, Evan L. Coscarelli-Trott

All NMU Master's Theses

This is the first paper to report Ascocoryne turficola Boud. 1905 (Helotiales: Ascomycota) within the United States. It is an obligate bog fungus native to Europe and Siberia, where it is extremely rare across most of its range. A. turficola appeared at Lily Pond Bog in Marquette, Michigan (87.47º W, 46.59º N) in 2019, almost contemporaneous with anecdotal reports in Minnesota and Ontario. Since 2019, the Lily Pond population has exploded and become the dominant fungus in this bog but has yet to spread to similar bogs nearby. This species is adapted to long distance dispersal and carries the potential …

The Influence Of Environmental Change On Genetic Diversity Across Spatial And Taxonomic Scales, Connor M. French

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The spatial distribution of genetic diversity is of interest to biodiversity scientists and conservationists and is a fundamental metric of biodiversity. Genetic diversity patterns across spatial and taxonomic scales contain information about population and assemblage dynamics that can convey their resilience to environmental change. Ectotherms are especially linked to their environments and may be especially sensitive to fluctuations in the environment over time. Herein, I investigate global and regional patterns of genetic diversity in two groups of ectotherms, insects and lizards, to understand the relationship between environmental change and genetic diversity, from populations to assemblages. Overall, my research aims to …

The Effects Of Environmental Changes On The Biodiversity And Macroecological Patterns Of Bird Assemblages In The United States, Marlen Acosta Alamo

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The current restructuring of species assemblages and global loss of biodiversity result from species-specific responses to anthropogenic changes in climate and land cover. I investigated the effect of these two drivers on the seasonal distribution and biodiversity of birds in the United States and how human-induced habitat loss impacts macroecological patterns such as the species-area and the abundance-occupancy relationships. In Chapter 1, I examined the existence of a correlation between breeding and wintering geographic distributions of birds with different migratory strategies and the effect of changes in climate and the proportion of crop-pasture and urban land cover on this correlation. …

Methodologies For Dry Fixation And Taxidermy Of Education-Oriented Scorpion Specimens, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Scorpions hold a renowned status as iconic creatures across numerous cultures in the world. Traditionally preserved as desiccated specimens for educational purposes, they have been exhibited in museums and pedagogic collections, serving as concrete epistemological conduits for public education on biodiversity. However, these specimens frequently lack meticulous organization, potentially misrepresenting the animals’ ethological characteristics. This brief article aims to offer paradigmatic guidance for taxidermy of scorpions, ensuring a more accurate depiction of their in vivo habitus, achievable through the use of readily obtainable tools and undemanding techniques.

A Step By Step Shoreline Attribute Analysis For Selected Waterbodies In The Gulf Of Mexico To Promote The Use Of Living Shorelines, Christoper Boyd, Xutong Niu, Taylor R. Horn

Journal of Extension

Living Shorelines are being promoted by coastal extension professionals as a more resilient nature-based solution to control shoreline erosion. The Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences Living Shorelines Suitability Model was run in selected waterbodies within the Gulf of Mexico.

The locations of the selected water bodies, coastal data sets used, and shoreline protection recommendations generated by the Model are presented. A step-by-step statistical analysis conducted through ArcGIS Pro from these selected coastal shorelines will illustrate how extension professionals with novice GIS experience can use the model output to promote living shorelines to coastal property owners, city managers, and developers.

Ponca State Park Vascular Plant Species List, Robert F. Steinauer

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

A list of vascular plant species found in Ponca State Park. Arranged by plant family and then species name. Also included are descriptions of locations where the species is commonly found.

Wolverine Habitat Suitability Analysis In Lake County, Colorado, Using Gis, Jake Hostnik

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

This project explores the reintroduction of the wolverine (Gulo gulo luscus) to Colorado’s mountainous regions, where the species has been extirpated due to habitat destruction and human activities. The study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify optimal habitats for wolverine reintroduction, considering factors like snowpack duration, prey availability, and human disturbance. By creating a GIS-based habitat suitability model, this research will guide conservationists in selecting reintroduction sites. The project addresses the species' role in maintaining alpine ecosystem balance and contributes to the broader understanding of biodiversity restoration in the face of climate change. Results will inform future conservation planning …

Key Largo Mangrove Population Monitoring: A Remote Sensing Analysis And Classification Methodology Review, David Lackajs

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Mangrove forests are some of the world's most bio-diverse habitats, providing essential services to the surrounding coasts. Removal of these habitats has a devastating impact on the ecosystems within them. The Florida Keys are some of the last areas in the United States with extensive mangrove populations. One specific area, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, has been under state protection since 1959. For that reason, mangrove forest habitats there are less fragmented. This study uses remotely sensed imagery to quantify and analyze mangrove populations in this area using two methods: sub-pixel analysis and supervised classification. The …

Three New Species Of Genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 From Tibet, China (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), With Implications For The Diagnostic Values Of Qualitative Characters, Victoria Tang, Kaichen Ouyang, Zhenbang Liu, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Three new species of genus Scorpiops Peters, 1861 are described from Tibet Autonomous Region, China. S. deshpandei sp. n. is described based on an adult male and an immature pair collected from Mêdog County, Nyingchi, with additional molecular evidence substantiating its validity against S. longimanus Pocock, 1893. S. kovariki sp. n. is featured by a single adult female from Zayü. This species is only weakly supported by its genetic distance from S. jendeki Kovařík, 1994, but empirical understanding of the morphological variation in Scorpiops species motivated us to consider them as distinct. S. matthewi sp. n. is based on …

Euscorpius Gulhanimae Sp. N. From The Konya Province, Turkey (Scorpiones: Euscorpiidae), Ersen A. Yağmur

Euscorpius

A new species Euscorpius gulhanimae sp. n. is described from southern Turkey (Beyşehir District of Konya Province). It differs by trichobothrial numbers in Pv and et series; these numbers are the highest in all species of Euscorpius in Turkey. E. gulhanimae sp. n. has light greyish yellow mesosoma, dark reddish-brown chela and dark brown metasomal segments III-V; the new species is distinguished by this two-colored feature from all Euscorpius species. With this description, the known number of species in the family Euscorpiidae in Turkey is increased to 21.

Amphiphala, A New Genus And Its Three New Species From Eastern North America (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Cochylina), Michael A. Roberts, Michael Sabourin, John W. Brown

Insecta Mundi

Amphiphala Roberts and Sabourin, new genus (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is proposed for three new species: A. liatriana Roberts and Sabourin, new species; A. landryana Brown, new species; and A. carolana Sabourin, new species. The genus is recorded from the eastern part of North America from Ontario, Canada south to South Carolina, and west to Manitoba and Mississippi. Owing to its superficial similarity to the banded sunflower moth, Cochylichroa hospes (Walsingham, 1884), Amphiphala remained hidden in North American Lepidoptera collections. Amphiphala liatriana has been reared from northern blazing star, Liatris scariosa (L.) Willd. (Asteraceae), in Maine.

Scorpions Of The Horn Of Africa (Arachnida: Scorpiones). Part Xxxiii. Three New Species Of Gint From Ethiopia And Somaliland (Buthidae), František Kovařík, Hassan Sh A. Elmi, František Šťáhlavský

Euscorpius

Three new species, Gint sahil sp. n. from Somaliland and Gint abshiri sp. n. and G. derbiae sp. n. from Ethiopia are described and compared with other species of the genus. Additional information is provided on the taxonomy and distribution of the genus Gint, fully complemented with color photos of specimens of the new species, as well as of their habitats. Furthermore, alongside the analyses of external morphology and hemispermatophores, we have provided description of the karyotype of G. abshiri sp. n. This species exhibits karyotype with 2n=27. Included is distribution map and a key for the genus Gint …

Wildcat Hills Rare Plant Survey Final Report, Steven B. Rolfsmeier

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: White Papers, Conference Presentations, and Manuscripts

This survey report summarizes fifteen days of field work in eleven sites scattered across the Wildcat Ridge that were completed between May and August of 1996. Forty-five occurrences of 15 plant species on the Nebraska Natural Heritage element list were found. Ten tracts of high quality (or otherwise noteworthy) native communities were identified. Included in the report are site descriptions and element occurrences.

Revision Of The Genus Scorpio In Jordan, With A Description Of A New Genus And Three New Species (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae), Bassam Abu Afifeh, Ersen A. Yağmur, Mohammad Al–Saraireh, Zuhair Amr

Euscorpius

Several new Scorpio populations are studied from various habitats in Jordan, including specimens previously identified as Scorpio kruglovi Birula, 1910 and S. fuscus (Ehrenberg, 1829). A new scorpionid genus, Jordanius gen. n. is described, mainly differentiated from the genus Scorpio Linné, 1758 by the elongation and heavy patterns of granulation of chela manus, and granulated chela fingers. Scorpio granulomanus Al-Saraireh et al., 2023 is transferred to the new genus, and Jordanius maysaraensis gen. et sp. n. is described. Also, Scorpio jordanensis sp. n. and S. wahbehi sp. n. are described. Detailed …

A Comparative Analysis Of Extant Oceanic Shark Species Using Trait-Based Ecology, Elizabeth A. Johnson

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Over the past few decades, scientists have been working together to mitigate human impacts on global shark populations, but deciding which species need the most immediate attention can be difficult. This study uses a newly emerging approach to ecology, trait-based ecology, to identify trends in trait expression with depth and determine which species have the most unique sets of traits. While trait-based ecology has already been applied to numerous fields, a trait-based approach to shark research is still in its infancy. A total of 15 traits across 337 oceanic shark species were examined to identify trends in trait expression and …

Aquaponics Experiment For Njit Stem For Success, Christopher Tava

STEM Month

As a member of STEM for Success, I was responsible for constructing and promoting a functioning aquaponics system for the benefit of fifth grade students. With the help of NJIT funding, I was able to design, rapid prototype, and then implement a sustainable aquaponics system that was able to grow lettuce, tomatoes, and kale. Multiple challenges in the design process led to changes, further research, and the implementation of new solutions, as described in detail. Using the aquaponics knowledge gained from the experimental phase, I then led community outreach to elementary schools in my local area. Aquaponics possesses a variety …

A New Species Of Acmaeodera Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) From The State Of Michoacán, Mexico, Jason A. Hansen, Richard L. Westcott

Insecta Mundi

Acmaeodera parasuperba Hansen and Westcott, new species (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), from Michoacán, is described, imaged, and its relationship discussed.

Homocopris Burmeister, 1846 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae): Lectotype Designation For Copris Torulosus Eschscholtz, 1822, And Correction On The Geographic Distribution Of The Two Chilean Species, José Mondaca, Fernando Z. Vaz-De-Mello

Insecta Mundi

Homocopris Burmeister, 1846 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) is a small genus of South American dung beetles composed of four species distributed in Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. Recently, a neotype was designated for Copris torulosus Eschscholtz, 1822 (currently H. torulosus) based on the assumption that the original type series had been lost. However, this designation is invalid for failing to comply with articles 75.2, 75.3, 75.3.1, and 75.3.4. of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Furthermore, even if it had been nomenclaturally valid, the neotype now loses its type status because we found a syntype in the material of the Johann …

New Species, New Combinations, Synonymies, And Nomenclatural Discussion For Hispaniolan Longhorned Beetles (Coleoptera: Disteniidae, Cerambycidae), Steven W. Lingafelter, Norman E. Woodley

Insecta Mundi

Fifteen new species of longhorned beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Disteniidae) from Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti) are diagnosed, described, and illustrated: Novantinoe pilithorax Lingafelter, new species (Disteniini); Eburiola ciferrii Lingafelter, new species (Eburiini), Eburiola konstantinovi Lingafelter, new species (Eburiini), Elaphidion jaragua Lingafelter, new species (Elaphidiini), Linsleyonides guerreroi Lingafelter, new species (Elaphidiini), Compsibidion iviei Lingafelter, new species (Tropidini: Subtribe Neoibidionina), Hormathus albisetosus Lingafelter, new species (Tropidini: Subtribe Compsina), Trichrous eryphoides Lingafelter, new species (Dichophyiini), Plectrocerum woodruffi Lingafelter, new species (Dichophyiini), Oreodera nearnsi Lingafelter, new species (Acrocinini/Acanthoderini), Acrepidopterum fuscum Lingafelter, new species (Apomecynini), Acrepidopterum giesberti Lingafelter, new species (Apomecynini), Estola touroulti Lingafelter, …